Ambivalence, Paradox and the Poison-Remedy of Brazilian Improvisation: A Conversation with José Miguel Wisnik

Abstract

This interview with distinguished scholar, composer, and musician José Miguel Wisnik addresses the different guises of improvisation in Brazilian culture and life. From the characteristically improvisational manner of playing soccer, to the informal Bossa Nova gatherings, to the playful relationship with language and its slippery signifiers, to the fluidity between public and private spheres, Wisnik explores the modes of ambivalence and paradox that he identifies as pivotal to Brazilian tendencies.