Sonic experiences of power. The politics of funk proibidão in Rio de Janeiro

Researcher

This research project is about the politics of aesthetics in Rio de Janeiro. It looks at the case of funk proibidão and tunes into how the music - as part of the daily life of Cariocas - is experienced and understood differently by different groups of people.

Consequently I connect this to the political situation in the city. I take a phenomenological approach, because through studying the sensory experiences of Cariocas we can gain a better understanding of how these divides take form in real life. As I deal with music, the emphasis lies on the aural component of these sensorial experiences. Furthermore I theorize specific sounds - the sound of shooting and silence - in relation to ideas about sovereignty, authority and legitimacy. I therefore also draw on insights from sound studies which I complement with theory in political and urban anthropology.

Key Publications

Grupo Musicultura. Alexandre Dias da Silva; Alice Emery; Elza Maria Cristina Laurentino de Carvalho; Jaqueline Calazans; Juliana Catinin; Matheus Nogueira Pessoa; Naiane Santos da Silva; Rodrigo Heringer; Samuel Araujo; Sinesio Jefferson Andrade Silva; Sterre Gilsing (2015) É permitido proibir: a práxis sonora da pacificação. It is allowed to prohibit: The sound praxis of pacification. Revista Vórtex - Vórtex Music Journal, 3 (2), (pp. 149-158).