Gilberto Passos Gil Moreira , better known as Gilberto Gil , is a Brazilian singer, guitarist, and songwriter, known for both his musical innovation and political commitment. From 2003 to 2008, he served as Brazils Minister of Culture in the administration of President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva. Gils musical style incorporates an eclectic range of influences, including Rock music, Brazilian genres including samba, African music, and reggae.
Gil was born in Salvador, an industrial city in the northeast of Brazil, though he spent much of his childhood in nearby Ituau. Ituau was a small town of fewer than a thousand, located in the serto, or countryside, of Bahia. His father, Jos Gil Moreira, was a doctor his mother, Claudina Passos Gil Moreira, an elementary school teacher. As a young boy, he attended a Marist Brothers school. Gil remained in Ituau until he was nine years old, returning to Salvador for secondary school.
Source: Wikipedia