Gilberto Gil performed his first two shows on board his dedicated cruise, Navio Tempo Rei, on Tuesday (2) night. The ship departed from the port of Santos, in São Paulo, on Monday (the 1st), and docked in Rio de Janeiro the following day.
The show took place with the ship stopping in Porto Maravilla, but the view of the sea and the city’s coastline ended up being compromised. This is because at 6pm, when Gill was supposed to take the stage, heavy rain hit the area, delaying the show by almost two hours, and it was already dark by showtime.
While staff on the ship, MSC Preziosa, used dozens of mops to sweep the floor, the master of ceremonies entertained the crowd — the ship is carrying about 4,000 people. In these moments, with dancers on stage and DJs, the cruise is reminiscent of hotels with water complexes and swimming pools, with games and synchronized step dances.
It didn’t go down well with the crowd at Navio Tempo Rei, made up of older people and mostly upper class people – the cheapest cabin at the MSC Preziosa costs around R$9,000 for two people, excluding food, drinks and other costs. In addition to the main theatre, at the top of the eighteen decks, the ship has swimming pools, some with slides, a theatre, casino, arcade, cinema, gym and several bar and restaurant options.
On the first day, the Gil Cruise featured performances by the Gilsons, Nando Reyes and Jorge Vercillo. In the second, Tropicista was the most anticipated attraction, but Os Paralamas do Sucesso and João Gomes also performed in the space. The Bahian side will play again on Wednesday (3), which will also include performances by Lineker and Elba Ramalho, before the ship docks on Thursday (4).
Gill was omnipresent on board even before he sang—his image is on totems, posters and stores, his music, on speakers—and his greatness on stage embodied what the majority of the audience had come to expect. In fact, many people couldn’t wait for it any longer, booing the advertising video that preceded the postponed show – there are announcements scattered throughout the ship, including the input into the cruise’s integrated sound system.
At age 83, his voice started out a bit hoarse, but his voice improved throughout the show. After “Palco,” “Banda Um” and “Tempo Rei,” the audience is truly at their fingertips. “It’s an entity,” one person shouted, and another added: “It’s Orixa!”
From there he continued to present a miniature version of the show that was performed in stadiums and arenas throughout Brazil, always to audiences of tens of thousands of people. The band, talented and full of generational heirs, was the same as on the “Tempo Rei” tour, as was the repertoire – just with fewer songs.
The Bahian played “Eu Só Quero um “Expresso 2222” and “Andar com”. Fé,” “Emoriô,” “Toda Menina Baiana,” and “Aquele Hugs.”
Reggae “Extra”, rock “Punk da Periferia” and “Rock do Segurança” and soulful “Se Eu Quiser Falar com Deus”, among others, were excluded. These songs may be part of the show he will perform on Wednesday (3).
O Navio Tempo Rei was no exception in the chorus of “No Pardon” before “Callis”, a song released during the military dictatorship and censored at the time. She was preceded, as usual, on the farewell tour by a statement from Chico Buarque, Gil’s writing partner.
Cruise audiences also kept up the tradition of leaving the land during “Toda Menina Baiana,” perhaps the most cathartic moment in Gale’s current performances. In the case of a ship, you can feel the hulls swaying, and you don’t need much for that.
Gil seemed particularly friendly, talking and introducing the musicians in his band. This was perhaps the most intimate show on “Tempo Re,” a tour designed to reach crowds that, when viewed from the stage, usually seem like a faceless, distant mass, even though they are pulsating and full of energy.
On the cruise, Gill did not find as enthusiastic fans as elsewhere. But he was able to look the audience in the eye and engage with them directly while defending his repertoire.
The journalist traveled at the invitation of PromoAção.