Evocations of Voice in Memory and Culture

Ricardo Santhiago apenas em um fenômeno anatômico e fisiológico, mas também psicológico e social, dimensões para as para dimensões social, e psicológico também mas fisiológico, e anatômico fenômeno um em apenas Resumo the roleofvoiceinlifeindividuals. by personswhousethe voice intensely demonstrate enormous variety and complexity in understanding of hermeneutics in anessay text. experimental project at the undergraduate level. They wereinterpreted in accordance with the principles collected several songsthatapproach the humanvoice as atheme, aswelltestimonies recorded inan variety ofindividuals aboutthepresenceandmeaningofvoiceintheirlives. oral historypractice and thespecialized literature on thisresearch method; the personalnarratives by a engendered andcirculated through Brazilian popular songs; the placeoccupiedbyvoicewithin aims topresentanddiscussthreepossiblelinksbetween these dimensions: the visionsaboutthevoice dimensionswhichhavebeencomprisedbytheSpeech-LanguageStudies. – not onlyofananatomical and physiological phenomenon, butalsoofapsychological and socialone Abstract Accepted: 18/06/2018 Received: 27/06/2017 Correspondence address: [email protected] RS -generalworkoutline Authors’ contributions: *Universidade FederaldeSãoPaulo,SP, Brazil Introdução: Keywords: Introduction: Evocações davoz namemória enacultura forgiveness”: Evocations of voice forgiveness”: Evocations of voice Evocaciones de la voz en la memoria Evocaciones delavozenmemoria “Onde não há pecado nem perdão”: “Onde não hápecado nemperdão”: “Donde no hay pecado ni perdón”: “Donde nohaypecado niperdón”: “Where there is no sin, no “Where there isnosin, O pontodepartida desta comunicação é a ideia de queaproduçãovocal não consiste Voice; Singing;Music;Memory. The starting point forthiscommunication is theidea that vocal production consists in memoryandculture http://dx.doi.org/10.23925/2176-2724.2018v30i3p Distúrb Comun, SãoPaulo, Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 Conclusion: y enlacultura Ricardo Santhiago Both the Brazilian popular music and the testimonies given 30 ( 3 ): 595-606, setembro,2018 * -595-606 Methods: has The work Objective: The article 595 COMUNICATIONS 596 COMUNICATIONS brasileiro quanto os depoimentos de sujeitos que utilizam a voz de maneira intensa demonstram enorme princípios da hermenêutica em um texto de caráter ensaístico. depoimentos em um projeto experimental em nível de graduação, interpretados em conformidade com significado da vozemsuasvidas. o e presença a sobre sujeitos de variedade uma de narrações as pesquisa; de método este da música popular brasileira; o papel da voz na prática da história oral e na literatura especializada sobre cancioneiro no veiculadas e construídas voz a sobre interpretações as dimensões: essas entre possíveis quais os estudos fonoaudiológicos têm atentado. de comprenderelpapelasumidoporlavozenvidalosindividuos sujetos queutilizan lavozdemanera intensa demuestran enorme variedad y complejidad en lasformas texto decarácterensayístico. un en hermenéutica la de principios con acuerdo de interpretados graduación, de nivel a experimental canciones quetratandelatemáticavozyserecogierontestimoniosgrabadosenunproyecto una variedad de sujetos sobre la presencia y el significado dede lapersonales voznarraciones en suslas vidas. investigación; de método este sobre especializada literatura la en y oral transmitidas en el cancionero de la música popular brasileña; el papel de la voz en la práctica de la historia tres entrelazamientos posiblesentreesasdimensiones: las interpretaciones sobre lavozconstruidasy atentado. han fonoaudiológicos estudios los cuales las para dimensiones social, y psicológico también sino fisiológico, y anatómico fenómeno un en sólo consiste Resumen variedade e complexidade nas formas de compreender o papel assumido pela voz na vida dos indivíduos. experiences withinagivenculture. to thevaluestheseindividuals drawfromtheir mediated and negotiated. They aredirectlyrelated and the voices they hear, for instance, are socially Individual perceptions on the voice they produce physical and psychological qualities of the voice. – or, bettersaid,thesocialinterweavingof numerous pathstoexplorethatsocialdimension and socialdimensions. production, takesintoaccountitspsychological the properly organic aspects related to the vocal ness ofadoptingaperspectivethat,withoutdenying have demonstrated the feasibility and the fruitful of the human voice in an isolated way, these studies tion to evaluate certain aspects and characteristics Hearing Sciencescholarship.Resistingthetempta nowadays owemuchtotheSpeech,Language and approaches on the human voice that one founds Introduction Palabras claves: Introducción: Palavras-chave: The amount,diversity, andcomplexityof El punto de partida de esta comunicación es la idea de que la producción vocal no vocal producción la que de idea la es comunicación esta de partida de punto El Método: 1,2,3,4,5,6,7

Voz; Canto;Música;Memória. Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 Voz; Canto;Música;Memoria. Conclusión: Yet therearestill Foram levantadas canções que tratam da temática da voz e coligidos e voz da temática da tratam que canções levantadas Foram Tanto de testimonios comolos elcancioneropopularbrasileño Ricardo Santhiago Objetivo: - - meanings ofvoice. oral history to investigate the subjective and social course ResearchMethods II, wheretheymobilized course ofUnicamp have carried out during the the Speech,Language and Hearing undergraduate experience: a collective work in which students of initial report of a recently completed educational lection of oral testimonies. Finally, I present an oral history, aresearchmethodbasedonthecol on thepractice(i.e.,scholarlyliterature)of reflections the within and practice reflective the ondly, Idiscusstherolevoiceplayswithin behaviors –including onthehumanvoice. Sec that activates shared visions,representations and and maintaining a cultural memory; as a support as avehicle capable ofbuilding, accumulating sic as a kind ofreservoir for the collective memory; section. First, I examine the Brazilian popular mu itineraries, which are presented in thesubsequent sions of the voice, through three interconnected article some reflections on the sociocultural dimen and communicative memory O texto visa apresentar e discutir três entrelaces As someone devoted to the study of cultural Objetivo: Conclusão: El textovisapresentarydiscutir . Tanto ocancioneiro popular Método: 8,9 , Idevelop in this Selevantaran - - - - “Where there is no sin, no forgiveness”: Evocations of voice in memory and culture

