Fiddles in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Cultures presents fresh data and debates drawn from extensive research to broaden the study of African music by focusing on fiddle playing, exploring rhythm aesthetics and tonal systems within cultural contexts. Focused on Cape Verde, Mozambique and Brazil, the research maps cultural affiliations, addressing cultural displacement and historical ties. It engages with post-colonial power dynamics, highlighting fiddle playing as a form of resistance and revival.
Primarily aimed at academic researchers in ethnomusicology and related fields, the book provides detailed analytical descriptions and narratives of artists, instruments and playing styles. It contributes to discussions on music, decolonisation and diasporic communities’ demands for authenticity and recognition. By revealing lesser-known fiddle traditions, it enriches the world music genre, attracting both academic and general readers interested in transcultural music studies.
By:
Luiz Moretto
Imprint: Routledge
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions:
Height: 234mm,
Width: 156mm,
Weight: 453g
ISBN: 9781032774565
ISBN 10: 1032774568
Series: SOAS Studies in Music
Pages: 224
Publication Date: 21 October 2024
Audience:
College/higher education
,
Professional and scholarly
,
Primary
,
Undergraduate
Format: Hardback
Publisher's Status: Active
1 Introduction: Mapping Afro-Fiddle Playing in Three Different Contexts Busking in Lisbon First beatsUpbeat down-bow: musical identitiesAfrican musical aesthetics? Perception, the ‘sensuous’ and improvisationRhythm as a diasporic reinvention Approaching the fieldworkFiddles in transit2 The Kriolu Violin of Cape VerdeThe archipelago at the Atlantic crossroads Transnational culturesThe violin in Cape Verde Antoninho Travadinha – the improviserResearch in the Ilhas do Sotavento (Santiago) Kim Alves Nhô Djonzinho Alves Nhô NaniResearch in the Ilhas do Barlavento Francisco Sequeira (archivist) and Malaquias Costa (violinist) César Costa Nhô Kzik Breka (‘The Tall Man’)Kriolu violin playing: a dynamic tradition3 The Cimboa in Cape VerdeRumours of extinction A Fulbe heritage? The cimboa in batukuThe rhythm of cimboa music Mano Mendi and Pascoal Fernandes Ntóni Denti d’OroTranscultural revivals4 The Cimboa Becomes the OrocongoThe transformation of the cimboa in Brazil Gentil do OrocongoThe orocongo, the rhizome and ‘creative creolisation’ 5 Vanished Fiddles: Vestiges of Mozambique in BrazilInvestigating historical traces Fiddle paintings Across the ‘emaka’ (ocean): the journey from east to westThe disappearance of the one-stringed fiddle 6 The Tchakare in MozambiqueThe Makua people On the way to Niassa The Makua tchakare and tchkwèsa Between Mandimba and Mitande Nfani Wathunia A traditional Makua village Almirante Bilale The Makua tchakare and a nationalist agenda 7 The Rabeca in a Brazilian Quilombo Quilombola culture: resistance, identity and ethnic reassertion Vale do Ribeira Quilombos: cultural heritage and the struggle for recognition Caiçaras, quilombos and music Rabeca players in Quilombo do Morro Seco Bonifácio Modesto Pereira The fandango-rufado The role of the rabeca Hermes Modesto Pereira Music and religion Musical and social change 8 Conclusion: Creolisation and the Revival of Fiddle Traditions The fiddle and the African diaspora The Kriolu violin: local and overseas circuits, transnational identities One-stringed fiddle connections Fiddling in a quilombo: land, memory and identity Unperceived aesthetics and disappearing traditions Glossary of Terms
Dr Luiz Moretto holds an honors degree in music from Santa Catarina State University and a doctorate in ethnomusicology from King’s College London. He is a professional fiddle player and composer whose performances and recordings encompass various styles of African and Brazilian music, subjects that have been the focus of his research over many years. Personal website: www.luizmoretto.com
Reviews for Fiddles in Luso-Afro-Brazilian Cultures: Transatlantic Aesthetics
""This is a solid and complex piece of multi-sited research that, in lucid prose, tackles a novel topic – bowed chordophones across the Afro-Lusophone world, encompassing Portugal, Cape Verde, Mozambique and Brazil. Challenging a range of preconceived ideas about African musical principles, Luiz Moretto shows how bowed chordophones of various types mediated encounters in different settings, each presenting very distinct and context-specific responses, from cultural dissemination, independent invention, hybridizations, resistance and revivals."" Suzel Reily, Professor of Ethnomusicology at the Universiade Estadual de Campinas ""This is an extremely rich account of one could call ""the black fiddle"", immersing readers in a meticulously researched journey through the rich tapestry of African and Afro-diasporic music cultures. Readers will find detailed analyses of how the European instrument was incorporated and re-signified in countries deeply marked by the history of the Atlantic Slave Trade, such as Brazil, Mozambique and Cape Verde. Through vivid ethnographic accounts and previously unpublished materials, this groundbreaking work sheds light on the transcultural dynamics of fiddle traditions, challenging notions of authenticity and decolonization. It not only fills a void in music literature but also captivates a broader audience with its exploration of untold narratives and rhythmic aesthetics, resonating across continents and cultures."" Felipe Correa, Reader in Cultural Studies, King’s College London ""This compelling work challenges entrenched stereotypes and narratives rooted in colonial history, offering fresh perspectives on African traditional instruments and their rich cultural contexts. Moving beyond the confines of authenticity politics and power dynamics, it presents a nuanced and contemporary discourse. Written by a seasoned musician deeply immersed in the world of African music and its diasporic encounters, this book is a must-read."" Genitho Santana, Anthropology Teacher at School of Art and Communication, Universidade Eduardo Mondlane
