GILSONS: Presence, Happiness, Love and Family Connection

Interview by Sabrina Ciauri Photos by Vinicius Rocha

There are artists you admire, and then there are artists who quietly change the way

you live. Gilsons are that for me. A Brazilian bossa nova group formed by the son,

José Gil, and grandsons, Francisco and João Gil, of the legendary Gilberto Gil. They

blend MPB, samba, Bahian rhythms, and contemporary pop into something that

feels sunlit, warm, calming and also deeply alive. Writing about them feels personal,

their songs have become a part of my everyday life playing in my headphones on the

London Underground, or playing in open-air bars next to Copacabana beach in Rio.

Their music has shaped the way I see life and love.

In a world that constantly pushes for speed, noise, more reaction, their music feels

like an invitation to be present. They create the space and openness to notice and

feel what’s actually happening around you from the small details, the mood of a

moment or the sound of the waves lapping against the shore. When I asked

Francisco Gil what they hope listeners feel when they hear their music, his answer

explained everything: "What I think is most interesting about music is the possibility

of provoking diverse feelings, very personal connections. It's not a specific feeling

but rather this possibility that they feel, and that it be from a deep place. It's the most

beautiful thing when we hear from someone who connects and who lived a story and

that song is related to that story." I am sure we all have that one song where a lived

experience or memory lingers, refusing to let go. For Gilsons, this isn't accidental,

their artistry is based on openness, creating music that weaves itself into our lives

and memories and holds space for both the intensity and the calm.

That openness of their music is what first drew me in. For seven years, I've been

dating a Brazilian, and Gilsons became the soundtrack to understanding what that

means. Brazilian culture holds something essential about how to live: presence,

being exactly where you are, not lost in yesterday or tomorrow. My favourite song,

"Cores e Nomes," captures this: “Se num segundo tudo parar / É preciso olhar a

volta.” If in a second everything stops, you have to look around. For me this

represents an awareness of not letting life pass right before your eyes, but looking

around at where you are, who is beside you and your feelings and appreciating and

expressing those things while they are there.

José described how their music moves through people's lives: "We gained

recognition for being music that is light to listen to, that brings reflections. You can

listen to it at various moments of your day. People wake up listening to Gilsons, go to

sleep listening to Gilsons, listen to work, to do sports. We're very happy to see that

the music moves through various environments, in various situations."

That word he uses “light” or “leveza” carries a deeper meaning in Brazilian culture.

It’s not about ignoring difficulty but choosing to samba or play volleyball on the beach even at dark moments. To meet life with some looseness and let go of some of the

weight, to carry a softness in your step even when things get complicated.

João expanded on where their lyrics come from: "We end up being inspired by many

things in life, contemporary artists, our friends. Sometimes when we're sad,

sometimes when we're happy, all of this influences and inspires us. It's

being able to actually capture this feeling and transform it into music somehow, being

able to capture all these nuances of life and transform this into musicality." You can

hear this in their songs, nothing feels emotionally distant. The music makes you feel

alive with a special authenticity.

Carrying Gilberto Gil's extraordinary legacy, their approach is collaborative and

experimental. José spoke about his father's influence: "My father inspires us a lot in

the thing of experimentation and keeping up with the times. Throughout his career,

he was including everything in his work. When he deeply discovered Reggae, he

started making Reggae works. In his formation there was very strongly forró, baião.

All this diversity and experimentation that he had in his career, we try to bring to

ourselves. Since we are three, we work more at an intersection of this movement."

Seeing them perform at the Barbican Centre in London during their tour brought all

of this into focus. Watching three family members together, so relaxed on stage with

their voices and instruments blending. José had spoken honestly about performing:

"There are days when this magic happens. We always seek this magic of emotion

and music overflowing into incredible feelings there on stage. But there's also a

natural human variation. When you're on long tours, you find yourself having to face

the stage as a craft, as work itself." But then he continued: "In other moments it's

very natural, a catharsis, something very incredible, a union of us three there on

stage with the band and the audience. Days when we take full advantage of

everything that art has to offer."

That night at the Barbican was definitely this catharsis. João described what he looks

for in those moments: "When there's this synergy between the audience and the

band, when the whole crowd in front is moving in the same pulse and singing the

lyrics, the melodies. When this junction happens, audience-band, band-audience,

that's when it becomes special."

In all honesty their concert brought me to tears, not of sadness but from gratitude

that I get to experience this life and this culture, that this music exists, that I was

there witnessing this family creating something so open and alive together. The

authenticity struck a chord.