Overview

Written by a foremost expert in the field of Brazilian culture, this fascinating volume explores the music of Brazil's Northeast, gauging its historical and cultural importance within the nation's diverse culture. Think of Brazilian music and images of Carnival revelers pouring through the streets of Rio to a relentless samba beat appear. But the samba and many other Brazilian folk music traditions actually have their roots in the Northeast, arguably the country's richest, most culturally diverse region. Based on the author's field and archival research over a fifteen-year period, this fascinating handbook shows how the musical culture of northeast Brazil emerged and evolved, exploring the interrelated traditional musical styles that helped give the region-and ultimately the Brazilian nation-such a distinctive cultural identity. Moving from broad comparative overviews to specific types of music, the book looks at the social contexts, performance practices, musical structures, and cultural meanings that lie behind the music and provides up-close encounters with contemporary musicians creating and maintaining the area's traditions. Additionally, the book examines the role of music and dance traditions in shaping racial identities in Brazil (blackness, whiteness, mulattoness). The accompanying CD, loaded with both commercial and field recordings, brings the book's ideas and discoveries vividly to life.

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9781576072875

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Reviews

<p> Any with more than a casual interest in Brazilian music history simply must look at this top ethnomusicology study. - <p>Midwest Book Review

Author Information

Larry Crook is associate professor of music and the co-director of the Center for World Arts at the University of Florida, Gainesville, FL.

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