Yaô africano: the orixá in the voice of Patricio Teixeira

Abstract

Patricio Teixeira was an important voice in Brazilian music, particularly during the 1920s and 1930s. His career in radio broadcasting extended into the mid-1950s. Teixeira’s work gave visibility to black subjects and their cultural identities. This article analyzes the sacred elements that overflow into the musical and recreational universe of Rio through some of the songs recorded by Teixeira. With varied appropriations, these recordings of chants for orixá, Afro-Brazilian practices, and rituals mark the presence of the Afro-Brazilian sacred in Brazilian popular song.