Focus: Music of Northeast Brazil

305 Pages·2009·4.35 MB·English

by  Larry Crook

FOCUS: MUSIC OF
NORTHEAST BRAZIL
Focus: Music of Northeast Brazilexamines the historical and contemporary manifestations
of the music of Brazil, a country with a musical landscape that is layered with complexity
and diversity. Based on the author’s field research during the past twenty years, the book
describes and analyzes the social and historical contexts and contemporary musical
practices of Afro-Brazilian religion, selected Carnival traditions, Bahia’s black cultural
renaissance, the traditions of rural migrants, and currents in new popular music.
• Part I, Understanding Music in Brazil, presents important issues and topics that
encompass all of Brazil, and provides a general survey of Brazil’s diverse musical
landscape.
• Part II, Creating Music in Brazil, presents historical trajectories and contemporary
examples of Afro-Brazilian traditions, Carnival music, and northeastern popular
music.
• Part III, Focusing In, presents two case studies that explore the ground-level activities
of contemporary musicians in northeast Brazil and the ways in which they move
between local, national, and international realms.
The accompanying CD offers vivid musical examples that are discussed in the text,
with special attention given to the ways in which folk and popular music from the rich
northeastern region has been used to construct complex dimensions of race in
articulating Brazilian regional and national identities.
Larry Crookis Professor of Music and Co-Director of the Center for World Arts at the
University of Florida.
The Focus on World Music Series is designed specifically for area courses in world music
and ethnomusicology. Written by the top ethnomusicologists in their field, the Focus
books balance sound pedagogy with exemplary scholarship. Each book provides a
telescopic view of the musics and cultures addressed, giving the reader a general
introduction on the music and culture of the area and then zooming in on different
musical styles with in-depth case studies.
Visit the companion website for this new edition:
www.routledge.com/textbooks/focusonworldmusic
This website includes further resources for both instructors and students.
FOCUS ON WORLD MUSIC
Series Editor: Michael B. Bakan
Focus: Music of European Nationalism
Second Edition
Philip V. Bohlman
Focus: Music of South Africa
Second Edition
Carol A. Muller
Focus: Gamelan Music of Indonesia
Second Edition
Henry Spiller
Focus: Music of Northeast Brazil
Second Edition
Larry Crook
FOCUS:
MUSIC OF
NORTHEAST BRAZIL
Second Edition
Larry Crook
University of Florida
First edition published 2005 by ABC-CLIO, Inc.
This edition published 2009
by Routledge
270 Madison Ave, New York, NY 10016
Simultaneously published in the UK
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
This edition published in the Taylor & Francis e-Library, 2009.
“To purchase your own copy of this or any of Taylor & Francis or Routledge’s
collection of thousands of eBooks please go to www.eBookstore.tandf.co.uk.”
© 2005 Larry Crook
© 2009 Taylor & Francis
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilized in
any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter
invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or
retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
Crook, Larry.
Focus: Music of northeast Brazil/Larry Crook. – 2nd ed.
p. cm. – (Focus on world music)
Previous ed.: Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO, c2005, under title: Brazilian music.
Includes bibliographical references, discography and index.
1. Popular music–Brazil–History and criticism. 2. Popular music–Brazil,
Northeast–History and criticism. I. Crook, Larry. Brazilian music. II. Title.
III. Title: Music of northeast Brazil.
ML3487.B7C76 2008
780.981′3--dc22 2008025193
ISBN 0-203-88652-6 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN10: 0–415–96066–5 (hbk)
ISBN10: 0–415–96065–7 (pbk)
ISBN10: 0–203–88652–6 (ebk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–96066–3 (hbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–415–96065–6 (pbk)
ISBN13: 978–0–203–88652–6 (ebk)
Contents
List of Figures vii
List of Musical Examples ix
List of Musical Examples on Compact Disc xi
Series Foreword by Michael B. Bakan xiii
Preface xv
PART I Understanding Music in Brazil 1
1 Brazil: A Country Divided 3
2 Brazilian Music in Focus: A History of Hybridity 29
PART II Creating Music in Brazil 61
3 Afro-Brazilian Musical Traditions: Candomblé, Afoxé, and Maracatu 63
4 Making Multiracial Carnival Music: The Frevo 107
5 Inventing Northeastern Popular Music for the Nation 149
