Traces of Popular Music Criticism in São Paulo (1930-1960)

Criticism of popular music as published in São Paulo’s periodicals between 1930 and 1960 remains little known. Unlike the nation’s capital, which at that time developed a tradition in daily newspapers and fostered the emergence of scholars and analysts of urban music, São Paulo followed different paths. In general, after 1945, both this criticism and studies on new sound culture expanded and gradually gained cultural recognition, especially in the periodical and specialized press, which was also undergoing significant changes during this period. Within this landscape, discussions in São Paulo followed a distinct dynamic, remaining in various ways influenced by theories and practices shaped under the guidance of Mário de Andrade and the institutions associated with him. This article seeks to examine part of the mainstream press linked to a specific cultural circuit in São Paulo, exploring the directions and aspects of this intellectual production—how it circulated, its places of production, its disputes, some of its key figures, the themes developed, the characteristics constructed, and the regional interests involved. Most importantly, it analyzes how, for a certain period, this intellectual environment created obstacles to the emergence of a form of criticism more engaged with the music circulating in the entertainment sphere and modern means of communication.

music criticism; popular music; press; São Paulo; cultural history