Description “this familiar-stranger, present in our narratives, thoughts, self-criticisms and delusions.” “Where there is no sin, no forgiveness” We turn to physicists, musicologists, otolar- What is voice? Let us let musicologist and yngologists, speech therapists, to understand its musical acoustics scholar Johan Sundberg answer material side – even knowing, of course, that most this question, as he indeed seeks to do (being sure of them do not deny the emotional components to emphasize the erratic nature of his material) in involved in vocal production. To understand its the first chapter of his bookCiência da voz: Fatos resonance (and here I purposefully employ an sobre a voz na fala e no canto [The Science of the ambiguous word), we can turn to the subjects who produce it and use it. Among them, there are those Singing Voice]. Such word, in his work, designates COMUNICATIONS who have it as an integral activity of their crafts: sounds generated by the voice organ, including actors, lyrical and popular singers, performers, the vibrating vocal folds, or to be more precise, by oral poets and vocal poets... And the song makers, means of an air stream from the lungs, modified who decal from the speech the material they sing, first by the vibrating vocal folds, and then by the as Luiz Tatit taught: “As long as there are beings rest of the larynx, and the pharynx, the mouth and who speak, there will be songwriters converting sometimes the nasal cavities.10 their lines into songs.” And they do so as “people attuned to modernity, sensitive to human affairs, to Let us ask the same question to the composer interpersonal relations and with great peniness to Caetano Veloso: merge facts from different universes of experience into a single discourse: the song.”13 My voice, my life Just as individual stories, songs also have the My secret and my revelation power of incarnating, in lyrical-musical creations of My hidden light 3-4 minutes, therefore even more synthetic – broad My compass and my disorientation social phenomena, cultural patterns, worldviews, If love enslaves But it is the only liberation etc. Among the many experiences and realities My voice is accurate condensed into songs are the crafts and instruments Life is no less mine than the song of singers, composers, musicians, and songwriters: For being happy, for suffering they offer a whole metalanguage on their arts and For waiting, I sing crafts. Some of these songs help us to unravel the To be happy, to suffer subjective and collective elaborations on the voice. To wait, I sing Tatit himself – a songwriter, as well as a lin- My love, trust in me guist and a semiologist – has more than once dealt It might grow up like this for us with the fascination the voice arises, its overwhelm- A flower, without limit ing potential: “Everyone wants to see the sinus / 11 It’s only because I bring life here in my voice. they abandon plans / saying that they return / but they return later / before that, they want to be sure / The voice – as those who specialize in human that they will see the two / the sinus of the voice”14, communication know – is concrete, tangible. Pho- he registered in 1997 in Os seios da voz, echoing the nation is an anatomical and physiological process same social commotion described in his composi- widely known and comprehensively described, so tion for the Group Rumo, Delírio, meu!, in 1984.15 much that it can be taught. The respiratory system, In that song, the character addresses an interlocutor the vocal folds and the resonance cavities interact apparently oblivious to the powerful effects that his in coordination with the central nervous system voice causes on the listeners. Seeking to convince and the peripheral nervous system, responsible for him of the social trance caused by his voice, the regulating the phonetic function and integrating it, first character sings: “What a delirium! Delirium! for example, to auditory control. But the voice is / You can clearly perceive that they are all deliri- also spell, immateriality, perplexity, lack of control, ous / To say the least / And when you prepare your safe harbor, medicine; it is a land “where there keen head / My God! Everyone invades the stage.” is no sin, no forgiveness,” as the same Caetano In its original recording, the song is performed by Veloso wrote in Alguém cantando.12 It is, indeed, Ná Ozzetti, who in 2000 won the award for Best

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598 COMUNICATIONS the songasakindofreserve of social memory, a of strength the confirm to want we if But illation. no shortage of raw material and possibilities of these meanings of the voice, since there would be of CatholicorProtestantsongs. the voice,describedindozens or probably hundreds estranha voice, this voice –sogreat” (Roberto Carlos, this why is “That responsibility: of dignification Camalle, (Élio sound” first the of echo the of robe the is It moan ofhungerthat rages throughtheNortheast/ the / From revolution with afflicted people from voice comes from the cries ofblack slaves / Comes inheritance a burdenofresponsibility:“My and as (Milton Nascimento andFernandoBrandt, voice is an instrument / That Icannot control”. songs andtherearemoments(...)/Inwhichthe minha voz (Belchior, your arm,lip,andvoice are made for” and kissyourlittle girlinthestreet / Isthat what solidarity commitment: “To embrace your brother Alice Ruiz, If our voice does not echo” (Itamar Assumpção and a goodperson/ To speak,toscream,complain / should be forbidden / Such a bad longing / For such e momentos be better / If you listen to me!” (Ton Saga, “Keep myvoiceinheart/Iguaranteeitwill Drama body / The word Iis produced” (Caetano Veloso, exactly / From where, inside the soul of a person’s lie, butmyvoicedoesnotlie/Mysounds of thesesenses. The voice that cannot deceive: “I we recognize ourselves asbearers and multipliers territory thatthevoicesoccupyinculture–and are constituted. Through songs,wemapthevast culture theyform,thewithinwhich after all, organize and expresstheelements of the portance ofthevoicewithinourculture:they, in hisvoice/aconcert”. festival / with crowds / but who cried / already has entire concert //Itmightnotbe/amegashow fered, cried/couldmakewithasinglevoicean the sametheme: “And those/whodreamed, suf (now in partnership with Fábio Tagliaferri) about Globo, performinganothercreationbyLuiz Tatit Performer oftheBrazilian Music FestivalofRede We coulddwell on the exploration of each of Songs likethesearetestimoniesoftheim ) 17 ). Nottomentionthereligiouspowerof . The voice as a consolation, as a comfort: Eco ) Como nossos pais Como nossos 18 ) Devia serproibido . The voice ad itsownlife: “There are 19 ) . The voice and its bodily limit: “It 22 . of aninstrument The voiceas 16

Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 ). 21 ). The voiceasan 20 The voice as a Canções Canções Guarde Força Força Ricardo Santhiago - - to hermother: the statement that singer-songwriter Ceumarmade verses condense the essentials? Or would we prefer Costa and Abel Silva,in all my life / A woman singing tome,” wrote Sueli to love(...)/Iwantlistenfor It teachesmehow hair, itmakesmewanttodance/Itholdsup it makes me happy, it makes me cry /Itshakesmy I wasbornthevoiceofwoman/Itembraces, much morethanamereauditory stimulus.“Since which, within human development, represents said abouttheprimordialvoice,maternal enough toturneverythingthathasalready been faithful depository ofcollective subjectivity, itis sounds ourbodiesproduce. penetrate the social and subjective meanings of the We can, however, enable other devices if we are to for creating them and providing us access to them. rely onthevoluntarismof artistsresponsible others in music, literature, drama...) may be, we meanings of the voice (and there would be many Voice inoralhistory and absence,meetingfarewell. me in a wave of goodbye” hand sealing their eyes, and “listen to his voice to their death, they can receive the son’s kiss,feel his and thepoetexpressesdesirethat,attimeof by Toquinho and Vinícius deMoraes,themusician end oflife. In the song ships thatareformedaroundit,frombeginningto the intensityofvoice,helpshaperelation the timbre,intonation, the level,rhythm, When soundwasmade Since thefirsttime She wasthefirstvoice However rich these testimonies about the And so,wewouldfollow, understanding that From mymother The voiceofthesea The mostbeautifulvoice The firstvoice I alwaystrytoecho And Ilearneditverywell. By hervoice. When itcomesframed Each versesaysmuchmore She wouldhappilysing. Never missedthetone She nevertweaked 25 O filho que eu quero ter quero eu que filho O Voz demulher 26 . The voice is presence . 24 Do these - , “Where there is no sin, no forgiveness”: Evocations of voice in memory and culture

Oral history is one of these devices: it consists Second, because, while we acknowledge the of a research practice built up around a technique constitutive role of the body (and the voice) in the (the interview), but it could be better characterized results of the interactions we promote with our by the prolonged and committed activity of atten- interviewees, we only do it cosmetically. When tion and listening. It is the domain of memory and introducing our subjects and describing the re- language. It brings together a set of tools designed search backstage, we value the role of voice and to stimulate, record, evaluate and disseminate body. Later, however, when we are reading our personal narratives characterized by artificial- interviews, the voice tends to be reduced to a mere ity (these narratives do not exist “by nature,” conduct: when analyzing and taking advantage of oral histories, what really matters is semantics, but rather depend on the wilful intervention of a COMUNICATIONS researcher to take shape, even when referring to confirming the argument of the Italian feminist previous narratives), by dialogicity (oral histories philosopher Adriana Cavarero, who states that, are always intersubjective, while they are fruits of in the tradition of Western thought, the voice is the encounter between two people, their identity considered only as the “acoustic vestment to the 29 traits, their capacity for empathy), by spontaneity mental work of the concept”. (the interviews are a result of unique, unpredictable As Cavarero puts it, this is a perspective in- and unrepeatable confrontations, built in presentia). stigated by the metaphysics of Plato and Aristotle, For oral history, voice is a central player: it who subordinates – at best – the acoustic dimension allows a subject to come out of himself, to expand of words to their semantic dimension; if the vocal the limits of his body, to penetrate the other. That expression is devoid of meaning, says Cavarero, it is what voice, with all its potency, can do: a voice is immediately devoid of any value in the eyes of of affection, a voice that affects. That is no longer a metaphysical thinkers. For her, however, “the voice voice used merely for the fulfillment of daily tasks, is a sound, not a word”; “the scope of the voice but a voice dignified on a memorable occasion. The is constitutively broader than that of the word: it oral history interview is an intersubjective encoun- surpasses it.” And although the word constitutes ter, and it is also an intercorporeal encounter: the its “essential destiny,” says Cavarero, “there is a fundamental prejudice, which is the tendency to encounter of a body that speaks with a body that absolutize it, so that, when it is out of the word do- listens. And we are alert to the fact that narrators, main, the voice becomes an insignificant remnant.” in their rememorative efforts, put their whole bod- Cavarero seeks to implode metaphysical hege- ies at the service of communication, making their mony from within the philosophical field (such as bodies their instrument of confrontation: against Merleau-Ponty’s phenomenology, equally averse marginality, against forgetting, against silencing. to the metaphysical tradition and Cartesianism that Yes, we are aware of this – an evidence con- rules out the body and the senses). Other thinkers firmed by the fantastic prominence of the concept have pierced it from the outside. For example, in of ‘performance’ in the scholarly literature over the performance studies, as did the Swiss polymath last two decades (a concept which is, for instance, 27 Paul Zumthor, an author of important works of lit- chosen by Lynn Abrams as one of the foundations erary criticism, history and linguistics which holds of oral history theory) – but we do not necessarily the medieval period as a platform of observation. know what to do, then. First, scholarly literature Died in 1995, having written works such as A Letra often suggests that the body and voice are discon- e a Voz [The Letter and the Voice], Introdução à nected entities – when, as Paula Carrara wrote, in Poesia Oral [Introduction to Oral Poetry], Perfor- the context of reflections on the role of body, voice mance, Recepção e Leitura [Performance, Recep- and listening in the activity of the actor, “the [Body] tion, and Reading], and Escritura e Nomadismo is engaged in vocal production not as aesthetic [Wiring and Nomadism], Zumthor reminds us that choice but as physiological reality. Phonation is a “the voice has qualities like tone, timbre, which result of the resounding of the bones, of the action have symbolic values”30. His disciple and dissemi- of the muscles, of the participation of the lungs. nator, Jerusa Pires Ferreira, condensates the core of The [Voice] of each person results of a sum of what Zumthor says about the power of the voice: movements, memories and learning registered on one’s skin.”28 Even so, it is worth repeating: this “sensitization”

