From Disney to Dystopia: Transforming “Brazil” For A U.S. Audience

Ever since appearing in Disney's Saludos Amigos (1942), Ary Barroso's musical ode to the Brazilian motherland, “Brazil,” is among the most recognizable songs circulating in Western Culture about Brazil. This essay shows how the song became detached from its roots as a nationalist samba to represent in audiovisual media such divergent ideas as tropical paradise and dystopian futures. Dominant uses of “Brazil” often accompany iconic images from Rio de Janeiro that idealise the country as a tropical fantasy. By contrast, another more subversive interpretation of “Brazil” appears in the Michael Kaman’s score for Brazil (1984), a dystopian science fiction comedy. That recontextualization made the song more adaptable such that film trailer houses often use the arrangement in contexts that amplify the film’s dystopian vision and erase connections with Brazil as a tropical paradise. “Brazil” has also changed as a different kind of fantasy in the marketing campaign and theme music for ITV’s broadcast of the 2014 World Cup for UK audiences. These cases show how a samba came to index fantasies that disrupt notions of Western progress and even warn of the dangers of its excess

Favela Chic in Action: Soundtracking Urban Violence in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

This chapter is a study of music and violence in action films set in Rio de Janeiro’s poorest neighborhoods. It traces how the Brazilian films Cidade de Deus [City of God] (2002) and Tropa de Elite [Elite Squad] (2007) rely both on visual language that emphasizes hyperrealistic slum violence, and on musical tropes that carry a local meaning linked to roguery and cunning. It argues that these films were part of a larger trend of national policies that incentivized filming in the poorest neighborhoods, in essence profiting off decades of neglect. The use of musical styles to emphasize or critique the symbolic links of those neighborhoods to crime was often not available to international audiences unfamiliar with the legacy of styles such as samba and carioca funk

Bossa Nova and Twenty-First Century Commerce: Branded Ubiquitous Music and the Global Bourgeoisie

In the United States, most middle-class listeners often have passive contact with bossa nova. In recent decades, this contact is often in the context of restaurants, bars, and increasingly in spaces more directly affiliated with commerce such as clothing stores, coffee shops, and bookstores. As common as bossa nova and other Brazilian musical styles are in commercial spaces, few have questioned why that genre above others has been uniquely poised to fulfill a variety of ubiquitous music needs, and more to the point, what social and cultural transactions occur when the music is placed in these contexts. This essay seeks to understand the ease with which bossa nova, in all of its guises, has found an extended life as ubiquitous music in outlets where audiences are least likely to be paying attention to what they are hearing. While the practice of using bossa nova in restaurants and bars has a precedent through its popularity among jazz musicians, this essay focuses on the role of pre-recorded music in these contexts. It draws from interviews conducted with independent record industry personnel in Brazil as well as with the producers of “canned” music content for a variety of retail contexts. This essay is in conversation with debates of distracted sensory perception from auditory / sound studies and media studies. By treating bossa nova as sound more than as a musical text in these environments, this essay foregrounds the unique function of this musical style as conducive to commerce

From Miami to Hong Kong SoundingTransnational Queerness and Translation in Moonlight

Through the example of Barry Jenkins’ choices for Moonlight (2016), this chapter argues that pre-existing musical cues can link a film’s themes to other minority filmmaking traditions. The song at the center of this chapter, "Cucurrucucú Paloma," exemplifies the kinds of cultural translations common in transnational queer cinema. It was originally a Mexican song recorded by a Brazilian musical icon that first appeared in Happy Together (1997), Wong Kar-Wai’s film about two gay men from Hong Kong on holiday in Argentina, and later appeared in Pedro Almodóvar's Hable Con Ella (2006). The placement of that song in close proximity to Aretha Franklin's "One Step Ahead" translates Veloso's vocals to Black, queer context. While these references may seem innocuous to a general cinematic audience, they do important affective work for publics for whom the musical codes are more meaningful. Through these musical choices the film to takes part in transnational notions of queer sentiment. The transnational orientation of the film’s soundtrack is all the more meaningful for characters that are largely excluded from the cosmopolitan reputation of Miami due to poverty and structural oppression. Contextualizing the musical choices of a filmmaker such as Jenkins allows us further insight into how seemingly obscure musical cues can deepen the film’s meaning for knowledgeable publics

