How will you spend your Thanksgiving break?
Grammy Award-winning musician and Brazilian Minister of Culture Gilberto Gil said last night at NYU that copyright laws are needed to ensure artists have more protection for their work, but also said the regulations should allow artists to promote and share their art in the digital age.
The event in Hemmerdinger Hall, attended by more than 200 people, was part of the 'Voices of Latin American Leaders' series, organized by Jorge Castaeda, professor of politics and Latin American and Caribbean studies.
Castaeda is also a former Mexican foreign minister and a current presidential candidate.
The soft-spoken Gil is in New York to promote his efforts to strengthen cultural industries in Latin America by allowing artists to control their work and share it on their own terms. The weakness of copyright protections, coupled with cultural differences, limit the ability of musicians to create new work, he said.
'We have to make public policy that allows us to be consumers and producers of content,' Gil said.
Although he did not discuss specifics, Gil said Brazilian lawyers are drafting new measures to support artists and alter copyright laws there.
During the 75-minute event, the 62-year-old Brazilian icon also answered questions from the audience and performed the song 'Chuck Berry Fields Forever' on a guitar borrowed from an audience member.
In his introduction, Castaeda said Gil, as both a musician and a government official, is in a unique position to advocate new artistic endeavors.
'[Gil] has the unique opportunity to put into practice the ideas that he has been developing over the years,' Castaeda said.
Gil, one of the most influential figures in modern Brazilian music, was appointed culture minister by President Lula da Silva in 2002. His political adventures began in the 1960s, when he was imprisoned for the outspoken social criticism he voiced in his novel musical genre, 'Tropicalism,' a combination of traditional Brazilian musical styles with elements of international music and pop culture.
From 1969 to 1972 Gil lived in exile in London, where he was able to bring his music to audiences outside of Brazil and also began to develop an even greater interest in mixing musical genres.
Gil said he plans to work hard to ensure that musicians are able to cross cultural boundaries in their compositions, as he did in the 1960s.
In the course of his 40-year musical career, Gil has released 30 albums, selling more than 5 million copies.
CAS freshman Dorian Carli-Jones, whose mother is Brazilian, said that Gil's music was always playing in his house as he was growing up.
'My family loves his music,' Carli-Jones said. 'His talk this evening was very fitting for these times,' he said.
Tatiana Slater, also a CAS freshman, was interested in Gil's views on copyrighting and sampling.
'It was cool to hear about these topics from an artistic standpoint, especially from a musician from another country,' said Slater, whose mother is also Brazilian.
Although Gil is not a household name in the United States, his efforts may have a major impact on cultural initiatives in the coming years as world music becomes increasingly popular and accessible to American audiences.
'It is impossible to be freed from the paradox, the duality, of the necessity to strengthen domestic culture while being open to cultural influence from abroad,' Gil said. 'It's not just a Latin American issue. It's an international issue.'
Previous speakers in the 'Voices' series have included Mexican novelist Carlos Fuentes, former Brazilian President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, former Mexican President Ernesto Zedillo and Mexican entrepreneur Carlos Slim.
The next event in the series on Wednesday at 10 a.m. features President Leonel Fernndez of the Dominican Republic. Those interested in attending may sign up at www.nyu.edu/voices.
