Playlist on Spotify with three songs and an audio clip about this location
Poetry Against Racism
Antonio Candeia Filho was born in 1935, the son of a musician who was a regular presence at the sambas of Oswaldo Cruz. From an early age, Candeia was involved in the parties at D. Ester's house, a pioneer in encouraging samba in the neighborhood. He was part of the group of friends known as the Turma do Muro, made up of sambistas such as Casquinha, Waldir 59, and Picolino, who gathered next to the Train Station to create the first sambas.
At 17, he had his first samba-enredo accepted by Portela. Besides being a composer, he was also a Police Officer. His career in the force even led him to stop and question his own fellow samba musicians, such as Paulinho da Viola. At the time, samba was strongly associated with marginality, but his professional and personal path led him to question these social stigmas, which drove him to incorporate political and resistance themes into his compositions.
At age 30, Candeia was involved in a traffic accident, which resulted in five gunshots that left him in a wheelchair. To keep him away from depression, friends transformed his house into a new meeting point, keeping the atmosphere alive with samba circles and cultural exchanges. This support was essential for him to resume his career in the 1970s, when he released historic albums.
Candeia performs alongside Cartola. 1974. Arquivo Nacional/Fundo Correio da Manhã
That decade was also important for Candeia as a political voice of resistance. He founded the Grêmio Recreativo de Arte Negra e Escola de Samba Quilombo, fighting for the preservation of samba tradition and for civic education about the history of Black people. Candeia became a pioneer in denouncing structural racism in music and challenging the status quo of the time, criticizing the direction that samba schools were taking.
Casquinha, Sérgio Cabral, Pelão, journalist Arley Pereira, actress Teresa Santos, and, seated, singer-songwriter Candeia and his wife. MIS/RJ
Today, his memory is celebrated by a graffiti panel developed by the Negro Muro collective on the site where his house once stood. The legacy of the author of "Preciso me Encontrar" and "Dia de Graça" lives on in every samba circle and every fight against racism.
Image description: This is a painting depicting a historic city. On the left side, we see a river with several vessels floating on it. In front, there is a large building with a dome and towers. In the center, there is a palace with many windows and a flat roof. On the right, there is a square with people walking and carriages. In the background, we see several old buildings with sloped roofs and towers. The sky is full of clouds, and the lighting suggests it is daytime.