Spatial and chromatic properties of numerosity estimation in isolation and context

Numerosity estimation around the subitizing range is facilitated by a shape-template matching process and shape-coding mechanisms are selective to visual features such as colour and luminance contrast polarity. Objects in natural scenes are often embedded within other objects or textured surfaces. Numerosity estimation is improved when objects are grouped into small clusters of the same colour, a phenomenon termed groupitizing, which is thought to leverage on the subitizing system. Here we investigate whether numerosity mechanisms around the subitizing range are selective to colour, luminance contrast polarity and orientation , and how spatial organisation of context and target elements modulates target numeros-ity estimation. Stimuli consisted of a small number (3-to-6) of target elements presented either in isolation or embedded within context elements. To examine selectivity to colour, luminance polarity and orientation, we compared target-only conditions in which all elements were either the same or different along one of these feature dimensions. We found comparable performance in the same and different feature conditions, revealing that subitiz-ing mechanism do not depend on 'on-off' luminance-polarity, colour or orientation channel interactions. We also measured the effect of varying spatial organisation of (i) context, by arranging the elements either in a grid, mirror-symmetric, translation-symmetric or random; (ii) target, by placing the elements either mirror-symmetric, on the vertices of simple shapes or random. Our results indicate higher accuracy and lower RTs in the grid compared to all other context types, with mirror symmetric, translation and random arrangements having comparable effects on target numerosity. We also found improved performance with shape-target followed by symmetric and random target arrangements in the absence and presence of context. These findings indicate that numerosity mechanisms around the subitizing range are not selective to colour, luminance polarity and orientation, and that symmetric, translation and random contexts organisations inhibit target-numerosity encoding stronger than regular/grid context. PLOS ONE PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone

Popular Music and the Growth of Brazilian Culture Industries since 1945

The period following the end of Getúlio Vargas’s second government (1951-1954) saw a massive expansion of the media industries with popular music in particular becoming an important cultural touchstone. Some salient trends in the post-War period include the politicization of music and other media (radio, television, social media), the incorporation of international musical influences (especially jazz and rock) into Brazilian musical production, the expansion and contraction of the recording industry, and the rise and prominence of regional genres in the national discourse. Brazilian media industry infrastructures take part in artistic expression, including both major multinational record labels as well as independent record companies. Popular music production has regularly responded to the social and economic upheavals that have characterized Brazil since the end of WWII. Interdisciplinary perspectives, including communication studies, history, anthropology, and ethnomusicology, show some possible new routes for music and cultural industry research in Brazil

Il saute dehors/ Il grimpe dessus : particules adverbales de trajectoire en français L1 et L2

