A canção como resistência: discurso constituinte e memória cultural em “A little more blue”, de Caetano Veloso

Abstract

This study examines the song A Little More Blue by Caetano Veloso as a constituent discourse of political resistance and artistic self-legitimation during his exile under the Brazilian military dictatorship (1969–1971). Grounded in the Discourse Analysis (DA) framework of Maingueneau (2000; 2018) and Nelson Barros da Costa (2001), the research aims to understand how the work functions as a critical discursive practice, with the following specific objectives: (a) to analyze the concepts of constituent discourse, self-constitution, hetero-constitution, and archéion; (b) to investigate the archéion evoked in the song, emphasizing its connection to cultural and political memory; (c) to examine the processes of self-constitution (artistic identity) and hetero-constitution (collective influence) of Veloso within Brazilian Popular Music (MPB); and (d) to comprehend his identity renegotiation during exile. The methodology is qualitative, exploratory, and bibliographic, combining discursive analysis of the song, theoretical review, and historical contextualization. The findings reveal that the song, through references to figures like Carmen Miranda and Libertad Lamarque, constructs an affective and political archéion, while selfconstitution and hetero-constitution establish Veloso as a voice of resistance. The study concludes that the song transcends personal narrative, becoming a discursive landmark in MPB, and suggests further research on concepts like paratopia. Ultimately, the research underscores art’s role in contesting authoritarianism, with implications for contemporary political discourse.