Sons na cidade: uma etnografia sonora da avenida Sete de Setembro (Salvador/BA)

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the sonic experience in the commercial center of Avenida Sete de Setembro, Salvador/BA, under the initial question that sound is a driving agent of practices and sociabilities. The study aimed to apprehend urban sounds and understand the relationships they promote among people, capturing everyday practices (announcements, music, voices) and the role of technological devices (speakers and microphones) in the avenue's dynamics. To achieve this, a sonic ethnography was conducted using techniques such as soundwalks, listening points, and participant observation to follow the sounds. The results of this research demonstrate that sound emerges as a protagonist, essential for the territorialization, occupation, and appropriation of public space, and manifests as a strategy for survival and the affirmation of Bahia sonic culture. It is concluded that the sound of Avenida Sete is a complex fabric of multiple sonic territorialities in constant negotiation, propelling the right to cohabit and lead an urban life on the avenue, which is presented through a sound map and a playlist of music heard on the avenue as ethnographic contributions that go beyond writing.