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Brazil
is
a
country
full
of
contradictions.
Brazilians
celebrate
the
Carnival
every
year
in
February,
a
pagan
feast
that
exalts
glee
and
sensuality.
Last
February,
it
was
no
different,
the
country
temporarily
suspended
important
affairs
to
fully
embrace
the
joy
of
the
carnival,
where
the
samba
is
its
foundation.
After
a
time
of
pandemic-related
restrictions
and
with
a
former
president
who
is
being
accused
of
genocide
and
who
opposes
popular
manifestations,
carnival
has
returned
as
a
cry
for
freedom.
Brazil
seems
to
be
reclaiming
its
sense
of
joy
and
love
of
life,
which
samba
portrays
so
well.
To
better
understand
the
samba
and
all
these
contradictions,
I
will
reproduce
excerpts
from
an
article
I
wrote
as
an
invited
author
to
talk
about
the
2016
Olympic
Games
in
Rio.
The
article
was
published
on
the *blog of George Vecsey,
who
previously
wrote
the
"Sports
of
the
Times"
column
for
The
New
York
Times
from
1982
to
2011.
Currently,
he
continues
to
write
for
the
Times
as
a
contributor.
**Rio
de
Janeiro
is
a
divided
city
in
its
complexities.
There
are
two
sides
in
Rio
de
Janeiro
and
we
can
put
these
terms
in
a
musical
context:
the
sadness
of
Bossa
Nova
and
the
happiness
of
the
Samba.
The
Rio
of
"Bossa
Nova"
is
a
movement
musical
that
shows
the
soul
of
existence
of
the
middle
class
on
the
way
of
sadness.
There's
a
poem
by
Vinicius
de
Moraes
with
a
melody
by
Tom
Jobim,
"Tristeza
Não
Tem
Fim;
Felicidade
Sim"
(Sadness
Doesn't
End,
Happiness
Does)
that
shows
the
broken
heart
of
Bossa
Nova,
formed
by
composers
who
lived
in
the
South
Zone
of
Rio,
a
rich
region.
And
there's
a
Rio
of
Samba,
our
African
musical
heritage,
where
the
music
is
sung
with
joy
about
the
heartaches
and
the
cultural
characteristics
of
the
place.
Samba
has
its
origin
in
the
North
Zone
and
the
favelas,
which
are
poor
regions,
but
with
a
great
vocation
to
be
happy.
There's
a
samba
that
is
very
meaningful
by
songwriter
Zé
Keti,
"A
Voz
do
Morro"
(The
Voice
of
the
Favela)
that
says
on
its
verses
"I'm
samba;
I'm
native
from
here,
from
Rio
de
Janeiro;
I'm
the
one
who
brings
joy
to
millions
of
Brazilian
hearts".
Even
in
different
contexts,
the
Bossa
Nova
is
a
softer
way
of
singing
and
playing
Samba.
The
Olympic
Games
in
Rio
are
happening
on
this
musical
equator:
for
one
side
is
the
image
of
a
city
that
is
all
right,
but
is
sad
because
we
know
that
this
city
is
temporary
-
it
finishes
after
the
Olympics
Games.
This
city
is
Bossa
Nova.
There's
a
Rio
of
Samba,
where
the
people
know
that
this
feast
isn't
made
to
them,
but
they
are
being
happy
because
they
believe
that
the
glee
is
the
matter
of
the
soul.
The
life
is
difficult
and
the
smile
makes
it
bearable.
The
paradox
is
our
essence:
the
Brazilian
smiles
to
not
cry.
It
was
hard
to
coexist
with
a
right-wing
government
that
caused
deforestation
in
the
Amazon,
refused
to
vaccinate
the
population
against
COVID-19,
attacked
various
marginalized
groups
(Indigenous
People,
Afro-Brazilians,
LGBTQIA+,
women,
and
so
on),
increased
poverty
and
hunger,
and
harbored
extremists
who
hate
democracy;
as
occurred
in
the
US
Capitol,
they
also
attacked
government
buildings
in
Brazil.
Now
the
country
has
elected
a
new
ex-president,
Luiz
Inacio
Lula
da
Silva,
a
democrat
with
a
social
commitment.
He
has
a
big
challenge
ahead
of
him,
and
he
can't
make
mistakes
for
the
good
of
Brazil.
We're
beginning
to
see
a
new
horizon,
as
if
we'd
taken
up
the
samba
and
bossa
nova
to
get
going.
The
samba
has
brought
back
our
joy
of
life,
and
we
hope
that
bossa
nova,
with
its
existentialism,
can
help
us
maintain
a
healthy
mind
and
prevent
the
return
of
fascism.
Chico
Buarque,
a
talented
MPB
(Brazilian
Popular
Music)
artist,
has
always
been
inspired
by
samba
and
bossa
nova.
In
1978,
he
recorded
a
samba
that
would
be
an
anthem
of
democratic
resistance.
The
song ***"In
Spite
of
You" is a testament to the singer-songwriter's artistry against the dictatorship in Brazil. In this lyric, we get to feel our vocation for freedom and for the joy of living, and it remains relevant today: "In spite of you, tomorrow will be another day."
We hope so!
Links
:
*Blog by George Vecsey https://www.georgevecsey.com
** Link to the article:
https://www.georgevecsey.com/home/our-man-in-rio-describes-the-musical-equator-in-the-city
***Link to the song by Chico Buarque:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4RhKTzVVDno
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