TumTá and Pisada

Digital Dance and Music Instruments Inspired by Popular Brazilian Traditions

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2020.26151

Keywords:

New interfaces for musical expression, Digital musical instrument, Digital dance and music instrument, Design process, Inspiration from tradition, Brazilian musical instrument

Abstract

This paper presents the development process of TumTá, a wearable Digital Dance and Music Instrument that triggers sound samples from foot stomps and Pisada, a dance-enabled MIDI pedalboard. It was developed between 2012 and 2017 for the use of Helder Vasconcelos, a dancer and musician formed by the traditions of Cavalo Marinho and Maracatu Rural from Pernambuco, Brazil. The design of this instrument was inspired by traditional instruments like the Zabumba and by the gestural vocabulary from Cavalo Marinho, to make music and dance at the same time. The development process of this instrument is described in the three prototyping phases conducted by three approaches: building blocks, artisanal, and digital fabrication. We analyze the process of designing digital technology inspired by Brazilian traditions, present the lessons learned, and discuss future works.

Author Biographies

  • João Tragtenberg, Batebit Artesania Digital

    João Tragtenberg is the founder of Batebit Artesania Digital, where he researches and develops digital instruments, installations and dance and music performances. He did his Masters in Computer Science at UFPE where he researched Digital Dance and Music Instruments. He was an industrial researcher at the SENAI Institute for Innovation in ICTs where he started CIIMUS, the Creativity and Innovation Nucleus for Music Manufacturing. He participated in events such as the Ars Eletronica Festival, In Kepler's Gardens in 2020 at Bucharest, Romania with the telematic performance CON- - -TACT, the opening of the Recife Carnival 2018 featuring in the show "O Frevo Para o Mundo" by Quinteto Violado and the International Conference on New Interfaces for Musical Expression (NIME) presenting his academic research and the performance “Gira”, where he dances and plays the instrument he invented, the Giromin, controlling the light design and analogue synthesizers.

  • Filipe Calegario, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil

    Filipe Calegario is an assistant professor at Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. His research interests include computational creativity, design of digital musical instruments, and new input devices for musical interactions. Calegario has an PhD in computer science from CIn-UFPE.

  • Giordano Cabral, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil

    Giordano Cabral is an assistant professor at Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. His research interests include computer music, new interfaces for music expression, artificial intelligence, games, and innovation. Cabral holds a PhD from Université Pierre et Marie Curie in Paris. He founded music technology companies such as Daccord Music Software and MusiGames Studio.

  • Geber Ramalho, Federal University of Pernambuco, Brazil

    Geber Ramalho is an assistant professor at Centro de Informática, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. His main research interests are digital entertainment, artificial intelligence, and innovation. Ramalho holds a PhD in computer science from Université Paris 6. He is chair of the board of CESAR, a Brazilian innovation institute. 

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Published

2021-06-22

Issue

No. 40 (2020): Thematic Session: Computing Performed Music

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Articles

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How to Cite

“TumTá and Pisada: Digital Dance and Music Instruments Inspired by Popular Brazilian Traditions”. 2021. Per Musi, no. 40 (June): 1-20. https://doi.org/10.35699/2317-6377.2020.26151.

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