The sounds of Brazil’s Independence in Campinas

Abstract

Conected to the region of Itu and far from the intense coffee production that would later characterize it, Vila de São Carlos was what Campinas was called until 1842. Its economy was based on sugarcane, produced in several mills, showing some economic progress. There, in 1822, there was acclamation for the Independence of Brazil and, in a session of the City Council, an oath was drawn up, signed by almost a hundred residents. Among members of the agricultural, military and clerical elite, there were some people who were not part of those groups. Among these, two musicians stand out, Manuel Gomes da Graça, who soon left the profession, and Manuel José Gomes, local chapel master. From the latter, this article seeks to understand the role of music in these celebrations.