Africa! Africa! Africa!" Black Identity in Marlos Nobre's Rhythmetron
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"AFRICA! AFRICA! AFRICA!" BLACK IDENTITY IN MARLOS NOBRE'S RHYTHMETRON Henrique Medeiros Batista A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF MUSICAL ARTS May 2020 Committee: Daniel Piccolo, Advisor Irina Stakhanova Graduate Faculty Representative Sidra Lawrence Marilyn Shrude © 2020 Henrique Medeiros Batista All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Daniel Piccolo, Advisor In this document I examine Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre’s ballet Rhythmetron, adding to the scholarly literature available on the contributions of Latin American composers to the percussion ensemble repertoire. Using archival, ethnographic, and text-based analyses, I inquire into the genres, instruments, and performance practices of the piece, as well as its critical reception. This history reveals that the colonial relationship with black sound has continuously been re-inscribed in Brazilian cultural artifacts, and that institutional biases are upheld when determining what constitutes Art music. Through its inclusion of the Afro-Brazilian genres of samba and maracatú, Rhythmetron invites us to consider the hierarchies of valuation that govern what constitutes Brazilian popular music, art music, and ballet, revealing racialized power dynamics. I utilize postcolonial theories of hybridity to demonstrate that Rhythmetron dialogues with the Dance Theatre of Harlem’s intent to reimagine and break racial expectations in the realm of classical ballet. This research reveals that what is guarded in our cultural memories is power-laden, and shows that more inclusive canonization practices can challenge existing narratives and create new ones. iv To Rosely and Janio v ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my dedicated committee members. Dr. Daniel Piccolo, thank you for your guidance and patience throughout the past couple of years. Without your persistent encouragement, this project would not have been realized. Dr. Marilyn Shrude, thank you for your continuous support from day one. It has been a journey and without you this would not have been possible. Dr. Sidra Lawrence, there are no words to express the gratitude I feel, thank you for your support. Dr. Irina Stakanova, thank you for your generosity throughout the years this project unfolded. Many other friends and colleagues have been invaluable throughout the years by helping me formulate the ideas presented in this document, or by showing me support in many forms. Paraguassú Abrahão and Karla Bach, and Suzanne Pergal for your friendship and support I thank you. Richard Hopkins and Bobby Rue-Wilder, without your friendship throughout the years, I would have not made it, thank you for believing in me. Thank you to Dr. Andy Connell for your guidance in the early stages of this document. To my fellow BGSU DMA colleagues, thank you for your intellectual and artistic stimulation throughout the years. Being around the DMA cohort for four years was a life experience I will take with me wherever I go. I would also like to extend my thanks to the SGI-USA members Ashley, Candy, and April. To Marlos Nobre: Thank you for your support and generosity. I am forever indebted to your kindness, support and unprecedented artistry. And lastly, my deepest appreciation to my family, without whom none of this would have been possible. Thank you Maiara, Priscilla, Monique, Mariana, Tia Celia, Mom and Dad. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 Engagements with the Other – A History of Borrowing ........................................... 5 Janissary Bands .............................................................................................. 5 Béla Bartók and Zoltán Kodaly ..................................................................... 8 Lou Harrison .................................................................................................. 10 Stravinsky ...................................................................................................... 12 Darius Milhaud .............................................................................................. 14 Other Considerations ..................................................................................... 15 Applications in Marlos Nobre’s Music ...................................................................... 16 Chapter Outline .......................................................................................................... 16 CHAPTER ONE. COLONIAL LEGACY ........................................................................... 20 Brazil’s Colonial Legacy ........................................................................................... 20 Postcolonial Theory ................................................................................................... 24 Edward Said ................................................................................................... 25 Frantz Fanon .................................................................................................. 27 Homi K. Bhabha ............................................................................................ 31 Paul Gilroy ..................................................................................................... 32 CHAPTER TWO. MODERNISM, ANTHROPOPHAGY AND NATIONAL IDENTITY 35 Anthropophagy as Myth ............................................................................................ 37 Anthropophagy in Popular Music .............................................................................. 40 Anthropophagy as Brasilidade ................................................................................... 43 vii CHAPTER THREE. ARTHUR MITCHELL AND MARLOS NOBRE ............................. 51 Marlos Nobre ........................................................................................................... 52 Arthur Mitchell .......................................................................................................... 55 A Fortuitous Collaboration ........................................................................................ 58 CHAPTER FOUR. GENRE ................................................................................................. 61 A Reflection on Musical Genres ................................................................................ 61 Rhythmic Fragments in the Music ............................................................................. 64 Marlos Nobre and a Palimpsestic Memory ................................................................ 72 Maracatú………….. .................................................................................................. 74 Precursors to Samba ................................................................................................... 76 Batuque…. ..................................................................................................... 78 Lundu.. ........................................................................................................... 80 Maxixe ........................................................................................................... 81 Samba................. ....................................................................................................... 84 CHAPTER FIVE. RHYTHMETRON PERFORMANCE AND LINEAGE ........................ 88 CHAPTER SIX. CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 100 REFERENCES………. ......................................................................................................... 110 APPENDIX A. MARLOS NOBRE INTERVIEW ............................................................... 123 APPENDIX B. PERFORMANCE DATES ........................................................................... 132 APPENDIX C. RHYTHMETRON SCORE USE AUTHORIZATION ............................... 135 viii LIST OF EXAMPLES Example Page 4.1 Gonguê, maracatú rhythm .......................................................................................... 65 4.2 Rhythmetron, mm. 39-41 ........................................................................................... 66 4.3 Rhythmetron, mm. 136-142. Canon-like Presentation ............................................... 66 4.4 Rhythmetron, mm. 171-177. Canon 2. ....................................................................... 67 4.5 Rhythmetron, mm. 208-215. Canon 3. ...................................................................... 68 4.6 Rhythmetron, Movement Three, mm. 41-45. Bass Drum Part. ................................. 69 4.7 Rhythmetron, Movement Three, mm. 56-60. Pandeiro Part. ..................................... 70 5.1 Correio da Manhã, Newspaper Clipping. .................................................................. 80 1 INTRODUCTION When Patricia Ricketts, Lydia Abarca, Walter Raines and the rest of the company perform ‘Rhythmetron’ to the music of Brazilian composer Marlos Nobre… Mitchell’s choreography, plus percussion – gongs, drums and bells, and the free exotic motions of the dancer-priestess all shout of Africa! Africa! Africa! And the Blacks in the audience are exalted and warm all over.1 -Carol Morton, Essence Magazine This 1972 review of Dance Theatre of Harlem’s (henceforth DTH) performance of Marlos Nobre’s ballet Rhythmetron, presents the idea that peoples of African-descent