A New Kind of Samba
Title: Aquarela do Brasil
Performer: Gal Costa
Culture of Origin: Portuguese (Surprisingly, not Brazilian)
Instrumentation: Voice, guitars, strings, drums, woodwinds, piano
This Portuguese love song about Brazil marked the creation of a new genre within samba, called samba-exaltacao, or exultation samba. In the same sort of way, the instrumentation used in this rendition falls outside of the classification system of traditional samba instruments - which are limited to tamborims, snare drums, Agogo bells, surdos, shakers, cuica, timbal, pandeiro, and repinique. Perhaps one of the biggest reasons why instrument classification systems exist is to preserve the cultural meaning of certain instruments. Samba has its roots in African religious tradition, most easily attributed to Angola and the Congo. While these shared instruments can be used for similar purposes, cultural meaning is not the only way to classify instruments. As the Wade text states, instrument classification can be done according to material, the means of playing, and the sound-producing medium. With music of all cultures being appreciated and reproduced around the world, it is natural and fitting that cultural qualities will mix during reproduction. With this 1997 performance of Aquarela do Brasil, instruments not traditional to samba are used heavily - such as strings, guitars, and woodwinds. Enjoy!
Hi Jon!
ReplyDeleteThis is such a fun selection that you've chosen. The detail you've put into your description of instruments and their relevance to this piece is great. I think that viewing all instruments and sound sources as equals between Western and Eastern musical practices and cultures helps us to view music as a global element for all to enjoy. I'm not very well versed in samba music, so your explanation of the non-traditional choices found in this piece are very helpful! I would be interested to hear this piece adjacent to more traditional samba music in an attempt to deconstruct the elements and compare them. Thanks for your post!
Greeting Jon.
ReplyDeleteI love the selection you chose this week for your blog. This song goes exactly with the theme of this week, which is instrumentation and time. One thing that you mentioned that I loved, learned, and agreed with was how instrumentation preserves culture meaning of certain instruments. We might call certain instruments we hear in this song something in America but it is by a completely different name and purpose in other countries. Also, some of these instruments are not standard in the United States., which also points towards cultural aspects of that song's origin. Everywhere around the world have instruments and a classification that is distinct and used to preserve their culture through music, which was a major lesson learned this week. Thanks for the superb example and post!
Hey Jon,
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat piece! This sounds like pop-samba, or an effort to bring a new edge to the genre. I could be totally incorrect here since I lack the cultural context for Portuguese music, but the strings made my ears immediately think pop. Thanks for detailing the instrumentation found in a traditional samba ensemble- as with Mike, I too would like to hear this piece played with only traditional instruments. One of my hopes from this class is to be able to identify world percussion instruments more accurately. Thanks!