Beach Song. Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. Vol.9

Beach Song (Canção Praieira)

The word praieira can refer to a person who lives close to the beach or on the coast; or to someone who is fond of and often goes to the beach; or to a type of song whose theme is the sea (Houaiss: 2001, 2277). Singing of the sea as an element of nature, and as a witness of love, struggles and tragedies, has its roots in romanticism and in the concerns of the first folklorists. The Ceará-born poet and folklorist, Juvenal Galeno (1836-1931) penned the following verses:  “My sailing jangada,( (traditional wooden fishing rafts, typical of the Brazilian Northeast), Which winds do you yearn to follow? Do you want winds from land? Or do you want winds from the sea?”  The poem Canção do Norte (‘Song of the North’) by Thomaz Lopes (1879-1913) and set to music by Alberto Nepomuceno (1864-1920) sings of light, the sun, the sky, and jangadas, became later the anthem of state of Ceará.

In the state of Rio Grande do Norte, the song Praieira by Otoniel Menezes (1895-1969) and Eduardo Medeiros (1877-1961) became the anthem of the state capital, Natal. Real facts also nourish legends about adventures at sea and about the adventurous and fearless behavior of fishermen. In 1881, a group of jangadeiros (the fishermen who sail the jangadas) from Ceará, led by José do Nascimento, joined the group of intellectuals from the abolitionist movement (abolition of slavery would occur later that decade, in 1888) and organized a strike by refusing to transport slaves on their boats. José do Nascimento became known as Dragão do Mar (Sea Dragon) and is considered a hero among Northeasterners. The radio boom in the 1940s and 1950s coincided with the growth of many state capitals in the Northeast as well as with the creation of a new type of job market for musicians: to play and sing in bars and restaurants. Luiz Assunção (1902-1987) became part of that tradition. Songs such as ‘Jangadeiro do Ceará’ [Jangadeiro from Ceará] (1931), ‘Vive Seu Mané Chorando’ [Mr. Mané is Always Crying] (1946), ‘A Sereia vem te buscar ‘[The Mermaid is coming to get you] (1949), ‘Adeus Praia de Iracema’ [Good Bye, Iracema Beach] (1954), and ‘Iracema, Rainha do Mar’ [Iracema, Queen of the Sea] (1955) are some of his best known works (see discography).

          At the time of the radio boom, regional groups proliferated (groups comprised of one or two voices, a guitar and some small-size percussion instrument), which entertained radio-listeners and pub-goers in the cities. The group Trio Nagô (the Roquete Pinto-award winner for best vocal group in 1954) is one such group that, after being a local hit for their interpretations of praieira songs, migrated to Rio de Janeiro and continued their success, even starring in movies (see discography). The images of paradisiacal life on the beaches of the Brazilian Northeast began to circulate around the incipient media industry at that time. The saga of jangadeiros such as Jacaré, Tatá, Mané Preto and Mestre Jerônimo—who in 1941 left Fortaleza by sea and sailed to Rio de Janeiro to sensitize the labor-based Getúlio Vargas administration (1934-45) regarding the difficult economic and social conditions of sea workers—went far beyond Brazilian borders. The fishermen’s drama attracted the attention of film-maker Orson Wells, who came to Brazil on behalf of the American government (in 1942) to document Rio’s carnival as well as the saga of the fishermen. The film It’s All True was never released commercially, mainly because during filming, a wave capsized the jangada and the expedition leader (Jacaré) tragically drowned.

          Humberto Teixeira (1915-1979), best known for his song lyrics about the backlands (sertão), also sings the beauties of the sea in a song called Terra da Luz [“Land of Light”] (1945). However, it is Dorival Caymmi (b. 1914 in Salvador, Bahia) who has sung the most about the sea. Already well-known on Salvador radio, he went to Rio de Janeiro (in 1938) during the effervescence of the auditorium programs of Rádio Nacional and established the characteristics of the praieiro gender within the media of that time, thus influencing generations of musicians through his unique composing and singing style. He invented specific guitar strums and beats in order to preserve the interpreter’s diction. (Tatit: p.106). The slow rhythm of his melodies and the light harmony of his songs highlight the lyrical and serene side of the joy of life by the sea. Beach song compositions can also be heard in As Velas do Mucuripe [“The Sails of Mucuripe”] (1972) by Raimundo Fagner (b. 1949) and A.C. Belchior (b. 1949), as well as Praieira (1994) by Chico Science (1966-1997), representing some more up-to-date versions of this music style.  

