Music in Brazil - Essay Example

? Music in Brazil Affiliation with more information about affiliation, research grants, conflict of interest and how to contact Music in Brazil Introduction Brazil is one of the countries in South America and its music was primarily influenced by Portuguese invaders, who landed in the country in the 19th century. They imported African slaves to Brazil and as a result, Brazilian music became an Afro-European fusion. It was entirely different from so many other music forms evolved from the opera houses popularized after the arrival of the Royal Chapel, which resulted in the introduction of new operatic trends. The French Revolution also had a significant impact on Brazilian music. Similarly, mines are another major influence in the evolution of Brazilian music. The music of Brazil appeared very limited as only very few compositions could be found in their original tradition. The authors were: Francisco Gomes da Rocha (1754-1808), Manuel Dias de Oliveira (1735-1813), Jose Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita (1746-1805) and Joao de Deus de Castro Lobo (1794-1830). The first reference to Brazilian music pertains to 1578 and is titled “Viagem a Terra do Brazil,” or the journey to the land of Brazil, composed by Jean De Lery. A major trend in the Brazilian music scenario was the prevalence of discrimination on the basis of religion, gender and socio-economic status. This trend also reflected on music education in the country and only a few children had studied music in Brazil. Thus, formal education in this fine art remained limited. Thus, most of the music derived from the informal learning background and through traditions. The musical practices in Brazil developed into two distinct categories in the states of Para and Marahao. In the Brazilian tradition, children also enjoyed music as adult and they had songs on a wide variety of themes, during the Orphenonic movement in the 1940s. The songs, which were usually heard during many of the traditional celebrations, were sung by illiterate people from all the communities, thus adding up to the history of Brazilian music. The Principle Characteristics of Brazilian Music The history of music in Brazil began with the arrival of Portuguese and the Jesuits used choir groups in the church. As a result, music became more popular among common people. During those days, slavery was prevalent in the country and the children of slaves did not have the privilege of schooling. Hence, a wide gap came into existence between the musical practices of the rich and poor people in the earlier times. Music appeared to be a major discipline in Brazilian culture. Researchers from various places developed an interest in the musical practices by different communities, as well as the traditional institutions. Many educational institutions began publishing the material on music, which brought music practices by different communities in Brazil to the limelight. An irrefutable element in the Brazilian music is the strong influence of the Portuguese language. Besides, many African and native words also found their way into Brazilian music which contributed to the forging of an African rhythm, which rendered to the Brazilian music a more sensual and romantic style in its transformation. Brazilian music deploys a wide array of musical instruments in its composition. In the early days the composers mainly relied on drums and percussion, which was similar to the African Diaspora. Another significant influence was the Atabaques, which are narrowed drums of Africa, with their top covered by calf skin. These drums came in different sizes, which were prominently used in the rituals in Brazil. Other instruments included bamboo, which is in the category of surdos, which meant deaf drums; Alfaias (rope-drums); Zabumbas which had a low sound with two heads; repiniques which were a high pitched drum; Pandeiros which were a single headed hand drums, and so many others. “In contrast to the economic inequality that historically pervaded Brazilian society, the late nineteenth century saw the poorest and most disenfranchised members of society gain a certain measure of control over much of the cultural and musical establishment” (Music of Latin America and the Caribbean, 2011, p. 229). The most famous music form in Brazil is samba, which emerged as a popular music form in the aftermath of the abolition of slavery in 1888. Thousands of slaves made their own music form, which later on became the most popular music forms in the country. The other musical dance forms are Baiao, Fossa and Forro. Apart from this, many musicians had been influenced by Brazilian music and owed their style to its influence. “Antonio Carlos Jobim wrote bossa nova's greatest standards and provided the melodic and Harmonic underpinnings of the genre. Jobim