Caetano Veloso, one of the most famous Brazilian cantautores and one of the creators of the artistic movement called “Tropicália” in the late 1960s, said something at that time that still generates a lot of controversy. In a conversation with the poet Augusto de Campos in 1966, just before the creation of Tropicália, he said:
Only the resumption of the evolutive line [of Brazilian popular music] can give us an organic framework to select and have a judgement parameter for creation. To say that samba can only be done with frying pan, tamborim and an acoustic guitar without sevenths and ninths does not solve the problem. Paulinho da Viola told me a couple of days ago about his need to include electric bass and drums in his albums. I’m sure that if he succeeds in having this need met, he will have electric bass and he will have samba, just as João Gilberto has bass, violin, horn, sevenths, ninths and has samba. By the way, João Gilberto is the exact moment when this happened: the information of the musical modernity used in the re-creation, renovation, in the “step-forward” moment of the Brazilian popular music. I do believe that the resumption of the Brazilian music evolutionary line should be done to the extent that João Gilberto did.73
This statement was and still is heavily criticized for having an apparent Darwinist aspect, an argument that was brilliantly dismantled by the poet, philosopher and composer Antônio Cícero in his article “Tropicalism and Brazilian Popular Music”:
However, the overwhelming majority of transformations in folk music do not signify either its technical evolution or the elucidation of its concept: they are simply different combinations of already given elements. […] [Caetano’s] statement did not have theoretical claims and if we read it carefully, we will assume that, since the beginning, what really interested him was to keep alive the possibility, opened by bossa-nova, of using the musical modernity information in the re-creation, renovation, in the “step-forward” moment of the Brazilian popular music. By stating the ‘evolutionary line’ he was simply opposing himself to those who fought against any kind of innovation in folk music. If I am right, folk music does not have any obligation: neither to evolve technically, as some avant-garde people thought, nor to remain where it is, as the nationalist defenders of its “purity” thought. It was against those people that Caetano stated his ‘evolutive line’.74
I am writing this thesis in 2025. The Brazilian popular music landscape changed significantly during the last decades, marked by the decline of what I refer to as the classic genres of Brazilian popular music (such as Bossa Nova, Tropicália, and MPB), and the rise of many new genres (including Sertanejo, Arrocha, Funk, and Gospel), which are more connected than ever to the market, as well as to new economic and social contexts. In a rapid-changing world, full of new challenges, maybe talking about an ‘evolutive line’ in music does not make sense anymore. But, without diving too deeply in the details of this discussion, I would like to point out the libertarian aspect of this Caetano Veloso’s statement.
Brazil is a country known by its rich musical tradition. To be part of this tradition, as I am, means constantly balancing on a tightrope between conservation and innovation. Musical conservatism makes the music rigid, and trying to keep a tradition alive can sometimes end up accelerating its disappearance. In turn, too radical avant-garde or market-oriented approach to music can result in renovation just “for the sake of it” and end up in depriving musical tradition of its characteristics. Of course, things are not so simple as stated here, and we do not have ready answers to this duality between tradition and innovation, if that is still relevant. Actually, the search for these answers is the beauty of being an artist. But for me what Caetano meant by this statement is that when well thought and executed, in an “organic” manner, the insertion of new elements inside a tradition ends up reinforcing it instead of threatening it. No one would contest the fact that Bossa Nova is rooted on the samba tradition, even if it had a strong exchange with North-American jazz, as well as influences from classical music.
I strongly agree with this approach and it inspired me during my journey through this master program, a journey that, above all, is about artistic and personal self-knowledge. I will never forget what my teacher Anders Hagberg said during one of my first classes with him: “Don’t respect your idols too much by doing exactly what they did. You are already part of this tradition and being yourself is the best thing you can do in order to keep it”.75 This thought liberated me for trying all sort of experiments when practicing, composing, arranging and performing, even the ones that did not seem to have any relation to my musical background. I knew that in the end I would process it all in my own way, without having any fear of losing my identity. I reach the end of this master journey feeling more confident as a musician, gaining access to new creative tools and feeling free to use them in a performance context. Above all, I achieved an even greater sense of freedom and joy to play and share my music with other people.
LOOKING AHEAD
After completing this master’s program, I feel significantly more capable of facing the challenges that my professional career as a musician may bring. I am ready to engage in diverse musical contexts, both as a guitarist and a singer, as well as in my own artistic projects. Experimentation with different types of instrumentation has enhanced my arrangement and performance skills and opened up a wide range of new possibilities and formats for future performances and recordings. Collaborating with musicians from varied fields and backgrounds has also made me more sensitive, empathetic, connected, and open to new ideas during rehearsals and performances. This experience has better prepared me to engage in and coordinate musical projects, especially in intercultural contexts. Moreover, I have gained significant familiarity with the field of artistic research, which strengthens my readiness to pursue a PhD or participate in collaborative research initiatives.
I also intend to embrace improvisation as a more open and playful form of musical expression, as well as a powerful tool for music education. I plan to use circle singing as a pedagogical strategy in classrooms and workshops, as it allows the engagement of a wide range of participants, from complete beginners to professional musicians, fostering a sense of community, creativity, and emotional liberation. One question I will carry with me as a mantra from now on is: How can we find joy, connection and freedom in playing with the abilities we have today? Finally, I aim to continue expanding my musical knowledge and technical skills on my instruments, so I can access an increasingly broad palette of sounds through which to express my artistic intentions and emotions.
Furthermore, I feel that, now more than ever, I have a responsibility as an artist and educator to engage with the critical issues of our time: climate change, social injustice, and the need for more inclusive and compassionate ways of coexisting. Through my artistic practice and educational initiatives, I aim to foster awareness, dialogue, and a sense of collective responsibility.