See that speck of light down there, like 10 football fields away? That’s legendary Brazilian songwriting guitarist Gilberto Gil. In 1969, the military government arrested Gil and a singer compatriot for anti-state activities and subsequently exiled them from their native country. Today, Gil’s the nation’s Minister of Culture.

Gilberto Gil is a series of hiccups, yelps and whistles. The Minister uses his mouth better than any fat chick with low self-esteem I’ve ever seen. The Tropacalia movement leader played Carnegie Hall on Tuesday night and brought the entire Brazilian community out to see him play and sing and skat (I’d estimate that 80 percent of the audience spoke that cute style of broken English). And while we couldn’t see his face clearly from our seats, Gil put on quite an entertaining show.

As for a setlist, covers included When I’m Sixty-Four, Three Little Birds, No Woman No Cry, and Can’t Find My Way Home in the encore, while originals included a whole bunch of shit in Portuguese. Here’s a snippet of his Beatles tribute:

I strenuously recommend you all pick up his 1971 album that kicks off with Nega (Photograph Blues). Here’s an iPod-ready download of that tune as a bonus for seeing this lazy, bare bones recap to completion.

Since every blogger and their mother is at SXSW covering 3,000 bands you’ve never heard of, we figured we’d give you a SXSW-free edition of Hors:

• How a band can reach that fellate-able level
• Don’t Wakarusa Langerado!
• Gilberto Gil gets back to North America after an eight-year hiatus (Ace will be there tomorrow night at Carnegie Hall)
• Friday night KVMW (Kimock, Vega, Molo, and White) played their first gig, and it’s already available for purchase from nugs.net
• Ozzfest posts tour dates for this summer’s “free” tour – still no lineup
• Here Comes The Flood looks at covers of Pink Floyd’s Interstellar Overdrive
• moe. has finally started making recent shows available for download
• The return of the Fish
• MoonShine Still is beginning a coast to coast tour this week
• Does Everyday Companion’s Ted Rockwell ever sleep? Here is yet another edition of EC’s podcast
• Sonic Youth will be playing 1988′s Daydream Nation in its entirety this summer
• George Weiss’ My Morning Jacket photos from Langerado hit Papa Glide
• A new edition of Concerted
• Start the week with some live Zeppelin

I also saw the Levon Helm Band this weekend and everyone in the balcony around me was sitting. Do you usually sit or stand and dance at a concert?

I think everyone from Brazil has a “Gilberto” in their name somewhere. But my favorite Gilberto right now is the country’s current Minister of Culture, Gilberto Gil. Flash back 38 years, though, and you’ll read about how Gil, one of the true leaders of the Brazilian Tropicália psychedelic movement, was arrested by the military and subsequently exiled. You know a dude is cool as shit if he’s been exiled.

His 1971 album is even cooler than his life story (not really), and it’s been getting tons of play on my iPod of late. So imagine my surprise when I came across this YouTube clip last night of a fantastic little jam session between Gil and Stevie Wonder. I’m speechless after watching this thing. I am officially without speech.

• We’re gonna kick off this week’s subsection with some hot Blind Faith. The supergroup/side project debuted at a big show in London’s Hyde Park in 1969. And while Clapton’s on record as saying he thought the first gig was subpar, I think this version of Can’t Find My Way Home is pretty sweet.
• Sticking with the Winwoodian Nature of Things, I’ll hand this one over to the immortal cumpare Bill Graham: “In association with Her Majesty the Queen, we bring you Traffic.” Well, half of ‘em at least. Here’s a rippin’ Pearly Queen from The Last Great Traffic Jam in 1994.
• For a look back at the dawning of the Age of Aquarius and the burgeoning psychedelic movement in music, check out this strangely inviting promo clip of Donovan’s Sunshine Superman from 1966.
• We ran a review a month ago yesterday from our friend Neddy after The Bad Plus squatted at the Village Vanguard for a long stay. Today we gladly present the quasi-jazz band’s astoundingly unique take on Smells Like Teen Spirit from Argentina’s Thelonius Club back in October.
• I swear I’m trying to keep this department free of the ol’ standbys, but some great clips keep crossing my desk. Here’s a well-shot video of the Trey Anastasio Band nailing Push On ‘Til the Day at Bonnaroo in 2002.

How about youse? Anyone see some cool shit on the Tube of You this week?