composed enduring tunes of remarkable lyricism, musical economy, and harmonic Sophistication” (McGowan, 2012, p. 9). Jobim’s most famous work was “Garota de Ipanema” (the girl from Ipanema), which was one of the best known songs in the world. It had also made an impact on American popular music and jazz. Also, guitar exhilarated as a jazz instrument, which was popularized by Brazilian guitarists by playing Bossa Nova (a rhythm style). The other famous musicians of Brazil were: Daniela Mercury with Olodum, Celso Machado, Mestre Marcos Barrao and Genero. “The state of Bahia, Brazil, has produced an abundance of musicians who have conquered the world with their talent” (Brown, 2004, p. 1). Brazilian music gained its importance at the beginning of the 20th century. There are certain milestones in Brazil’s music history. Some of the important ones among them are: the 18th century school, the classic period, the romantic period, nationalism, the avant-garde movement, and contemporary styles of music. There was a movement in music which was held in Bahian in the mid ‘60s and called Tropicalism. One of the famous musicians in this tradition is Carlinhos Brown, who was undoubtedly considered as one of the most creative artists. He was a master in playing all kinds of instruments. Furthermore, he developed a music form known as particula ritmica, and many pieces such as “Carlito Marron” by Carlinhos Brown became quite famous and popular music works in Brazil. Many other musical bands also flourished in Brazil during this time, such as Secos e Molhados, which was introduced by Ney Matogrosso, a famous singer, who composed the album Secos e Molhados in 1973. Luize Melodia, which was of the classic tradition, was influenced by American black music. They composed an album called Perola Negra in 1973. Another band was Joao Bosco, one of the best music in between 1970 and 1980, composed by Bosco and Aldir Blanc. They made songs in the rhythm of Bossa Nova, which was written by the influence of samba and jazz. Itamar Assumpcao of the 1980s was yet another significant contributor of the Brazilian music tradition. “Naco Zumbi” was another famous song recommended in the album Da Lama ao Caos. Other famous music bands are Los Hermanos, Bonsucesso Samba Clube, Zeca, Romulo Froes and Bolerio. Also, West Africa’s form of music known as candomble music which was developed in Belem, the northern region of Brazil, named as batuque of Amazonas and batuque of Para, was the mixed form of both African and indigenous cultures. Also, it seemed that African rhythms influenced Brazilian music. The Arab music also influenced the Brazilian music in the 8th century. There developed a new song style called the modinha, in the 18th century. It was based on European melodies and melodic patterns, which was a romantic type song. Music is the most important factor that illustrates the artistic and national culture of Brazil. It had helped a lot in promoting Brazil’s culture and gaining it international recognition as a country of great artists. There are so many musical styles in Brazil. Some of the most significant among them include Samba, Carnival Marches, Choro, Jovem Guarda, Bossa Nova, Tropicalia, Arrocha, Baoao, Maracatu, Moda de Voila, Pagode and Tecno Brega. Some of the important developments in Brazilian music were caused by the churches and they also influenced the Afro-American rhythms. Sao-Paulo is the largest city of Brazil and there had been a wide variety of music that was the legacy of this city. Brazilian music could also be considered as a turning point for the Black community. “In 1966 Caetano Veloso, the musician and co-founder of the tropicalia movement, publicly referred to the need within Brazilian popular music to “recapture the evolutionary line” (Quig, 2012, p. 1). The evolutionary changes in Brazilian music had occurred as a result of emergence of Samba from Sao-Paulo. Also, the other music forms such as tropicalia and bossa nova had contributed to the popularity and appeal of Brazilian music. In addition, many of the traditions in the American music also influenced Brazilian music. Bossa Nova had evolved from a folk form of music from Brazil and Latin America. It is also relevant that many other traditions in international music, such as Beatles and Anglo popular music, also helped in the transformation of Brazilian music to its current status. The rise of these musical forms fashioned and enriched the music in Brazil. The Musica Popular Brasileria (MPB) also had a role in the popularization of music in Brazil. Tropicalism in the 19th century facilitated growth of music in Brazil. They produced an album, Clube da Esquina, in 1972, composed by Milton Nascimento. This gave rise to Bossa Nova and Tropicalia, which had an important role in Brazilian modernism. They had also composed another album titled