{"id":80588,"date":"2025-03-10T17:27:46","date_gmt":"2025-03-10T20:27:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80588"},"modified":"2025-03-21T18:13:57","modified_gmt":"2025-03-21T21:13:57","slug":"samba-abstrato-exposes-the-whitening-of-samba-schools-opinion","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80588","title":{"rendered":"Samba Abstrato Exposes the Whitening of Samba Schools [OPINION]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Unidos<\/a>
Unidos da Tijuca parade at Rio’s Sambadrome, Carnival 2025.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

Launched in 2016, the Samba Abstrato<\/a> (Abstract Samba) Facebook page was created to document the appropriation and whitening<\/a> of Brazilian carnival samba schools, as well as to confront the invasion of the so-called \u201cabstract muses<\/a>,\u201d a phenomenon it criticizes for distorting the essence of carnival\u2014a celebration rooted in Black favela culture<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Whether in Rio’s<\/a>, S\u00e3o Paulo’s<\/a>, or other carnival celebrations across Brazil, these aptly-named abstract muses are following the money and taking away spaces traditionally held by Black beauties<\/a> raised within the culture of their local samba schools. It is no coincidence that abstract muses are predominantly white<\/a>, while \u201cconcrete muses\u201d\u2014women dancers raised within a local samba community\u2014are increasingly displaced. Indeed, it is the Black female samba dancer who has become most invisible as the so-called \u201cland of abstraction\u201d continues its invasion.<\/p>\n

However, it is important to understand that abstract muses are merely the most visible symptom of the colonization of Carnival, which, unfortunately, seeps into various aspects of samba schools. This process increasingly distances samba schools from their communities-of-origin, turning modern-day quilombos<\/em> into mere businesses. The invitations samba schools extend to abstract muses culminate in major deals with white celebrities, meticulously crafted marketing strategies, and the pursuit of profit rather than prioritizing the skilled footwork of \u201cconcrete\u201d samba dancers and the love for the school’s colors and flag.<\/p>\n

The Dynamics of Activism Against the \u2018Land of Abstraction\u2019 on Social Media<\/h3>\n

Since its creation in 2016, the Samba Abstrato page quickly gained a strong following. Today, the community has 112,000 followers<\/a> on Facebook. On Instagram, where the current account is only nine months old, it has 4,389 followers<\/a>. The previous account was taken down, forcing the group to start over.<\/p>\n

For years, the Samba Abstrato community remained anonymous on social media, presenting itself to the carnival public without revealing its members. This was a strategic choice \u201cfor safety reasons and to avoid personifying the struggle.\u201d However, in 2025, as others began facing threats and even physical assaults, the page\u2019s directors decided it was necessary to step forward, face the spotlight, and confront the lawsuits.<\/p>\n

It became essential to publicly state that criticism of the abstract muses should not be understood as encouraging violence. On the flip side, Samba Abstrato expects the “abstract muses” to recognize their white privilege<\/a> and to refrain from making unfounded accusations against Black individuals. Therefore, in response to the attacks targeting Black members of the samba community over alleged connections to Samba Abstrato, its founder decided to step out from behind the scenes.<\/p>\n

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Uma publica\u00e7\u00e3o compartilhada por Samba Abstrato (@samba.abstrato)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n