{"id":77343,"date":"2024-02-09T17:50:02","date_gmt":"2024-02-09T20:50:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=77343"},"modified":"2024-02-13T12:36:31","modified_gmt":"2024-02-13T15:36:31","slug":"carnival-of-literature-spaces-of-black-resistance-rio-de-janeiros-samba-schools-host-literary-festivals-that-boost-racial-literacy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=77343","title":{"rendered":"Carnival of Literature! Spaces of Black Resistance, Rio de Janeiro’s Samba Schools Host Literary Festivals that Boost Racial Literacy"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"The<\/a>
The first edition of FLIC Mangueira, in 2023, held at the samba school’s court. Photo: Event Promotion \/ Mangueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/i><\/span><\/em><\/span><\/i><\/span><\/a><\/h4>\n

February 9, 2024\u2014<\/strong>Afro-Indigenous Brazilian literature is a growing source of inspiration for samba schools as they organize Rio de Janeiro’s carnival parades. During the <\/em>2024 carnival, which starts today, a number of traditional samba schools will celebrate Brazilian Afro-Indigenous literary works in the Sambadrome. Portela created its plot based<\/a> on A Color Defect<\/a>, a novel by Minas Gerais-born writer Ana Maria Gon\u00e7alves<\/a>. Grande Rio<\/a> prepared a parade inspired by the Tupinamb\u00e1 myth<\/a> addressed in the book My Destiny Is to Be a Jaguar<\/a>, by Rio-born writer Alberto Mussa<\/a>. Imperatriz Leopoldinense<\/a>, the current champion, will take the pamphlet The Will and Testament of Esmeralda, the Gypsy<\/a> written by Para\u00edba-state-born poet Leandro Gomes de Barros<\/a> to the Marqu\u00eas de Sapuca\u00ed<\/a> arena. And Uni\u00e3o da Ilha<\/a> will compete with the plot Doum and Amora<\/a>, based on the children’s book Amoras<\/a> by S\u00e3o Paulo rapper Emicida<\/a>, on carnival Saturday. There are also schools that chose to speak about foreign literary works and their impact on Brazil, such as Porto da Pedra<\/a>, which will be parading<\/a> the El Nuevo Lunario Perpetuo<\/a>, <\/em>a 14th-century Spanish almanac.<\/em><\/p>\n

‘I Was Born Quilombo and Brought Up Favela’<\/h3>\n

Brazil was the last country to abolish slavery, in 1988. Despite such atrocity, the country was also the stage for intense resistance to this regime, such as within its quilombos<\/a>, territories of anti-slavery and anti-colonial resistance led by Black men and women, that still occupy important expanses of the Brazilian territory. Since then, the definition of quilombo has been updated<\/a>. The thinker Abdias do Nascimento<\/a> expanded the concept of quilombos in contemporary times<\/a>, developing the premise of quilombismo<\/em><\/a>, which advocates for the affirmation and celebration of Black history and culture in Brazilian society. In this way, places where Black knowledge, ways of life, epistemology, and ancestry have been preserved and resist to this day are considered contemporary quilombos and include Afro-Brazilian religions<\/a>, afox\u00e9s<\/a>, favelas<\/a>, and samba circles<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"Technological<\/a>
Technological activity with 3D printing at the Rio Diversity Literary Festival, held at the Est\u00e1cio de S\u00e1 samba school on October 28, 2023. Photo: Douglas Jaco<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In this sense, the samba schools<\/a> that build and maintain Brazil’s famous carnival have also thrived as contemporary quilombos. In order to keep alive Black knowledge, corporeality, music, and culture<\/a>, they have propagated a pedagogy built on experience. This pedagogy is rooted in practical learning, with knowledge and understanding passed down through interactions with the elders within the samba school community. In preserving knowledge and ancestry, samba schools play a vital role in the construction of a more just and inclusive society.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe samba school is a community process center. The festivities, the meetings to organize events, the space functions as a source of mutual aid. In this way, learning takes place through orality and life experiences, and knowledge circulates accordingly.\u201d <\/span>\u2014 Mauro S\u00e9rgio Faria, member of Portela’s Cultural Department<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Connections Between Samba and Literature Gain Growing Momentum in Samba Schools<\/h3>\n

Beyond their traditional activities, samba schools have been launching literary festivals and other educational initiatives where Black protagonism is celebrated through lectures, storytelling, and book launches. The first of its kind was organized by the Portela Samba School in 2019<\/a> to integrate the community with its samba school through the sharing of knowledge.<\/p>\n

2023 brought a wave of literary festivals<\/a> to Rio de Janeiro’s samba schools, providing an opportunity to celebrate their memories<\/a> and stories, their communities, neighborhoods, and in some cases introduce the community to its 2024 carnival theme. Portela<\/a>, Mangueira<\/a>,\u00a0Salgueiro<\/a>,\u00a0Est\u00e1cio de S\u00e1<\/a> and Unidos de Vila Isabel<\/a> invested in activities promoting the right to literature<\/a> and racial literacy<\/a> over the past year, organizing literary festivals with discussions, lectures, poetry readings, exhibitions and workshops at their sites, in addition to plenty of samba.<\/span><\/p>\n

These samba school festivals are important for promoting Black culture and education, offering opportunities for people to learn more about their history, literature, and art through intergenerational knowledge exchanges. These activities also promote racial literacy: knowledge of anti-racist practices that deconstruct the narrative of white supremacy. In the case of literature, this counternarrative emerges from the celebration of Black culture, valuing ancestry and creating Black protagonists and narrators with literary authorship.<\/p>\n

The festivals have been an opportunity for Black writers to showcase their work to the public. This helps promote their visibility and disseminate Black literature. Through lectures and roundtables, workshops, and cultural activities, which may include dance, music, theater, and visual arts, literary festivals at samba schools have been gaining popularity in Rio de Janeiro.<\/p>\n

FLiPORTELA: The Pioneer of Literary Festivals in Samba Schools<\/h3>\n
\"Portela<\/a>
Portela Literary Festival (FLiPORTELA) 2023, celebrating the centenary of Portela, the first samba school of Rio’s Carnival. Photo: Promotion\/Portela Cultural Department<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 2023, the century-old samba school from Oswaldo Cruz<\/a> and Madureira<\/a> held another edition of the Portela Literary Festival (FLiPORTELA<\/a>), from April 28 to 30. The event is already a tradition at the school. This time, it focused on A Color Defect<\/em>, by Ana Maria Gon\u00e7alves, which inspired Portela’s theme for the 2024 carnival.<\/p>\n

The book won the prestigious Casa de las Am\u00e9ricas Prize<\/a> and was featured on Folha de S\u00e3o Paulo<\/em>‘s list<\/a> as the seventh<\/a> among 200 of the most important books for understanding Brazil over its 200 years since independence.<\/p>\n

In A Color Defect<\/em>, we follow the story of Kehinde, a Black woman who was kidnapped at the age of eight in the Kingdom of Dahomey<\/a>, present-day Benin<\/a>, and brought enslaved to Brazil.<\/p>\n

In the book, the Kehinde narrates her life story, from her capture in Africa to her liberation. She recounts her life as an enslaved person: her loves and disappointments; her sufferings and journeys in search of one of her children; and her religion. She also shares how she obtained her emancipation letter and how she returned to Africa, where she became a successful entrepreneur. The character was inspired by a real woman, Lu\u00edsa Mahin<\/a>, who lived in Brazil in the 19th century. She was a religious and political leader and participated in the Mal\u00ea Revolt<\/a>, a movement of enslaved Muslims who fought for freedom.<\/p>\n