The Purpose, Power and Politics of Brazilian Christian Liturgy

In 1808, when French military and political leader Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) invaded Portugal, Prince D. Joao VI (1767-1826) fled to Rio de Janeiro and eventually obtained governance of Brazil. As a first step, he appointed his own bishop and other persons in charge of the cathedral there, who in turn influenced how Father Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830), the Mulatto chief musician of the cathedral from 1808 to 1811, functioned theologically, musically, and culturally.Along with other Mulatto chapel masters like Francisco Gomes da Rocha (1745-1808), Marcos Coelho Neto (1740/1746-1806), and Jos Joaquim Emerico Lobo de Mesquita (1746- 1805), Father Garcia adjusted cultural demeanor and his musical compositions to meet the expectations of Prince D. Joao and his officers. As a result, Father Garcia's work beard no clear witness to his "Afro-Brazilian" musical influences, and was presented like that of a Portuguese European. This current study examined Father Garcia's case to exemplify how the political climate of Brazil influenced Christian liturgy and may have even hindered its indigenous musical expression. Father Garcia's compositional style lacked traces one of his African-Brazilian heritage which suggests he was likely under the influence of the colonial authorities, having to conceal key aspects of his identity and adjusted his musical performances to please the Portuguese rulers. Furthermore, this study explored the prevailing mindset of his day and three of Garcia's eight unpublished manuscripts with Ladainhas Litanies]. Finally, various impacts of colonial politics on indigenous Brazilian Christian liturgists and their patterns of worship were discussed in this case study.