Beyond the major labels: historical, imaginary and “independent” practices in Brazil

Abstract

This article has the objective of analyzing various facts and meanings historically associated with the term and the phenomenon of "independent" in the development of phonogaphic and musical production in Brazil. The article also calls attention to how the multifaceted set of meanings and references regarding this notion of "independent" was developed through different processes and experiences in recent decades. It also discusses how these meanings continue as references in articulating the contemporary discourses of performers, producers, journalists and the public in their frequent mentions of "independent scene" and "independent musical production”. Given the recent and widespread impact of digital technologies, including the Internet, on spheres of production, distribution and consumption of music, the article stresses the importance of this mapping of combinations between "old" and "new" meanings attributed to the phenomenon of "independent" in today´s current socio-musical imagery. Through this mapping process we hope to contribute to the identification of clues and significant elements related to new developments and the reorganization of the economy, politics and aesthetics of our music amid the rapid changes in today´s world.