Entre gatas, demônias, flores e darma: atravessamentos de gênero em cenas musicais natalenses de rock

Abstract

This research investigates the participation of bands composed exclusively by women in independent rock music scenes in Natal/RN during three different decades that were influenced by transformations of media and the feminist movement: 1960 (second wave), 2000 (third wave) and 2010 (fourth wave). The second wave marked a revitalization of the movement with the famous contributions of Simone de Beauvoir; the third brought up the claims of feminists from the margins to the centre (HOOKS, 2019; LUGONES, 2019; CARNEIRO, 2019) and the fourth marks the influence of digital media on the popularisation of the feminist discourse (PARRY et. al., 2019). Applying the music scenes concept developed by Will Straw (1991), just like the interpretations of Brazilian researchers such as Jeder Janotti Jr. (2013), Simone Pereira de Sá (2011; 2013), Luciana Xavier de Oliveira (2018) e Tobias Queiroz (2019), this thesis builds a panorama that crosses independent rock music scenes active in the city of Natal, highlighting bands composed exclusively by women. It attempts to understand the reason for gender disparity between the quantity of men and women musicians active in these music scenes. Through a historical revision of the arrival of rock in Natal that dates back to the 1950’s until present day, it identifies bands composed exclusively by women and their members are interviewed qualitatively so that an analysis inside the categories “relationship with music”, “relationship with feminism”, and “relationship with the music scene” can be developed. The categories are in synch with the theories of gender, feminism and cultural studies about women and rock in order to better understand the mediations that impact and challenge their existence in rock music scenes. This work’s goal is reached through non-structured interviews that were performed with seventeen women. They are members of the bands studied in depth: As Gatas, active in 1966; Darma, in 2005; Flor de Nis and demonia in 2017. Beyond them, one of the musicians of the Peraltas active in the 1960’s and two organisers of the Girls on X festival are also a part of this research. The interviews were collected in different ways to better reach the aforementioned women, such as in person, through Skype, e-mail and Whatsapp. The analysis of the content was oriented by Bardin (1971), alongside with the basis discussed in the theoretical foundation. The mediations that cross women’s existences in music scenes, their first experiences as musicians (LEONARD, 2007; BAYTON, 2005a; BAYTON, 2005b; COHEN, 2005; MCROBBIE, 2005) and their contact with feminism are discussed to guide the analysis that was developed.