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Abstract
The work consists of six contemporary pop songs, containing arrangements based on bossa nova harmonies, however without the bossa nova rythms. The pieces of music are partly bossa nova classics and partly originals.
Bossa nova harmonies have always inspired the author and he wondered whether these could be applied to contemporary music. The research part focused on dissecting the harmonies that form an integral part of bossa nova of the late 1950s and 1960s. This knowledge is then applied to rearranging songs from that era into contemporary music pieces deleting all bossa nova rhythms, as well as to newly written songs. Arrangements of lead and backing vocals play a key part, applying bossa nova harmonic progressions. The latter was more of a challenge for pop chord progressions. The author believes the “Waters of March/Joy” song is a fine example of how the concept works in practice.
The music will be released as an EP in the fall of 2023 by the artist Vita with some additional live recordings.
Publication Date
7-1-2023
Campus
Valencia (Spain) Campus
Keywords
Bossa Nova Harmonies, Contemporary Pop, Vocal Arrangement
Recommended Citation
van Hall, Floris. “Vita.” Master's thesis, Berklee College of Music, 2023. .