Blues and transgression in Brazil: musical appropriations and cultural resistance of rock during the military dictatorship

Blues and transgression in Brazil: musical appropriations and cultural resistance of rock during the military dictatorship

Authors

  • Alexandre Saggiorato Universidade de Passo Fundo

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.36449/rth.v29i1.35697

Keywords:

Blues, Barra Rock, Military Dictatorship, Cultural Resistance, Music History

Abstract

This article analyzes the incorporation of blues, a musical expression of resistance rooted in the African American experience, into Brazilian rock of the 1970s, with a particular focus on the movement known as Barra Rock. It is based on the hypothesis that the mobility of the blues, as it crossed cultural and historical boundaries, and its appropriation by Brazilian musicians constituted a form of symbolic resistance to the military dictatorship. By re-signifying a tradition marked by marginality and protest, the blues offered young artists a powerful language through which to express opposition to cultural repression. The study combines lyrical analysis, musical listening, and historically contextualized interpretation, engaging with historiography on popular music and cultural resistance. It argues that, although marginal within the national music scene, the blues aesthetic reframed through Brazilian rock served as a vehicle for social critique and the construction of alternative identities. The article also addresses the limitations of this appropriation in light of the specificities of Brazil’s historical context.

Author Biography

Alexandre Saggiorato, Universidade de Passo Fundo

PhD in History from the Universidade de Passo Fundo (UPF), with a sandwich period at Tulane University, New Orleans, USA. Master in History from UPF. Professor in the Music programs and in the Graduate Program in History (PPGH) at UPF.

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Published

22-12-2025

How to Cite

SAGGIORATO, A. Blues and transgression in Brazil: musical appropriations and cultural resistance of rock during the military dictatorship: Blues and transgression in Brazil: musical appropriations and cultural resistance of rock during the military dictatorship. Tempos Históricos, [S. l.], v. 29, n. 1, p. 38–66, 2025. DOI: 10.36449/rth.v29i1.35697. Disponível em: https://e-revista.unioeste.br/index.php/temposhistoricos/article/view/35697. Acesso em: 23 dec. 2025.

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