The Politics of Music, Music of Politics

Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil are legends of Brazilian music. They are more than performers. Known for their political views, both the singers had to go into exile in 1968, four years after Brazil fell to military dictatorship. Living abroad, they continued to compose their unique band of music, mixing their views with Brazilian beat. They were the pioneers of the tropicalia movement of the 1960s and 1970s, which grew in Rio and gave a distinct identity to the Brazilian music.

Fifty years after they went into exile, Veloso and Gil came together again at the opening ceremony of the Rio 2016. It was not just a nostalgic moment for them, it has a great symbolic value for the whole country. Two great musicians, who fought against the military dictatorship, were playing together their old music at a time when, in the opinion of many Brazilians, the country is in the middle of another “coup”. Both Gil, who was the culture minister in the government of President Lula, and Veloso have denounced the ongoing process to impeach President Dilma Rousseff. 

Many of the protests against the impeachment of Rousseff have been led by musicians and artists. Chico Buarque, another legendary singer, has been speaking at protest rallies in Rio since the impeachment process started some three months ago. His voice too boomed at the Maracana on Friday night. 

Many people see it as an irony that at the opening ceremony, presided over by Michel Temer, who has been accused by supporters of Dilma and Lula as the main “coup plotter”, the music mostly came from those singers who fought against dictatorship in the past and continue to give their voice to democracy and freedom.

But then without Buarque, Veloso and Gil, there is no Brazilian music. Other composers like Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes too were quite radical in their political views and they too had to suffer during the dictatorship that lasted for 21 years.

It was also very symbolic that Veloso and Gil shared space with Anitta, a Brazilian pop star who was born in a ghetto but grew up to become a singing sensation, especially among the young. As the three showed a bit of their Samba moves on the stage, both the young and old Brazilians were up on their feet.

Before the opening ceremony, Fernando Meirelles, the Brazilian director who created the show, had said that he hoped that the music and dance would act as a “medicine for a depressed nation”, the reference to the sadness and bitterness caused by the political crisis. Now looking at the reactions on the social media and commentary in newspapers and blogs, the show indeed has acted as a balm. It was a political show, without the word politics mentioned even once.