Welson Tremura
Welson Tremura (musicologist - artist - business consultant) is a Ph.D. in musicology-ethnomusicology from Florida State University, USA and an attorney from the College of Law Riopretense, Brazil and currently serves as a Professor of Music in the School of Music and the Center for Latin American Studies at the University of Florida. He is also the Associate director of the Center for Arts, Migration, and Entrepreneurship and oversees many academic and artistic activities. Dr. Tremura's main research focuses on music and religion as expressed in folk Catholicism traditions of folia de reis or the Three Kings celebration in Brazil. Additional research areas include digital technology in performance and global technology and the inclusion of world music as a core discipline and collaborative method for composition and performance. Combining his classical guitar and his voice, Dr. Tremura's triumphant performances include concert halls in the USA, such as the Carnegie Hall in New York City and DeBartolo Performing Arts Center in Notre Dame, Indiana. Internationally Dr. Tremura maintains an active performance and academic schedule and has performed and given lectures in Brazil, China, Mexico, Guatemala, the United States, India, Spain, Italy, Germany, the Netherlands, and New Zealand. Music critics and audiences have consistently praised Dr. Tremura for his interpretation of the most acclaimed bossa nova songs and his own guitar compositions. Combining performance and research, Dr. Tremura's academic assignments include a series of projects to expand music and performance scholarship to create opportunities for students, faculty, and artists to collaborate nationally and internationally. An important dimension of his academic career has been devoted to building collaborative relationships between various units at the University of Florida to create new and unique programs to facilitate interdisciplinary projects, such as composing music to foster creativity and innovation over the internet. A large collection of artistic and collaborative videos from Dr. Tremura can be seen on his YouTube and Vimeo channels, which combined have more than 4 million hits. Dr. Tremura's Brazilian Music Institute (BMI) is a unique program in teaching and performing Brazilian music in an academic environment. Every year during the month of May, the Institute attracts students, faculty, and international artists from Brazil and the USA to collaborate on a weeklong series of master classes and workshops. The Institute values artistic excellence and commitment to the music and culture of Brazil. Through group lessons in Brazilian instrumental and vocal repertoires, the Institute prepares selected participants to perform in the event's concluding concert. At the University of Florida, Dr. Tremura teaches various courses in ethnomusicology, applied fieldwork, music and identity, Latin American music, and world music. Furthermore, he also teaches Brazilian guitar and vocal repertoires and directs the World Music Ensembles. Dr. Tremura is the director of the instrumental ensemble Jacaré Choro dedicated to the performance of Brazilian traditional instrumental music, and is also de director of the University's Brazilian music ensemble Jacaré Brazil. Most recently, Dr. Tremura has expanded his professional activities by founding the Alachua Guitar Quartet, a classical guitar ensemble devoted to the highest level of expression and artistic commitment to perform Latin American classical guitar repertoires. Dr. Tremura's additional academic training and professional experience include legal and business consulting. He has served as a business manager and consultant for several international businesses, including planning and launching new manufacturing facilities, overseeing comprehensive plant activities, and promoting international business development in the US, Europe, and Latin America. Dr. Tremura's engaging personality and high commitment to high standards can be seen on his consulting website.
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The debate surrounding the importance of what represents the true essence of national and popular culture in Brazil has historically produced nostalgic sentiments. That tradition is bound to history and collective memory. Hornbostel transcribed and analyzed songs in the early 20th century to validate that music constructs history and that culture is dynamic and fluid and uses time to validate its purpose. At the same time, they also propose that music is represented not only by sound but also by musical instruments, song text, and other material culture. This research aims to provide a closer look at the role of song and its proponents in folia de reis and the relationships between faith, music, and ritual to address religious identity and the significance and role of festivals as an essential vehicle of cultural values in Brazil. The participatory experiences of the folia de reis participants and musicians in the religious context of the ritual journey ("religious lore") and the secular context of the Olímpia Folklore Festival ("stage lore") provide meanings for what the members call their religious truth and expose other people to the moral and human value inherent in and expressed by the folia de reis tradition.
song texts shape this vision.
