Voz de trovador, voz de cantautor: a lírica trovadoresca e José Mário Branco

Abstract

This article aims to detect and analyze the presence of troubadour lyricism in the work of José Mário Branco, particularly in his first recording, the EP Seis Cantigas de Amigo, released in 1969 by Arquivos Sonoros Portugueses. I will begin by defining the concepts of political song and protest song (canção de intervenção), arguing that popular music, even when not overtly political, can still be considered political. I will then provide a brief overview of the use of troubadour lyric poetry in modern musical reinterpretations prior to the emergence of the baladeiro movement and the renewal of popular song that began in the 1950s. Finally, I will analyze the songs selected and set to music by José Mário Branco, examining his knowledge of the troubadour phenomenon in general and of specific authors in particular, the relationship between the original troubadour texts and their musical adaptations (in terms of selection, rewriting, and adaptation), and the aesthetic, social, or other principles that motivated him to set this kind of poetry to music.