Les études typologiques sur l’expression du mouvement ont souligné une différence radicale entre les langues romanes et germaniques dans la réalisation linguistique de tels énoncés (Talmy 1985, 2000 ; Berman & Slobin 1994). Les langues romanes préfèrent en général les verbes de mouvement qui marquent une direction ou une trajectoire (« path » ; par exemple en français sortir, descendre, monter ou en espagnol salir, bajar, montar), alors que les langues germaniques favorisent les verbes de mouvement qui expriment la manière de bouger (« manner » ; par exemple en anglais run, roll, creep, en néerlandais rennen, lopen, springen ou en allemand rennen, eilen, schleichen). De plus, les langues romanes sont des V-langues (centrées sur le verbe) dans la mesure où c’est celui-ci qui exprime l’orientation du mouvement. En revanche, les langues germaniques sont des S-langues (centrées sur le satellite) dans le sens où la trajectoire y est souvent indiquée par une particule adverbale (donc ajoutée au verbe) comme (en anglais in, out, up, en néerlandais in, uit, buiten, binnen, boven ou en allemand hinaus, hinein, hinauf). Cette première étude exploratoire vise à évaluer l’impact du contraste invoqué sur la production, par des apprenants germanophones de français L2, de particules adverbales de trajectoire « exclues » en français L1, ainsi qu’à relever une éventuelle variation existant dans la production des locuteurs natifs eux-mêmes. Les données examinées font ressortir que, sur le plan de l’exploitation des particules adverbales de trajectoire, l’opposition entre V-langues et S-langues s’impose de manière moins tranchée que ce que les analyses typologiques laissaient entendre. Si la quantité des particules convoquées est similaire dans le discours des deux groupes, la variété d’emploi et l’apparition de certaines « déviances » distinguent les deux productions. Enfin, la collocation des particules avec certains verbes s’impose dans la production des deux groupes, mais pas exactement selon les mêmes modalités.Typological studies on the linguistic expression of movement have emphasised a radical difference between Romance and Germanic languages (Talmy 1985, 2000 ; Berman & Slobin 1994). Romance languages generally prefer movement verbs marking a direction or a trajectory (path: e.g. French sortir, descendre, monter or Spanish salir, bajar, montar), while Germanic languages favour movement verbs which express the manner of the movement (e.g. English run, roll, creep, Dutch rennen, lopen, springen or German rennen, eilen, schleichen). Moreover, Romance languages are V-languages (i.e. centred around the verb) because the verb itself expresses the orientation of the movement, whereas Germanic languages are S-languages (i.e. centred around the satellite) since the trajectory is often marked by an adverbial particle, which is added to the verb (English in, out, up, Dutch in, uit, buiten, binnen, boven or German hinaus, hinein, hinauf). This first exploratory study aims to evaluate the impact of the mentioned contrast on German-speaking L2 French learners’ production of adverbial particles marking the trajectory, which are “rejected” in L1 French, and to reveal the possible existing variation in the productions of French native speakers. The analysed data highlight that the opposition between V-languages and S-languages, regarding the use of adverbial particles marking the trajectory, is not as sharply contrasted as the typological studies have suggested. The quantity of used adverbial particles is comparable in the productions of both groups, but the variety and the appearance of certain deviancies distinguish the two productions. Finally, the collocation of adverbial particles with certain verbs is noticed in the productions of both groups, but according the exact same modalities

Il saute dehors/ Il grimpe dessus : particules adverbales de trajectoire en français L1 et L2

