From 'Tempo Rei' to the multiple (de)formations of meanings about dictatorship and democracy in Brazil

Abstract

This work analyzes the tensions triggered around Amnesty in the country. Debate that has occupied the political, journalistic, and social authorization spheres (Rosa, 2024). It is this debate we turn our attention to, using Gilberto Gil’s tour titled Tempo Rei as our lens. In 2025, the singer returned to the stage, reviving songs as symbols of resistance against the erasure of the dictatorship experience and the notion of amnesty claimed after the events of January 8. From protest concerts to social media, we observe a struggle to produce meanings for the term amnesty. This term does not appear in isolation; it is embedded in cartoons, photographs, and digital montages. Thus, by examining the interactive circuits surrounding the show, we seek to reflect on what tempo rei we are referring to in the context of the fight for democracy in Brazil within the environment of mediatization.