Brazilian Music and Culture in the United States

What is the influence of Brazilian music and culture in the United States?

Know (knowledge):

• The influence of Brazilian music and culture in the United States
• How to identify the Brazilian musical rhythm of Bossa Nova and the dance rhythm of Capoeira
• The origins of Bossa Nova and Capoeira
• The influence of the Bossa Nova and Capoeira rhythms on Jazz and contemporary American music
• The Brazilian women Carmen Miranda and Anitta, and their success as musicians in the United States
• How Brazilian culture was disseminated in the United States through migration
• President Franklin Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy and how Carmen Miranda facilitated a closer relationship between the United States and Brazil, and Latin America in general

Mastery Objective

• Students will be able to identify and analyze cultural links between Brazil and the United States by researching online archives, playing online educational video games, viewing videos, and listening to music.

In this lesson, students will examine Brazilian music and culture and its influence in the United States. Specifically, students will explore the Brazilian musical style Bossa Nova and the Brazilian martial art Capoeira. Additionally, they will identify two women Brazilian singers, Carmen Miranda and Anitta, that have had successful careers in the U.S. Students will investigate Brazilian culture through documents, online archives, articles, podcasts, videos, and songs.

Bossa Nova is a rhythm that was born in Brazil in the 1950s, specifically in the city of Rio de Janeiro. “Rio” is known for its stunning natural landscape, lively culture, and a bohemian atmosphere. Bossa Nova drew inspiration from both Samba and Jazz, while also leaving an impact on Jazz. Bossa Nova became more prominent in the United States thanks to the U.S. government facilitating collaborations between great American musicians like Stan Getz with Brazilian Bossa Nova trailblazers like João Gilberto, Antônio Carlos (Tom) Jobim, and Vinicius de Moraes, and others. It was an attempt to ease political tensions between the U.S. and Latin America. This mutual exchange led to notable collaborations between Brazilian and American artists, exemplified by the collaborative 1967 album between Frank Sinatra and Antônio Carlos (Tom) Jobim, Francis Albert Sinatra & Antônio Carlos Jobim. Bossa Nova continues to influence contemporary artists like Billie Eilish, who has a song called, “Billy Bossa Nova.”

Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art with African roots. It combines elements of self-defense, music, dance, and acrobatics. Capoeira can be traced back to the slavery time in Brazil where enslaved people would hide their martial arts with dance and acrobatic movements. This scenario helps us understand why Capoeira is also considered a form of resistance and how it has made its way to the United States, especially through migration of some important Capoeira masters and the Brazilian community at large. Nowadays many Capoeira centers can be found in the United States and Capoeira can also be seen in some American movies. 

Carmen Miranda and Anitta are two Brazilian women artists that have had success in the American music industry and helped popularize Brazilian culture in the United States. During the 1940s and ‘50s, Carmen Miranda became an international symbol of Brazilian culture and exuberance. She appeared in Hollywood movies performing Brazilian music genres such as Samba and Bossa Nova. Through the story of Carmen Miranda one can look at Roosevelt's Good Neighbor policy. This foreign policy tried to build better relationships between  the United States to Latin America. Carmen Miranda was considered the muse of the Good Neighbor policy. She was also responsible for popularizing Brazilian fashion. On the other hand, Anitta is a contemporary Brazilian singer and songwriter that has achieved international recognition and collaborated with several contemporary American singers such as Cardi B, Madonna, Major Lazer, and Snoop Dogg. Anitta was the first Brazilian ever to be awarded an MTV Video Music Award in 2022 and was nominated to the Grammy's Best New Artist category in 2023 after Brazil being out of that category for 50 years.

1. Set up three stations around the classroom for a small group activity. Each station will need a device that connects to the internet. Load the following materials into each station:
   1. Station 1: Bossa Nova, Handout – Bossa Nova
   2. Station 2: Capoeira, Handout – Capoeira
   3. Station 3: Carmen Miranda and Anitta, Handout – Carmen Miranda and Anitta
2. Load this link (https://bit.ly/BrazilKahoot) for the online educational game, Kahoot! in preparation for the motivational activity. (Students may access the game on their individual device or the game can be displayed on a single screen in the classroom and played as a group activity. If the game is played as a group activity, students can participate by raising a sheet of paper with their answer when prompted to do so.)