Como a multimodalidade constrói sentidos no álbum roteiro pra Aïnouz, vol. 2: da capo al fine

Abstract

The present thesis focuses on examining how multimodality constructs meaning in a rap album. The album chosen for analysis was Roteiro para Aïnouz, Vol. 2, by rapper Don L. Released in 2021, the album consists of seventeen tracks. There is also a video clip for each track on the album, which I considered in my analysis. The album’s purpose is to resignify the history of Brazil in a record that blends guerrilla resistance and poetry, revisiting the country’s past and intertwining it with its present to prevent the repetition of historical structures of oppression. To guide the analysis, the theoretical framework is based on the principles of Social Semiotics as proposed by Halliday (1978, 2004), Kress (2010), Kress and van Leeuwen (2006), and van Leeuwen (2005). This choice is made because rap, in addition to being a musical expression, is also a social practice deeply rooted in social, political, and community issues. Since Social Semiotics views meanings as social practices, all elements were considered: lyrics, beats, sound effects, samples, and images (such as the album cover), as all contribute to the identity and meanings conveyed in the album. Multimodality is thus a central aspect of the proposed analysis, as Kress (2010) states that it is the normal state of human communication. To analyze linguistic aspects, the language metafunctions as proposed by Halliday (1978) were observed. Specifically, the ideational metafunction and its material, mental, and relational processes were examined, along with elements of referential and lexical cohesion, as these uses and choices can reveal the author’s stance (Gonçalves, 2000). Elements of rhythm, melody, sound effects, and performance were analyzed (Frith, 1996; DeNora, 2004) and their contribution to meaningmaking was assessed. To visually analyze the chosen album, I present images taken from the video clips of each of the album's songs, to draw interpretive and multimodal parallels between lyrics, melody, and image. Finally, I conduct a systematic analysis of the album cover based on “The Grammar of Visual Design” according to Gunther Kress and Theo van Leeuwen (2006). The analysis reveals an album deeply rooted in a process of historical reinterpretation, highlighting both concrete actions of resistance and introspective reflections. This is achieved linguistically, as seen through material, mental, and relational processes, as well as melodically and visually. The meaning construction in Roteiro pra Aïnouz, Vol. 2 thus transcends music, positioning rap as a powerful cultural and social agent.