Blame It On Bossa Nova: The History of a Transnational Phenomenon

What is bossa nova and what impact did it have on the world? In this course we will examine the history of this complex international phenomenon and its connection to social and political trends of the 1950s and 1960s. We will study the national and transnational impact of bossa nova and the post-World War II development of the bossa nova aesthetic and ethos in Latin America, Europe (particularly France), and the United States. Our study of bossa nova will also help us discuss broader philosophical questions such as how we define who owns a cultural product, why we consume cultural products from abroad, and whether we can truly understand other cultures in translation?