Brazil's Latinidades Festival Celebrates Black Women from July 22-July 27
The festival has moved online so now you have no excuse not to attend
On July 25, Black women celebrate International Afro-Latin American, Afro-Caribbean, and Diaspora Women's Day. But in recent years the day has stretched into a month-long celebration. Brazil can thank the Latinidades festival for its extensive July Celebrations. Jaqueline Fernandes and Chaia Dechen founded the festival in 2008 in Brasília to highlight black artists in the federal district. Although the city and its surrounding areas are more than 55 percent black, the pair noticed that black artists suffered from invisibility. As their festival grew, the visibility of the holiday (and now month) honoring black women grew as well.
For the last 13 years, the Latinidades festival has used the day and month to program one of the premier cultural festivals celebrating Afro-Latinas. This year's edition, entitled Utopias Negras, or Black Utopias in Portuguese, will happen from July 22 to July 27 on the festival's social media profiles. It will honor Mãe Dalva Damiana, of the Irmandade da Boa Morte, in Bahia; Rio singer Elza Soares; and artist Elisa Lucinda, from Espírito Santo, founder of Casa Poema, where she publishes poem books.
The festival will feature more than 60 events and people from 10 countries. Since the programming has transitioned online, people outside of Brazil can enjoy the performances, workshops, and presentations. All the programming will be in Portuguese, but it's an excellent opportunity to practice your language skills.
I also ask that you support this event to be in solidarity with the organizers and Afro-Latino women across the world. Politically, Brazil has become more right-wing, and there is less money allotted for cultural events like Latinidades. So let's help boost their numbers to help them get better private funding next year. Below I have highlighted what I think will be the best events. July 25 will have the biggest events but it will be best to keep checking the festival's social media profiles between noon and 7 pm every day.
Some highlights of the festival:
July 25 at Noon CST - The festival will pay homage Samba da Roda leader Dona Dalva. Dona Dalva’s house in Cachoeira, Bahia is recognized as a cultural patrimony by UNESCO because for the last 80 or so years, it has hosted weekly samba de roda dance events in the small town. When I attended the Boa Morte Festival in Cachoeira last year, I had the opportunity to see this 92 year-old woman dance samba. Check her dance here!
July 25 at 1pm CST - Bia Ferreira calls herself a musicactivist and calls her music Música de Mulher Preta - Black Women Music. Her song, “Cota não é esmola,” (affirmative action is not alms) went viral two years ago and she will definitely play that song during this live.
July 25 at 7pm CST - Preta Ferreira became a Brazilian icon when she was wrongly imprisoned for fighting for housing rights in São Paulo. Last year she even met Angela Davis. This will be an empowering talk in Portuguese. I wrong this article about the meeting last year.
Julho Das Pretas
Below are events celebrating #JulhodasPretas. All of them are in Portuguese! But please don’t let that stop you from checking them out!
Black Women Disrupt
Friday, July 17 at 3pm Central
Zakiya Carr, the founder of Black Women Disrupt, will be interviewing Adriana Barbosa, the founder of São Paulo’s Feira Preta. Feira Preta is considered the largest black festival in Brazil. Check the video here.
CEERT Julho Das Pretas Lives
CEERT is one of the most effective non-profits fighting against racial inequity and inequality in Brazil. They have an impressive lineup of lives for #JulhodasPretas. The topics will address politics, health, and the environment in relation to black women.
Dance
Afro Funk Rio
Generally Fridays at 6pm Central but other times as well
I’m so happy to see that Afro Funk Rio has transitioned their booty-shaking (Abundância) classes online. Thais Machado started the classes five years ago in Rio de Janeiro and by the beginning of the year, the in person classes (reaching about 50 people) regularly sold out. They’ve even expanded their offerings to include more choreographed dance classes. Make sure to buy tickets in advance here to access the Zoom. The link also lists other classes as well. Check the instagram regularly as well for upcoming classes.
Dança Afro
Saturdays in July at 4pm Central
Fabio Batista will be offering dança Afro classes every Saturday on his Facebook page. The cost is just a volunteer contribution.
Enjoy the weekend! I have more goodness coming to you soon!