Music Festas and Their Social Role in Brazil: Carnaval in Rio - Book Review

Pescatello, Ann M. "Music Festas and Their Social Role in Brazil: Carnaval in Rio*." The Journal of Popular Culture 9.4 (1976): 833-839.

Wood, Andrew Grant. "Introducing la reina del carnaval: public celebration and postrevolutionary discourse in Veracruz, Mexico." The Americas 60.1 (2003): 87-108.

Motivated by the important role festivals play in Latin America, Andrew Wood's Introducing La Reina del Carnaval follows the festivities and historical significance of the modern Carnival in Veracruz to draw conclusions on how the Carnaval is used by its organizers to give way to a new post revolutionary idea of "community". Ann Pescatello also recognizes musical festivals exert a large influence on culture in Latin America, using the example of festas in Brazil to provide an understanding of Brazilian culture. Wood draws arguments from three sections: the roots of the modern festival, the role of the press in creating an image of how popular the festival is, and finally talks about how the festival is celebrated to draw a conclusion on how it unites social classes. Pescatello draws upon different perspectives on the parade, including how some thought it is a form of social repression, while others feel that Carnaval is a chance for people across all classes to display their talent. Wood's draws from a variety of sources, including references on nationalism, revolution, and rituals in Latin America. This generates a holistic view, as sources are very broad-based. Pescatello uses anthropological studies, as well as journals on popular music and carnivals. I'm also guessing she conducted her own research, as stated at the end. This results in a more narrow study on how music is tied to religious expression and participation.

First, Wood addresses that Carnaval was used since peacetime to erase divisions and create a revolutionary society. He finds that the Carnaval Queen casts a charm and creates a peaceful society, and uses this evidence to argue how the role of the Queen is a metaphor in helping locals reunite in this post revolutionary society. The study also shows how newspapers would describe the city as absolutely united in preparing and enjoying the festivities, though he also states how the Carnival also reflects divisions within the city. He uses pictures and descriptive examples to show how the Queen is able to be an idol. However, I find his argument on how the Carnival reflects social divisions puzzling, as there is no evidence that backs his claim. What I find missing in his argument are examples on how the locals react to the Queen, and whether she actually serves as an idol. There are no interviews or sociological reports given to show this. While Woods mentions that the government uses this event to show unity, he does not give evidence of speeches or even newspaper publications that the government actually said these were the intentions. I find his examples on 'roots' of the festival a bit lacking, as I can't see a coherent tie between the history and its current use. In addition, while he uses a broad variety of sources, he concentrates too heavily on the history of afro-music and doesn't go deep enough into the ideology behind this carnaval, which should have been introduced in the beginning. His argument on the Queen as an icon that brings everyone together could be further used in studying the extent to which how icons are useful or dangerous in mobilizing a nation. That said, I find Wood's arching argument that one person with a title for just a day could unite everyone.

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