Analou Pereira's PhD Dissertation Proposal Defense
Zoom--Please Contact Dr. Dario Borim at dborim@umassd.edu
: Zoom--Please Contact Dr. Dario Borim at dborim@umassd.edu
Dario Borim
508-910-6609
dborim@umassd.edu
Doctoral student Ana Lourdes Pereira will defend her dissertation proposal on Sept 1, 2026, 3:00PM (EST) via Zoom. The event will be public. Those interested in attending that event should write to Dr. Dario Borim--through his email, dborim@umassd.edu--to request access information.
Title: Women, Sexuality and Performance in Contemporary Brazilian Popular Music
Abstract
This doctoral research proposal investigates how queer women active in contemporary Brazilian popular music utilize musical production, performances, and visual representations as spaces for identity construction, negotiation of belonging, and the contestation of gender and sexuality norms. Situated at the interface of Brazilian cultural studies, gender studies, and queer theory, the research adopts a qualitative, interpretivist approach, grounded primarily in the theoretical contributions of Michel Foucault and Judith Butler. Drawing on the concepts of discourse, power, and performativity, it is understood that identities, sexualities, and gender expressions do not constitute fixed essences, but rather socially and historically produced processes. In this context, music is analyzed as a field of symbolic dispute in which different subjectivities are produced, legitimized, tensioned, and transformed. The corpus brings together queer female artists from different generations, trajectories, regions of Brazil, and musical languages: Jaloo, a non-binary artist whose music blends regional nuances with indietronica and tecnobrega; Núbia, a reggae singer and songwriter from the capital of Maranhão; Lauana Prado, one of the most listened-to voices in current feminejo; Liniker, the transgender artist who has made history in Brazilian culture with her intimate, powerful music filled with samba-rock and soul references; and Adriana Calcanhotto, who occupies an established space in the poetic-musical field. The analysis will be organized into three complementary axes: the context of production and reception of the works; the discursive analysis of song lyrics; and the investigation of visual performances, such as music videos, album covers, photo shoots, and live performances. Furthermore, the research dialogues with authors such as Guacira Lopes Louro, Lélia Gonzalez, Sueli Carneiro, Djamila Ribeiro, and bell hooks, incorporating reflections on intersectionality, lugar de fala (place of speech/standpoint), and social markers of difference. The outcome of this research is expected to demonstrate how these artists produce discursive disputes that expand the possibilities of representation and recognition for dissident identities in the contemporary Brazilian musical scene.
Keywords: Brazilian music; women; sexuality; performativity; discourse analysis.