Jazz and authoritarianism in Brazil: cases and experiences of the military dictatorship (1964 - 1985)

• Grant number: 23/14941-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Siqueira Ridenti
• Grantee: Renan Branco Ruiz
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The centuries old history of jazz in Brazil still lacks scientific investigations. Although interest in the topic has gained strength in the 2 1st century, especially after 2010, several characters, albums, musicians, instrumentalists and issues still need to be analyzed in the light of academic rigor. A fundamental issue inthis perspective is the relationship between the Brazilian military dict atorship (1964 1985) and jazz practices. It was during the period of the military in power that MPB became a fundamental symbol of music and national identity. At the same time, Brazilian jazz assumes meaning and characteristics inherently linked to the notion of "instrumental music". With regard to academic studies, given that the connections between the military dictatorship and MPB are widely prevalent in the historiography of popular music,research on jazz in Brazil and the authoritarian regime emerg es as fundamental. Despite some recent efforts on this topic (RUIZ, 2023a/2023b), the Brazilian government's official documentation still needs to be studied in detail. Therefore, this project aims to map, find and analyze official documentation from public archives related to censorship and the "social order", focusing specifically on possible mentions of jazzpractices and instrumental music. An essential bureaucratic body in this regard is the Department of Censorship of Public Entertainment (DCDP), resp onsible for music censorship. The documentation found will be examined together with interviews and articles in printed periodicals, collected during the candidate's previous research. With this project, we intend to explore some nuances of the socio historical formation of the notion of popular music in Brazil, exploring certain contributions, adaptations and the process of alienation from some experiences inherently linked to jazz in the national territory. We also aimto reflect on topics little analyzed within the field of the Brazilian military regime, specifically, the forms of approach taken by dictatorial bodies to practices and musicians connected to jazz and instrumental music.