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600 COMUNICATIONS spoken voice available) until the digital revolution, spoken voiceavailable)untilthe digitalrevolution, being transcribed, thusmaking onlyatraceofthe with a single interviewee, having a second life after versity, whentapes were too expensive to be used tional origin (inthelate 1940s atColumbia Uni means for oral history accounts. Since its institu worth explaining that orality has been a temporary research problem more asapresuppositionthanproblem. presence of the voice has usually been considered defining the field, our in narrators frequent most who narrate using their speech apparatus are the oral history practitioners. Yet, even though those to testimonies their offer to summoned been have represent a relatively small portion of those who expressive meansthanthevoice–nevertheless constitution. These subjects – those who useother and theveryroleofbodyinnarrative self- the transcription and editing of personal reports, for granted, such as the role of interpretation in scrutinize proceduresandprinciplesoftentaken the practice of oral history as a whole, since they – andhaveprovidedmanyinsightsextensible to have been carried out within this method’s domain interviews withdeafsubjectsandmute of thevoice’s existence. And hereweshouldadd: of listeningoralhistoryexistsonlyinfunction view, butnotinits acting seems tohappenuniquely before theinter When it appears as a In any event, it is worth repeating: this sensitive In any event, itis worth repeating: this sensitive it facesanotherperson. who says. That is the responsibility one has, when of expression whole the finally, and highlighted, same group,ortheothers,suspicionsthat are both tothosewhoareinitiates, who arepartofthe hidden knowledge, the information of what is said, so meaningful. Attention mustalsobepaidtothe from theexhaustivesayingtosilence,whichis the strongest intonations to the weakest ones, that goes fromthefragments to theentirety, from is theconjunction of thesensesandawholeness whole bodyenergy, anditisstill more thanthat: it his story, hispoemorsongisaccompanyinga living voice, the presence of the person whotells methodological circumscription–andhavefacethe and mutesubjectshavebeencarried out withinthis is a parenthesis: interviews with deaf individuals in functionoftheexistencevoice. And here characteristic listening of oral history exists only interview, butnotinitsanalytical use, evenifthe seems tohaveaconsequencemainlybeforethe , butasanactual analysis 31 , even if the specific way

problem Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 , it is not as a obstacle . Itis Ricardo Santhiago - - - of theVoice of thedeceased”intextthatopens what theelegant RolandBarthescalled the “toilet voice as animpediment when weare forced to do or Richard Bauman the ethnography of the speech of Dennis Tedlock found intheethnopoetics of RuthFinnegan by writing. We bring to our field the same concern the voice:whenwefeelitsvocalpowerneutralized of thevoice,itsrhythm,breaks? the scope of writing, able to express the intonation the text? What are the expressive resources, within cific way of transposing the whisper, the irony, into to express the inflections of speech? Is there a spe this sense that the voice becomes an obstacle: How presenting narratedstories. transcripts colleagues, annoyedbythe needtorepeatthecolleagues, become a cliché is a good reason to fight it. Some become so pervasive that the very fact that it has life and in the life story self-narration. Still, it has we recognize and value the agency of subjectsin in myview, rightly)criticized, above allbecause voice” to somebody else has been sufficiently (and, in thepresent. of oralhistoryasanarchivaltoolandwithoutarole and 1970s,shapingtheprevioushegemonicview forgotten, a perspective that emerged in the 1960s “give voice”tothesilenced,marginalized, the that oneofthefunctionsthismethodwouldbeto tory practitioners:Iamtalkingaboutthesuggestion most usedmetaphorstodescribethetaskoforalhis away from the voice even though it is one of the For Barthes, language, the factual or interpellation function.” would surely bind to a of the great functions of “those pieces of language (…) which the linguist “innocence”, the “expletives of thought”, and all “theatricality” ofthevoice,its“tactics”and writes, “to make it eternal.” “We embalm our wordlike a mummy”, Barthes It is fundamentally then that we pay attention to It isfundamentallythenthatwepayattentionto I could not but say that we have, yet, passed the term)andkeepitinitspartnerstate. to lectual messageswhoseonlyfunctionis,inasense, body, asfragile (or frightened) as itis,empty intel toanother ofdialogue,sends that, inasituation the body–atleastthisexternal (contingent) body What islostinthetranscriptionpurelyandsimply grasp were the virtually exclusive means of theother(eveninprostitutive sense of , acollection of hisowninterviews: 37 The ideathattheresearcher “gives 35 . Finally, weremember the 32 36 And itisprecisely in In this process, the The Grain 33 orin 34 - - -

“Where there is no sin, no forgiveness”: Evocations of voice in memory and culture

problems involved in the idea of “giving voice,” our own narrators, who watch over the integrity of opt – at least behind the scenes – for a more mali- their words – albeit in varying degrees. cious response: “We do not ‘give voice’ to anyone. In 2016, the first time I taught the Research The one who ‘gives voice’ is a speech pathologist.” Methods II course, I proposed to the students that we developed as final work a dossier of oral The voice and the pedagogy of oral histories with alumni from the first Speech, Hear- history ing, and Language BA’s. Extremely lively and Finally, let me make a few comments on a committed, the students created a set of almost 50 collective project conducted in the first semester of hours recorded, which does make a difference: the research inserted reports of unsuspected episodes

