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| viola caipira | |
|---|---|
| Name | Viola caipira |
| Classification | String instrument |
| Related | Viola braguesa, Viola de cocho, Guitarra portuguesa |
| Developed | Brazil |
| Strings | 10 or 12 (paired courses) |
| Background | traditional Brazilian folk music |
viola caipira The viola caipira is a Brazilian ten-string (sometimes twelve-string) folk instrument associated with rural traditions of São Paulo (state), Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Pará. It functions as both accompaniment and solo instrument across genres linked to Modinha, Lundu, Choro, Sertanejo, Catira and forms performed at festivals in Ouro Preto, Oeiras (Piauí), Campina Grande and on stages tied to Festival de Parintins and Festival de Inverno de Garanhuns.
The instrument’s origins trace to Iberian instruments introduced during the colonial era involving voyages by Pedro Álvares Cabral, exchanges with settlers from Portugal, Galicia, Madeira, and influences from trade networks connecting Angola, Cape Verde, São Tomé and Príncipe and Macau. Early documentation appears in accounts from Aleijadinho’s era and travelers to Recife and Salvador, Bahia alongside missionary reports tied to Jesuit reductions and parish records in Belém. Throughout the 19th century, the viola caipira circulated among sharecroppers, tropeiros and composers associated with salons in Rio de Janeiro, salons patronized by elites linked to Dom Pedro II, while repertoires adapted pieces from Beethoven-era arrangements, influence visible in transcriptions by collectors near Minas Gerais and collections preserved in archives of Arquivo Nacional (Brazil). Twentieth-century folklorists such as Mário de Andrade, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and field researchers connected to Instituto do Patrimônio Histórico e Artístico Nacional documented regional variants, while radio broadcasts on Radio Nacional (Brazil) and tours organized by Ministério da Cultura (Brazil) increased visibility.
Traditional construction employs local woods like jacarandá used historically in luthiery workshops of São Paulo (state), amburana sourced from regions near Pernambuco, and araçá found in crafts markets of Belo Horizonte. Luthiers in workshops influenced by techniques from Lisbon and Vigo adapt bracing patterns akin to those used in Guitarra portuguesa manufacture, and tuning machines emerged following imports via ports in Rio de Janeiro (city) and Santos (city). Standard setups use five paired courses tuned in various scordatura: common tunings include Cebolão (open G variants used in Sertanejo contexts), and alto tunings related to traditions from Minas Gerais and Goiás. Makers often follow measurements codified in guild-like practices seen historically in Viana do Castelo cabinetmaking and modernized by ateliers affiliated with conservatories at Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais.
Performance techniques derive from fingerstyle traditions practiced in rural communities around Campinas (Brazil), Uberaba, Taubaté and urban milieus such as Belo Horizonte and São Paulo (city), incorporating rhythmic patterns related to Samba de Roda, syncopations comparable to passages in Choro ensembles, and harmonic idioms paralleling art music by Heitor Villa-Lobos and salon songs by Chiquinha Gonzaga. Repertoires include trova compositions, modas de viola, lundus and cururu, with pieces attributed to composers connected to regional publishing houses in São Paulo (state), manuscript sheets preserved at the Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil, and reinterpretations by ensembles appearing at Teatro Municipal (Rio de Janeiro). Techniques such as dedilhado, rasgado, bottleneck adaptations and contra-pedaling follow pedagogies transmitted in workshops influenced by tutors from EMESP — Escola de Música do Estado de São Paulo and folk programs from Universidade Federal de Goiás.
The viola caipira occupies symbolic roles in festivities of Festas Juninas, religious celebrations in Juazeiro do Norte, cowboy rites among vaqueiro communities in Ceará and ceremonies in quilombola settlements near Alagoas. Regional styles include the Minas Gerais modal approach tied to cantorias performed in Ouro Preto, the paulistana repertory linked to farmer communities in Vale do Paraíba, the goiano phrasing associated with music from Goiás Velho, and Amazonian variants preserved near Parintins and Manaus. Cultural policy interventions by Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), lists curated by IPHAN, and programming at festivals such as Festival da Canção and Festival de Inverno de Campos do Jordão have framed the instrument as emblematic of national heritage alongside discussions in journals from Universidade de Brasília.
Prominent performers and luthiers include practitioners who shaped public perceptions via recordings on labels and broadcasts on Radio Nacional (Brazil), collaborations with artists like those associated with Milton Nascimento, Chico Buarque, Elis Regina, ensembles connected to Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo and folk revivals led by cultural figures tied to Mário de Andrade’s research networks. Makers and influential luthiers maintain workshops in towns such as Campinas (Brazil), São José do Rio Preto and Belo Horizonte, supplying instruments to pedagogues affiliated with Universidade Federal de Goiás and conservatories like EMESP. Field recordings and discographies preserved at institutions such as Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil highlight players featured at venues including Teatro Municipal (São Paulo), Sala São Paulo, and folk stages at Festival de Parintins.
Contemporary use spans collaborations in popular music with artists from MPB circles, crossovers with ensembles at Festival de Inverno de Garanhuns, and academic programs at Universidade de São Paulo and Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais integrating the instrument into curricula. Revival efforts involve craft cooperatives supported by municipal initiatives in São Paulo (state), grant programs from Ministério da Cultura (Brazil), archival projects at Arquivo Nacional (Brazil), and advocacy by cultural NGOs with ties to UNESCO heritage discussions. Recent festivals, workshops and recordings promoted through partnerships with institutions such as Biblioteca Nacional do Brasil, Fundação Nacional de Artes and regional secretariats have increased lutherie innovation and pedagogical resources distributed across conservatories and community centers in Belo Horizonte, Goiânia and São Paulo (city).
Category:Brazilian musical instruments