Undoing Race, Poverty, and Violence in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
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© COPYRIGHT by Calenthia S. Dowdy 2012 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED DEDICATION To the youth of the world, “Small acts joined together become a movement. When people talk governments have to listen” (unknown) “The struggle of the Black people of Brazil is an aspect of a much larger struggle: the struggle of the Black people of the world” Lélia Gonzalez (1985) YOUTH, MUSIC, AND AGENCY: UNDOING RACE, POVERTY AND VIOLENCE IN RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL BY Calenthia S. Dowdy ABSTRACT This work focuses on the intersection of youth, their music and their agency, all of which interact to shape identities and create social change in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Music as media activism serves as backdrop, narrative, response, and counterpoint rhythm to the interlocking systemic violence(s) affecting favela youth. Identity issues around race, poverty and violence are the central focus as Brazil’s homicide rates are some of the highest in the world with much of it concentrated in Rio and perpetrated by the state against youth of color. In 1993 rampant violence reached a climax as poor black and brown youth were being murdered daily in Rio’s streets. The city’s image of paradise on earth, and Brazil’s self-narrative of racial democracy were suffering. Musical genres of funk and hip-hop proliferated in Rio’s favelas facilitating life stories told by youth of color. Lyrics of racism, chronic poverty and violence surfaced in resistance to imposed constructions of blackness, space, and worth. In dialogue and resistance, youth design alternative worldviews and identities while performing grassroots participatory citizenship. In these ways young people disrupt structural violence and re-work local and global identities. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thanks to my mother, Elizabeth J. Dowdy for her unwavering support during the writing process. She made sure I ate and reminded me that I needed to take breaks. My sister Lorraine Dowdy Gordon and nieces Shelby and Camille were cheerleaders when I wanted to give up. I am forever amazed at the power of family. Thanks also to my advisor, Sabiyha Prince, Ph.D., and committee members Rachel Watkins, Ph.D. and especially Fabienne Doucet, Ph.D. who agreed to become a part of this process at the eleventh hour in the midst of her own busy schedule. Thanks to Erica Freeman who helped edit this document, and friends Jacqualine Reid, Kalfani Ture, Ruth Naomi Floyd and Rev. Dennis Blackwell for encouraging me to keep writing. Finally and most of all, a huge thank you to the youth, movers, shakers, and friends in Cidade de Deus favela, Rio de Janeiro, who gave time, content, context, and correction to this work. Beijos! iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................ ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................. iii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS……………………………………………………………...v GLOSSARY OF PORTUGUESE TERMS ....................................................................... vi CHAPTER 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................... 1 CHAPTER 2. YOUTH AS GLOBAL CHANGE AGENTS.................................. 7 Young People, Cities and Shantytowns .................................................... 18 The Role of Music .................................................................................... 24 CHAPTER 3. THE ANTI-SAMBA ..................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 4. YOUNG VOICES FROM THE PERIPHERY ............................. 50 CHAPTER 5. UNDOING RACE AND SPACE .................................................. 84 The Formal Black Movement ................................................................... 99 Concluding Thoughts on Undoing Race ................................................. 105 CHAPTER 6. UNDOING VIOLENCE .............................................................. 109 Violence and Race .................................................................................. 127 Rewind, 1993 .......................................................................................... 151 CHAPTER 7. DOING CITIZENSHIP ............................................................... 158 A Final Word from Celso Athayde ......................................................... 164 REFERENCES ................................................................................................... 167 iv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Illustrations 1. Brazil population pyramid 2010…………………………………..……………….….23 2. Brazil population pyramid 2020………………………………..……………………..23 3. Map of Brazil………………………………………………………..………..........