Overview
Collaborators
Created by Graduate Fellow Henrique Yagui Takahashi, The Ohio State University
Faculty Mentors: Prof. Lissette Acosta Corniel and Prof. Nkechi Agwu
Afro-Brazilian Music Lesson Plan
This BSAA OER presents the history of Afro-Brazilian culture and identity through music, lyrics, visuals, and rhythm. In addition, the students will be able to analyze how Afro-Brazilian music historically portrays Blackness and Black pride in their songs in the twentieth and twentieth-first centuries.
This lesson plan has two activities:
- Activity #1, “Blackness and Afro-Brazilianness in Contemporary Brazilian Hip-Hop,” will focus on how race and ethnicity in Brazil (and its comparison with US American context) are pursued in contemporary Brazilian Hip-Hop discourse, aesthetics, and music. Students will watch music videos and compare the lyrics, rhythm, and visuals.
- Activity #2, “Afro-Brazilian Music Genealogy,” summarizes Afro-Brazilian history and its legacy in Brazilian culture. This genealogy begins with jongo, one of the first Afro-Brazilian music and dance genre, followed by modern Afro-Brazilian music such as samba, MPB, Brazilian rap, and funk. Students will listen to Afro-Brazilian music genres and examine their historical content according to the time period.
Activity #1 – Blackness and Afro-Brazilianness in Contemporary Brazilian Hip-Hop
Students will watch and listen to three videos. This activity allows students to experience Black Brazilian pride through music, audiovisual, and performances. And also compare how Afro-Brazilian and Afro-American music presents race and ethnicity in their songs.
Objectives for Activity #1:
- Identify and compare the differences/similarities regarding race and ethnicity between Afro-Brazilians and African Americans.
- Identify and compare the differences/similarities regarding Afro-diasporic music and rhythm in Brazil and US. If there is any influence of US American music in the Brazilian songs/videoclips.
- Use your previous knowledge and experience regarding African American culture/music to compare Brazil and US American songs.
List of videos to watch:
- “Negro Drama” (2002) – Racionais MC’s [Mano Brown, Edi Rock, Ice Blue & KL Jay]
- “Mandume” (2016) – Emicida feat Drika Barbosa, Amiri, Rico Dalassam & Raphão Alaafin.
- “BLVESMAN” (2018) – Baco Exu do Blues.
Assignment Instructions:
- Watch the three video clips (“Mandume,” “Negro Drama,” and “BLVESMAN”)
- Analyze video clips’ lyrics, audiovisual, and rhythmic elements. How does each video clip portray Blackness and Africanness in their lyrics, audiovisual, and rhythm? What are their similarities and differences? Compare them with the African American context.
- What is the discourse about Black Lives regulation in each lyric? How is the regulation of Black lives portrayed visually in each video clip? Identify and compare the differences and similarities among them.
Activity #2 – Afro-Brazilian Music Genealogy
This activity summarizes the history of Afro-Brazilian music recorded in the studio and begins with the jongo “Cangoma me chamou” by Clementina de Jesus. Even though this song is not the first Afro-Brazilian music recorded. However, it is the first jongo recorded by a record label. Jongo (in Kimbundu Bantu language: juhungu) is one of the first Afro-Brazilian music and dance genre, and enslaved Africans brought it during the colonial era in Brazil (Pacheco, 2007). The song “Cangoma me chamou” [Cangoma called me], interpreted by Clementina de Jesus, is a call for freedom by enslaved Africans. “Cangoma” derives from the Kongo word “ngoma,” which means “drum” in English. The song repeats the lyrics, “Tava durumindo/Quando cangoma me chamou/Disse levanta povo/O cativeiro, já acabou” (I was sleeping/When cangoma called me out/Said, get up people/The imprisonment is over). Finally, Jongo has rhythmically and melodically influenced all Brazilian music genres, such as samba, MPB, bossa nova, Brazilian funk, and rap.
Objectives for Activity #2:
- Learn the Afro-Brazilian music history (jongo, samba, MPB, Brazilian funk, and rap) and the influences of African musicality in the Brazilian music genres.
- Compare rhythm, melody, and lyrics among Afro-Brazilian music genres.
- Identify and compare how Afro-Brazilian artists present race and ethnicity through rhythm, melody, and lyrics in the context of Brazilian society.
- Identify and compare similarities/differences between Afro-Brazilian and African American music. Does US American music influences Afro-Brazilian music, and vice-versa?
Assignment Instructions:
- Listen to “Cangoma me chamou” [Cangoma called me] (1966) – Clementina de Jesus
- Select one “Samba” music and compare it with “Cangoma me chamou”.
- Select one “MPB” and compare it
- Listen to all music in “Brazilian Rap” and compare them.
- Listen to all music in “Brazilian Funk” and compare them.
- Select one samba song and MPB song and compare them with Clementina’s jongo. What are their similarities and differences?
- Select one Brazilian rap and funk and compare them with US Hip Hop music. What are their similarities and differences?
- Select one samba song and one Brazilian rap or funk song and describe how they portray Blackness and/or Afro-Brazilianness in their lyrics and videoclips.
Jongo
“Cangoma me chamou” [Cangoma called me out] (1966) – Clementina de Jesus
Samba
“Preciso me encontrar” [I need to find myself] (1974) – Cartola
“Sorriso negro” [Black Smile] (1981) – Dona Ivone Lara
“Zé do Caroço” (1985) – Leci Brandão
“Nosso grito” (1999) – Fundo de Quintal
MPB (Brazilian Popular Music)
“Canto de Ossanha” [Ossanha’s Song] (1966) – Baden Powell
“Tudo que você podia ser” [Everything you could be] (1972) – Milton Nascimento
“África Brasil (Zumbi)” [Africa Brazil Zumbi] (1976) – Jorge Ben
“Mama África” (1995) – Chico César
“A carne” [The Flesh] (2002) – Elza Soares
Brazilian Rap
“Capítulo 4, Versículo 3” (1997) – Racionais MC’s
“Um bom lugar” [A good place] (2000) – Sabotage
“Ponta de lança” (2017) – Rincon Sapiência
“Ismália” (2019) – Emicida
Brazilian Funk
“Rap da Felicidade” (1995) – Cidinho & Doca
“Boladona” (2004) – Tati Quebra Barraco
“Baile de favela” (2016) – MC João
“Sarrada no ar [Passinho do Romano]” (2017) – MC Crash
TIMELINE
| Year | Song | Artist |
| 1966 | “Cangoma me chamou” | Clementina de Jesus |
| “Canto de Ossanha” | Baden Powell | |
| 1972 | “Tudo que você podia ser” | Milton Nascimento |
| 1974 | “Preciso me encontrar” | Cartola |
| 1976 | “África Brasil (Zumbi)” | Jorge Ben |
| 1981 | “Sorriso negro” | Dona Ivone Lara |
| 1985 | “Zé do Caroço” | Leci Brandão |
| 1995 | “Mama África” | Chico César |
| “Rap da Felicidade” | Cidinho & Doca | |
| 1997 | “Capítulo 4, Versículo 3” | Racionais MC’s |
| 1999 | “Nosso grito” | Fundo de Quintal |
| 2000 | “Um bom lugar” | Sabotage |
| 2002 | “A carne” | Elza Soares |
| 2004 | “Boladona” | Tati Quebra Barraco |
| 2016 | “Baile de favela” | MC João |
| 2017 | “Ponta de lança” | Rincon Sapiência |
| “Sarrada no ar [Passinho do Romano]” | MC Crash | |
| 2019 | “Ismália” | Emicida |
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