XVII Congress of the Brazilian Studies Association

Social capital in transnational careers – Brazilian popular music arrangers in the United States (1965–1977)

• In Event: Land of opportunities? The lives and fates of Brazilian migrants to the US

Abstract

The story of Brazilian popular music arrangers who moved to the United States after bossa nova's peak has been gaining new light with the revival of their music in rap samples and projects like Mochilla or Jazz is Dead. Their trajectories in the United States show different ways of valuing what is considered "Brazilian music" and different influences on the music produced there - points that Brazilian music critics, still very nationalistic (CESAR, 2022), have only come to appreciate in recent years. This work puts into perspective the stories of four of these arrangers between 1965 and 1977. Sergio Mendes and Moacir Santos lived on the West Coast, while Eumir Deodato and Dom Salvador settled in New York. In common, they justified their exodus by their interest in living in the land of the "jazz greats". This shows their connections with transnational music circuits, whether through the consumption of imported records, jazz on the radio or studying with foreign teachers, even though they had different social, racial and geographical backgrounds and access to education. Without disregarding "transnational mental maps" (SEIGEL, 2009), the way they entered the American market, on the other hand, leaves no doubt as to the importance of their social capital in Brazil. Based on an analysis of interviews and reports in the American and Brazilian press, the paper seeks to understand the space they managed to gain in the US market, also looking at their previous relationship with the Brazilian industry and its transnational connections.

Author

• Paula Costa Nunes Carvalho, Universidade de São Paulo