Rhythms of Resistance

An absorbing account of the influence of African rhythms on contemporary black Brazilian music and the development of music world wide

African rhythms are at the heart of contemporary black Brazilian music. Surveying a musical legacy that encompasses over 400 years, Rhythms of Resistance traces the development of this rich cultural heritage.

Acclaimed author Peter Fryer describes how slaves, mariners and merchants brought African music from Angola and the ports of East Africa to Latin America. In particular, they brought it to Brazil – today the country with the largest black population of any outside Africa. Fryer examines how the rhythms and beats of Africa were combined with European popular music to create a unique sound and dance tradition. Fryer focuses on the political nature of this musical crossover and the role of an African heritage in the cultural identity of Brazilian blacks today.

Rhythms of Resistance is an absorbing account of a theme in global music and is rich in fascinating historical detail.

Maps
List of illustrations
Preface
Introduction
1. The heritage of Nigeria and Benin: music for worship
2. The Angola heritage: capoeira and berimbau
3. The 'Angola warble': street cries and worksongs
4. Brazil's dramatic dances
5. Three vanished instruments
6. The African dance heritage
7. Brazil's Atlantic dances
8. The emergence of Brazilian popular music
9. Maxixe and urban samba
Appendix A: Continuity and change in the music of the Kongo-Angola culture area
Appendix B: African musical instruments in Brazil
Appendix C: The Brazilian musical heritage in Nigeria and Benin
Appendix D: The music and dance of Cape Verde
Appendix E: Relaçaõ da fofa que veya agora da Bahia: extract
Discography
Notes
Index