The Mystery of Samba: Popular Music and National Identity in Brazil

168 Pages·1999·7.321 MB·English

by  Hermano Vianna, John Charles Chasteen (editor)

The Mystery of Samba
This page intentionally left blank
A BOOK IN THE SERIES
Latin America
in Translation /
en Traduccion /
em Tradugao
Sponsored by the Duke-University ofNorth Carolina
Joint Program in Latin American Studies
This page intentionally left blank
T HE M Y S TE RY O F
SAMBA
Popular Music & National Identity in Brazil
H E R M A NO V I A N NA
Edited and Translated by JOHN CHARLES CHASTEEN
The University of North Carolina Press Chapel Hill & London
1999
The University of North Carolina Press
All rights reserved
Originally published in Portuguese with
the title 0 mist^rio do samba (Rio de Janeiro:
J. Zahar Editor and the Universidade Federal
do Rio de Janeiro, 1995).
Designed by Richard Hendel
Set in Quadraat and Matra
by Tseng Information Systems, Inc.
Manufactured in the United States of America
Translation of the books in the series Latin America
in Translation / en Traduccion / em Traducao, a
collaboration between the Duke-University of
North Carolina Joint Program in Latin American
Studies and the university presses of Duke and the
University of North Carolina, is supported by a
grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
The paper in this book meets the guidelines for
permanence and durability of the Committee on
Production Guidelines for Book Longevity of the
Council on Library Resources.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Vianna, Hermano, 1960-
[Misterio do samba. English]
The mystery of samba : popular music and national
identity in Brazil / by Hermano Vianna ; edited and
translated by John Charles Chasteen.
p. cm. — (Latin America in translation/en
traducci6n/em traducao)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN o-8oy8-2464-x (cloth: alk. paper). —
ISBN 0-8078-4766-6 (pbk.: alk. paper)
i. Samba (Dance)—Brazil. 2. Popular music-
Brazil—History and criticism. 3. Music and society-
Brazil. I. Chasteen, John Charles, 1955-
II. Title. III. Series.
ML3465.V53I3 1999
784.i8'88-dc2i 98-22170
CIP
MN
°3 5 43
For
Herbert and Helder,
my brothers, who lend
continuity (onstage and
backstage) to the history
o/Brazilian music
This page intentionally left blank
We never finish arriving,
the moving island and I.
Mobile earth, uncertain sky,
world never discovered.
—Jonje de Lima
It's nothing like they say.
Samba moved to the favelas later on.
Anyway, it went wherever we went:
Wherever there was a party!
—Donga