Sounds of Brazil

The soundscape starts off with easy-going music overlaid with audio of me and my family eating dinner. The kitchen is a significant area as it is the space where we cook and eat our cultural cuisines. That being said, in the video, it is the kitchen where the soundscape is presented. In our household, the kitchen is the space where we have the most connection with our culture. The soundscape then leads to a conversation between characters from a Brazilian sitcom. In our home, television is also a way we are able to connect with our culture.

The soundscape then leads to sounds of waves crashing along the shores of a beach. Additionally, we hear an old man singing a jingle about cheese. What can also be heard in the distance is a man yelling out to people as he tries to sell popsicles. In Brazil, it is very common for vendors to walk around the beach selling food such as sandwiches, coconuts, corn, cheese, crepes, and popsicles, etc.. As the beach sounds dwindle, we hear the voices of a soccer commentator as he narrates the scene of a soccer game. Soccer is considered to be Brazil’s most popular sport. Hearing a soccer game on television is very common in my home as my father always looks forward to watching soccer games on the weekends.

The soundscape then leads to a genre of music that has grown to be popular in recent years known as Brazilian Funk. This type of music is more often heard at parties and discotheques. After the funk music, we hear an advertisement from a furniture store. Unlike other advertisements, these are commonly heard coming from people driving by other’s homes advertising their products or businesses using loudspeakers from their car. After the advertisement, we hear a recent news coverage from a Brazilian news channel reporting the breaking news regarding the pandemic.

After the news coverage, it leads to another popular Brazilian musical genre known as Sertanejo. This style of music originated from the countryside of Brazil which is also where most of my family is from. This style of music is regularly played during family gatherings, parties, and festivals. This style then leads to another called Forro which is played during the Brazilian Festival, Festa Junina. This annual Catholic festival takes place every June to celebrate the nativity of St. John the Baptist. The soundscape then shifts to Samba music, the genre of music played during the season of Carnaval. After the Samba music, the soundscape calms down as it leads to the calming rhythms of Bossa Nova. The soundscape then concludes to an audio of my grandmother as she gives thanks to our family for taking good care of her.

By compiling these sounds, I am able to convey the pure essence of Brazilian culture through my own perspective.