Brattleboro Concert Choir: Missa Afro-Brasileira
Saturday, January 15, 7:30 pm, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Brattleboro, VT
Sunday, January 16, 3 pm, St. Michael’s Catholic Church, Brattleboro, VT
The Brattleboro Concert Choir, under the direction of Susan Dedell, will present Carlos Alberto Pinto Fonseca’s Missa Afro-Brasileira. A dynamic work for acapella chorus, the Missa Afro-Brasileira (1976) won the "Best Vocal Work" prize of the Associação dos Críticos de São Paulo. In this work, Fonseca aims to abolish barriers between sacred, classical, and popular music and portray the impulse and warmth and religious syncretism of Brazilians.
TICKETS
Adult $15, Students $10
Purchase by calling the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523.
Or online:
Saturday, January 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 16, 3 pm
READ MORE:
The Missa Afro-Brasileira was composed in 1976, when it won the "Best Vocal Work" prize of the Associação dos Críticos de São Paulo. Composer Carlos Fonseca had this to say about the Missa: "I have tried to abolish barriers between sacred, classical, traditional, and popular music and tried to portray the impulse and warmth of the Brazilian people. Brazil means contrast, mixture, the new, side by side with the old."
Fonseca uses traditional Brazilian music as the core of the piece: maracatu, marchos and many kinds of sambas. One might easily equate the hip-gliding samba with the festive Carnaval parade in Rio, but rarely with the setting of a choral classic. Yet the extraordinary music of the Missa Afro-Brasiliera captures the fusion of religion and music that is uniquely Brazilian, and the samba weaves and dances through the piece side by side with ecstatic African rhythms and sweet barrio songs.
The samba is a dance of African origin that, according to some sources, means, “a blow struck with the belly button”. But among its various definitions, samba also means “to pray.” “Samba is said by traditional Brazilian musicians to be from God”, says chorus director Susan Dedell.
The history of samba music plays an important role in Brazilian culture, musical and otherwise. Beginning in the 16th century, Brazil was the destination of the largest importation of slaves in recorded history, mostly from West African. Many West African belief systems involved becoming one with a personal god, who became the individual’s protector and helper. As this was seen as similar to the colonial Portuguese view of Christian saints, the slaves were allowed to form a blended faith, which is today known as Candomblé. However, some African religious practices were outlawed, one of which was dancing as a part of worship. Rather than abandon this essential element of worship, the slaves concealed sacred dancing by disguising it as a party.
As late as the early 20th century the police often raided suspect parties of samba dancers. These days, the need for secrecy is past, but the dancing and singing of samba music remains an essential part of Brazilian life. The Missa Afro-Brasiliera is a unique testament to this vibrant musical and spiritual legacy, where “a party is made up of beautiful prayers” and faith and pure fun mingle with abandon.
The Brattleboro Concert Choir will be joined by soloists Margery McCrum, soprano; Jennifer Hansen, alto, and Peter Shea, tenor.
TICKETS
Adult $15, Students $10
Purchase by calling the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523.
Or online:
Saturday, January 15, 7:30 pm
Sunday, January 16, 3 pm
PROGRAM NOTES
While today’s piece is a setting of the Catholic mass, the music composed for this
mass--with its emphasis on samba and batuque rhythms--reflects the syncretism
which composer Carlos Pinto Fonseca feels is the essential expression of Brazilian
spirituality. The piece also reflects the reality of the millions of human slaves who
were brought to Brazil. In the words of Pinto Fonseca, “there is a feeling of
sadness, a deep nostalgia, in Brazilian music, especially in the samba, where
farewells, yearnings, and unrequited love are represented.”
The history of the samba is a fascinating one, and understanding this Brazilian
dance goes a long way towards understanding today’s piece, the Missa Afro-
Brasileira. Samba dancing is intricately tied to the history of slavery in Brazil,
and like so many expressions of joy and faith, has its roots in grievous sorrow.
From the sixteenth through nineteenth century, approximately three million men,
women, and children were exported from West Africa and sold into slavery in
Brazil. At least that many more died during capture or transport. Once in Brazil,
slaves were forbidden to continue their traditional spiritual practices, including
sacred dancing. Rather than abandon this essential element of worship, slaves
concealed the nature of their dancing by disguising it as a party. These dances
came to be known by the name “samba”.
As late as the early twentieth century the police often raided suspect parties of
samba dancers. These days, the need for spiritual secrecy is past, but the dancing
and singing of samba music remains an essential part of Brazilian life. The Missa
Afro-Brasileira is a unique testament to this vibrant musical and spiritual legacy,
where “a party is made up of beautiful prayers” and faith and pure fun mingle
with lusty abandon.
It would be remiss to fail to mention that slavery in Brazil is, sadly, far from a
thing of the past. The Brazilian government has acknowledged to the United
Nations that 25,000 - 50,000 Brazilians work under conditions “analagous to
slavery.” The condition is thought to be worsening: in a report made to the
United Nations on January 5, 2011, slavery was said to be “flourshing.” Brazil is
also a main source country for human trafficking for the purpose of commercial
sexual exploitation. In 2009, the Brazilian Federal Police estimated that 250,000
to 500,000 children are exploited in domestic prostitution. Other sources put the
number close to 2,000,000.
Fonseca’s choice of music for the ending of the Missa Afro-Brasileira sums up his
personal prayer, an unfiltered cry to God, asking for guidance and help in view of
“the uncertainties of the world in which we live.” Sung on this Martin Luther
King weekend, we offer our own voices to affirm his statement: “I have the
audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for
their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality
and freedom for their spirits.”
`Susan Dedell
Samba: from the Bantu word “semba.” It means variously: a prayer; a
complaint or wail; a woman who is a sacred dancer; and a blow struck with
the belly button (a graphic description of the intimate movement that serves as an
invitation to join the dance).
Batuque: from Yoruba “betuk.” A kind of rhythmic percussion music; also,
another name for Candomble´.
Candomble´: a religion based on a fusion of animism and Catholicism.
In Candomble´, Roman Catholic saints (including Jesus, Mary, and God the
Father) are conflated with the Orishas of West Africa. An Orisha is a spirit
or deity that reflects one of the many manifestations of Olodumare (God). |
