At the request of “Fantástico”, a genealogist created a family tree for the singer, who turned 80 on Sunday
One of the icons of Brazilian music, Gilberto Gil celebrated his 80th birthday this Sunday. One of the creators of the Tropicalista movement and winner of several international awards, if there is one thing that always refers also to Gil, it is the theme of “family”.
Father of eight children, grandfather of 12 grandchildren and great-grandfather of a great-granddaughter, the artist received a family tree as a gift to analyze his roots.
The request for Fantasticthe genealogist Cockroach tracked down Gil’s ancestors. The singer, arrested during the military dictatorship, discovered that the family is also made up of activists.
The artist is related to Jesuit And Ismael Ribeiro dos Santos, who signed a manifesto calling on Bahians to unite for the emancipation of slaves. Gil, who was unaware of the information, was surprised: “Abolitionist, really!”.
He also spoke of parents, José Gil Moreiradoctor and Claudina Passosprofessor, and on the degree of emancipation of the family, high by the Brazilian standards of black families of the time.
“When I arrived, my family was already middle-class,” Gil said. He underlines that, in the talks, the issue of meritocracy was much debated.
“We talked, it was part of the general measures that father, mother, uncles have taken in the sense of educating their children, for me, for cousins and for everyone,” he said.
Elected immortal by the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL) last year, Gilberto Gil also revealed who was responsible for his literacy: Lydia Gil Moreiragreat-aunt of the singer, who was an educator.
Gil said he was influenced by Luiz Gonzaga and, from an early age, wanted to be “a moss tree and the father of a boy” – musician and father. “I want to study accordion, mom. I want to learn accordion thanks to Luiz Gonzaga … Gonzagão”, he recalled a speech he had said to his mother.
According to the artist’s family tree study, 31% of the genetic makeup of his DNA comes from the African continent. There are also legacies from England, Ireland, Hungary, and Native Americans.
Watch an excerpt from the interview:
Through a family tree, Gilberto Gil learned of the presence in the family of two abolitionists. The musician also spoke #Fantastic on his musical roots and on what he wanted to be when he grew up: father and musician: https://t.co/dwGcm0lRBx pic.twitter.com/BRzClX9xnt
– Fantastic (@showdavida) June 27, 2022
* Trainee under the supervision of Charlise de Morais
Source: Terra

Camila Luna is a writer at Gossipify, where she covers the latest movies and television series. With a passion for all things entertainment, Camila brings her unique perspective to her writing and offers readers an inside look at the industry. Camila is a graduate from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) with a degree in English and is also a avid movie watcher.