<nettime> Re: Carnival...

[andreas <aah@thing.ch>]

Niels Roeller wrote:

>In Bahia Olodum is the most frequented social event for the black, because
>of the free concerts on sunday, they attract more people from the black
>community: Those who cannot afford to buy tickets for football matches.
>Costs for tickets cannot be afforded by the majority  living from beans and
>farina in houses without current water. Disemployment is about 80% and 84%
>of this are black unemployed people.- During the rehearsals songs are
>presented that deal with political issues that Oldum chooses as a their
>carnival theme. So when songs about blacks in Egypt or Madagasgar and Cuba
>were played people receive a basic instruction. Topics are integrated in
>the songs that help to cover issues asked at school and university.
>Olodum is against all racism and violence, women are part of the group and
>also not--blacks.


Is your screen black?
It has to be said that OLODUM is a strong network, that founds itself on
community work. It is more than a band. The idea of networks is very old in
Brazilian history, shown in the example of the *quilombos* - free villages
- in Portuguese times.
The city of Salvador is built on hills, some of them are very steep - not
so easy to access.  Without knowing the code of a *roda de capoeira* or
simply of an old man singing a love song one remains an amused, but
outsided ignorant. (Deusa de marrom - jeito sensual - quando ela passa).
An important tree in this *floresta* is the African heritage of oral
tradition, telling a lot about history, social framework, religion. (all
showing up in music, but stronger in other places)
Form and content in oral tradition has the very charateristic that it is
unstable, things have to be constantly accepted in the moment they are
expressed. The succes of OLUDUM is also based on the predominant oral
tradition, because illiteracy is still high.
Other groups of the *movimento* OLODUM in their house in *Pelourinho* are
dealing with community issues, there is as well a good theatre group. The
music group gained public awareness because it could begin without radio or
tv, simply a truck with a huge amplifcation was needed to entertain
thousands at carnival time, to get the message through. Bahianos call it
the moment of the rising self-esteem. Experiences with mass media and
P.Simon and M.Jackson made them more carefull about their own culture.

The upcoming fever of net.carnival?
net is carnival - the trucks are sometimes slow, but people around are
dancing to the beat.

andreas
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