Music and Identity in a Postcolonial World: Radio Airplay of Lusophone Music in Public Service Broadcasting in the Portuguese- Speaking World

Abstract

With music being one of the key elements of radio, and plurality one of the most important principles of public service, this article’s central argument is that one of the missions of public radio is to foster musical elements produced in the country’s national language. Focusing on traditional musical genres of the Portuguese-speaking countries, we will analyze the role of music in public radio by selecting specific musical shows focused on the Lusophone world. In order to determine the presence and impact of Lusophony in national stations, music will be the common thread for a reflection on how multicultural their programming strategies are able to be.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.

Personal interviews

Alberto Arons de Carvalho, Media Law professor – July 16th, 2016

Rui Pêgo, RDP Programming Director – June 14th, 2016

Sara Pereira, Lisbon Fado Museum Director – April 19th, 2016

Notes

1. Kizomba is a musical genre and a dance style originating from Angola. It is usually defined by a strong beat in a 4/4 rhythm using mostly percussion instruments.

2. Samples analyzed between October and December 2018 via audio streaming on https://www.rtp.pt/play/p276/vozes-de-lusofonia, http://radios.ebc.com.br/tanto-mar, http://www.rtc.cv/index.php?paginas=48&id_cod=418, and http://www.rtc.cv/rcv/index.php?paginas=4&id_cod=423.

3. Pedro Abrunhosa, Samuel Úria, Gaspar Varela, Luísa Sobral, António Zambujo, Maria Emília, Selma Uamusse, Os Músicos do Tejo, Carlos Peninha, Rogério Charraz, Danças Ocultas, Paulo Ribeiro, Luisa Amaro, Teresinha Landeiro, Senza, Sangre Ibérico, João Farinha, Carlos Mendes.

4. Paulo Flores, Sérgio Godinho, Maria João e Mário Laginha, Carlos Martins, Fausto, Camané, David Fonseca, Cuca Roseta, Miguel Araújo, Waldemar Bastos, Mirri Lobo, Tito Paris, Gisela João, Ritinha Lobo, Nôs Raíz, Ana Bacalhau, Filipe Mukenga, Bonga.

5. “Prosumer” is a term coined by Toffler (1980) when referring to a user who consumes and produces media. Instead of positioning themselves as simple passive recipients of mass consumption culture, consumers have been drawn by the internet to an exponential growth of interactivity and, therefore, of consumer participation in the active creation of media content (Tapscott & Williams, 2006).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Teresa Costa Alves

Teresa Costa Alves holds a PhD in Communication Science from Minho University, Portugal, with a thesis on public broadcasting in the Lusophone space. She was a Visiting Scholar at São Paulo University in 2014 and at University of California, Berkeley in 2015. Performed in the radio industry for more than a decade, presently works as a Content Producer for LinkedIn.