Canções do arbítrio: (re)significações culturais e musicais no Auto de Maria Mestra

Abstract

This dissertation presents the results of a research that addressed the construction and apprehension of cultural and musical meanings of songs that musically compose the show Auto de Maria Mestra (1968), with dramaturgical text by Altimar Pimentel (1936-2008) and musical production by Pedro Santos (1932-1986). The work aims to understand the musical production of the show Auto de Maria Mestra, considering the historical, social, political-economic and musical cultural factors that involve the contexts of (re)creation and presentation of this show. In the universe of musical production for theater in the midst of social movements in the countryside existing in Paraíba during the period 1960 to 1970, the investigation took place in the context of historical Ethnomusicology, having as a methodological approach an analysis of the musical discourse that contemplated since the reconstitution of songs from the analyzed spectacle, which had never been recorded, to the understanding of sound and non-sound documentary records collected along the investigative trajectory. In addition, throughout the (re)construction and/or understanding of the referred (re)significations, the historical-social, political-economic and cultural-musical contexts were also addressed as indispensable elements for achieving this objective. Thus, the data production procedures were: bibliographical research, documental and interviews. From this research, it was possible to understand music in a way related to the reality of the peasantry in the struggle for agrarian reform, the relationship of this political militancy with Liberation Theology and the involvement of artists and intellectuals with this perspective of political confrontation in the context of Paraíba, the which shows that the cultural, political and economic dimensions of this type of musical production in focus are linked to a confabulation of regional aspects that provide the basis for the emergence of soundmusical perspectives directly linked to this situational reality.