PART III Focusing In: Intimate Portraits and the Reinvention of
Brazilian Music 175
6 Two Case Studies from the Northeast: Banda de Pífanos and
Cantoria de Viola 177
7 Reinventing Africa and Remixing Hybridity: Blocos Afro and Mangue Beat 207
v
vi • Contents
Appendix: Musical Examples on the Compact Disc 243
Notes 259
Glossary 267
Bibliography 271
Discography 277
Index 279
Figures
1.1 King and queen of the maracatu Nação Porto Rico do Oriente in Recife’s
Carnival, 2001 4
1.2 Members of Bloco das Flores in Recife’s Carnival, 2001 6
1.3 Caboclinho dancer performing in Recife’s Carnival, 2001 7
1.4 Map of Brazil showing its major states and cities 10
2.1 A flute (gaita) played by a caboclinho musician during Recife’s Carnival,
2001 31
2.2 Three atabaque drums from Bahia: rum, rumpi, and lê 32
2.3 Brazilian guitarist Marco Pereira 33
2.4 Three Brazilian guitars: violão de sete cordas, viola, and cavaquinho 34
2.5 Drums and percussion of the samba school: agogô, repinique, surdo,
tarol, tamborim, pandeiro, and cuíca 36
2.6 The Brazilian pandeiro 38
2.7 Marcos Suzano at his apartment in Rio de Janeiro playing pandeiro 44
2.8 Bernardo Aguiar playing pandeiro in Rio de Janeiro, 2006 45
3.1 Dancing at a Candomblé ceremony, Recife, Pernambuco, 2000 68
3.2 Luiz Carlos and the Candomblé Abassa Igibale House, Recife,
Pernambuco, 2000 72
3.3 Possession by Xangô at a Candomblé, Recife, Pernambuco, 2000 74
3.4 Ogan drummers at a Candomblé ceremony 76
3.5 Dona Elda, queen of the maracatu Nação Porto Rico do Oriente during
Carnival, Recife, Pernambuco, 2001 91
3.6 Maracatu Nação Elefante batuqueiro drummers during Carnival with
alfaia drums, Recife, Pernambuco, 1988 102
vii
viii • Figures
4.1 José Menezes and his frevo orchestra perform during Carnival, Recife,
Pernambuco, 2001 108
4.2 Capoeira master Jelon Vieira (playing the berimbau) and his students
during a roda de capoeira in New York City, 1999 117
4.3 Pandeiro player Mamão performing frevo during Recife’s Carnival,
Recife, Pernambuco, 2001 126
4.4 Trombone section of a frevo fanfare performing in Carnival, Recife,
Pernambuco, 2001 127
4.5 Frevo drummersfrom the José Menezes Orchestra perform on the
street during Carnival, Recife, Pernambuco, 2001 130
5.1 Northeastern accordion trio (triangle, accordion, zabumba drum),
Salvador, Bahia, 1982 172
6.1 Picture of Juazeiro do Norte, Ceará, 1987 178
6.2 João do Pife selling pífanos at the artisan’s market, Caruaru,
Pernambuco, 1987 178
6.3 Tavares da Gaita playing two bamboo reco-som scrapers, Caruaru,
Pernambuco, 2001 179
6.4 Banda de Pífanos Dois Irmãos, Caruaru, Pernambuco, 2001 181
6.5 João do Pife making a pífano in his home, Caruaru, Pernambuco, 1988 185
6.6 A statue of Padre Cícero at a novena de casa, Caruaru, Pernambuco, 1988 187
6.7 Women singing novena praise songs, Caruaru, Pernambuco, 1988 188
6.8 Participants at a novena de casa in Bezerros, Pernambuco, 1988 190
6.9 Antônio Lisboa with his viola dinâmica in front of his festival
competition trophies, Recife, Pernambuco, 2001 198
6.10 Edmilson Ferreira and his viola dinâmica, Recife, Pernambuco, 2001 203
7.1 Colonial architecture in the historical Pelourinho district of Salvador,
Bahia, 1995 217
7.2 An Olodum drummer during a rehearsal at the African Bar in Salvador,
Bahia, 1995 219
7.3 Olodum drums stacked and ready to go for Carnival, Salvador, Bahia,
1995 222
7.4 Timbalada drummers rehearsing in the Candeal neighborhood of
Salvador, Bahia, 1995 227
7.5 Maracatu drums used by Chico Science, Recife, Pernambuco, 1998 232
Musical Examples
2.1 Basic sequence of a samba on the pandeiro 42
2.2 Marcos Suzano’s funk pattern with back beat accents 43
3.1 Basic rhythmic scheme for the ijexá rhythm as played by the Carnival
afoxé Filhos de Gandhi. In the ilu part, noteheads with an Xrefer to
slap strokes played on the drums 86
3.2 Chamada of the baque virado played on snare drum and bass drums 102
3.3 Basic baque virado rhythmic scheme of Nação Porto Rico do Oriente.
The common sequences of sticking on the caixa and the alfais are given
(L = left hand, R = right hand) 103
4.1 Basic percussion patterns used in the instrumental street frevo 129
4.2 Basic rhythmic accompaniment for the frevo de bloco. In the surdo
staff, an Xnotehead indicates a muffled stroke 133
5.1 Baião rhythm that Gonzaga extracted from viola players of the Northeast 169
5.2 Rhythmic accompaniment for a baiano as performed in cavalo-marinho 170
5.3 Côco rhythm on the pandeiro 170
5.4 Rhythmic accompaniment to “Vem Morena” (1949) 172
6.1 Open tuning on the viola de cantoria 204
7.1 Bloco afro reggae rhythm as developed among Olodum’s drummers 220
7.2 Merengue rhythm as developed among Olodum’s drummers 220
ix