The Brazilian Guitar Imagery

The project, entitled The Brazilian Guitar Imagery, seeks to elucidate the role of the cultural industry in the formation of a distinct guitar imaginary in Brazil between the years 1930 and 1960. The project begins with the assumption that the image of the Brazilian guitarist was established as a stereotype by the end of the 1950s. The term “Brazilian Guitar” is not initially regarded as a concept in itself, but rather as a designation that evinces a nationalist dimension situated within the context of the nationalist movements that emerged in the early 20th century, particularly under the influence of the Getúlio Vargas government. This period was characterised by the expansion of radio broadcasting and the phonographic industry, which were fundamental elements in the development of an emerging cultural industry. The popularisation of the term can be attributed to these developments. This study draws upon three principal sources: the “Brazilian Discography in 78 RPM (1902-1964)” (1982), the Brazilian periodical press accessible via Hemeroteca Digital – BNDigital – Fundação Biblioteca Nacional, and the 78 RPM archive of the Ronoel Simões Collection, comprising documents and discs pertaining to the guitar. The research employs documentary and phonographic analysis to map the presence and representation of the guitar in these sources. This entails exploring information recorded on the record labels, including the catalogue, matrix, record companies, data on performers, composers and accompanists. Furthermore, an analysis of the periodical press will be conducted in order to identify patterns of usage of the term, as well as to ascertain the influence of periodicals on its formation and propagation as an expression. It is hoped that this will contribute to a deeper understanding of the importance of the guitar as a symbol and form of imagination in national, musical, cultural and historical identity. From a theoretical standpoint, the research is anchored in the concepts of cultural identity and stereotype, drawing upon the insights of prominent scholars such as Stuart Hall (1992, 2003, 2006), Homi Bhabha (1998), Benedict Anderson (2013) and Edward Said (1978). It delves into the ways in which stereotypes and the commercialisation of music have shaped the evolving imaginary surrounding the “Brazilian Guitar”.