Explicit Agendas, Implicit Hierarchies

The Portuguese and Latin American Studies programs are pleased to invite you to a LAS Luncheon Series event, as we welcome Frederico Barros.

About the Presentation:

This talk examines musical and professional practices in the first half of the 20th century. Starting from the idea that this was a formative period, we discuss some works by composers/arrangers Gnattali, Guerra-Peixe and Pixinguinha. Possessing ties to the European concert tradition, the first two inevitably got entangled in debates over what constitutes Brazilian music and how it should be created. At the same time, Pixinguinha, closely connected to the popular traditions of choro and samba, but also Gnattali, had to deal with accusations of Americanism in their creations. What the three had in common was their role as "maestros" at radio stations, widely regarded as one of the best gigs a musician could get at the time.
Along with the concrete musical realization of ideas and artistic demands, the examination of their music and the position they held ends up revealing points of contention, hierarchies, preferences, and blind spots. Thus, from concert pieces to songs that were popular back then, this offers us a privileged vantage point to observe perceived tensions between multiple traditions at the time, which eventually became part of what we now understand as Brazilian music.

About the Presenter:

Frederico Barros is Musicology professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro. His research interests include concert and urban popular music in the Americas, Modernism, music and technology, and nationalism.

Please note: We are glad to offer a light lunch to those who register before March 6. Even after the deadline for registration has passed, feel free to join us for the lecture.

RSVP: https://barros-explicit.eventbrite.ca