Terra dos Pássaros: Permanence of counterculture elements in Toninho Horta's production of the 1970's

Abstract

This article presents an analysis of the production of the composer and player Toninho Horta, with emphasis on his performance throughout the 1970's and on the process of elaboration of his inaugural record Terra dos Pássaros, which was released independently in 1979. Starting from MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) and the song festivals of the late 1960's, in a context marked by the politics of an authoritarian regime and by the consolidation of the cultural industry, we have attempted to discuss the permanence of elements of counterculture in the production of Toninho Horta. These elements were noticeable in the artist's creative discourse and in the content of his songwriting during the 1970's. We have taken into account the correspondence between his musical conception, linked to a ludic and informal dimension, and other productions such as Clube da Esquina and the poetry collective Nuvem Cigana, with which Toninho Horta established relationships. The study of these production shall contribute to the understanding of the transformations of Brazilian popular song during the 1970's.