Music, Migrancy, and Modernity: A Study of Brazilian Forró

Abstract

Chapter 1 deals with the genres that are considered under the umbrella term Forró, including baiao, xote, arrasta-pe, xaxado, coco, rojao, and forro itself, detailing each of them. Chapter 2 offers an overview of Forró music in the mass media during the 20th century, with a focus on the most influential Northeastern migrant musicians in each period. Chapter 3 presents an ethnographic account of the various ways that different social classes are practicing Forró today, and highlights the multiple "modernity" discourses at work when discussing Forró as an event. The final chapter deals with the styles of dancing associated with Forró music, how music and dance affect humans in general, and in which ways it helped Northeastern migrants in Sao Paulo to adapt in their new environment and improve their chances of surviving and succeeding.