“Jacaré Brazil" como matéria curricular dentro do programa de etnomusicologia mostra através de suas atividades artísticas e de recrutamento como é possível desenvolver um programa com a música brasileira dentro de uma Universidade Norte Americana tradicionalmente vinculada aos modelos clássicos Europeu. O “Jacaré Brazil” como um projeto musical entre o Brasil e os Estados Unidos articula e promove a música e a cultura brasileira como elemento de comunicação, valorizando processo didáticopedagógico e a integração de seus membros no contexto acadêmico.Os seguintes elementos interativos são abordados neste trabalho: (1) centros de apoio para a formação do programa de música brasileira; (2) o conceito de “world music” e sua aplicação no mundo acadêmico; (3) brasileiros e norte-americanos trabalhando juntos na formação de um programa com a música brasileira; (4) a organização e direção
dos eventos; (5) o repertório musical como matéria prática e curricular (6) a relação entre seus membros e público; (7) a participação de nomes consagrados da música brasileira
nos eventos. Dentro do programa em etnomusicologia da “University of Florida” o grupo “Jacaré Brazil” se posiciona com uma característica colaborativa e de integração diferente dos modelos educacionais articulados em programas passados. O novo conceito valoriza o artístico na formação de grupos “world music” e estabelece um novo modelo de atividades para grupos não tradicionais.
populations. These musical genres expanded and transformed into other types of music, which includes music to express regional identity, to voice social aspirations, and to fulfill religious
obligations.
Just as the Three Kings are in the center of all folia de reis activities, song is in the center of their associations with these Kings. The participants’ usage of guitars, percussion, and other
melodic instruments to express religiosity on a country music base form articulates one fundamental belief in folia de reis tradition: music is a God-given talent and should be used to
intermediate the relationship between humans and the Divine. It is through regional influences that country music has taken different stylistic paths and has became meaningful to people in
rural Brazil. In this research paper, my analysis reveals that country music not only has been developed into a musical genre common to rural Brazil, but transformed into a vehicle to
communicate faith among people in rural Brazil.
The debate surrounding the importance of what represents the true essence of national and popular culture in Brazil has historically produced nostalgic sentiments. That tradition is bound to history and collective memory. Hornbostel transcribed and analyzed songs in the early 20th century to validate that music constructs history and that culture is dynamic and fluid and uses time to validate its purpose. At the same time, they also propose that music is represented not only by sound but also by musical instruments, song text, and other material culture. This research aims to provide a closer look at the role of song and its proponents in folia de reis and the relationships between faith, music, and ritual to address religious identity and the significance and role of festivals as an essential vehicle of cultural values in Brazil. The participatory experiences of the folia de reis participants and musicians in the religious context of the ritual journey ("religious lore") and the secular context of the Olímpia Folklore Festival ("stage lore") provide meanings for what the members call their religious truth and expose other people to the moral and human value inherent in and expressed by the folia de reis tradition.
song texts shape this vision.
“Jacaré Brazil" como matéria curricular dentro do programa de etnomusicologia mostra através de suas atividades artísticas e de recrutamento como é possível desenvolver um programa com a música brasileira dentro de uma Universidade Norte Americana tradicionalmente vinculada aos modelos clássicos Europeu. O “Jacaré Brazil” como um projeto musical entre o Brasil e os Estados Unidos articula e promove a música e a cultura brasileira como elemento de comunicação, valorizando processo didáticopedagógico e a integração de seus membros no contexto acadêmico.Os seguintes elementos interativos são abordados neste trabalho: (1) centros de apoio para a formação do programa de música brasileira; (2) o conceito de “world music” e sua aplicação no mundo acadêmico; (3) brasileiros e norte-americanos trabalhando juntos na formação de um programa com a música brasileira; (4) a organização e direção
dos eventos; (5) o repertório musical como matéria prática e curricular (6) a relação entre seus membros e público; (7) a participação de nomes consagrados da música brasileira
nos eventos. Dentro do programa em etnomusicologia da “University of Florida” o grupo “Jacaré Brazil” se posiciona com uma característica colaborativa e de integração diferente dos modelos educacionais articulados em programas passados. O novo conceito valoriza o artístico na formação de grupos “world music” e estabelece um novo modelo de atividades para grupos não tradicionais.
populations. These musical genres expanded and transformed into other types of music, which includes music to express regional identity, to voice social aspirations, and to fulfill religious
obligations.
Just as the Three Kings are in the center of all folia de reis activities, song is in the center of their associations with these Kings. The participants’ usage of guitars, percussion, and other
melodic instruments to express religiosity on a country music base form articulates one fundamental belief in folia de reis tradition: music is a God-given talent and should be used to
intermediate the relationship between humans and the Divine. It is through regional influences that country music has taken different stylistic paths and has became meaningful to people in
rural Brazil. In this research paper, my analysis reveals that country music not only has been developed into a musical genre common to rural Brazil, but transformed into a vehicle to
communicate faith among people in rural Brazil.