Gilberto Gil: Duetos

Gilberto Gil became Brazil’s Minster of Culture in 2003, but the great musician from Bahia has been a national treasure since the 1960s, when he was a key figure in the Tropicalista movement. Since then he has recorded numerous albums as a solo artist, and on Duetos, he teams up with more than a dozen Brazilian artists from various musical backgrounds. Gil and the bossa nova pianist Joao Donato get together on the super mellow “A Paz,” which features a nice whistling solo. On “Cada Macaco No Seu Galho (Cho Chua),” the host and his old Tropicalista buddy, Caetano Veloso, sing over one of the album’s fiercer drum tracks and a spiky guitar part. Veloso’s sister, the wonderful singer Maria Bethania, is the guest on “Alguem Me Avisou,” a cut with a joyous bossa nova groove. Gil joins the group Cidade Negra for “Extra,” a slice of Brazilian reggae with Middle Eastern touches, before hooking up with the late Chico Science on the dancehall-influenced “Maco.” “Sebastian,” a lush orchestral pop song performed with Milton Nascimento, the extraordinary singer/songwriter from Mina Gerais, is one of the album’s highlights.