2017 within the course Research Methods II, within COMUNICATIONS the Speech, Language and Hearing Sciences course in the historical record of an institution, allowed at Unicamp. Traditionally, the second module of to infer how professional identity also develops the course presents methods and techniques which from narrative practices, brought to the students deepen the qualitative approach. That opened space a sense of belonging and of historical continuity, for me to privilege investigative activities related deconstructed the vision they themselves carried to narrative research, particularly oral history. about the idea of professional achievement, for Needless to say, I consider oral history a valuable example. They found that a standardized question- research method, capable of providing access to naire, for example, might well point out that a given human material that otherwise would not only not interviewee feels he/she attained “professionally be accessible but would not even exist: the oral his- achievement,” and that the same interviewee earns tory information is produced, it does not preexist. a minimum salary range – but that only an oral history interview could show that what is at stake, in In recent years, however, it has become in- this apparent (and uncomfortable) contradiction, is creasingly clear to me the procedural value of oral precisely the sense of “professional achievement.” history: it makes a difference in the world not only Reading the stories collected by the students was by the products it generates, but by the research enriching, from many points of view. I had a lot of activity itself. As Valéria Magalhães and I argued fun, as well – for example, when an interviewee in the book História oral na sala de aula38 [Oral said, seriously, that she had to think hard before nar- History in the Classroom], oral history favors the rating her story, “because,” she said, “I’m already development of curiosity and investigative ability, thirty, people.” And the interviewers returned, in the awareness of differences (of generation, social an equally grave tone: “Yes, it’s a lot of history.” origin, gender, culture, etc.), the reevaluation of In 2017, I proposed to the students another what qualifies as legitimate subjects of scholarly theme, accepted by them with equal enthusiasm: (historical, sociological, etc.) studies, the exercise the “heterogeneous uses of the voice.” It was an of attention and listening. Therefore, I believe that invitation for them to explore not the anatomical doing oral history does not necessarily make us bet- and physiological processes that account for the ter researchers (after all, there are many and many vocal production process – but the subjective, legitimate and fruitful research resources avail- social, and cultural dimensions of the voice and able), but it certainly makes us better human beings. the multiple contexts in which it occurs. The first Even with regard to the skills most closely con- challenge was to think about the subjects whose nected scholarly research, I consider oral history a personal or professional identities are signaled, at particularly appropriate pedagogical tool, since it least in part, by their voices. Although the students is a kind of “convergence method”: to make good have looked for the “usual suspects” – actors, oral history interviews, one needs to make good singers, telemarketing agents, teachers, who are bibliographic and/or documentary research, one often sought after in voice studies – we map out a needs to know how to insert him/herself and show larger territory frequented by a real estate broker, trustworthiness to social groups and communi- a stewardess, a choreographer, a pastor, a priest, a ties, one needs to observe both the familiar and salesman, a bartender, a bus driver, a social move- the unfamiliar and be able to distinguish among ment activist and a student activist. And what do them. While doing all this, we are subject to the the voices of these people mean to themselves? control not only of our peers, but to the control of What do they provide and what do they veto? What

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602 COMUNICATIONS of action we know that an oral history interview is an fado, byFontes Rocha and José Luís Gordo, says? voice runsout”–isnotitwhat afamousPortuguese certainty of accomplishment. “I willsinguntilthe the represent could act, public or rally a in Já!” Temer!”,“Diretas “Fora shouting after hoarse be confirmation that his money was well invested; to Salvador could be, for a young manof17 years, the to be hoarse after spending a Carnival holiday in could together, forexample, thatnotallrespondents and triviality. Ittooksometimeforustounderstand necessary, becausetheywouldonlyrevealbanality right same way, they imagined that there would also be these would be the experience, thesestudentstookforgrantedthat of theirundergraduate course,withoutanyresearch when theyarebuilt?Inthesecondyear even know would itprevent yourcurrent activities? your work?Ifyouhadaproblem withyourvoice, on yourvoice? Whatis theimportance of orality in effect negative any had has work your think you capable ofpassingconventional evaluations: opened alimitedspacefornarrativeofexperience stimulate a reflexive process were very elusive, they sort ofinvestigation. Eventhequestionsthatcould no doubt,butinanother extremely relevant issues, professional toreport vocalproblems? deal withhoarseness?Haveyouevercontacted a you usually voice, doyoufeelanydiscomfort?Do your workenvironment noisy? After intenseuse of habits? Do you do any type of vocal warm-up? Is water do you drink per day? What are your eating included questionssuchas: version oftheinterviewguidelinestheyelaborated first the that note me Let body. social a of alone understand it as part of aperson’s wholeness,let cal and instrumental dimension. They could not ing the narrower issueofthe voice in its physi demonstrated averygreatdifficultyinextrapolat as wehad discussed theproposal, the students the research were somewhat frustrating. As much their identitytraits? aware aretheyofthefactthat the voice expresses ofthevoicecontrolit?How canthe“owners” How degree of powerdotheyattribute to their voices? But expectations also come from respondents: How canwebreakthesebarriersifdonot After the selection of subjects, the first steps of answers,and that the interviews might not be complain anda aboutasituationofhoarseness: residue ofaction right questionsto ask. In the

Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 How manyglassesof 40 ; itdocuments These are These account account Ricardo Santhiago Do 39 - - a week,onehour, tothe peoplewhoneeditmost.” time, one day a year, one day per month, one day Once youhavebeentrained (...) dodedicate some have the humility, to always look forward (...) always to forget not “Do ahead: is that future the I like your voice a lot.” The interviews document daughter and today it’s Mother’s Day [laughs], but is gentle. And I’m not sure if it’s because you’re my precede them: “Your voice –it is calm, it is clear, it drank. Interviews document the relationships that therapist, let’s remember – thatshesmokedand said shortly after telling her interviewer – a speech text. “Pleasedon’t getangry,” oneinterviewee that thenarrataryofanoraltextalsoinforms production conditions of the source, remembering demonstrate thissecondfeature,whichregistersthe tion. And theinterviewsare fullofexamples that both thenarrated past andthepresentofnarra their own voices. They areconcepts andformula arealsocreative–for example,todescribe viewees and thewordsstructuresmobilized bytheinter of thenarratives: narratingis a creative exercise, interviewed said: the intellect of his/herlistener. As onepolitician person, making it capable of affecting the body and singing –it’s adisaster!” voice] is a beautiful voice, a passionate voice! But and dissatisfaction simultaneously: “I’dsay[my satisfaction of source a is It listening!” after Burn think I have a child’s voice. Please burn this record! is asourceofdissatisfaction: “I hatemyvoice;I my voice;Iwouldn’t changeathingaboutit.” It exchange ofadvices. The interview is also–as Ecléa Bosi taught us – an Another interesting aspectconcerns theform The voice,itisessential. fathers intheir days, youknow?Inthecommunity. car, andIthank,congratulatethemothers, occasionally, on Mother’s Day, I pick up the sound sential for my life, formy development, right? I (...) So,myvoice–itwas,is,andwillbees voice] announcer radio a simulating different, gets different. [here, the voice of the interviewee himself people giveuspermissiontospeak,gets when weputourvoiceinthemicrophone, when got abighead,Maranhãoyouknow?But event – andwe’reonly 5’5 tall, we’re short, we’ve when we arrive at a ceremony, when we arrive at an The voice is also compensatory. It reshapes a The voiceisasourceofsatisfaction: “I like 41

- - - - “Where there is no sin, no forgiveness”: Evocations of voice in memory and culture

tions that, as Heloísa Valente put, “are nothing more go to, then he came, he took my hand, he put my than metaphors, provisional supports to which the hand on his throat. I don’t know what was going on, inability to name invisible things recourse to speak because he didn’t say, and God showed me what he of what touches deeply and which is not seen.”42. had in his throat. But then, I don’t know, eventually it was the moment for a prayer and I realized that “My voice expresses a strong confidence,” an in- my voice disappeared, stuck; it was not coming. I terviewee said, “and this is crazy because I don’t tried to speak, and the voice didn’t come out, the feel confident. And when I’m angry, I think I’m voice – because, it was an experience that, I think very aggressive (...) My voice gets very concise – I don’t know who else by that time had such a si- and very pointy, you know?” Another interviewee milar experience. I had this experience. Horrifying. said: “Some days you seem to speak firmly, the My voice disappeared, I tried to speak but – no, I COMUNICATIONS voice seems to be fuller (...). Some days you look couldn’t, nothing was coming. Then I said, “Okay, like you’re skating.” A third interviewee described God. Then I go”. I don’t know how I got through. I passed, right? I don’t know how. I went in, I went her own voice as “a hoarse voice, a strong voice, there, I gave a hug to the soundman, we did little a toneless voice.” Another person said he likes to jumps together, we gave some hallelujah there, and listen to his own pronunciation, but not his voice, the voice came. (...) I gave a hug, God asked me to which “is not good to hear, it is kind of fiery” give a hug. He didn’t ask me to say anything, just (emphasis added). give a hug. And in this embrace we stomped there in And what would life be like without a voice? the Spirit, it was so good. So that’s why I say: voice An interview said, “I start to breeze, to wonder is everything. (...) It was a few seconds without the which of our senses would be less harmless to lose. voice, but I was in despair. Not a sense – which of our parts to the world, like I wonder how recurrent the understanding of hearing, seeing, having a voice. And I don’t become the voice as a currency for the relation of between desperate; it’s just a little weird to think about it, religious women and men to God would be; it because I’m very verbal, I talk a lot, really. It would should be investigated. Ultimately, the very use of be very difficult.” Another person mused: “It’d be the voice as a threat or a punishment suggests the terrible, you know? I think it’s just like a bird that central place it occupies in the life of the subjects has a wing, but it can’t fly – it’s like being on the and in their structures of faith; the meaning of the ground looking to the others. Of course, you must voice is drawn precisely from the intermediary adapt to whatever happens in your life, and you space that separates disobedience and adherence, must keep alive, but losing one’s voice is terrible. failure and triumph of faith over individual desires. God forgive me.” A woman, a Catholic singer who was interviewed, So, we come to God and to the sacred. In the said: interviews we find a fascinating account of a fortu- itous episode: a temporary loss of voice, construed that’s what voice means to me: a gift from God, a by the narrator as a kind of divine punishment. The gift from God, and a gift to be wisely used – do not religious dimension intensifies the power of the exalt yourself, because when one exalts himself voice and this would be an entire separate study. (...) One time, I fell into that bullshit of exalting This man, a driver, said: myself, “Oh, what a voice!” I spoke to myself. Not that I was saying that to anyone else. But in my I was in a [cult and] in this cult there were a lot of heart [I thought], “Oh, I sing much better, I sing people, a lot of people. (...) God touched my heart (...) everything!” But then God said, “I’m going that I should go and give a hug in the soundman, to make you lose your voice, I’ll make you lose except that I was on this side and he was on the your voice, so you can get back to your place. Get other side, so (...) [to get to him] I’d be disturbing off that leap, get down!” So, I was forced to come it all. And God kept speaking and I got stubborn, down. I lost my voice, you know? [It was] when I stubborn with God. I insisted, I was not going to. found a SLP therapist, and she found two calluses Inside me, there was a word, inside me, “How on my vocal cords. could I go there? All these ministers [on the way]. I was speaking with myself, “Oh, arrange for one of For another religious singer – a protestant – these ministers go there and embrace him” (...) By voice is also a gift, a present. It is not a threat – but the final prayer (...) the Pentecost came down (...) still, she retains the same effort to move away from and one of the ministers, the minister that I should bad feelings:

