Team
Jorge Castro Ribeiro (coordination / INET-md)
Ana Flávia Miguel (INET-md)
Lucas de Campos Ramos (INET-md)
Period
2025 to 2026
Funding
Organização dos Estados Iberoamericanos – OEI
Camões – Instituto da Cooperação e da Língua
Abstract
This ethnomusicology-based scientific project focuses on the circulation, transformation, and cultural mediation of drums from Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, and Colombia. It is grounded in two key premises: a) The circulation of musical practices, knowledge, repertoires, and instruments in general—and drums and other percussion instruments in particular—between Africa and South America throughout history is a rich field for understanding cultural processes that occurred in the past and continue to be relevant today in the context of cultural exchange and social memory; b) Musical practices and instruments, especially percussion, derive their cultural meaning from their intrinsic connection to music, dance, sung poetry, and their social contexts.
The research project aims to produce and disseminate knowledge about music, musicians, and musical instruments in Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Brazil, and Colombia, contributing to the historical, musical, and cultural grounding of the Atlantic Drum Routes. Key tasks include: (i) Producing studies that characterize and interpret musical practices within historical, anthropological, and sociological frameworks; (ii) Mapping existing studies as well as identifiable manifestations, particularly within museums, cultural institutions, festivals, rituals, networks, and among artists and instrument makers; (iii) Expanding knowledge and understanding of the routes taken by drums and associated instruments, their performance practices, and contexts through published research.
The research is carried out by the University of Aveiro through the Institute of Ethnomusicology – Centre for the Study of Music and Dance (INET-md), within the scope of the development project also titled “Atlantic Drum Route”, implemented by the Organization of Ibero-American States (OEI) with support from Portuguese Cooperation. The project focuses on the shared percussive musical heritage between South America and Africa, using an approach that connects culture and development.
Keywords
Ethnomusicology; Transatlantic musical circulation; Cultural heritage; Percussion instruments