Celestial Samba

In the first two movements, the visual elements of the planetarium display led and dictated what sounds would be made and how long a section of music would play. In the last movement, a celebration of Brazil was made complete in the most intrinsic way: by means of the traditional music band.

Brazil is well known for samba, described as the “national rhythm” (Azoubel 2007: 58) and “commonly recognized as the most ‘pure’ representative of Brazilian nationalist expression” (Loveless 2010: 1). By virtue of Brazil’s regional cultural diversity, however, other musical styles could be considered as representative of the nation. This cultural wealth derives from indigenous ethnic groups as well as immigrants from Europe, Africa, and Asia during the last five centuries. Samba from each part of the country displays its own characteristics, and the samba coming from these regions are very distinct from each other, according to the ethnic concentration that settled there. Subsequently, although the title implies that it is a samba, it is actually a suite of nine short Brazilian dances. The dances were selected and ordered to best facilitate the choreography for the planetarium performer. Below I will discuss each of the short dances in order of their performance.

Maxixe

The maxixe is a popular Afro-Brazilian dance that combines the Cuban habanera with the Brazilian lundo (Loveless 2010). The maxixe is very similar to the tango brasileiro, with the two names often used interchangeably, and is a combination of “the typical harmonies and structures of the European polka with a syncopated Afro-Atlantic rhythmic pattern most commonly known as the tresillo” (McCann and Miller 2011: 6). Miller describes the maxixe as a “combination of the sensuous movements [...] that was so provocative that maxixes were banned from being performed [...] and were looked upon with moral outrage by the elite of the society” (McCann and Miller 2011: 20). Interestingly, A Sertaneja by Brasilio Itiberê da Cunha, which is generally “regarded to be the first Brazilian musical composition to be ‘nationalistic’ in character” (Stroud 2016: 11), incorporated elements from the maxixe. The maxixe made its way to Paris in the late nineteenth century and then became a great fad  in the United States of America (Seigel 2005). Maxixe functions as an introduction while planetarium provides a field of view that displays the whole skyscape as presented on the flag.

Partido alto 

Partido alto is a West African-based duple rhythm that originated among the lower class in Rio de Janeiro (Wilson Jr 2010). Unlike the Cuban rumba, which also has an asymmetrical West African-based rhythm, the pardito alto is very different in that its rhythm is often embellished or improvised during a performance, whereas the rumba clave remains unchanged. The partido alto musician is able to start anywhere within the rhythm pattern without conflicting with the rest of the ensemble. This improvisatory performance technique was mirrored by the planetarium software, allowing the performer to improvise during the dance, with the partido alto effectively functioning as a planetarium cadenza. During the dance, the performer makes use of the opportunity to improvise on many of the possibilities available in Stellarium, including landscapes, sky lore, planet tracking and scientific information display.

Carimbó

Carimbó is a circle dance from Northern Brazil (Azoubel 2007) and has both African and indigenous roots. One of the features of carimbó is the sound of heavy percussion used in the dance (Conde-Garcia 2002). The word is derived from the African word for a “hollow log drum” (Rodrigues 1962: 57), which is covered at one end with a deerskin. “In the middle of the dance, a woman throws a handkerchief on the floor and her partner must grab it with his mouth” (Conde-Garcia 2002: 52).

Fandango

Fandango is a European-based rhythm from Southern Brazil (Azoubel 2007). The planetarium zooms into Polaris Australis and out again. A magnitude limitation is applied to mask higher-magnitude stars, which is not apparent until the next dance.

Dança dos facões 

Dança dos facões (machete dance) is a popular dance in Rio Grande do Sul and is traditionally danced by two men, both armed with a machete in each hand (Anon. 2011). With each clash of swords, more stars are displayed, causing Stellarium to progressively relax the magnitude limitation imposed during the previous dance.

Coco

Coco is a circle dance where the participants sing and play percussion instruments; it is closely related to samba (Azoubel 2007). The planetarium cycles out of its stationary position, displays the final star on the flag, and comes to a halt with a view of Saturn.

Catira

The catira is a dance that combines hand clapping and tap dancing (Faustino 2017). Stellarium shows Saturn’s moons dancing around the planet at a moderate tempo.

Forró

Sweet accordion riffs, the steady twang of the triangle, and the off-beat pounding of the zabumba drum make forró music a favorite for all Brazilians. The infectious tunes and syncopated beats have been described as ‘a mixture of ska with polka in overdrive,’ and with its hard-hitting beat and memorable hooks, it is a quintessentially Brazilian music (Loveless 2010: 1).

The moons on Saturn move into overdrive as they dance around their planet with full gusto, with a final crash onto the surface of the planet in preparation for the audience’s return to Earth 

Xaxado

Xaxado was born in the interior of the Northeast (Azoubel 2007) and made popular by cangaceiro (bandits) in Lampião’s gang (Loveless 2010). This is the finale where the display zooms from the surface of Saturn toward Earth. The Earth is seen continually spinning and stops when the band stops. Bandeira do Brasil then takes form in the planetarium, showing the Earth with its motto and stars as though viewed from space.