A guitarra brasileira de Nelson Faria: uma biografia musicológica

Abstract

The present study falls within the scope of research on Brazilian instrumental music or Brazilian jazz. The chosen focus encompasses the life trajectory and work of Brazilian guitarist Nelson Faria, from the year of his birth, 1963, to 2015, the year the program “Um Café Lá” em Casa was created. The research sought to investigate how Nelson’s musical training developed, raising questions about musical and cultural hybridity, idiomatic elements between guitar and violão, as well as his history as a musician and educator, engaged in both popular and instrumental Brazilian music. To achieve this, an interdisciplinary approach was adopted, utilizing methods from musicology, historiography, ethnography, and oral history, specifically situating the study within the field of popular musicology. A bibliographic survey was conducted in academic journals and periodicals, as well as in newspaper and magazine archives across the country. Additionally, discographic sources authored by the musician and works featuring his collaboration were examined, along with oral sources, such as interviews with the guitarist himself and musicians who have worked or currently work with Faria. Following this survey, the collected data were cross-referenced to conduct a historical and musicological analysis, aiming to demonstrate that Nelson Faria’s work is characterized by a hybridization of jazz and Brazilian music, with improvisation and the constant reinvention of musical references acquired throughout his biography serving as the guiding thread of his artistic output. Furthermore, it was observed that this process is linked to a strong sense of entrepreneurship, which permeates his artistic and pedagogical trajectory. Acting as a mediator between various musical traditions, Faria played a central role in disseminating jazz improvisation in Brazil, notably through his educational materials and the program “Um Café Lá em Casa”, expanding his influence in the interaction between musical cultures. This interaction was analyzed through the lens of topic theory, illustrating how hybridity manifests in his career and work, ultimately defining it as both a musical and cultural phenomenon.