Bibliography.

Assunção, Luiz. 1982. O Enamorado Bohemio do Piano. [The Piano-Enamored  Bohemian]. Fortaleza/CE. Prefeitura Municipal de Fortaleza.

 Azevedo, M.A de (Nirez). 1982. Discografia Brasileira em 78 rpm [Brazilian Discography in 78rpm]. Rio de Janeiro FUNART.

Caymmi, Dorival. 1978. Cancioneiro da Bahia [Bahia’s Song Book]. São Paulo. Livraria Martins Editora.

Caymmi, Stella. 2002. Dorival Caymmi – o mar e o tempo [Dorival Caymmi –the sea and the weather]. São Paulo. Editora 34.

Lisboa Júnior, Luiz Américo. 1990. A presença da Bahia na Música Popular Brasileira [Bahia’s presence in Brazilian Popular Music]. Brasília. Editora Musimed.

Marcondes, Antonio Marcos (editor). 1977. Enciclopédia da Música Brasileira [Encyclopedia of Brazilian Music]. São Paulo. Art Editora. 

Mariz , Vasco. 1959. A Canção Brasileira. [The Brazilian Song] - Rio de Janeiro. MEC.

Risério, Antônio.1993. Caymmi–uma utopia de lugar [Caymmi- a place utopia]. São Paulo. Editora Perspectiva.

Severiano, Jairo e Mello, Zuza Homem de. 1999. A Canção no Tempo. [The Song in Time]. São Paulo. Editora 34.

Tatit, Luiz. 1996. O Cancionista, composição de canções no Brasil  [The Songster, a composition of songs in Brazil]. São Paulo. EDUSP.

Vasconcelos, Ari. 1965. Panorama da Música Popular Brasileira [Panorama of Brazilian Popular Music].(vol 2). Rio de Janeiro. Martins Editora.

Discographical  References.

Caymmi, Dorival. ‘Rainha do Mar’ (side A). ‘Promessa de Pescador’- (side B). / Odeon. 78rpm. Nº 11.760. 1939. Brazil.

Teixeira, Humberto.’Terra da Luz’. Singer: Déo e Côro Apiacás/ orquestra Napoleão Tavares/ orquestração de Lauro Maia. Continental . 78rpm. Nº 15437ª. 1945. Brazil.

 Assunção, Luiz. ‘Vive Seu Mané Chorando’ Singer: Trio Nagô. 78rpm. Continental 78rpm.  Nº 17.184-A. Matriz  C3678. 1946. Brazil.

Assunção, Luiz. ’Vive Seu Mané Chorando’ .Singer: Evaldo Golveia. RCA VICTOR LP 33rpm. Referência 1000 12” L-A-F2. 1965. Brazil.

Assunção, Luíz. ‘Adeus Praia de Iracema’ Singer: Alcimar Monteiro.  LP 33rpm. Continental. Nº 1.07.405.179-A 12”-F. 1980. Brazil.

Caymmi, Dorival. ‘Canções Praieiras’. LP. Odeon. LDS 3004. n.d. Brazil.

Caymmi, Dorival. ‘ Canções do Mar’ . LP Odeon. BWB 1002.1957. Brazil.

Caymmi Dorival. ‘Caymmi e o Mar’. LP. Odeon. MOFB 3011. 1957. Brazil.

Caymmi, Dorival. ‘The Sea; songs’. LP. HED-ARZI. 1974. USA.

Caymmi, Dorival. ‘Caymmi e seu Violão’. LP /Odeon. MOFB 3093.n.d. Brazil.

Fagner, Raimundo /Belchior, A. C. ‘As Velas do Mucuripe’.Singer: Elis Regina. ELIS. LP. Philips Nº 6349032. 1972. Brazil.

