Description
The term “Violão Brasileiro” (Brazilian guitar) emerged as a cultural symbol at various key historical moments, with documented references dating back to the late 19th century. These references reflect ongoing dialogues between local traditions and global dynamics. This study focuses on two images that illustrate this evolution: a 1928 photograph published in O Violão magazine, depicting Ivonne Rebello as the future glory of the Brazilian guitar, and the 1958 album cover of Luiz Bonfá's Brazilian Guitar, designed for the international market. Drawing on the theoretical framework established in Guitar Cultures (Dawe & Bennett, 2001), which examines how instruments become cultural agents within different societies, the study analyzes the ways in which the Brazilian guitar transcends cultural boundaries and is reinterpreted in diverse contexts. The primary goal of this study is to explore how these images, within their historical contexts, contribute to the establishment of the Brazilian guitar as a cultural icon, with particular attention to its increasing prominence from the 1960s onward.
