Key research themes
1. How has the COVID-19 pandemic affected the livelihoods and socio-economic conditions of music professionals in Brazilian urban centers?
Research under this theme investigates the multifaceted socioeconomic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on music professionals across diverse categories in Brazilian urban music sectors. Such studies focus on income reduction, exacerbated inequalities across racial lines, precariousness in non-mainstream musicians, and policy responses at multiple administrative levels. This theme matters for understanding vulnerabilities in creative labor markets and designing informed public and private interventions during systemic crises.
2. What are the historical trajectories, cultural dynamics, and creative practices shaping Brazilian electroacoustic music studios from 1960 to 2000?
This research area explores the socio-institutional origins, aesthetic frameworks, cultural territoriality, and bricolage practices underpinning the development of electroacoustic music studios in Brazil, particularly those affiliated with universities and cultural institutions. Investigations focus on how musical creation spaces became zones of cultural exchange, DIY innovation (gambiarra), and resistance during politically repressive periods. This theme illuminates both material and conceptual dimensions of creative infrastructures in Brazilian experimental music.
3. How have economic models and circuits, including independent and alternative economies, shaped the production, circulation, and consumption of Brazilian popular music genres such as funk carioca and the broader music industry?
This theme encompasses ethnographic and historical analyses of Brazil's music economy with emphasis on genre-specific circuits, industry institutionalization, and emergent economic practices that respond to technological shifts and cultural stigmatization. The focus lies on sustainable music circuits independent from major labels, flexibility in authorship and copyright practices, and music's role in socio-cultural identity. Understanding these economic dynamics informs broader debates on cultural production, technological appropriation, and market crises.