Gil releases CD and DVD based on platonic admiration for Marley!

SÃO PAULO (Reuters) - Brazil and Jamaica have never been very far apart: like here, Jamaicans love rhythm and dance. But now a musical bridge between the two countries has been definitively built. And who better than Gilberto Gil to take on the task? The Bahian musician has just released a CD, "Kaya N'Gan Daya", and a DVD, "Kaya N'Jamaica". Both pay tribute to reggae father Bob Marley, echoing the Jamaican star's song "Kaya", for whom Gil has never hidden his admiration. "For me, Marley is to reggae what João Gilberto is to bossa nova. He is irreplaceable," the artist said at a press conference in São Paulo on Tuesday. "Kaya N'Gan Daya" comprises 16 songs written and performed by Marley and reinterpreted by the Bahian. Gil said the rereading was done carefully, trying to preserve the Wailers' sound — the band that backed the Jamaican musician. "Marley is highly auteur; he is a style in himself, and I wanted to honor that, from author to author," Gil explained. "That style is already set; it's time to learn the lesson as it appears in the book — like an arithmetic class," he joked. The exception to musical fidelity, according to Gil, is "Three Little Birds", which he gave "a João Gilberto face," with guitar-based accompaniment.

EVEN GUGA

The choice of "Three Little Birds" is curious: the musician included the track on the album (full of classics like "Waiting In Vain" and "Buffalo Soldier") because of tennis player Gustavo Kuerten: "I heard Guga say it was his favorite, I looked it up and remembered I also loved the melody," he said, smiling. On the DVD, "Kaya N'Jamaica", a show made especially for the release is included. There is also a documentary on the CD recording backstage in Jamaica, plus scenes of Gil walking the streets of Kingston, talking with Rita Marley, visiting neighborhoods where the star lived and wrote his songs. Lula Buarque de Hollanda directed the DVD. From here on, all the musician's efforts will go to touring these two works. On Thursday, Rio residents will get a close look at the Marley tribute. The tour crosses Brazil's main cities and several countries abroad. For live shows, Gil prepared 12 songs from "Kaya N'Gan Daya" plus ten from his own classic repertoire. His own reggae output will be represented by "Extra", "Novidade" and "Barraco". "Is This Love", a Marley song absent from the album, will also be part of the show, as will a reggae-flavored version of "Garota de Ipanema". Gil says his admiration for Marley is platonic, as the two musicians never met in person. "I tried to find him in the dressing room after a show of his in Los Angeles, but Bob had already left," he said. When the Jamaican was in Brazil, another missed connection: Marley was in Rio and Gil in Salvador. "Still, I'm glad to know he wanted to meet me when he heard 'Não Chore Mais' (the Portuguese version of 'No Woman No Cry')."