A faded passage in the memory of our new generations”: chico buarque’s songs as a teaching
tool and a counterpoint to denialist narratives about the Military Dictatorship (1964–1985
History Education; Brazilian Military Dictatorship; Chico Buarque; Music as a
Historical Source; Historical Denialism.
This research analyzes the possibilities of using the music of Chico Buarque de Hollanda
as a historical source and teaching resource for History education on the Brazilian Military
Dictatorship (1964–1985). It addresses the disputes over memory and the circulation,
particularly through digital media, of ideological denialist and revisionist narratives
concerning this period, as well as the challenges their dissemination poses to History
education. The research is grounded in the concepts of historical denialism, revisionism,
memory, history of the present time, censorship, authoritarianism, and repression, while
understanding music as a historically situated cultural production. The study proposes a
workshop-based lesson sequence aimed at third-year high school students, combining the
listening and analysis of songs by Chico Buarque produced during this period with the
examination of official documents, records from censorship and intelligence agencies,
documents produced by the National Truth Commission, and contemporary narratives
disseminated through digital media. The proposal seeks not only to promote the listening
and analysis of Chico Buarques songs, but also to relate them to the investigation of
different historical sources, enabling students to connect the artistic production of a
historical subject and his perceptions of his time with the critical examination of
authoritarianism, censorship, repression, and historical denialism.