Science, Chico. ‘Praieira’. Da Lama ao Caos/ Banda Nação Zumbi. Sony. ASIN BOOOOOG9N6. 1994. Brazil.

Barrozo, Carlos. ‘No Ceará é assim’. Pedras que Cantam. Singer: Raimundo Fagner. BMG. LP Vinil 150.0016. CD 10.092.1999. Brazil.

Menezes, Otoniel and Medeiros, Eduardo. ‘Serenata do Pescador- Praieira’ Arquivo de Música Popular Leide Câmara. AA.0001.000. CD comemorativo dos 80 anos da canção Praieira. 2002. Brazil.

Nepomuceno, Alberto/Lopes, Thomaz. ‘Hino do Estado do Ceará’. Governo do Estado do Ceará/ Secretaria de Cultura. Gravadoras Ararena/Pró-Audio/Vila Estúdio. CD. AA005000. 2004. Brazil.

Câmara, Diva. ‘Praias do Ceará’. Sons e Sonhos. Tapera Artes. Patrocínio da Prefeitura de Aquiráz-Ceará. Nordeste Digital Line S/A CNPJ 01247 965/000146.

2006. Brazil.

Mércia Pinto.

University of Brasília.

Bumba meu Boi. Bloomsbury Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, vol. 9

    

Bumba-meu-Boi (a folk dance and pageant in Northeastern Brazil in which the townsfolk take part) is one of Brazil’s most aesthetically and socially significant folguedos (traditional street festivals) that involve music, poetry and theater. The term ‘Bumba’ is an interjection, which indicates a roar, a knock, or an invitation to dance. Bumba-meu-Boi is a kind of folk opera, the content of which develops around the legend of a rancher who is the owner of a beautiful and intelligent ox (boi in Portuguese) that knew how to dance. One of his cowboys steals the ox in order to fulfill his pregnant wife’s craving, who feels like she must eat the ox’s tongue or else she’ll lose her baby. The rancher notices the disappearance of the ox and, with the help of Indians and Caboclos (Brazilians of mixed European and Indian ancestry), finds out that the ox is already dead. The animal is brought back to life and starts to dance again, after some help from spiritual entities.

          The oldest reference to a performance of Bumba-meu-Boi dates back to 1840, found in the January 1^st, 1840 edition of the newspaper ‘O Carapuceiro’ in Recife, capital of the state of Pernambuco (Barroso: 1996, page 43). There is a consensus among scholars (Andrade: 1968, Barroso: 1996, Brandão: 1962, Mello: 1946) stating, however, that this festivity appeared in the Brazilian Northeast of Brazil at the end of the seventeenth Century, with the first appearance of cattle as an economic factor in the process of populating the backlands. Along with that, there appeared collections of ballad poetry (known as romanceiros) dedicated to life, passion and death of oxen with famous names and known for their bravery. Barroso (1996: 42) also formulates the hypothesis of Bumba-meu-Boi originally being part of a Reisado (small theatrical groups who go into streets to dance and sing on the eve of the Epiphany), who united their intermezzos (interludes) to form a single folguedo in which bumba-meu-Boi would be the main feature (there are still many locations in the Northeast of Brazil today where “Reisados” are called “Bois.” Through migration, this form of entertainment spread throughout other states under different names (Bumba-meu-Boi in the state of Maranhão, Boi Bumba in the states of Amazonas and Pará, Boi Surubim, Boi Calemba, and Boi de Reis in the Northeastern states, Boi de Mamão in the state of Santa Catarina, and Bumba or Boisinho in the state of Rio Grande do Sul), as well as different forms of performance, costumes, characters, music, dance, props, and differentiated themes, as well as the season of its performance during the June Festivities (Festas Juninas) or the Epiphany (in January). Told and retold in oral tradition, this founding legend acquires contours of satire, comedy and tragedy, introducing allegoric characters where conflict almost always has a happy outcome.

