Fadiga, Goce, Funky Butt--Three Views on Polyrhythm

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Dylon L Robbins

Abstract

This essay examines three instances in which polyrhythm serves as a metaphor for thinking through relations of difference.  In the thought of Mário de Andrade, polyrhythm serves as a mechanism for situating musical creation within a logic of production and accumulation.  In the work of the Cuban writer Antonio Benítez Rojo, polyrhythm becomes a model for thinking about the Caribbean and its geography in relation to the performing arts.  Finally, in early twentieth-century New Orleans, the musical feel associated with polyrhythm would contribute to a highly sexualized rhythmic feel that relates musical intensity to the smell of dancers’ bodies.

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How to Cite
Robbins, D. L. (2015). Fadiga, Goce, Funky Butt--Three Views on Polyrhythm. Brasiliana: Journal for Brazilian Studies, 4(1), 82–109. https://doi.org/10.25160/bjbs.v4i1.20597
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