Beyond Bossa Nova: Brazilian Music and Society

With a musical culture that ranges from roots samba to favela funk, and from the music of indigenous Amazonian peoples to the neo-African sounds of candomblé ritual, Brazil’s soundscape rivals its social and geographic diversity. This course provides an introduction to the "erudite," traditional, and mass-popular sounds of Brazil, emphasizing their role in creating and contesting visions of nationhood and Brazilian society over the twentieth century. There are no prerequisites, but a background in either music or Latin American studies will greatly aid students' progress in the course. Open to sophomores, juniors, and seniors.