From the rodas to the sessions: confluences, limits and borders in participatory-presentational music

Abstract

Sessions are informal gatherings of professional and/or amateur musicians toplay traditional Irish songs. Many of the peculiarities present in this song are similar to thecharacteristics of the rodas de choro of the interior of the state of São Paulo, Brazil.Drawing on Thomas Turino's theory, it is noted that both, the sessions and the rodas, mixparticipatory structures with presentational fundamentals. Starting from the socio-culturalconfluences that bring these two manifestations together - and taking into account theirrespective sound divergences - the central objective of this project is to understand thedomain where participatory performance and presentational performance connect.Methodologically, this project serves as a counterpoint to my ethnographic practice. If, onthe one hand, my doctoral research is based on notions such as detachment anddefamiliarization of the rodas de choro, on the other hand, the recording of sessions willonly be possible through processes of approximation and integration.