Conclusion

This article detailed how the Flag of Brazil is a ubiquitous icon that, when used, definitively indicates that the subject is Brazil. The astronomy on the flag, which is a representation of the skyscape over Rio de Janeiro at the declaration of the republic, was the inspiration for me to compose the audio-visual piece Order and Progress: a sonic segue across A Auriverde. Each star, representing a particular state, guided me in leading the audience on a virtual tour throughout the nation of Brazil. The color green and the history of Brazil, including the indigenous languages, music, and ethnoastronomy are expressed in the first movement, Amerindia, where a soundscape is created using keynotes, signals, and soundmarks. The second movement, Cães Celestes, focused on the color gold and the motto on the flag, Ordem e Progresso, by sequentially moving from random and unstructured tinkling bell sounds into a series of ordered harmonic progressions. The final movement, Celestial Samba, celebrated the creation of the Federative Republic of Brazil through a suite of traditional dances while the heavens moved in sympathy through the planetarium software display. The work is completed when the viewer is able to see the earth from outer space, just as the virtual viewer implied by the flag would have seen it.

The soundtrack of Order and Progress fits to some degree a stricter definition of the term sonification in that it conveys information that the listener would not be able to perceive simply by looking at the flag, yet using figurative rather than logical sonification of concepts. For example, the first movement conveys that Brazil has an indigenous heritage, sonifying the political state of each star by mapping it to an indigenous regional language. The green color of the flag is suggested through the sound of the Amazon rainforest as the initial keynote sound. The second movement is a representation of the flag’s motto, Ordem e Progresso, sonified through the use of western harmonic progressions, while the gold color of the flag is symbolized through the use of pure sine wave oscillators. In the final movement one can hear that there are many rhythms besides samba that can represent Brazil. Most importantly, it is a sonic journey starting from the music and voices of the original peoples and ending with the syncretic and multicultural music styles prevalent throughout Brazil.