Meninas de Sinhá: a reinvenção da vida nas tramas do discurso musical

Abstract

This work is a qualitative study about a collective subject that transformed its members life through music practice. It concerns to a musical group known as Meninas de Sinhá, composed of 34 afro-descendent elderly women living in Alto Vera Cruz, a poor community in Belo Horizonte, MG. The group was formed aiming to joining some women who usually needed anti-depressant drugs. Since then, they could suppress the medication, bringing joy to themselves, to their families and to the community. The groups repertory includes ring around songs, verses and self-made or public domain songs. This work makes the reconstitution of the groups history, considering its subjects speech. After a long time of observation, semi-structured interviews and talks with 7 members of the group and of the community, films, recording, home visits, observation of shows and rehearsal, it became possible the understanding of the plot of the musical speech. In this context plot is assumed as the effect of making a net of possibilities, of building a happier life trough interchanges. In the research events were considered both according to the group subjects musical speech as well as that of the people who met them. The plots of this speech with its musical and human aspects were made by the group, according to its ability of giving a meaning and of joining the contributions of those who share its history. The group development became evident under different aspects. Personally, the group members no more feel themselves depressed. In relation to the musical aspect an improvement is noticed: in the beginning the group used to sing only songs of public domain and at present it has also his own compositions, becoming known throughout the country. This work is concluded proposing to the group the challenge of not loosing the line of its initial plot: to promote the joy and the health of its members, by means of the music.