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Culture Is Our Weapon
'Culture Is Our Weapon', co-authored with Damian Platt, was published in the UK by the Latin America Bureau in March 2006.
What the blurb says:
'There are not many reasons to be optimistic in Rio right now. It is a
complex situation in which violence and fear are on the rise and nobody
seems to have a solution. But even amidst all these difficulties you
can find some examples of beauty and excellence that give us all hope.
This is what AfroReggae represent.' - Caetano Veloso
Brazil is a conundrum; even as its culture enjoys an ever higher
profile in the West, an undeclared, vicious and often ignored drug war
is being fought on the streets of its cities' favelas (shantytowns).
'Culture Is Our Weapon: AfroReggae In The Favelas Of Rio' is a unique
and remarkable book which tells the story of this war through the eyes
of both the protagonists and those it affects, revealing the terrifying
complexities of life on the frontline of one of the most damaging civil
conflicts in Latin America.
At centre stage of this ground-breaking book is the extraordinary work
of Grupo Cultural AfroReggae, a Rio-based NGO which seeks to divert favela residents from the path of poverty and violence, through music and an appreciation of black culture.
AfroReggae are a force for real social change in the Rio favelas; they
are also a role model for what is possible when an oppressed community
decides to resist the twin onslaught of violence and poverty. With
international tours, record deals and now a feature film, 'Favela
Rising', AfroReggae are taking favela culture to the world.
'Culture Is Our Weapon: AfroReggae In The Favelas Of Rio' is an
accessible, fast-paced, committed and compelling portrait of Brazil
today. It's about resistance, politics, ethnicity, social inequality,
and the potential of those who know their worth.
What I say:
Buy it here.
