Is Brazilian Music "Latin?"

soundsrealsoundsreal 128 Posts
edited August 2011 in Strut Central
I wanna give this question it's own thread, thanks to finelikewine for asking this in another thread, I had previously been wondering what the opinion of others was on this.

Personally I say bull.
1)In spite of the differences between the music of all the south american countries, there is far more in common between the music of any other 2 countries than that of Brazil and any other.
2) Brazilian people are not Latino
3) From personal experience, anytime I walk into a record store and ask for Brazilian, and they say "sure, the Latin section is just over there," I can pretty much tell right away its not even worth checking out. Best to look for other stuff in these places and leave the digging for Brazilian for places where they at least know what it is.
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  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.

  • finelikewinefinelikewine "ONCE UPON A TIME, I HAD A VINYL." http://www.discogs.com/user/permabulker 1,416 Posts
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.

    So Mexico belongs to Latin America too?

  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    finelikewine said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.

    So Mexico belongs to Latin America too?

    Yes

  • skelskel You can't cheat karma 5,033 Posts
    Given that what goes into the melting pot of music from that region is (loosely):

    Pan-American
    African
    Arab
    via the Iberian peninsula

    I would endorse a re-branding as Panamaribaf (to be pronounced Panama-REE-baf, in the style of Speedy Gonzales).

    You might find it easier to get your chops round 'Latin'.

  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    barjesus said:
    finelikewine said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.

    So Mexico belongs to Latin America too?

    Yes

    In fact, even French-speaking Haiti is considered part of Latin America

  • sabadabadasabadabada 5,966 Posts
    I think that technically the answer would be yes. But, bossa nova and the music that evolved from it is more closely related to west coast jazz than afro-cuban.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    soundsreal said:
    2) Brazilian people are not Latino.

    When Louis Gates goes to BRAZIL for Black In Latin America he's not in Latin America?

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    barjesus said:
    barjesus said:
    finelikewine said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.

    So Mexico belongs to Latin America too?

    Yes

    In fact, even French-speaking Haiti is considered part of Latin America

    Previously known as part of the island of Hispanola. And still called that by cruise lines for some reason or other

    If you go back and listen to pre 60s music from African-descended people in the Western hemisphere, you will find common ground between music from New Orleans, Haiti, Martinique, Jamaica, Trinidad, Colombia, Brazil, Uruguay and many more. Most of these places are well known for their Mardi Gras and related celebrations.

    "Latin" or "Brazilian" music as determined by record stores is a whole nother thread.

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    I guess the real question is Latin Music music from Latin America, music made by Latinos, or both?

    And how Non-Latin/Latino folks categorize by region or "race" or both?

  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    Technically, yes, but in my mind, no.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    batmon said:
    I guess the real question is Latin Music music from Latin America, music made by Latinos, or both?

    Latin music is music from Latin America, like American music is music from the US. There are a ton of sub-genres in both.
    I didn't really understand your second question.

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

    And Italians are the only true latinos.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    It's all so non-linear.

    But really, there is roots music, and there is modern music, sometimes they cross paths, sometime not.

  • ReynaldoReynaldo 6,054 Posts
    Garcia_Vega said:
    Reynaldo said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

    And Italians are the only true latinos.
    The common exclusion of Quebec from Latin America suggests that it would be acceptable to exclude another country/area with a similarly (and possibly less) distinctive culture, history, and economy, such as, arguably, Brazil.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    Garcia_Vega said:
    Reynaldo said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

    And Italians are the only true latinos.
    The common exclusion of Quebec from Latin America suggests that it would be acceptable to exclude another country/area with a similarly (and possibly less) distinctive culture, history, and economy, such as, arguably, Brazil.

    Cajuns dude

  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    SportCasual said:
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    Because there are Puerto Rican and Dominican Jews going back 500 years.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Dominican_Republic

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_immigration_to_Puerto_Rico

  • The_NonThe_Non 5,691 Posts
    SportCasual said:
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    It's all so non-linear.

    But really, there is roots music, and there is modern music, sometimes they cross paths, sometime not.

    How should I classify my sitar "Guantanamera" record then? I'm so confused!
    Brazil is in Latin America, so why not classify it Latin? Having said that, just because JLo is latina doesn't make her music Latin.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    SportCasual said:
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    Because there are Puerto Rican and Dominican Jews going back 500 years.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Dominican_Republic

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_immigration_to_Puerto_Rico

    LOL, I was trying to be funny.

    Have you seen the doc about LES Klezmer being linked to Jazz (sharing the blue note) and the invention of the Broadway musical? It's a bit of a stretch but very interesting.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    The_Non said:
    SportCasual said:
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    It's all so non-linear.

    But really, there is roots music, and there is modern music, sometimes they cross paths, sometime not.

    How should I classify my sitar "Guantanamera" record then? I'm so confused!
    Brazil is in Latin America, so why not classify it Latin? Having said that, just because JLo is latina doesn't make her music Latin.

    And where do non Spanish speaking Afro-Filipinos fit in to this?

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    Garcia_Vega said:
    Reynaldo said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

    And Italians are the only true latinos.
    The common exclusion of Quebec from Latin America suggests that it would be acceptable to exclude another country/area with a similarly (and possibly less) distinctive culture, history, and economy, such as, arguably, Brazil.

