Seresta | |
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Native name | Portuguese: Seresta |
Etymology | Serenada |
Cultural origins | First half of the 20th century, Brazil |
Typical instruments |
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Seresta is a traditional Brazilian music style from the first half of the 20th century. The musician who plays seresta is called a seresteiro.
In the 1960s, the Museum of Seresta and Serenata (Portuguese: Museu da Seresta e da Serenata) opened in Valença, Rio de Janeiro. The municipality also hosts events like the "Seresteiros Festival".
Seresta music can be purely instrumental or accompanied by singing.
Seresta is characterized by the amorous and nostalgic atmosphere of a Brazilian serenade with tempo variations. It is common for the genre to alternate between a sequential, expressive, and sentimental melody and a lively waltz with metrical ambiguity. Seresta is played with instruments like bandolin, acoustic guitar, accordion, flute, and cavaquinho and has a romantic thematic.