My Trip to Brazil April 9-12, 2012

http://www.culturasjovens.fe.usp.br/en-program.html

Last month I went to Sao Paulo Brazil to give a talk about the connections in hip hop to the African diaspora.  There were many fascinating discoveries made on the trip and I will share some of them here.  First was the proliferation of graffiti in Sao Paulo.  Now many would think that graffiti would be a blight to a city’s appearance.  Not in Sao Paulo.  The quality of the graffiti was amazing.  There were some elaborate and well-thought-out pieces that used color, shape and design in bold and amazing ways.  I was turning my head in so many directions just to see all of it.  I wish I could have taken pictures but the driver was moving too fast and my time was so limited.  I was only there for three days but I saw so many great pieces.

The other discovery was the history of Brazilian music that predated hip hop. There were two styles that are similar to hip hop but actually were in existence before hip hop took root in the country.  One was hipenji (spelling may be incorrect) and the other was embolada.  Hipenji is more poetic and monotone while embolada is more melodic and pitch driven.

“Ritmo Embolada”
An Introduction to Brazilian Rhythm
A Smithsonian Folkways Lesson
Designed by: Hiromi Takasu, University of Washington
Summary:
Embolada is a form of poetry and song that has set refrains. The refrains allow singers to organize their next improvised stanza in their heads—even as the music is playing (McGowan 1991). Performance of this form of traditional music is active in the northeastern region of Brazil. Embolada has a fast rhythm and complex tone that deftly incorporate varied lyrics and onomatopoeia. Embolada is mostly improvised following a dialogue by the embolador, who sings while hitting the pandeiro [hand drum] at short intervals in between verses. The singer needs considerable skill, experience, and a sense of humor. Embolada is sung in the streets; it is influenced by American rap music and African music. Using the embolada rhythm, students can improvise lyrics and sing solo.
http://www.folkways.si.edu/magazine/2011_fall/tools_for_teaching.aspx

Most of the Afro-Brazilian culture comes from “the north” and people refer to that part of Brazil as the cultural center.

Another cultural expression I experienced was capoeira.  I had already known about capoeira (the Brazilian/Angolan martial art popularized in the States by the character Eddie Gordo in video game Tekken) and the talked about connection to b-boy and breakdancing.  I was glad to see some of the groups incorporate it in their performance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Capoeira

I thoroughly enjoyed the conference that I attended which was organized by Monica do Amaral of the University of Sao Paulo.  It was a good blend of scholarly presentations and music and dance performances.  She went to great lengths to bring in international presenters and performers and to provide adequate translation services as well.  There were translators for English, French, and Portuguese.  We used headphones and could select which language we wanted.

The last discovery I want to mention is the use of hip hop in the favelas or distressed communities outside of the downtown areas.  The forms of expression in hip hop are being used to give identity and purpose to many of these youths who are without a voice.  As in any developed or developing country the people on the margins are not really listened to and not enough people stand up for them for there to be any meaningful change in their situation.  Hip hop has given a voice to these youngsters and allows them to express their situation through song, verse, visual art, and movement.  The graffiti on the streets in the city speaks volumes.  The beauty in the art and the brashness of its placement is a plea for assistance and opportunity that did not go unnoticed to my eyes.  The question is: are the right people watching or listening.