Lula invites Gilberto Gil to be Minister of Culture!

Singer and songwriter Gilberto Gil left the meeting with president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stating that he will have to talk with his party, the PV, to decide whether or not he accepts the invitation to be Minister of Culture in the future government. Gil will give his answer by Wednesday, when he scheduled a new meeting with Lula. Gil revealed that today's visit to Granja do Torto had been scheduled so that he would receive, as he in fact did, the invitation to head the ministry. Gil said he recognizes the difficulties of the post and confirmed that his vision of culture aligns with Lula's.

According to him, the meeting served for president-elect Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva to present information about the portfolio and for the singer to also give his opinion on the sector's needs. "At no point did I pursue the position; in fact, I was hoping the president would not need me, but that did not happen," he deflected.

If Gil gives a positive answer to Lula, this will not be the first time the singer participates in politics. Gil has already held positions related to the environment at the Salvador City Hall and over the past five years has stood out as a defender of nature through the non-governmental organization Onda Azul, founded by him. In an interview with Reuters last week, Gilberto Gil had already commented on the people's expectations regarding the future Lula government. "The people are very confident. They deserve a good government and everything must be done to give them that," he declared.

Born in Salvador in 1942, Gil began his musical career at age 18, when he formed the group Conjunto Os Desafinados, starting his solo career only in 1965. Trained in business administration, he worked at the multinational Gessy Lever, a career he abandoned to pursue the artistic life, already on the rise with the victory at Record's MPB Festival with "Domingo no Parque" alongside Grupo Os Mutantes, featuring Rita Lee. Persecuted by the military dictatorship, he was exiled together with Caetano Veloso in 1976.

Gil will also take part in Lula's inauguration celebration on January 1. In addition to the musician from Bahia, the duo Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano, Chico Buarque, Maria Bethânia, Zeca Pagodinho, Fernanda Abreu and the Samba school Estação Primeira de Mangueira were invited.