In my last post about imitiation vs. innovation in Brazil and I used rock music to parallel what goes on in technology. Today I want to talk exclusively about innovation in music, because Brazil is one of those places that has a reputation for producing hits. In my opinion, few countries besides Jamaica and The U.S. are known for their breadth and depth of musical styles and hit-making abilities.
Rather than go into the history of Brazilian music (which I don’t know), I thought I would share with you the BBC’s take, which have conveniently been sliced into digestible episodes posted below. My classmate Luis first brought the series to my attention.
- Section One deals with Brazil’s most famous form of traditional music, the Samba and its spread into the U.S. and beyond.
- Section Two is about Tropicalia music and the creative resistance of Brazilian musicians to two decades of military rule.
- Section Three starts around the time I was born and deals with contemporary music such as Hip Hop and Baile Funky.
I hadn’t watched any of the episodes from Section Three before today and I fully intended to post them sight unseen and go to sleep. My highest praise is due for the BBC production team that put this masterpiece together. In a matter of hours I have learned a tremendous amount about Brazilian history and culture, though from a 30,000 foot view.
The reality on the ground is much different and cannot be fit into vignettes, but I hope you will take as long as is required to view this amazing documentary series. If you’re short on time, you might skip ahead to Section Three.
I’m sure my non-Brazilian friends will find the following series enlightening. The production value and storytelling are unparalleled as documentaries go. Although it’s in English, I would be delighted to find out from a Brazilian if he or she has learned anything new about their history or music from these clips.
And now for your enjoyment and edification:
Brasil, Brasil – Samba to Bossa Nova -BBC 1