Re-Africanization and the popularity of the Brazilian Samba

Type :

Presentation

Pages :

6 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

11/21/2008

Category :

Arts & media

Sub category :

Journalism

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Summary :

Introduction.
Brazil's portrait.
1. Plantations - not the only spheres of influence.
2. A diverse and multi-faceted process of appreciation and acculturation.
3. Modern Brazil.
The earliest forms of samba.
1. The practice and dance expression of samba.
2. How was it possible for marginalized samba to enjoy such a meteoric rise in popularity?
3. Other reasons for samba's sanction.
The Brazilian government.
The cultivation of negritude.
The beginnings of Gilberto Freyre's emphasis on the benefits of accepting racial mixing.
Conclusion.

Abstract

To the rest of the world, Brazil looks like a kaleidoscope of races, foreign in its demographics to virtually every other culture on the planet. From the density of the Amazon rainforest to the all-inclusive street parties of Carnival in Rio, the Federative Republic of Brazil, ostensibly the world's most diverse nation, seems to push nearly every aspect of life to almost mythic proportions. Brazil's portrait is one painted by the immigration of people from nearly every ethnicity, evoking a primordial utopia where cultures and colors collide. First discovered by Europeans on April 22, 1500, by Pedro Álvares Cabral, Brazil was once a colony of Portugal named after the native brazilwood discovered and harvested there. Later, sugarcane, gold, and coffee became main sources of exploit, and the country's politics became quickly dominated by agrarian oligarchies at all levels of government. During this period most natives were either exterminated or assimilated into the Portuguese communities. Large numbers of African slaves were brought in for plantation labor and the notorious "triangular trade" for slaves, sugar, and rum was born. Slavery was outlawed in 1888, but Brazil has become South America's largest economy, arguably thanks in part to its early, slave-fueled agricultural development.