About the Book

Ideal for courses on Latin American music and Brazil, Focus: The Music of Northeast Brazil explores the music and culture of the countries northeast territory, gauging its historical 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. But the samba and other Brazilian folk music traditions actually have their roots in the Northeast, arguably the country’s richest, most culturally diverse region. Based on over fifteen years' field and archival research of a foremost expert on the subject, 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.