          The Parintins Festival (on Tupinanbarana Island, state of Amazonas) is today considered one of the most popular events in Latin America, and is centered on the performance of Boi Bumbá. The town gathers over 35,000 people at the Bumbódromo (a kind of parade stadium) to watch the dispute between participants of the drama about twos oxen (bois) named ‘Garantido’ (with a predominantly red color) and ‘Caprichoso’ (with a predominantly blue color). The two rival groups march under special lighting and sound effects for around 3 hours, singing of the feats of the two animals (represented by an enormous puppet in the shape of an ox with a person inside its body controlling the dance), and the legends, myths and modes of life of the forest peoples. The orchestra of each group has more than 400 rhythm-makers. Along with various metallic instruments and indigenous idiophones (including the pau d’água, which imitates the sound of rainfall; and the xeque-xeque, a type of rattle), are drums called treme-terra (trembling earth), made from oil barrels, which provide the backbone of rhythm in the orchestras of both groups.

In the Bumba-meu-Boi of Maranhão state, there is no rivalry between the groups and the costume colors are left to the discretion, taste and purchasing power of each association. In addition, performances are given in town squares and streets. The festivities go from June to September, when the death of the Boi is celebrated. The fabric that covers the framework of the animal is removed so it can be painted and embroidered again during the following year, and new tunes are composed, thus renewing the cycle of celebration. The confluence of Amerindian, African and European ethnicities is perceived through the orchestral instruments, costumes, choreography and melodies of cowboys’ calls and tunes. But it is mainly the rhythm and the timbre of instruments that makes the difference between the different styles (accents) of Bumba-meu-Boi. The ‘Bois’ of São Luís Island (where the state capital of Maranhão is located) are characterized by the use of matracas: percussion instruments made from wooden blocks derived primarily from a local hardwood tree called pau-d’arco (yellow trumpet tree) and played by striking one block against the other (known as the ‘matraca accent’). In addition, they also use maracas (made from tin cans full of lead shot or seeds), as well as the tambor onça, or ‘jaguar drum’ (a type of gourd played by pulling a small rod that is attached to a piece of leather inside instrument, imitating the bellowing sound of the ox) and the pandeirões (big tambourines). There are also ‘Bois’ accented with the zabumba (a large drum of African origin, also known as bombo). These are typical of the town of Guimarães, located in the northwestern part of the state. They also use the maracas, the ‘jaguar drums’ as well as the ‘fire drum’ (tambor de fogo), which is made of a wood log covered by ox leather attached by tuning pegs. The Boi orchestra has a widely varied instrumentation and uses metal percussion instruments, plus banjos and tarol drums. In all Bumba-meu-Boi groups in the state of Maranhão, the use of polyrhythm is a given, characterizing the rhythm of the music used.

In Florianópolis, capital city of Santa Catarina state, the Boi de Mamão is performed in public squares in January (as part of the Epiphany celebrations). Each neighborhood presents its version of the drama. A musical group made up of guitars, ukuleles, and sometimes wind instruments and percussion instruments, accompanies the melodies (with about 12 bars, a range limited to a maximum of 7 notes, and with harmonies in the I-IV-V-I degrees), which identify each character in the story. The use of animal allegories (bears, giraffes, or fantastic animals, as in the case of Beluga, a kind of lizard that swallows children), masqueraders, and folkloric groups from the city is also frequent.

          Despite being old, the Bumba-meu-Boi drama in the Northeast still maintains a strong involvement with the life of small places. The tendency towards entertainment and comedy with ironies and social criticisms, the longer dialogues and the less exuberant instrumentation are some of the most remarkable aspects. In the state of Amazonas, the spectacles—which characterize the Boi-bumbá, the lighting and sound effects, the transformation of the singers (cowboys and ranchers) into true regional idols, the exaggeration in the number of characters, the dispute between rival groups, and its use by the tourism industry—have become distanced from the original Northeastern event. The variety of colors, the timbre of the caboclas’ voices, the strong use of percussion, and the gradual deterioration of dialogues in function of the presentation of the danced parts, the cowboys’ calls and chants are part of the characteristics of the Bumba-meu-Boi from Maranhão. But it is the use of Bumba-meu-Boi by the government in political campaigns that has differentiated it from the similar spectacles in other parts of Brazil. 

Bibliography.

Alvarenga, Oneyda. 1982. Música Popular Brasileira. [Brazilian Popular Music]. São Paulo. Livraria Duas Cidades.

