Jazz and Authoritarianism in Brazil: Cases and Experiences during the Military Dictatorship (1964-1985)

• Grant number: 25/10024-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research Internship - Post-doctor
• Start date: March 01, 2026
• End date: February 28, 2027
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Sociology - Other specific Sociologies
• Principal Investigator: Marcelo Siqueira Ridenti
• Grantee: Renan Branco Ruiz
• Supervisor: Pedro Cravinho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Filosofia e Ciências Humanas (IFCH). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: Birmingham City University, England
• Associated to the scholarship: 23/14941-3 - Jazz and authoritarianism in Brazil: cases and experiences of the military dictatorship (1964 - 1985), BP.PD

Abstract

This research internship abroad (Bolsa Estágio de Pesquisa no Exterior - BEPE) aims to enhance my postdoctoral research on the intersections between jazz and Brazil's military dictatorship (1964-1985), expanding its theoretical, documentary, and bibliographic scope. The project is structured around collaborating with Prof. Dr. Pedro Cravinho (Royal Birmingham Conservatoire / Birmingham City University), a leading scholar on jazz diaspora and its development under authoritarian regimes. His expertise will support: (1) access to international archives concerning the reception of Brazilian jazz abroad, particularly regarding exiled musicians; (2) a comparative analysis of censorship practices in authoritarian contexts; and (3) a critical review of global literature on the subject, still largely underexplored in Brazil. The research is rooted in the historical paradox of jazz in Brazil: perceived by nationalist discourse as a "foreign element," yet simultaneously embraced as a vehicle of modernity. During the dictatorship, this tension intensified - MPB (Música Popular Brasileira) was celebrated as a symbol of resistance through song. Simultaneously, unsung jazz was marginalised and rebranded as "Brazilian instrumental popular music." The methodology combines analysis of primary sources (censorship records, discography, periodicals) with transdisciplinary approaches inspired by Raymond Williams (1979), emphasising culture as an active field of production of meanings and practices. The research internship period at BCU will provide access to specialised collections and academic networks of excellence, contributing to the internationalisation of the Brazilian case within global debates on jazz and authoritarianism. Outcomes will be transferred to UNICAMP through graduate teaching, scholarly publications, and the coordination of a transdisciplinary study group, promoting new dialogues among Brazilian History, Sociology, and Musicology fields. By doing so, this research will not only fill key historiographical gaps but also strengthen the visibility of the current emerging state of Jazz Studies in Brazil in the global academic landscape. (AU)