Are young Brazilians still moved by tropicalismo and its sense of “cultural exchange”?
Tropicalismo is experiencing a renewed interest, especially in schools and universities. We are going through its 30th anniversary, with lots of commemorations and analytic reports about what it was, what it meant, and who was part of it. It’s become a cultural theme concerning various types of expression music, theater, literature, and so on. Bossa nova, for instance, is a kind of music: a style. But tropicalismo is an attitude, an open mind to innovation, an artistic philosophy. So, how does tropicalismo fit into the new worldview? The possibilities of sharing and having access to new things is good and bad. Computers and telecommunications have become available to larger parts of the population and provide a means of interaction and interchange. But at the same time, material values instead of spiritual ones tend to prevail. Individualism is becoming more important than solidarity and cooperation. The war industry and the production of weapons is still the largest industry in the wo
