Sampling as Political Practice

Abstract

This article seeks to put in perspective Gilberto Gil’s Brazilian cultural policy from 2003 to 2008 as a pioneer attempt to institutionally legitimate musical cultures involving sampling and remix. Mutations brought about by the digital age call for strong reflections upon the concept of “digital culture” enacted for instance in sampling and remix practices, and incarnated in a complex manner by the cultural “glocal” laboratories of underground musical cultures in Brazil. The study of Gil’s policy involves a multifaceted approach mixing music sociology, ethnology, cultural studies, the study of law, policies and of the music industry, in order to clarify the redefinition of musical authorship and intellectual property brought about by musical digital culture along with identifying some challenges for scholars and actors of the musical world for the years to come.