The Modern Taste of Musical "Roots" in Brazil Folk Music

The lecture addresses the taste for the “roots” in Brazilian ideologies of culture. Two historic contexts are compared: the folk music and folk culture revival in the 1990s, and the politically engaged song of the 1960s. At that time, popular music was considered a potential weapon in the class struggles and anti-imperialist fight. Nowadays, differently, it is endowed with particular efficacy in the identity negotiations. The changing relationship between culture and politics, and the changing notions of people and nation will be illustrated by some musical examples