The Mystery of Samba. Veloso’s incantation music referred top samba, and in 1917, the song “Pelo Telefone” was recorded. Samba achieved its familiarity worldwide during the first half of the 20th century and its popularity is due to the fatc that it made a diverse form of music its own from the former Afro-Brazilian music. Samba had also been played by the audience that watched the Brazilian football team perform on stadiums across the globe, especially in the World Cup Soccer matches. This had further expanded the popularity of this music form. Many of the cultural mediators witnessed samba work as a cultural manifestation of the nation. Another form of music known as waltz became popular with the upper-middle classes in the first half of the 19th century. This led to the introduction of another music style known as polka, and it was performed in the year of 1845. Polka developed as Brazil’s first distinctly national urban musical genre, through rhythmic brazilianization. The pre-twentieth century was simply demonstrating the Brazilian music among various classes, races and nations. One of the important musicians was Andrade, who authored his work in 1934. He also promoted Brazilian folk music and it was influenced by the Portuguese melody, harmony and African rhythm. One of the famous classical musicians in Brazil was Heitor Villa Lobos. Through his work The Frenchmen’s Tour Guide to Rio’s Vibrant Cultural Life, he had influenced the evolution of Brazilian music. The classical music was considered as the music in fevelas, but only after the popularization of classical music. His innovative work put him in the category of composers who gradually braziliianize, and this had also led to new innovations in Bossa Nova by Antonio Carlos Jobim. The international society supported the music of Villa-Lobos. Various musicians performed for the audiences of overseas countries. They used the instruments of American jazz and saxophones in their performance and thus Jazz acquired international recognition through the Brazilian musicians in the Bossa Nova era. Mario de Andrade, a musician, writer, poet and photographer, viewed the Brazilian exceptionalism and had been motivated by the idea of guiding the backward society towards modernism. His work, Ensaio sobre a musica brasileira, a foundational text for Brazilian musical nationalism, gained cultural miscegenation. His work, Pauliceia Desvariada, was considered as the first collection of the modernist Brazilian poetry, and he used the rhythmic styles of Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and modernist lyrical innovations. Thus, it can be perceived that there had been so many innovations and influences that had made the music in Brazil attain its current stature. In 2002, the Brazilian Association of Independent Music (ABMI) was instituted to make music an independent zone. The ABMI intended to work for the promotion of Brazilian music. ABMI works for the production of music and also encourages foreign capital influx. All the things related to music, such as royalty, discussion with the government and development actions for music, are handled by them. Brazil has membership in various organizations and one of the important is the UNESCO. Conclusion Brazil is the nation of music lovers and it has a rich musical tradition that combines the styles and influences of various cultures. Music is a part of Brazil’s discipline and it is a significant influence in Brazilian culture, tradition and historical movements. The existence of slavery in the country remained a great influence in the evolution of its music. In addition, the culture and music of other nations influenced Brazilian music a lot. The most prominent among them is Portuguese one, which had exercised a crucial role in the evolution of Brazilian music and tradition. Many great artists, through their outstanding works, have contributed to the music in Brazil, which gained international recognition of the Brazilian music. The music styles such as jazz and hip hop were introduced by Brazil, which are now the most popular styles across nations. The current developments in Brazil have a large history behind it. References Brown, C. (2004). Biography. Forum Barcelona. Retrieved from http://ww2.unhabitat.org/cdrom/wuf/documents/Special%20events/Concert%20&%20Film/Carlinhos%20Brown/Biography%20-%20Carlinhos%20Brown.pdf. Music of Latin America and the Caribbean. (2011). Retrieved from http://www.pearsonhighered.com/readinghour/music/assets/Brill_0131839446_Chap06.PDF. McGowan, C. (2012). The Brazilian music book. United States of America. Retrieved from http://brazilianmusicday.org/files/brazilianmusicbookintro.pdf. Quig, A. 2012. Tropicalia and the evolutionary line in Brazilian popular music. Retrieved from http://www.alecquig.com/documents/quig-thesis-final.pdf. Read More