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604 COMUNICATIONS to; weneedtobeimbuedwith thedispositionto tive not only to the content of thestories we listen knowledge made agent physicality, voiceisnotonlyan the sameprocessesthat and languagethatarethe counted; theneurobiologicalprocessesofmemory muscles that not transparentoropaque,buttranslucent. The of life of the subjects. We could say that they are themselves products of the ways and possibilities live, notonlybecauseoftheir that thevoicestheylistentocanunveilpathsof it meetsthelistening. the ideathatvoiceisonlyrealized fully when expanding theirownexperiencesandinternalizing participating inthecollectiveenterpriseofscience, and dense dialogue with their respondents, they are debates andevenestablishingalong,empathic, complex mobilizing difficulty have they as much students are not just trying a research method: as I don’t havethatoption.” verse. It’s different from other professions. In mine There isnosuchathing; it isnotpartofmyuni within myactivity, say, ‘Iwon’t usemyvoice.’ is used. There is noone (...) amoment when Ican, to him: “All the time in my profession, the voice carrying out and dignifying the mission entrusted an inevitability. Heunderstandsit as ameans of notbeagift,but concrete: forhim,thevoicewould fact, ofatrulymultifocalknowledge. Orwould studies, speech-languagestudies teachus–in offers us, but also what performance studies, voice know what the historical-sociological perspective To To The expectation is that they become aware By recording and amplifying stories like these, A minister provides a view that is much more in whatIaskedfor. I began to singandrealized that God answered me to onesideandIgotheother. After alittle while on topeople also, wherever I go,because she goes that beautiful voice, youknow?’ So,Icanpassthis in myheartI’mgetting today withthissong, of course,right?ButIthoughtlikethis:‘whatarelief God to let me sing just like her –not that Iwas envy, I sawthe woman singing in the church, and I asked this, Iwas enjoying the praises, the hymns. And then After Iconverted,sincelikedtosing,startedlike . As Zumthor wrote, “knowledge is notonly by the remind of the body, but it is, asa matter of principle, recount ourselvesofthis,wemustbeatten body.” arethesamemusclesthat enable 43 object

Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 this narration.Inits content instrument ofanarrationare : voicesare , butan Ricardo Santhiago - - In the stories they sing and in the stories they tell, who havevoicesastheirprimaryworkingtool. used theirvoicestotalkmeand – personswho method by interviewing artists, especially singers history andmusic.Idiscoveredtheoral Concluding remarks results from to sensitize them to how this means ofexpression view that uses the voice to tell their lives, but also students know not only how to conduct an inter appeal? has threefunctions:representation,expression,and in the 1930s, advocated that any human emission away fromKarlBühler’s theoryofspeech,which, we imply that what Zumthor teaches us is so far her voice would fail. She would cough. No sound way todoit: whenever we gotclose tothe subject, sophisticated. Alaíde did notwantto,shehehada professional terms within a musical field viewed as women singertoassertherself inartisticaland a black of difficulty the developing: were we sion this experiencewascentral to thebroader discus an olderbrother. Iwantedtodiscussitbecause the supportofherfamily members – except for had never She fit. not did condition, racial her of a typeofworkinwhichshe,supposedly, because rest ofherlife: that ofbeingcharged forpursuing of relatives thepainthatwouldhauntherfor ship withherfamily. Alaíde foundinhercircle about a theme I knewto be a taboo: her relation and Imetseveraltimes.wouldaskher, recurrently, called biography –infact,anarratedautobiography negras Solistas dissonantes:História(oral)decantoras full pace. Herlife story wasthebasisformybook now aged more than 80 years old and working at of themaininterpreters ofBrazilian popularmusic, tion: Alaíde Costa,precursorofbossanovaandone not possessthem? our voices as well? Would we even exist, if we did – asPaul John Eakin suffering and rehabilitation. jarring. Take thecaseofMarinaLima, her public voice’s absence,which tends tobe taboo, arereally their bread and butter. Hence the stories about the they attestthatvoiceistheirpassion,destiny, I closethistext out byre-approximating oral With anothersinger, Ihadanintense collabora Faria tudo de novo , 47 44 whichpavedthewayformetowriteher Iexpect that these projects will let the whattheycommunicate. 46 proposes–then 48 . Inthisprocess, Alaíde 45 Ifwe are ourstories aren’t we - - - -

“Where there is no sin, no forgiveness”: Evocations of voice in memory and culture

would come out of her mouth. It was as if she was 16. Tatit L, Tagliaferri, F. Show. In: Ozzetti N. Show; 2001. saying, gently, “Even if I wanted to tell you about 17. Veloso C. Drama. In: Bethânia M. Drama – Anjo it – I cannot tell.” exterminado; 1972. I believe this helps answering my own ques- 18. Saga T. Guarde minha voz. In: Sá S. Vale Tudo; 1983. tion: if we are our stories, then are not we our voices 19. Nascimento M, Brandt F. Canções e momentos. In: as well? In the case of Alaíde, as her voice failed, Nascimento M. Yauaretê; 1987. her painful personal history ceased to exist. It was 20. Assumpção I, Ruiz A. Devia ser proibido. In: Assumpção not amenable to be listened, transmitted, recorded. I. Pretrobrás III; 2010. Not to mention, in this case, that it was the most 22. Camalle E. Eco. In: Camalle E. Cria; 2004. effective way of controlling one’s own story. Paul