….36 4. Neighborhood Association building in Cidade de Deus………………………………71 5. Map of Rio de Janeiro, Cidade de Deus........................................................................72 6. MV Bill sporting CDD tank-top……………………………………………………....80 v GLOSSARY OF PORTUGUESE TERMS Asphalto - asphalt, on the ground, not on the hill Bola Preta – black dance balls or dance parties BOPE- Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais – Special Police Operations Batallion Capoeira - martial art Cara - slang term for “guy” or “man” Cariocas - the name for natives of Rio de Janeiro Carnval - Carnival Cidade de Deus - City of God (a north zone favela), also called CDD Cidade maravilhosa - the marvelous city (referring to Rio de Janeiro) Central Ùnica das Favelas - Central Association of Slums or CUFA Comunidade - community Cozinheira - the cook, chef Escola de samba - samba school Fantasias - costume Favela – slum, shantytown, ghetto Favelados - shantytown dwellers / residents Futebol - football (American soccer) Gringo/Gringa - non-Brazilian, outsider, foreigner Mininos de rua - street kids vi Morena/Moreno - mixed race, light brown skin color Moradores - Neighbors or Residents Morros - hills, favelas are often referred to as morros Mulata or Mulatta - mixed race, coffee to bronze brown skin color Pagode - a folk form of samba dance and music Palmares - name for Brazil’s most popular quilombo (17th century) Passarela do samba - carnival parade route in Rio Pensão - mom n pop community diner, kitchen with cheaply priced meals Periferia - Periphery (suburb, slum) Preto/Preta - black Preto Velho - old black, disembodied African slave spirit from the colonial period who speaks through willing human hosts. They are compassionate, kind, and wise spirits Quilombo - run-away slave community/village Reveillon - New Year’s Eve Sambistas - Samba musicians Sambódromo - carnival stadium and parade route in Rio Terra - land Tia – aunt “auntie” Traficantes - Drug Traffic Umbanda - Afro-Brazilian religion born in and unique to Rio de Janeiro Via Duto - the viaduct, the overpass, under the bridge Zumbi - 17th century Afro-Brazilian warrior chieftain, leader of the Palmares quilombo vii CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION Sitting inside Celso Athayde’s modest office in the Madureira section of the city of Rio de Janeiro not far from the record store he used to own, Celso recounted to me his relationship with hip-hop calling it “a voz da periferia” (the voice of the periphery). The periphery in Rio refers to the slums, the spaces where hip-hop has particular appeal to poor marginalized youth not just in Rio but around the globe. Celso remarked that hip- hop could be found in virtually every space, corner, and crevice of the planet, both on and off the grid, but it proliferates in the shantytowns, slums and ghettos of the world because of its visceral ability to incorporate and relay conditions of reality. Rap was a storytelling medium expressing earthy, coarse and crude truths. That description of rap and hip-hop would shape and ground my research in youth, music and agency in Rio. How did indigent young people of color manipulate music in the undoing of constructions of race, poverty and violence in Rio? Multiple injustices and inadequate social services were the standard for Rio’s poor and I wondered how young people became active agents in their own salvation and what role music played in their activism. Celso Athayde was a music producer and rapper MV Bill was his business partner. Both were Afro Brazilian men from the margins in Rio who saw a need and created an NGO in 1999 in response to that need. A persistent surge of drugs, violence, 1 2 and daily murders of black youth on favela (slum) streets called for local action. Their NGO was named Central Ùnica das Favelas (Central Association of Slums) or CUFA, and used hip-hop arts to create programs and safe spaces where indigent youth of color could express themselves, be heard, and learn skills for life and work. Celso and MV Bill would become a wealth of knowledge for my research in Rio. CUFA served as a network sampling snowball through which I met and interviewed a wide array of young people, grassroots activists, rappers, musicians, and educators. While my research did not focus solely on the work of CUFA, being connected to CUFA and its leaders offered me grounding and legitimacy which was necessary since as an outsider many favela residents were suspicious and uncertain as to whether or not they should answer my questions if I appeared to be probing too much. My relationship to CUFA helped to slowly open doors inside and outside of the favela. Everybody in Rio knew about the work of CUFA and most people respected the organization. CUFA was housed inside the neighborhood association building of Cidade de Dues (City of God) favela along with other programs that serve