By Jorge Dias
From the Centro de Estudos de Etnologia Peninsular and C. E. de Antropologia Cultural (Peninsular Ethnology Studies Centre and Cultural Anthropology Studies Centre)
THE “CAVAQUINHO" - STUDY ON THE DISSEMINATION OF A POPULAR INSTRUMENT, 1965.
Travelling through the greater part of the Brazilian states has helped us to compile plenty of elements regarding the cavaquinho. Nowhere else in the world has this instrument been disseminated or popularized as in Brazil. We have had the opportunity of encountering countless times with cavaquinho players. We came across the lone player who on a train or fête plays for himself; the group player accompanying the guitar and strumming in the Portuguese fashion; and finally, the city concert player, virtuoso, celebrated, who attracts crowds and earns what he likes. Among the latter, Waldyr Azevedo stands out as the musician who has probably earned most from the sale of records lately . But in this case, and although the instrument is the same, the use of a pick gave him new possibilities and the artist has more resources to get new effects and variations than the popular musician. Thus, from a rhythmic and harmonic instrument, the cavaquinho has been transformed into a melodic instrument.
Herewith we have assembled a review of all the elements regarding the cavaquinho which we have managed to compile from the Brazilian bibliography in order to reach some provisional conclusions regarding this curious dissemination case.
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