Dubai Opera presents Brazilian superstar Gilberto Gil in his acclaimed tour AQUELE ABRAÇO TOUR for one performance only on September 29, 2023.

Gil began playing the accordion in the 1950s after being influenced by Luiz Gonzaga, radio, and religious processions in Northeast Brazil. Gil put down the accordion and picked up the acoustic and electric guitars after being influenced by the sand and sea-themed songs of Joo Gilberto, Bossa Nova, and Dorival Caymmi. which, to this day, continue to nurture the harmonies in his work. Tropicalism was created when he met Caetano Veloso, resulting in dissatisfaction with the dictatorship and exile in London. Gil returned to Brazil and continued his prolific phonographic production, which resulted in the recording of over 60 albums, four million album sales, and nine Grammy awards.

In 2002 as Minister of Culture, he led Brazil’s cultural presence around the world working on topics ranging from new technologies, copyright, cultural development and diversity and the importance of South American countries in the globalized world. His actions earned him many accolades, such as Artist of Peace by UNESCO in 1999, FAO Ambassador, France's Légion d'Honneur, Sweden's Polar Music Prize, among many others.

In 2015 and 2016, he celebrated his 50-year career with Caetano Veloso in a historic show “Dois Amigos, Um Século de Música”. In 2017, Trinca de Aces along with Nando Reis and Gal Costa toured Brazil and Europe. In 2018, he released the album Ok Ok OK, about his family, the illness he was going through and the questioning of society’s demands of him. The album won the Latin Grammy in November 2019 in the Best Brazilian Music Album category. In 2021, recognition of his life’s work was recently recognized by receiving a Doctor Honoris Causa by the University of Berklee and the 20th chair in the Brazilian Academy of Letters (ABL).

In 2022 Gil toured Europe celebrating his 80th birthday with the entire family on stage and backstage. The tour was filmed for the 2nd season of an Amazon Prime Video series that will air in 2023 ¨Traveling with the Gils¨. Season one ¨Em Casa com os Gil¨ is a great success for the channel.

Gilberto Gil “Aquele Abraço Tour” will be a celebration of his 60-year career and 50 years of world touring that began in 1971. In the fall of 2023 Gil will say goodbye to his traditional European touring he has been doing for the past 50 years, so this is his “soft farewell” tribute to the most prestigious venues in Europe that have given him the stage to present his music and diversity of Brazilian culture. He will perform hit songs from his illustrious career. When questioned if it´s his last tour he answered with a smile, leaving fans with a glimmer of hope!