Posts tagged favela culture
Voices of Vila Autódromo: Barrão, the Fisherman
May 16th
Paolo Roberto Ferreira Mezes, known by all as Barrão, moved to Vila Autódromo sixteen years ago. After learning to fish and dedicating himself to the craft, he brought his wife and two young children to the peaceful, lakeside favela in Rio’s West Zone to turn the craft into a living. He decided to swap his home in Vila Valqueire for his brother’s abandoned waterfront property in Vila Autódromo. That way, Barrão was able to fish from his own backyard. In the years following the move, Barrão and his wife welcomed two more children, and they began fostering a loyal client base More >
Voices of Vila Autódromo: José Arimateia, the Baker
Apr 23rd
In 1986, the newlywed José Arimateia moved to Vila Autódromo to buy his first home and to start a family. He moved from his parents’ house in a neighboring community, Vila Sapê, though he was born in Paraíba. He and his wife, Maria das Dores Catanduba de Andrade, were the first of their families to move to Vila Autódromo, a small favela in Rio’s West Zone, which they chose for its safety and peacefulness. Now, 27 years later, their success and happiness have drawn a dozen family members to move to their beloved community.
When José first moved to Vila Autódromo, he More >
Creation of Shopping Malls in Favelas Divides Opinion
Apr 10th
For the original article in Portuguese by Caio Quero on BBC Brasil click here.
The creation of shopping malls in Rio’s favelas may reinforce the distance between these communities and the rest of the city, in addition to increasing the social differences among residents of these neighborhoods.
This is the opinion of Itamar Silva, director of the Brazilian Institute of Social and Economic Analysis (IBASE) and a resident of the Santa Marta favela, located in Rio’s South Zone. According to him, relations in favelas are traditionally characterized by open circulation, thus the creation of malls in these neighborhoods may create divisions.
“I am critical of More >
Living in the Favela: My Experience in Vidigal
Apr 8th
When I first thought about moving to Vidigal, the first and only concern of the few people that found it strange was: what about the drug traffickers? Since I knew the danger in this respect was zero, the hill seemed like a harmless place. My legs, however, found out little by little that this was not the case.
The greatest challenge of the favela for me was learning how to walk up the stairs quickly without falling. I have countless scars from my first year here. Among them, there are a few that have become affective tattoos. They are from the More >
The Asphalt Invades the Favelas
Mar 21st
For original article by Marsílea Gombata in Portuguese in Carta Capital click here.
It could be New Year’s Eve in Búzios: young people, well dressed, girls in skimpy clothing and jewellery who love to be tanned and wear natural makeup. But we are in Pavão-Pavãozinho, a favela in Rio’s South Zone which up until recently has been the stage for confrontations between police and drug traffickers.
Since the arrival of the Pacifying Police Units (UPP), the firing of heavy arms and baile funk have given way to other sounds and other people. The asphalt (formal city) has invaded the favela. The current fashion in Pavãozinho More >
