MUSIC AND THE REPRESENTATION OF WOMEN IN RECIFE’S ROMANTIC BREGA: THE CASE OF THE SONG “NOVO NAMORADO”

Abstract

The present article proposes a reflection on brega romântico, a musical genre originating from peripheral territories, which, in 2021, was granted the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Recife. The brega, which has been reaching new audiences, shifts what is peripheral and inserts itself into prestigious spaces of the city, arousing the interest of researchers. At the same time, there is growing pedagogical interest in it, seen as a cultural aspect that allows for discussions on gender representations, artist performance, and musical elements. In this context, the focus of the work falls on the relationship between the representation of women in the lyrics of the song Novo Namorado and in the performance of singer Priscila Senna, interpreter of the hit. The analysis also relies on the investigation of the musical elements that compose the work under the sociocultural perspective in which they are inserted. The research included observations from interviews with the singer and the songwriter of the song, as well as reports and academic studies on Pernambuco’s brega. Preliminary results show that the song presents an ambiguous representation of the female figure and that its interpretation, carried out by a woman from urban peripheries, brings to light experiences marked by tensions and contradictions, but also by resistance and affirmation. Regarding the musical aspects, the analysis reveals that brega, even while still recognized in a stigmatized way, allows for reflection on its potential as an art form composed of social meanings and subjectivities.