Les études typologiques sur l’expression du mouvement ont souligné une différence radicale entre les langues romanes et germaniques dans la réalisation linguistique de tels énoncés (Talmy 1985, 2000 ; Berman & Slobin 1994). Les langues romanes préfèrent en général les verbes de mouvement qui marquent une direction ou une trajectoire (« path » ; par exemple en français sortir, descendre, monter ou en espagnol salir, bajar, montar), alors que les langues germaniques favorisent les verbes de mouvement qui expriment la manière de bouger (« manner » ; par exemple en anglais run, roll, creep, en néerlandais rennen, lopen, springen ou en allemand rennen, eilen, schleichen). De plus, les langues romanes sont des V-langues (centrées sur le verbe) dans la mesure où c’est celui-ci qui exprime l’orientation du mouvement. En revanche, les langues germaniques sont des S-langues (centrées sur le satellite) dans le sens où la trajectoire y est souvent indiquée par une particule adverbale (donc ajoutée au verbe) comme (en anglais in, out, up, en néerlandais in, uit, buiten, binnen, boven ou en allemand hinaus, hinein, hinauf). Cette première étude exploratoire vise à évaluer l’impact du contraste invoqué sur la production, par des apprenants germanophones de français L2, de particules adverbales de trajectoire « exclues » en français L1, ainsi qu’à relever une éventuelle variation existant dans la production des locuteurs natifs eux-mêmes. Les données examinées font ressortir que, sur le plan de l’exploitation des particules adverbales de trajectoire, l’opposition entre V-langues et S-langues s’impose de manière moins tranchée que ce que les analyses typologiques laissaient entendre. Si la quantité des particules convoquées est similaire dans le discours des deux groupes, la variété d’emploi et l’apparition de certaines « déviances » distinguent les deux productions. Enfin, la collocation des particules avec certains verbes s’impose dans la production des deux groupes, mais pas exactement selon les mêmes modalités.Typological studies on the linguistic expression of movement have emphasised a radical difference between Romance and Germanic languages (Talmy 1985, 2000 ; Berman & Slobin 1994). Romance languages generally prefer movement verbs marking a direction or a trajectory (path: e.g. French sortir, descendre, monter or Spanish salir, bajar, montar), while Germanic languages favour movement verbs which express the manner of the movement (e.g. English run, roll, creep, Dutch rennen, lopen, springen or German rennen, eilen, schleichen). Moreover, Romance languages are V-languages (i.e. centred around the verb) because the verb itself expresses the orientation of the movement, whereas Germanic languages are S-languages (i.e. centred around the satellite) since the trajectory is often marked by an adverbial particle, which is added to the verb (English in, out, up, Dutch in, uit, buiten, binnen, boven or German hinaus, hinein, hinauf). This first exploratory study aims to evaluate the impact of the mentioned contrast on German-speaking L2 French learners’ production of adverbial particles marking the trajectory, which are “rejected” in L1 French, and to reveal the possible existing variation in the productions of French native speakers. The analysed data highlight that the opposition between V-languages and S-languages, regarding the use of adverbial particles marking the trajectory, is not as sharply contrasted as the typological studies have suggested. The quantity of used adverbial particles is comparable in the productions of both groups, but the variety and the appearance of certain deviancies distinguish the two productions. Finally, the collocation of adverbial particles with certain verbs is noticed in the productions of both groups, but according the exact same modalities

Auswirkungen des Klimawandels auf die Sickerwasserrate rheinland-pfälzischer Böden

Die Ermittlung der Sickerwasserrate (SWR) stellt eine wichtige Datengrundlage für die Bearbeitung zahlreicher bodenkundlicher und hydrologischer Fragestellungen dar. Am Landesamt für Geologie und Bergbau Rheinland-Pfalz wurde die mittlere jährliche SWR nach dem TUB-BGR-Verfahren auf Grundlage der Bodenflächendaten 1: 200 000 für den Zeitraum 1971-2000 berechnet. Der Einfluss unterschiedlich modellierter Niederschlagsdaten im 1 km-Raster wurde untersucht. Dies sind zum einen die für Rheinland-Pfalz interpolierten INTERMET-Daten, zum anderen die deutschlandweit verfügbaren REGNIE-Daten des Deutschen Wetterdienstes. Anhand modellierter Zukunftsdaten nach dem WETTREG2006-Modell für den Zeitraum 2021-2050 wurde abschließend der Einfluss des Klimawandels auf die SWR untersucht und die Ergebnisse diskutiert

Organische Kohlenstoffgehalte und -vorräte von Andosolen im Westerwald

Das Referat Boden am Landesamt für Geologie und Bergbau Rheinland-Pfalz hat etwa 75 Bodenprofile mit forstlicher Nutzung im Westerwaldkreis beschrieben und beprobt. Im Arbeitsgebiet treten häufig Lockerbraunerden aus Laacher See-Tephra auf, die zukünftig nach der 6. Auflage der Bodenkundlichen Kartieranleitung in die neue Bodenklasse der Andosole eingruppiert werden. Andische Böden weisen generell höhere organische Kohlenstoffgehalte auf als benachbarte nicht andische Böden. Die Auswertung der Daten in Kooperation mit dem Rheinland-Pfalz Kompetenzzentrum für Klimawandelfolgen zeigt, dass auch die in Rheinland-Pfalz vorkommenden Andosole besonders hohe Gehalte an organischem Kohlenstoff aufweisen. Damit werden die in der Literatur genannten höheren organischen Kohlenstoffgehalte der Andosole mittels der im Westerwaldkreis bearbeiteten Bodenprofile empirisch bestätigt