23. Carlos R. Força estranha. In: Carlos R. Roberto Carlos; 1978. COMUNICATIONS Zumthor wrote: “by speaking anything, voice 24. Costa S, Silva A. Voz de mulher. In: Costa A. Tudo que o 49 speaks itself” . And we would add: even without tempo me deixou; 2005. speaking anything, it speaks itself. It is the vehicle 25. Ceumar. Mãe. In: Ceumar. Meu nome; 2009. and the territory of doubt and certainty, of risk and 26. Toquinho, Moraes V. O filho que eu quero ter. In: Toquinho, salvation, of venom and medicine – that place, once Moraes V. Vinícius e Toquinho; 1975. again I quote Caetano Veloso, “where there is no 27. Abrams L. Oral History Theory. New York: Routledge; 2010. sin, no forgiveness.” 28. Carrara P. Corpo Voz Escuta: Reflexões sobre a prática do ator. São Bernardo do Campo, SP: Lamparina Luminosa; 2016. References 29. Cavarero A. Vozes plurais: Filosofia da expressão vocal. Belo Horizonte: Editora UFMG; 2011. 1. Souza P, Fabron, EMG, Viola I, Spink MJ, Ferreira, LP. 30. Zumthor P. A permanência da voz. Trad.: M I Rolim. O Questões sobre expressividade oral no cinema. Distúrbios da Correio da Unesco. 1985; 13(10). Comunicaçào. 2015; 27(1) ; 115-8. 2. Meireles AR, Cavalcante FG. Qualidade de voz no estilo de 31. Pires Ferreira J. Os desafios da voz viva. In: Von Simson canto heavy metal. Per Musi. 2015; 32: 197-218. ORM, editor. Os desafios contemporâneos da história oral. Campinas, SP: Centro de Memória Unicamp; 1997. p. 59-68. 3. Santos SMM, Medeiros JSA, Gama ACC, Teixeira LC, Medeiros AM. Impacto da voz na comunicação social e emoção 32. Charlton TL, Myers LM, Sharpless R. History of Oral de professoras antes e após fonoterapia. Rev. CEFAC. 2016; History: Foundations and Methodology. Lanham, MD: Altamira 18(2): 470-80. Press; 2017. 4. Pompeu ATS, Barreiro SM. Rua, que a nossa voz seja ouvida: 33. Finnegan R. Communicating: The Multiple Modes of uma contribuição fonoaudiológica sobre a voz no Rap nacional. Human Communicating. 2nd ed. New York: Routledge, 2013. Música Popular em Revista. 2016; 4(2): 105-16. 34. Tedlock D. The Spoken Word and the Work of Interpretation. 5. Dias CA. Voz cantada: perfil dos cantores e a inter-relação Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press; 1983. com a fonoaudiologia. Tese (Doutorado em Distúrbios da Comunicação) - Universidade Tuiuti do Paraná, Curitiba; 2016. 35. Bauman R. Verbal Art as Performance. American 6. Cuervo L, Maffioletti LA. Sindô Lê Lê, Sindô Lá Lá, não Anthropologist. 1975; 77(2): 290-311. podemos viver sem cantar! Identidade, educação e expressão 36. Barthes R. O grão da voz: Entrevistas, 1961-1980. Trad.: através da voz. Música na Educação Básica. 2016; 7/8: 22-35. M Laranjeira. São Paulo: Martins Fontes; 2004. 7. Lopes MCS. A voz e o sagrado: cantos sobre poéticas da voz 37. Thompson P, Bornat J. The Voice of the Past: Oral History. em contextos diversos. Dissertação (Mestrado em Linguística, 4th ed. New York: Oxford University Press; 2017. Letras e Artes) - Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia; 2016. 38. Santhiago R, Magalhães VB. História oral na sala de aula. Belo Horizonte: Autêntica Editora; 2015. 8. Assmann A. Espaços da recordação: Formas e transformações da memória cultural. Campinas, SP: Editora da Unicamp; 2011. 39. Rocha F, Gordo JL. Até que a voz me doa. In: Fé M. 50 anos 9. Assmann J. Memória comunicativa e memória cultural. de carreira ao vivo no Coliseu; 2009. História Oral, v. 19, n. 1, p. 115-27, 2016. 40. Alberti V. Ouvir contar: Textos em história oral. Rio de 10. Sundberg J. Ciência da voz: Fatos sobre a voz na fala e no Janeiro: Editora FGV; 2004. canto. Trad.: G L Salomão. São Paulo: Edusp; 2015. 41. Bosi E. O tempo vivo da memória: Ensaios de Psicologia 11. Veloso C. Minha voz, minha vida. In: Veloso C. Livro; 1997. Social. Cotia: Ateliê; 2003. 12. Veloso C. Alguém cantando. In: Veloso C. Bicho; 1977. 42. Valente HAD. As cores da voz-música. In: Santhiago R. 13. Tatit L. Todos entoam: Ensaios, conversas e canções. São Solistas dissonantes: História (oral) de cantoras negras. São Paulo: Publifolha; 2007. Paulo: Letra e Voz; 2009. p. 275-6. 14. Tatit L. Os seios da voz. In: Tatit L. Felicidade; 2001. 43. Zumthor P. Performance, recepção, leitura. São Paulo: 15. Tatit L. Delírio, meu! In: Grupo Rumo. Caprichoso; 1984. Cosac Naify; 2007.

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Distúrb Comun, São Paulo,30(3): 595-606,setembro, 2018 Ricardo Santhiago São Paulo: Ateliê Editorial;2001. 49. ZumthorP. Escritura e nomadismo: Entrevistas e ensaios. Imprensa Oficial;2013. 48. SanthiagoR. Alaíde Costa: Faria tudodenovo.SãoPaulo: negras. SãoPaulo:Letrae Voz; 2009. 47. Santhiago R. Solistas dissonantes: História (oral) de cantoras