Note from BW of Brazil: Well, I must say that the title of today’s article just about says it all! You see, this is more evidence of the evil genius of Brazilian-styled racism. São Paulo is not only Brazil’s largest city, it is also the most important city in terms of economic influence. Almost anything that is anything that happens in Brazil happens in São Paulo. International marathons? São Paulo. Grand Prix/Formula 1 races? São Paulo. Gay parade? São Paulo. Fashion Week? São Paulo. International film festivals? São Paulo. Where do tourists in search of medical treatment go? Half coming to Brazil go to São Paulo. International tennis/volleyball events? You guessed it.
Now, this is not to say that all major international events that take place in Brazil will happen in São Paulo, but it often seems that way. The importance of the city simply cannot be overestimated. Thus, considering the topics covered regularly on this blog, it should come as no surprise that the cultural market is yet another area in which Afro-Brazilians are vastly under-represented. This is why the yearly Feira Preta expo, which started in São Paulo nearly two decades ago, was such a HUGE breakthrough for black Brazilians and Afro-Brazilian Culture. Nowadays, there are a number of important Afro-Brazilian cultural events that take place across the country, but for the most part, this all started with Feira Preta. And the influence of Feira Preta can certainly be felt in events such as Encrespa Geral and Festival Latinidades. What’s also important about these three events is that their creators and directors are not only black, they are women. Which brings us
What’s also important about these three events is that their creators and directors are not only black, they are women. This is also the common thread connecting today’s piece: Black Brazilian women staking their claim in the cultural attraction market. Their representation is still miniscule in a market dominated by white males, which is why I wanted to share this story.
Where are black women in cultural production? Tsika Cultural answers you
Courtesy of Rap Nacional Download with additional info from Noticias Periféricos
The team from cdecided to propose an important reflection on black cultural production in the month of the celebration of the Mulher Negra Americana Latino e Caribenha (Black Latin American and Caribbean Woman).
Founded in 2009 by Jully Gabriel, Lúcia Udemezue and Nina Vieira, the company seeks greater representation in the artistic productions carried out by black women in São Paulo. “Tsika Cultural emerged in 2009 from the neccessity for me and three other friends in having a greater representation in the artistic productions of black women in São Paulo. The city usually hosts large events and most are promoted by cultural producers who put few black professionals in the projects, this invisibilization restricts the performance of many colleagues and these end up performing much more in peripheral and small environments, this when we do not need cultural promotion,” says Jully Gabriel.
For the company, this is a subject that needs to be put on the agenda in the month where the real day of black women and the labor inequality that affects them more than the rest of the population is celebrated. To underscore the great achievements that Tsika and other producers with black women at the forefront of business is a way of giving visibility to these important women who have been producing great actions all year round and contesting spaces with mostly white and male cultural producers.
This July, Tsika Cultural is producing two important concerts in São Paulo. On the 15th, at 9:30 pm, the Rimas & Melodias Group will perform on the stage of Sesc Belenzinho (see note one), “A collective formed by manas (homegirls) that rhyme and manas that sing. Together since 2015, Alt Niss, Drik Barbosa, Karol de Souza, Stefanie, Tássia Reis, Tatiana Bispo and DJ Mayra Maldjian promote a powerful dialogue between rap, R&B and neo soul, with the proposal of deconstructing molds and strengthening the female presence, above all of black women, in hip hop, music, society.”
On the 22nd, same time and on the same stage, it’s Luana Hansen‘s turn to give the audience a show with her band and renowned guests of this new reality of peripheral artists who have faced the system and established important careers giving voice to flag issues and causes as is the case of Preta Rara, Mama Lion and Rap Plus Size.
Amidst the celebrations of these two important achievements for Tsika Cultural and for the black artists that compose the grid, there is another surprise of another producer of black women, who will bring for the first time to Brazil, the New York duo Oshun. The producer Movimentar Produções Artísticas leads the tour and to liven up the month of the Latin American and Caribbean Black Woman and the debate proposed by Tsika Cultural, hired only black women to work on the events.
Source: Rap Nacional Download, Noticias Periféricos
Notes
- Serviço Social do Comércio (Social Service of Commerce or Sesc) is a Brazilian non-profit private institution, kept by businessmen in the trade of goods, services and tourism. It has operations in all Brazil, aimed primarily for the welfare of their employees and family but open to the general community. SESC operates in the education, health, leisure, culture and medical care areas, and is Brazil’s leading institution in arts financing. Its revenues come from a 1.5 percent payroll tax on commerce workers. Source
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