Elaborações musicais Fulni-ô em trânsito

Abstract

This thesis investigates the aspects of Fulni-ô resilience, whose sound-musical practices are intimately intertwined with their existence. This indigenous group, whose cosmology harmoniously coexists with the Caatinga biome, has its main settlements located in the municipality of Águas Belas, Pernambuco, Brazil. The research, qualitative in nature, employs participant observation, interviews, and document analysis to understand the Fulni-ô musical elaborations, considering their history, relationship with the territory, management and social organization models, as well as their struggle for recognition in the face of contemporary challenges. The split that resulted in the formation of another village in Ouricuri (Sacred Land) is analyzed from the perspective of social transformations and their implications for musical practices. The theories of experience and practice provide the theoretical framework, highlighting the importance of lived experience and action in the construction of knowledge and social trajectory. The concept of “musicar” (to make music) is explored, emphasizing the musical experience as an active and relational process, and art as an aesthetic experience that transcends mere entertainment. Individual musical journeys, such as that of Mestre Xixia in his quest to strengthen the yaathê (Fulni-ô language) through unakesa, as well as cafurna-unakesa groups, the production of non-indigenous music, and contemporary indigenous music, reveal the importance of diversity as a tool to empower the Fulni-ô trajectory and intercultural dialogue. The research explores the relationship between the Fulni-ô and Tarairiú people through Albert Eckhout's work “The Tarairiú Dance” and the Uxilnexa ritual (Fulni-ô Buzos Toré), highlighting shared ancestry and the importance of soundscapes and lived environments in maintaining these connections. This work concludes that Fulni-ô musical elaborations are constituted not only from their ancestries but also from their relationships with other social groups. External influences are incorporated into Fulni-ô tradition or reinterpreted according to their needs, demonstrating the complexity and power of this people.