There is a song by Haroldo Barbosa and Janet de Almeida that caused me a strong impression, as I first heard it in the voice of Jo\u00e3o Gilberto. This song might have gone unnoticed to me, if it were not for his recording.<\/p>\n
The lyrics present a very straight forward version of the narrative of cultural conflicts and coexistence of contrasting systems of value that permeates Brazilian culture. There is a rich discourse about the nature of this cultural tension that is exposed through the song.<\/p>\n
Let’s look at it:<\/p>\n
___________________________________________________________________________ Madame diz que a ra\u00e7a n\u00e3o melhora Madame diz que o samba tem cacha\u00e7a Vamos acabar com o samba No carnaval que vem tamb\u00e9m concorro Madame tem um parafuso a menos My translation: Madam says the reason the race does not improve, Madam says that samba has cacha\u00e7a, Let’s put an end to the Samba, Carnival is near, and this year I’m in the context Madam is a little bit nuts I’ve been trying to understand Brazilian culture through the perception, reception and development of opera. It seems emblematic that the strongest musical stress lies in the word that the text uses to characterize the elitist cultural demands of “Madame<\/strong>“; it is precisely the word “\u00f3pera<\/strong>.” It is also interesting to hear how Jo\u00e3o Gilberto stresses the vowel “\u00f3”, clean tone, perfect pitch, no vibrato. He is fully aware of the syncretic contrast of styles. Samba and opera represent the cultural divide that that delineates class division in the country. The two the opponents in historic duel.<\/p>\n The world indicated by the word opera is in straight opposition to the world of the local popular culture. The narrator also conveys a colorful image of a possible imaginary of confluence where these two rituals could be merged, even if in somehow surrealistic lines.<\/p>\n The conclusion is a cry of pride that does not scream, instead it almost smiles under the breath, a private victory of ideas. A cry of pride that is legitimized by the impeccable delivery of a creator and master of bossa nova style. Jo\u00e3o Gilberto conveys the irony of each phrase in perfectly syncopated syllables, over the tightly organized harmonic voice leading of his guitar part.<\/p>\n His very presence, often singing traditional samba repertoire in prestigious venues of classical music, such as Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, is a statement of the worth and value of the style.<\/p>\n However, sixty years after the entrance of bossa nova into the international market, there remains an interesting challenge for young Brazilian artists: how to tackle the anthropophagic program and produce works of\u00a0 lasting quality? Should we seek the redemption of the commercial stage, the institutional heir of the popular market, appropriated by an industry of immediate consumption, or should we tackle the path that leads to the concert hall and the opera house?<\/p>\n …<\/p>\n An\u00a0 important source for understanding the role of the domestic worker in the development of the Brazilian imaginary is the recent book by Sonia Roncador: …<\/p>\n There is a song by Haroldo Barbosa and Janet de Almeida that caused me a strong impression, as I first heard it in the voice of Jo\u00e3o Gilberto. This song might have gone unnoticed to me, if it were not for his recording. The lyrics present a very straight forward version of the narrative of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":161,"menu_order":12,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"sidebar-page.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"\n
\nPra Que Discutir Com Madame?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nQue a vida piora por causa do samba
\nMadame diz o que samba tem pecado
\nQue o samba \u00e9 coitado e devia acabar<\/p>\n
\nMistura de ra\u00e7a, mistura de cor
\nMadame diz que o samba democrata
\n\u00c9 m\u00fasica barata sem nenhum valor<\/p>\n
\nMadame n\u00e3o gosta que ningu\u00e9m sambe
\nVive dizendo que samba \u00e9 vexame
\nPra que discutir com madame?<\/p>\n
\nMeu bloco de morro vai cantar \u00f3pera
\nE na Avenida entre mil apertos
\nVoc\u00eas v\u00e3o ver gente cantando concerto<\/p>\n
\nS\u00f3 fala veneno meu Deus que horror
\nO samba brasileiro democrata
\nBrasileiro na batata \u00e9 que tem valor<\/p>\n
\n___________________________________________________________________
\nWhy should I argue with Madam?<\/strong><\/p>\n
\nThat life just gets worse because of Samba
\nMadam says that Samba is full of sin
\nThat poor Samba should disappear.<\/p>\n
\nmixing races, mixing collors,
\nMadam says that democratic Samba
\nis just cheap music, it’s worthless.<\/p>\n
\nMadam doesn’t like to see the Samba
\nShe keeps on saying Samba is a shame
\nWhy should I argue with Madam?<\/p>\n
\nMy gang from the favela is coming down, singing opera.
\nand in the sweaty alleys, when it’s hot, loud and packed,
\nevery single voice will sing a concert.<\/p>\n
\nShe spits out so much poison, my gods, what a shame
\nBrazilian democratic Samba
\nRoots of Brazil, we have pride and we know our worth.
\n___________________________________________________________________________<\/p>\n
\nA dom\u00e9stica imagin\u00e1ria: literatura , testemunhos e a inven\u00e7\u00e3o da empregada dom\u00e9stica no Brasil (1889-1999) Editora universidade de Bras\u00edlia, 2008<\/p>\nJo\u00e3o Gilberto<\/a><\/h2>\n
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