I received a lot of love from the last resource I posted, so here goes another! Hope y'all like it :)
So what are Brazilian Rhythms?
The rhythms that, even when based or created around rhythms present in other cultures, acquired enough distinctive elements to become unique to Brazilian culture.
Lélia Gonzales, a renowned Brazilian writer, and sociologist, defined Brazilian identity as Latin-Amefrican.
Brazil is a vast oral library of rhythms. Brazil is not only the most biodiverse country in the world, but may as well be one of the most culturally diverse countries in the world. Rhythms are influenced by African, Indigenous and European influences, with the first two representing the core of most of the rhythms that were constituted in Brazil. Brazilian rhythms are as plentiful as the trees and rivers flowing in its beautiful lands.
Many of the Brazilian rhythms that gained worldwide popularity and fame, were fostered on terreiros. Terreiros can mean the physical place where Candomblé happens, the sacred places of Afro-Brazilian spirituality. They are key to understanding the root of Afro-Brazilian Culture and African influence in Brazilian culture.
The first rhythm that comes to mind is Samba and its numerous variations. Samba is not, and never was a single and cohesive element, and even the oldest references cite a handful of variations. But, the first variations were found in communities that were based in Candomblé, especially in Bahia, the oldest region in Brazil. These were the Samba de Roda, and Samba Chula, the original forms of Samba developed in the African mix present in Bahia.
You can check out our article on What Samba is, it’s history and culture here
Much of the rhythmic knowledge that gives Brazilian music its edge is found within Candomblé’s musicality. However, there are other strong influences, such as traditional Indigenous music. which has also contributed to many rhythms and cultural roots, in a similar fashion as African music. These cultures are the key to understanding the foundations of Brazilian music and rhythm.
Brazil and Africa share profound relations, however, Brazil is formed by the impact of several cultures. Even when only speaking of the Afro-Brazilian ancestry, there are several Branches of African cults, religions, and rhythms. These branches represent several ethnic influences in Brazilian culture and can be understood as macro-cultural in essence.
Yoruba root Candomblé (KETU Branch) Rhythms:
- Vasse
- Daró
- Ginká
- Ijexá
- Alujá
- AgabÃ
- Igbi
- Avaninha
- Ramunha
- Agueré
- Savalú
- Ilú
- Sassanha
- OPANIJE
The encounter of cultures was the source of Afro-Brazilian culture.
More Candomblé Rhythms found in Brazil’s culture:
- Congo de Ouro
- Congo
- Barravento
- Cabila
- Bravun
- Adarrun
- Paó
- Sató
- Batá
- Tambor de Criolo
Cultural crossroads
African cultural crossroads were the foundations of Samba, and all other Brazilian-made Rhythms. Building upon the diversity of traditions present, and the exchanging of pre-existing rhythms, Brazilian rhythm was born. Brazilian rhythms, especially in the early moments of colonization when Salvador was Capital, part of a common background, where they co-existed with Candomblé, the work chants and rhythms, and the play or entertainment.
Early Brazilian Rhythms:
- Samba de Roda (sometimes called Samba Rural)
- Samba de Chula or Samba de Viola
- Samba de Cabula
- Lundu
- Early Maracatu (Now known as Rural Maracatu)
- Maculelê and Capoeira Rhythms (São Bento Grande, Angola, Iúna, Cavalaria and many more)
- Maxixe
- Cateretê or Catira
- Carimbó
Native Indigenous, and the North – The Amazon Region
In northern Brazil, the indigenous population is very expressive, and one of the basic rhythms created was the Carimbó. Carimbó originated in the Pará region, a mix between the Tupinambá indigenous people and Afro-Brazilian culture that arrived from north-eastern Brazil. Carimbó is the name of an Indigenous Drum, which literally means “hollow wood”. This tradition is one of the main rhythms in the North, all over the Amazon region.
Percussive Harmony is the harmony made by the different tones present in the drums. They do not follow the western notation and are tuned by ear to match traditional tones. For example, in Candomblé, there are three Atabaque drums and an Agogô, and they constituted a pitch scale, from treble to bass: Agogô or Gân (highest pitch), Lé Drum, Pi or Rumpi Drum, and Rum drum (lowest pitch).
That’s why it is impossible to make a musical notation for many Brazilian rhythms, as the cadencies are impossible to express in the western form: They must be felt through the body, almost imperceptibly changing each element, while the whole becomes another unity.
With the cultural exchanges with other countries growing, as artists traveled and brought back discs, new African and Latin influences came to Brazilian musicians. This inspired a change in traditional spheres, and now artists started to develop more rhythmic variations based on elements of other regions. Merengue is an example of a foreign rhythm that had Afro-Brazilian percussive elements introduced to it, and became a leading rhythm in Carnaval, especially for Groups like Timbalada.
Modern Brazilian rhythms:
Below is a list of the most popular rhythms that evolved in different regions, each being influenced by a branch of the different roots present in Brazil, being influenced by African, Indigenous, Latin, and European cultures:
(Grouped by Similarity)
- Bossa Nova
- Pagode
- Partido Alto
- Samba Enredo
- Samba de Gafieira
- Samba de Terreiro
- Samba de coco
- Samba Duro
- Samba Afro
- Samba-Reggae
- Axé music (Also understood as a collection of Afro-Brazilian rhythms used in Bahian Carnival)
- Merengue (Brazilian Merengue)
- Lambada
- Forró
- Baião
- Xote
- Xaxado
- Brazilian Funk
- Brega and posteriorly Brega-Funk
Full Resource: Brazilian Rhythms on Opanije.com
Tip for producers:
Search in YT for the name of the rhythms + as melhores (best in Portuguese) or rhythm + state where the rhythm originated (you can find out the name of the state by searching for the rhythm + estado de origem on google)
Submitted April 29, 2022 at 01:26PM by Vogonaut https://www.reddit.com/r/Learnmusic/comments/uepokq/i_made_another_guide_development_and_history_of/?utm_source=ifttt