ABSTRACT
This article explores the work of Tom Zé in relation to the tradition of samba, focusing primarily on three albums conceived as “studies”: Estudando o samba (1976), Estudando o pagode (2005), and Estudando a bossa (2008). Based on close reading of selected song lyrics and the analysis of some of the formal aspects of his music, this study seeks to understand the experimental strategies he has deployed in engaging critically with the tradition of Brazilian song. We propose the term “disjunctive samba” to characterize his experiments with rhythm, harmony, poetics, and performance that combine musical innovation with social critique.
KEYWORDS:
Samba; tradition; disjunction; experimental
