ABSTRACT
Both nationally and around the world, the Afro-Brazilian traditions most clearly identify the musics of Brazil. Afro-Brazilian traditions shape the unique character of the musics of Brazil as recognized at the national and international levels. These traditions must be viewed, however, in their specific historical and regional contexts in order for their true meanings to be understood. A multiplicity of black identities emerges from the ambiguity of ethnic self-identities and the complexities of Brazilian social stratification.
