{"id":30468,"date":"2016-07-21T10:13:01","date_gmt":"2016-07-21T13:13:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rioonwatch.org\/?p=30468"},"modified":"2016-07-22T10:38:18","modified_gmt":"2016-07-22T13:38:18","slug":"funk-fridays-series-debates-womens-empowerment-in-funk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=30468","title":{"rendered":"“Funk Fridays” Series Debates Women’s Empowerment in Funk [IMAGES]"},"content":{"rendered":"

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

This past Friday, July 15, a group of around 70 community members and artists gathered at\u00a0Arena Carioca Dicr\u00f3<\/a>\u00a0in Penha<\/a>, in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone<\/a>\u00a0to discuss and recognize\u00a0the contributions of women in\u00a0funk<\/a>\u00a0culture. The event, which featured a discussion panel and concert, was the second installment of a four-part “Funk Fridays” series hosted by Arena Carioca Dicr\u00f3 in partnership with Expo Passinho Carioca<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0promote a focus on the urban and independent culture of Rio.<\/p>\n

The evening commenced with a debate\u00a0on the\u00a0role of women in funk with artists\u00a0Taisa Machado, founding member of\u00a0AfroFunk\u00a0Rio<\/a>\u00a0from Complexo do Chapad\u00e3o<\/a>, Caroline Felix, also known as\u00a0MC Carolzinha<\/a>\u00a0from Cidade Alta<\/a>, Mayara Rodriques of Art Black<\/a>, and dancer, singer and reality show star Yani de Simone, known popularly as\u00a0Mulher Fil\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0from\u00a0Vila da Penha. The debate was moderated by Ana Paula Lisboa, coordinator for\u00a0Ag\u00eancia de Redes Para Juventude<\/a>,\u00a0Globo columnist<\/a>\u00a0and DJ.<\/p>\n

\"DIscussion<\/p>\n

Since its conception in the\u00a01980s<\/a>, funk has passed through many phases from\u00a0criminalization<\/a>\u00a0and prohibition<\/a>\u00a0to\u00a0officially recognized ‘musical and cultural movement’ and\u00a0international phenomenon<\/a>. Throughout, funk remained a primarily male dominated industry. Now, more and more women are emerging\u00a0in the funk scene<\/a>, utilizing this genre of music to assert their own artistic individuality.<\/p>\n

Lisboa was compelled to enter the funk scene after she attended a show in\u00a0Complexo da Mar\u00e9<\/a>\u00a0and realized that the music set was dominated almost entirely by male DJs.<\/p>\n

“I thought, ‘Man, there is something wrong here.’ But\u00a0I am one of those who does not bring forward a complaint, I bring forward a solution. And my solution was to become a DJ.”<\/p>\n

\"Yani<\/p>\n

For Yani de Simone this struggle to gain\u00a0representation in the world of funk is part of a bigger problem of inequality\u2014a problem for which there are many creative solutions. She argues that when women use the same explicit language as men, they are demanding equality.<\/p>\n

“The dirty words that we speak about sexuality, it helps us lift barriers. Because a guy can talk dirty, and we can’t.”<\/p>\n

Taisa Machado\u00a0empowers women through AfroFunk<\/a>, but wants to be known for the quality of the work she does outside the label of ‘feminist.’<\/p>\n

\"Taisa<\/p>\n

“I already am a woman, I do not have a way to\u00a0escape it, so this is not what we want to be the first thing spoken about us,” Machado said.<\/p>\n

Caroline Felix reported that she experienced a lot of discrimination when she started dancing passinho<\/a>. Women were not allowed into the roda<\/em> of\u00a0passinho and men could not lose to women in dance battles.\u00a0She had to fight to gain recognition as a dancer, and later as an MC, all while also raising four children and\u00a0getting a degree in journalism. Now she is proud of her role in the funk community.<\/p>\n

\"Caroline<\/p>\n

“Funk deserves eternal applause. My life is funk. I defend this flag automatically and\u00a0subconsciously,” Felix said.<\/p>\n

Funk is empowering on many levels for\u00a0Machado who initially was hesitant to tell people about her\u00a0involvement in funk for fear of facing the stigma<\/a>\u00a0that exists against African art forms in Brazil.<\/p>\n

“Funk is is a window, a doorway to being black and powerful,” Machado said.<\/p>\n

\"Mayara<\/p>\n

Still, as Mayara Rodrigues explained, there is much that needs to be done before funk can be considered a true equalizer. Many women on the panel had had experiences of\u00a0male audience members verbally harassing them after a performance.<\/p>\n

\"Yani<\/p>\n

“I understand that a woman seen dancing funk, dancing Afro, dancing whatever, will always be seen [as a body],” Rodrigues said. “We have to fight hard to change this imposition of the male-dominated society.”<\/p>\n

\"Closing<\/p>\n

A recurring theme of the evening was the importance of uniting women within the funk\u00a0community. Simone stressed it was\u00a0necessary to suspend judgment of one another, to\u00a0engage in “daily acts of conscientiousness” rather than rivalry.<\/p>\n

Simone urged the audience to understand that funk artists, like actors, have ‘many faces’ and that what is presented on stage in terms of sexuality should not be taken as an indication of who the artist is.<\/p>\n

“Women in funk do not necessarily have to wear short skirts to be successful. I think you have to feel good and show your personality. There are people who sell sexuality. I started selling sexuality because I started as a dancer. So when I became an MC and started playing certain songs, I had to know what it was that I wanted to sell. I sell music. I sell attitude.”<\/p>\n

“Let’s make a difference,” Simone implored. “The microphone is a very big weapon.”<\/p>\n

Following the debate, each artist took the stage<\/a> and presented their art to the audience.<\/p>\n

\"Yani<\/p>\n

MC\u00a0Carolzinha was the last to perform<\/a>, closing the evening with an original song that spoke to the optimism for funk these women shared:<\/p>\n

“The movement is growing everywhere
\nOn display\u00a0around the world to show
\nWith humility, discipline I’m going to tell you
\nCarioca passinho is here to demonstrate.”<\/p>\n

“O movimento est\u00e1 crescendo em todo lugar
\nExposic\u00e3o correndo o mundo para retratar
\nCom humildade disciplina eu vou te falar
\nO passinho carioca veio para demonstrar.”<\/p>\n

The next “Sextas de Funk” event will take place Friday, July 22 from 7pm to 11pm\u00a0at Arena Carioca Dicr\u00f3. See the event\u00a0information\u00a0here<\/a>.
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