Musicians’ Performances and Performances of "Musician" in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil

Abstract

F rock hits like “Money for Nothing” to sambas such as “Felicidade,” countless songs have lyrics suggesting that making music is antithetical to holding a job or doing work. Regardless of any ironic intent, such (self) representations are part of a discourse that obscures the labor necessary to become a musician and, especially, to support oneself as one.1 Such notions are bolstered as the lives of music industry notables are commonly portrayed as glamorous and devoid of any real work—imagery that contributes to their star mystique. Even when the work-like aspects of their careers are addressed in media and popular lore, the low wages, long hours, and poor treatment these individuals may have endured are typically discussed with nostalgia for bygone days of paying dues on the way to the big time. Missing from such triumphant tales are accounts of the many musicians who earn their living in local music industries without major label support, world tours, or international adulation. Between the proliferation of avenues for selfproduction and distribution and local worksites such as restaurants, bars, hotels, and weddings, there are perhaps more “proto markets” (Toynbee 2000) than ever in which professional musicians can ply their trade. Regardless of the creative and hard work they do, however, musicians who have not achieved star status are still commonly derided as hiding from serious labor and chasing dreams. This article is about the work of being a musician in Salvador, Bahia, a culturally rich but economically challenged state capital in the Brazilian northeast. In this urban center of nearly three million residents, music making in the local scenes (Straw 1991:373) can provide income for people who face an extremely