Panorama musical numa roça no sul de São Tomé: Ribeira Peixe antes e depois da independência

Abstract

Through the analysis of the musical panorama of Ribeira Peixe, located in the south of the island of São Tomé, one can observe the changes in boundaries, territorial and social ones, visible and invisible. The transformations in the political and social situation of the archipelago, during the period of modern colonialism and in the first years of the country’s independence,
were reflected in the music interpreted and created by several socio-cultural groups that inhabited the same space. The increase in boundary porosity resulted in the emergence of borderlands, notable in music and leisure activities after independence. However, while social integration processes were taking place in the area, its marginalization became more acute.
This may have been related to the distancing of the other islanders from the community of that place, made up of Angolares and ex-indentured laborers.
The testimonies of people involved in musical creation and of the other inhabitants convey the feeling of being marginalized by the authorities and the rest of the island’s population.
Keywords: São Tomé and Príncipe, music, boundaries, social change.