Note from BW of Brazil: São Paulo is huge, multi-cultural city with numerous ethnic influences. Sampa, as is known, is Brazil’s New York City and the economic engine of the entire country. São Paulo’s metropolitan population is now ranked number 9 in the world while New York is ranked number 11. Both metropolitan areas have more than 20 million people. While New York is the city with the world’s second largest GNP, São Paulo is situated at number 11. But these are just a few of the numbers. The city offers a wide range of shopping malls, movie theaters, live music, restaurants and theater on any given day or night of the week. As such, the city offers a little something for almost every taste, including a lively black music and cultural scene. Below we present an energetic duo that is building quite a reputation on the city’s nightlife scene.
Gêmeas HOT PENTE (Hot Comb Twins) are two black Brazilian girls, that produce a Hip Hop party in the city of São Paulo. Hot Pente produced by the Gêmeas (Twins), HOT PENTE is the party that will shake São Paulo, Brazil, with the black urban scene: Hip Hop + hot pants + fashion + graffiti + slum luxury + street dance. The independent project is an initiative of journalist Neomisia Silvestre and personal stylist Thaiane Almeida. Together, the Gêmeas unite artistic and peripheral aspects in the realization of a contemporary black and urban party concept, while seeking dialogue with the culture of hip hop, street fashion, graffiti and urban dance. The provocation of the name “Hot Comb” refers to the use of shorts/bikinis of the 1940s and the hot comb (‘quente pente’ in Portuguese) used to straighten curly hair. Spread, share, enjoy!
See what went down at the Hot Pente party
Courtesy of ZonaSuburbana
ZonaSuburbana attended the Hot Pente event that took place on March 14 at the Livraria da Esquina in São Paulo and brings firsthand everything good that happened in this great celebration of Hip Hop culture.
ZonaSuburbana – How did the idea of the Hot Pente party come about?
Neomisia Silvestre – In March 2013, we created an Afro-Brazilian party project called “Obá – A Festa”, produced by both of us and Jonatha Cruz (which continues today). But when we stopped, in September of that year, many people questioned our stopping and what were the new projects of the pair.
From then on, we began to question to what our image was associated with and, from the positive impact of the party, which was seen with black culture, with fashion (because people always praised/praise our colorful and cool style with the black power hair (afro) and/or turbans) and with the São Paulo night (production of parties and events). But the idea of creating the Hot Pente part came mainly from the absence of parties with this black, urban and Hip Hop slant, and also a party we would love to go to.
Then we get a term called “favela luxo” (luxury favela/slum) in which we can enjoy “música de preto” (black music), bring characteristics of peripheral malandragem (1), rock tight outfits and enjoy the evening with an affordable price. We came to seek our contacts, talk with friends, explain what the project was about, and then everyone joined in, liked the idea and wanted to participate, suggesting things, styles, DJs, music.
In some way, people see us as “cultural agitators” and “party makers”. But what we did was find and add these people so that the project can be strengthened and be a reference in black and urban scene of Sampa (São Paulo).
Different from what people usually think, the fact is that we are not models, we are not professional dancers, we aren’t singers, and we’re not part of any black movement and/or militant (yet!). But at the same time, we are involved in all this. We are: a cultural journalist and a fashion student who, together, thought of a way to unite all these aspects (hip hop, hot pants, graphite, luxury favela, fashion and urban dance) in a single party project.
Who are the creators of the event?
Neomisia Silvestre, journalist, Thaiane Almeida, fashion student
What is the intention behind the project?
Strengthening black and urban culture. Attracting and bringing together people who have hip hop projects in Brazil and abroad: artists, DJs, dancers, graffiti artists, fashionistas, those curious.
What are the expectations for the event?
The expectation is that people can have fun (after all, it’s a party!) And having HOT PENTE as a reference of an urban party and good for dancing, in addition to dialogue with various hip hop languages is what it spreads and that more and more other people can participate and add to the project, besides being able to open dialogue between these art forms.
What kind of audience you seek to achieve?
In principal, all audiences, but especially people who like and identify with cultura negra (black culture), hip hop and black culture.(2)
What are the means of dissemination are you using?
Cultural guides of the city of São Paulo – newspapers, magazines, blogs, Facebook pages with party scripts and cultural projects of urban and black culture. We came out in Catraca Livre, in Guia do Estadão, on the site Be Style, in Estilo Black, in Uia Diário, Guia da Periferia, MadMag, the blog Moda e Imagem. We also send the project to some international street fashion vehicles and/or focusing on appreciation of cultura negra.
Is there already an agenda for new related events? If so, what’s the time interval between them?
The party will take place once a month. We’re still closing (deals) with some casas (party spots). Itcould be that the party will become itinerant. As we are in the first edition, we can’t say anything, but we can say that there’s an agenda for April at Casa For a do Eixo (Sampa) and in Favela do Vidigal (Rio de Janeiro). But this will only be divulged officially on the HOT PENTE page.
Source: ZonaSuburbana
Notes
1. Maladragem can loosely be described as a hustle or hustling. A way of making things happen, in legal or illegal terms, in situations that work out for the benefit of the person involved. Said person that constructs such a reputation for such actions is defined as a malandro.
2. In Portuguese, the term cultura negra, translated as black culture in English, generally defines aspects of Brazil’s black culture such the practice the martial art of capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian religion of candomblé and music styles such as samba and pagode. On the other hand, when the term ‘black’ is used in English it often defines aspects of black culture from the African Diaspora, specifically from the United States.
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