IntheDJ'sbooth

Good funk for passinho - DG Fabuloso

The beat of funk fills the backyard of Rodrigo Silva's house, in Pilares, in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, during his 16th birthday celebration. His friends move to a mix of funk, soul, street dance, frevo and capoeira, while one of them films the scene with a digital camera. The next day, the video is posted on YouTube. Passinho foda goes viral. Victor, Marquinhos, Rodrigo, Rodolfo, Bruno, Alan and the dance style they invented become a sensation at bailes. The video inspires other young people from the city and the country, who also film and post their “passinhos” on social media.

Image description: This is a photograph of a lively scene featuring a large crowd of people gathered in an indoor space. The spatial arrangement is dynamic, with the spectators surrounding two men at the center of the image. On the left, a man wearing a red shirt and gray pants is dancing, while in front of him, another man, wearing a white shirt and gray shorts, appears to be interacting with him. Both are in motion, suggesting a performance or dance activity. In the background, the crowd watches attentively, forming a tightly packed cluster. The colors vary, with the red of the dancer's shirt and the gray of his pants standing out. There is no visible text in the image.

Passinho, a cultural movement born in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro, soon took over the city. In 2011, the first Batalha do Passinho was organized — offline, of course. Gambá, the "King of Passinho," and Cebolinha faced off at the Sesc Tijuca court. Over time, groups formed around the dance. One of the most nationally prominent is Dream Team do Passinho, responsible for the 2015 video Todo mundo aperta o play, which reached one million views in just a few days. In 2018, a bill was passed that made Passinho an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Rio de Janeiro.

Image description: This is a photograph of a group of people dancing indoors. The image shows several children and adults in motion, with a boy in the center wearing a blue T-shirt and white shorts standing out. On the left, a boy in a red shirt and white shorts is dancing. In the background, other participants are watching or talking. The setting has yellow and blue walls, with a mosaic stone floor. In the upper right, there is an opening that appears to be a door or window.

The history of Passinho, however, also has its sad notes. In 2012, Gualter Damasceno Rocha, known as Gambá, disappeared on New Year's Eve. A week later, his family discovered that he had been murdered and buried as an unidentified person.

Passinho Battle