Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música
Caetano Veloso e Gilberto Gil
2015
Rankings
Why This Album Matters
Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música is a live recording of a commemorative tour celebrating five decades of the indelible artistic journey and profound friendship between Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil. This album is a testament to the extraordinary musical and personal affinity that unites the two icons of Brazilian music, presenting a carefully selected repertoire from their individual careers and collaborations. The predominant musical style is intimate and acoustic, with the artists performing only with their voices and acoustic guitars, in duets and solo moments. This stripped-down configuration highlights the genius of their compositions and interpretations, offering a pure and deeply emotional sonic experience. The performance, marked by a genuine and captivating interaction, allows the listener to feel the chemistry and history they both share, transforming each song into a musical conversation between long-standing friends. The album, therefore, is not merely a collection of greatest hits, but a living celebration of the resilience of their work and the vitality of their art, even after so many years. It captures the essence of two artists who continue to enchant and inspire, demonstrating the durability of their songs and their mastery as arrangers and interpreters.
Context
The Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música tour and album were conceived to celebrate 50 years of Caetano Veloso's and Gilberto Gil's careers. The friendship between the two began in the 1960s, in Salvador, Bahia, marking the start of one of the most significant partnerships in Brazilian music. Protagonists of the Tropicalist movement, Caetano and Gil shaped Brazil's musical culture and had performed together on memorable tours, such as Tropicália Duo, held in 1994. The idea for this reunion in 2015 emerged from an invitation from an Italian producer for a series of shows in Europe, an invitation that Caetano initially viewed with scepticism, but which proved to be a transformative experience. Gilberto Gil, for his part, was coming from his "Gilbertos Samba" tour, a project revisiting the work of João Gilberto.
Recording
The Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música album is a live recording of the eponymous tour. The performances that make up the album were recorded on 22 and 23 August 2015, at the Citibank Hall, in São Paulo. The album's production was overseen by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil themselves, while the sound engineering featured the collaboration of their sons, Moreno Veloso and Bem Gil, which adds a layer of family intimacy to the project. The album's release took place in a double CD format and also on DVD, allowing the public a visual experience of the acclaimed tour. International distribution was handled by Nonesuch Records.
Songs
The album's repertoire spans 28 songs, most of them compositions by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, plucked from their vast catalogues. The setlist includes classics beloved by the public, such as "Coração Vagabundo", "Desde que o Samba é Samba", "Expresso 2222", "Esotérico" and "Drão". Reflecting the global nature of the tour, the album features songs in different languages, such as "Nine Out Of Ten" (in English), "Tonada de Luna Llena" and "Tres Palabras" (in Spanish) and "Come Prima" (in Italian). A novelty at the time was the unreleased song "As Camélias do Quilombo do Leblon", composed by the two artists specifically for the tour, which addresses the need for a "second abolition in Brazil". The acoustic setup, with just acoustic guitars and voices, gives a new guise to these timeless songs. Caetano Veloso highlighted how Gilberto Gil's subtle contributions, sometimes "almost nothing", completely transformed certain tracks, as in "Terra", evidencing the profound synchronicity and mutual respect between the two musicians.
Legacy
The Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música tour was a resounding success, attracting over 135,000 fans to 44 sold-out shows, touring 21 countries and 35 cities. The album was widely acclaimed by critics, with Reuters describing one of the performances as "pure and poignant" and The Guardian calling it "historic". The album's impact is underlined by Caetano Veloso's own statement, who considered what he learned from the experience "priceless". The live recording was praised for its ability to serve both as an introduction to the artists' work and as a retrospective of their intertwined careers. Furthermore, the album received recognition in international publications, such as The New York Times, which critically acclaimed it. As mentioned in the premise, the album is widely considered one of the 100 greatest Brazilian music albums.
Tracks
Credits
Guilherme Zattar
Fafá Giordano, Joao Franklin
Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil
Paula Lavigne
Flora Gil, Meny Lopes
Stella Amaral
Henrique Alqualo
Giovanni Bianco
Marcos Hermes
Luiz Augusto
Films
Gilberto Gil Antologia Vol.1
2019
The documentary goes through works composed by the Bahian musician between 1968 and 1987. Brazilian musician Gilberto Gil, one of the most well-known members of the Tropicália generations, revisits some of his most famous works on this documentary.
Gilberto Gil: Tempo Rei
1996
Tempo Rei is the first audiovisual record of Gilberto Gil's vast work, celebrating the artist's thirty-year career, celebrated in 1996. Gil recalls his artistic trajectory, recalls striking facts and reveals some intimacies. Completely filmed on film, it includes great successes of the artist like Madalena, Cores Vivas, Vamos Fugir, Procissão and Expresso 2222.
Caetano Veloso in Bahia
Caetano Veloso in Bahia
Caetano Veloso returns to significant places in his life in the city of Salvador and in Santo Amaro da Purificação, his hometown.
Amor e Sorte com Gilberto Gil
2020
The music and poetry of Gilberto Gil in the voices of different generations of artists, and his wisdom in his own voice.
Books
Os 500 Maiores Álbuns Brasileiros de Todos os Tempos
Ricardo Alexandre · 2022
The largest Brazilian music election ever conducted: 162 specialists, spanning journalists, critics, musicians, producers and podcasters, each nominated 50 essential albums, supported by a masterlist of more than 2,000 works. Led by Ricardo Alexandre with tabulation by Sérgio Jomori, it was published in December 2022 as a 200-page hardcover book with graphic design by Fernando Pires.
O Mundo Não é Chato
O Mundo Não é Chato
Caetano Veloso, Eucanaã Ferraz · 2004
Authored by Caetano Veloso himself, in collaboration with Eucanaã Ferraz. It contains texts, essays, and reflections by the artist on his life, work, and worldviews, offering a direct insight into his creative process and artistic trajectory. Although published before the album, it provides essential insights into the perspective of one of the central artists for understanding the work.
Analyses
The Playful Grace of Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil
motherjones.com
The great Brazilian singer-songwriters Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil go back a half-century together. Spearheading the Tropicalia movement, which blended traditional and modern pop music, they ...
2015 - Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música - Caetano Veloso e Gilberto GIl
caetanoefoda.blogspot.com
Undoubtedly, two of the greatest names in 20th-century popular music, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil celebrate fifty years in their careers this year.
Caetano Veloso e Gilberto Gil - Dois Amigos, um Século de Música (Ao ...
musicasdonordeste.net
In the most anticipated release of recent times, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso celebrate 50 years of their careers. With performances in major cities across Europe and Latin America, "Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música" featured sold-out shows and extra dates everywhere it went.
Caetano Veloso ...en detalle.: 2015 - DOIS AMIGOS, UM SÉCULO DE MÚSICA ...
caetanoendetalle.blogspot.com
To make the programme even more special, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil receive a gold disc for the CD and DVD "Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música", which was released last year and which spawned the tour currently travelling Brazil and the world.
Caetano Veloso e Gilberto Gil - Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música (2016)
altamont.pt
All this is still very little to begin writing about Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil - Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música, but it already sets the tone for what is to come.
