It investigates the possibility of afro-descendant identity construction through virtual communities of music. It begins contextualizing the musical information importance in virtual communities in the information society. It has as general aim to understand how virtual communities of music can subsidize the construction of afro-descendant identity, and it has as specific objectives: to understand the role of musical information in virtual communities, to examine the access to virtual music communities and to discuss the process of afro-descendant identity building. Its theoretical basis reflects on issues of cyber culture and the process of afro-descendant identity building. The study is a qualitative-exploratory one, which relies on bibliographic and documentary research, and analyzes the data collected from the perspective of document analysis associated with a critical approach grounded in the theoretical framework. Data were collected on Facebook, considering the fact that it is the network of virtual relationship most currently used in Brazil. It was found that the virtual communities of music can be interpreted as a enabling device to the afro-descendant identity construction, working as a mechanism against discrimination and racism.
Afro-descendant identity; Virtual communities; Musical information; Facebook