Andrade, Mário de. 1968. Danças Dramáticas do Brasil (3º vol.) [Brazilian Drama Dances]. São Paulo. Livraria Martins Editora.

_______1968. As Melodias do Boi. [The Ox Melodies] 1968. São Paulo. Livraria Duas Cidades.

Barroso, Oswald. 1966. Reis de Congo. [Congo Kings]. Fortaleza-Ceará. MIS-Museu da Imagem e do Som.

Borba Filho, Hermílio. 1982. Apresentação do Bumba Meu Boi [Presenting Bumba Meu Boi]. Recife. Editora Guararapes.

Brandão, Théo. 1962. ‘Um Auto Popular Brasileiro na Alagoas’ [A Brazilian Popular Drama]  in Separata do Boletim nº 10 do Instituto Joaquim Nabuco de Pesquisa Social. Recife- Pernambuco. Instituto Joaquim Nabuco.

Cascudo, Luiz da Câmara. 1954. Dicionário do Folclore Brasileiro [Brazilian Dictionary of Folklore]. Rio de Janeiro. Edições de Ouro.

______1956. As Tradições Populares na Pecuária Nordestina [Popular Traditions in Northeastern Cattle-Raising]. Rio de Janeiro. Ministério da Agricultura.

Colonelli, Cristina Argenton. 1979. Bibliografia do Folclore Brasileiro [Bibliography of Brazilian Folklor]. São Paulo. Conselho Estadual de Arte e Ciências Humanas.

Meyer, Marlise. 1990. ‘O Elemento fantástico numa forma de teatro popular brasileiro’ [A Fantastic Element in a Form of Brazilian Popular Theater] In Pirineus e Caiçaras... Da Commedia dell’arte ao Bumba-meu Boi. São Paulo. Editora da Unicamp.

Morais, F. Mello. 1946. Festas e Tradições Populares Brasileiras [Brazilian Festivities and Popular Traditions]. Rio de Janeiro. Editores Briguet & Cia.

Mukuna, Kasadi Wa. 1986. ’Bumba meu Boi in Maranhão’ In Einfühung in Musiktraditionen Brasiliens. Mainz- Deutschland. Welt Musik. Schott.

Prado, Regina de Paula Santos. 1977. Todo ano tem: as festas na estrutura social camponesa. [Every Year There Are: the Festivities in the Country Social Structure] Dissertação de mestrado em Antropologia Social. Rio de Janeiro. PPGAS-UFRJ.

Souza dos Reis, José Ribamar. 1984. Bumba-meu-Boi. Recife- Pernambuco. Fundação Joaquim Nabuco. Editora Massangana.

Stanley Sadie (editors).1990. The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.  (vol. 3- Brazil) London/ New York. MacMillan Publishers.

Vieira Filho, Domingos. 1977. Folclore Brasileiro-Maranhão [Brazilian-Maranhão Folklore]. Rio de Janeiro. MEC/CBDF.

Discographycal References.

Bumba-meu-Boi de Morros. LP. N.n. 1990. Brazil

Bumba-meu-Boi-sotaque de Pindaré. LP. Phonogram/ Secretaria de Cultura do Estado do Maranhão. 1972.Brazil.

Carrapicho-festa do Boi Bumbá. RCA-CD 1996. Brazil.

Fafá de Belém ao vivo 2007 EMI/ Caiapó. Código de barra: 5099950987191. 2007. Brazil.

Filmography.

Bumba-meu-Boi. CPCE/UnB 1990. Brazil.

Auto do Bumba-meu-Boi da Fé em Deus (sotaque de Zabumba). Secretaria de Cultura do Estado do Maranhão. Comissão maranhense de Folclore. 1998. Brazil.

Parintins-Vamos brincar de Boi.  publicação anual. Amazon SAT. Rêde Amazônica. 2002. Brazil

Boi de Matraca (Madre de Deus). Realização Kasadi Wa Mukuna. 1986.Brazil.

Vermelho. Fafá de Belém. ao vivo no Theatro da Paz (Belém-Pa) Caiapó. 2007. Brazil.

Mércia Pinto.

University of Brasília.