    Sure, but not if we are defining "latino" as people who speak romance languages, then they'd have to be included. Clearly the word has evolved from a strict linguistic demarcation. So what does the word mean now? Is it just the Spanish speaking countries of the new world? I don't know, but for sure I wouldn't call someone from French Guiana a latino. I don't think Brazilians, or Spaniards for that matter, call themselves latino either. In regards to records and stores, latino is really just an umbrella term, mainly used by stores with so few salsa and Brazilian records (with a token Don Quijote OST) that they have to combine the section so as not to appear sparse ;)

  • batmonbatmon 27,574 Posts
    Is Haitian Music in the Latin section or the World Music section.

    Do Haitians consider themselves Latino?

  • HorseleechHorseleech 3,830 Posts
    SportCasual said:
    Horseleech said:
    SportCasual said:
    WHY ARE THERE HAVA NAGILA COVERS FROM PUERTO RICO & D.R.?

    Because there are Puerto Rican and Dominican Jews going back 500 years.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_the_Dominican_Republic

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_immigration_to_Puerto_Rico

    LOL, I was trying to be funny.

    Have you seen the doc about LES Klezmer being linked to Jazz (sharing the blue note) and the invention of the Broadway musical? It's a bit of a stretch but very interesting.

    Sorry, the caps should have tipped me off.

    I've read articles on the subject (maybe spurred by the documentary) and it seems feasible. Listening to the Klezmer of the time, I think there's a connection. One of those Secret Museum records has a cut from somewhere in Eastern Europe late 1800's that sounds just like a Jazz band.

  • Garcia_VegaGarcia_Vega 2,428 Posts
    batmon said:
    Is Haitian Music in the Latin section or the World Music section.

    Depends, where's the record store, NYC, Chicago, LA, DF, Buenos Aires, Sau Paulo, London, Madrid, Berlin, Tokyo? Could be in any number of sections...

  • Horseleech said:
    Technically, yes, but in my mind, no.

    Nailed it.

  • PATXPATX 2,820 Posts
    Horseleech said:
    One of those Secret Museum records has a cut from somewhere in Eastern Europe late 1800's that sounds just like a Jazz band.

    This shit is fascinating to me. It is all mixed up and for every rule you can probably find an exception. But so much more useful than talking about genre sections in records shops, IMO.



    Garcia_Vega said:
    batmon said:
    Is Haitian Music in the Latin section or the World Music section.

    Depends, where's the record store, NYC, Chicago, LA, DF, Buenos Aires, Sau Paulo, London, Madrid, Berlin, Tokyo? Could be in any number of sections...

    Good point.

  • mannybolonemannybolone Los Angeles, CA 15,025 Posts
    Generally, I think what most people think of "Latin music" is music that sounds influenced by some kind of Afro-Caribbean tradition. Anything that deviates - musically - from that (including some forms of Brazilian music) falls under the Horseleech rule.

    But it depends, right? If you're listening to a samba or batucada song, I'd be hard pressed to say, "that doesn't sound like Latin music to me." But if you're playing bossa nova? I might feel differently.

    As for ethnic categorizations...for what it's worth, the U.S. Census doesn't include Brazilians under its "Hispanic/Latino" category. Again, that may mean nothing besides some arbitrary federal rule but in this case, it may be that who-colonized-who still makes a difference.

    I also wouldn't normally consider Mexicans to be Latin American but I don't have a consistent, logical argument as to why they would NOT be but, say, Salvadorans would be.

  • barjesusbarjesus 872 Posts
    Reynaldo said:
    barjesus said:
    Portuguese is a romance language. Latin America is the countries in the Americas where romance (or Latin based) languages are spoken.
    That means Quebec is a Latin American region/province.

    Quebec would most likely count as a Latin American country if it were a country.

  • DanteDante 371 Posts
    mannybolone said:
    Generally, I think what most people think of "Latin music" is music that sounds influenced by some kind of Afro-Caribbean tradition. Anything that deviates - musically - from that (including some forms of Brazilian music) falls under the Horseleech rule.

    Exactly. I think there's a big difference between Latin American music and Latin. LA music is music made in or in the style of any LA country, regardless of genre. Latin, on the other hand is, to me, an umbrella term that a ludes a variety of genres with Afro-Caribbean influence: salsa, latin jazz, etc.

    I also wouldn't normally consider Mexicans to be Latin American but I don't have a consistent, logical argument as to why they would NOT be but, say, Salvadorans would be.

    That's a tricky one. Geographically speaking, Mexico is in North America, but culturally we're Latin Americans as much as people from Argentina, Ecuador or Guatemala.

  • DanteDante 371 Posts
    Dante said:
    mannybolone said:
    Generally, I think what most people think of "Latin music" is music that sounds influenced by some kind of Afro-Caribbean tradition. Anything that deviates - musically - from that (including some forms of Brazilian music) falls under the Horseleech rule.

    Exactly. I think there's a big difference between Latin American music and Latin. LA music is music made in or in the style of any LA country, regardless of genre. Latin, on the other hand is, to me, an umbrella term that aludes to a variety of genres with Afro-Caribbean influence: salsa, latin jazz, etc.

    I also wouldn't normally consider Mexicans to be Latin American but I don't have a consistent, logical argument as to why they would NOT be but, say, Salvadorans would be.

    That's a tricky one. Geographically speaking, Mexico is in North America, but culturally we're Latin Americans as much as people from Argentina, Ecuador or Guatemala.
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