RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The composer and singer Gilberto Gil, 79, was elected this Thursday, 11, to occupy chair number 20 of the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL). He was elected with 21 votes.
The musician from Bahia was chosen as the new occupant of the chair that became vacant with the death of journalist Murilo Melo Filho, on May 27, 2020. In the voting, Gil beat poet Salgado Maranhão (7 votes) and writer Ricardo Daunt (no votes). Seat 20 has previously been occupied by Salvador de Mendonça (founder), Emílio de Meneses, Humberto de Campos, Múcio Leão, and Aurélio de Lyra Tavares.
Read also: Check out our coverage on Brazil
Owner of an extensive discography with more than 50 albums, Gil is considered one of Brazil’s most significant artists and a symbol of Tropicália. This cultural movement brought aesthetic innovations in the 1960s. Winner of two Grammy Awards and two Latin Grammys, the singer, songwriter, and music producer was named “Artist for Peace” by UNESCO in 1999.
He also published the book “Todas as Letras” in 1996, meeting the prerequisite of having at least one title published to be eligible for the ABL. In 1988, the singer was a city councilman in Salvador. Between 2002 and 2003, he served as Minister of Culture in the first Lula administration.
A cultural institution inaugurated on July 20, 1897, with its headquarters in Rio de Janeiro, the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL) aims to cultivate the language and national literature. The ABL is composed of 40 effective and perpetual members, which means that after being elected, the academician’s bond with the institution lasts until the end of their life. ABL also has foreign correspondent members.
This is the second election after the resumption of face-to-face activities at the Brazilian Academy of Letters, partially closed between March 2020 and October 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Recently, ABL unanimously elected actress Fernanda Montenegro to the Academy’s 17th seat.