Jazzes e Banguês: um estudo sobre a música e a sociedade do Baixo Tocantins (1940 – 1970)

Abstract

The research aims to explore the interaction between music, culture and society in the region of Baixo Tocantins, Pará, between 1940 and 1970. To this end, it focuses on two local musical formations: Jazz, with a cosmopolitan influence and linked to modernity, and Banguês , marked by rural and community tradition. The study seeks to demonstrate how these musical practices coexisted and interacted in a context of social and economic transformations, including the advent of radio. Jazzes, originating from North American influences, represented modern entertainment and were associated with local elites. The Banguês incorporated artisanal instruments and rhythms, related to religious festivities and Afro-descendant tradition. However, despite having contrasting characteristics, both contributed to the construction of a unique musical identity, reflecting tensions between modernity and tradition. Using oral history, documentary and comparative analysis, this thesis also seeks to discuss the role of music in the formation of social hierarchies, in leisure spaces and in the inclusion of black musicians in local society. Finally, it emphasizes that music was a link between rural and urban areas capable of promoting cultural negotiations and identity transformations that characterized the social history of the region.