Kindnessgenerateskindness

The word on the people's lips says that every poet is also a prophet. For many cultures, the sacred is also a poetics, and the word has the power to lead, uplift and materialize worlds. In the many bodies of knowledge that crossed the ocean and landed here, the word is not a mere communicative resource. Cast like an arrow shot from the mouth, it binds sound, rhythm, breath, and holds the power to create. Not coincidentally, in much of the Black African traditions in the Americas, the principle underlying communication is also the one that expresses itself as a creative force present in all that exists, has existed and is yet to exist.

The word has power, as the ancients would say. However, it is not only the spoken word, but also the written one. In a city like Rio de Janeiro, one of the best-known popular expressions used to refer to the knowledge that circulates within the universe of its people's religiosities is to say that so-and-so entende do riscado ("understands the mystical script"). To understand o riscado goes back to the capacity to dig deep into the textualities of the sacred that inscribe themselves as poetics. Being the word a tangle of rhythms, sounds, breaths, colors, textures and bodies, it runs through worlds hunting for a way to express the sacred, its mysteries, wonders, beauties and rites of faith. The word, as a spirituality, is cast into the city, into the mouth of the people and the street.

Image description: The image is a black-and-white photograph. In the upper part, hanging flowers can be seen. On the left, there is a panel with text in Portuguese, followed by a figure with long hair and a beard, smiling. The person is wearing a necklace of white flowers. In the background, a person can be seen from behind, wearing a white hat.

It was on the streets of Rio that one of the most charming, kind, and, paradoxically, explosive souls settled, expanding as art, life, and knowledge in words stitched together in public preachings and embodied on concrete walls. We are talking about the prophet Gentileza, José Datrino, a man of humble origins, woven into the enchanted mysticism of those who have a sensitive ear and a keen eye for the beauty and wonder of life. The prophet Gentileza preached on the streets of Rio de Janeiro for years and was responsible for 56 murals on the Viaduto do Caju, in the port area, which featured expressions such as: "don't use problems, don't use poverty, use love and kindness," and the most famous expression: "kindness begets kindness."

The streets as a place of memory tell how the wandering saga of love and faith of the prophet stitches together episodes of a simple childhood amid rural labor, but already marked by the beauty and wonder of an enchanted mysticism. Another important moment in this journey is, already in adulthood, the tragedy of the fire at the Gran Circus Norte-americano, in the city of Niterói. This was an important episode that gave meaning to the dialogue with the astral voices, which the prophet himself claimed called him to a life purpose devoted to love, gratitude, and kindness.

Image description: The image is a photograph of a concrete pillar under a bridge. At the top, there is a yellow and black graffiti that looks like a signature or tag. Below it, the number "38" is written in black. Next, there is a series of words written in blue on a white background, forming a message. The main phrase reads "GENTILEZA GERA GENTILEZA" and is prominently highlighted. In the background, there is a parked bus with the sign "AQUA BRANCA" visible.

When speaking of the spirits, beauties, and wonders of Rio de Janeiro, we cannot help but mention the prophet who made poetics a place for the defense of life, love, and kindness. He embodies the whole mystique of the city's delirious and visionary preachers, evoking these aspects to mount them on words and come alive in the streets of Rio.