SambaandtheSuburbs

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered in front of a house. The spatial arrangement is asymmetrical, with some individuals seated on the ground and others standing behind them. In the front, a man is kneeling while holding a musical instrument, while another stands beside him, also holding an instrument. Further back, other men are standing, some wearing hats, and one man is playing a guitar. A woman stands behind a wooden fence, looking at the camera. The house in the background has several windows and a simple structure.

It is likely that one of the most representative cultural elements of Carioca (and suburban) identity is Samba. Since 2007, the roots of Samba in Rio de Janeiro have been recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of Brazil. According to the National Historic and Artistic Heritage Institute, these roots are represented by three main expressions: Partido alto, Samba de terreiro, and Samba enredo.

Over time, samba became an alternative for Black individuals, immigrants, Northeasterners, workers, poor or not, who sought to recreate their bonds of sociability, fighting against the prevailing structure of segregation. Affective ties, ways of living, entertainment, and resistance are processes that interact to become identity-producing elements. As the master Nelson Sargento says, “Samba, Black, strong, fearless, was harshly persecuted on the street corner, in the bar, in the terreiro...”.

When it comes to Samba and the suburbs, among the many neighborhoods that stand out is Penha. It was there that, during the patron saint's feast in October, Ernesto dos Santos, better known as Donga, chose to launch "Pelo telefone" — a landmark in the genesis of samba as a musical genre, recorded in 1917. Names like Noel Rosa, Pixinguinha, Ismael Silva, and Cartola — besides Donga himself, among many others — used to frequent this important suburban region and pioneeringly present their compositions there.

Image description: This is an old black-and-white photograph. In the upper part of the image, we see a large building with two tall towers, located atop a rocky hill. The hill is covered with vegetation. In the background, there are a few simple houses and a lone tree. In the center of the image, there is a road cutting through the terrain. On the left, we see a white house with a sloped roof and a person walking along the road. On the right, there is a woman holding a baby and another child walking. In the foreground, we see a plot of land with grass and a strip of sand.

The scale of the celebration of the patron saint of Penha was so great that it was even considered the second-largest popular festival, comparable to Carnival. Roberto Moura, in his book "Tia Ciata e a pequena África no Rio de Janeiro," identifies Dona Hilária Batista de Almeida — the famous Tia Ciata, known as one of the most important figures in the emergence of Rio's Samba — as a regular attendee of the festival. It's worth noting that the parish priest in charge of the church between 1879 and 1907 was Father Ricardo da Silva, a well-known abolitionist recognized for offering shelter and care to escaped enslaved people, which led the area to also become known as "Quilombo da Penha."

Very similar processes can be observed in other spaces of the suburbs. Such as the Feast of São Jorge, which takes place in all the suburbs, but especially at the church in Quintino, the Feast of the Divine Holy Spirit in Encantado, the Jongo circles at Morro da Serrinha and Salgueiro, the folias de reis of Morro da Formiga, June festivals, São Cosme e Damião, street or block Carnival itself, and samba schools such as those of greater Madureira, Portela, Império Serrano and Tradição. These are just a few of these manifestations that break through the centuries and endure through time to the present day.

The forms of improvisation present in Samba demonstrate much of the characteristic elements of life and cultural resistance linked to the daily routine of suburban residents. Relationships established in the botequins, backyards, under the shade of trees like the mango, jackfruit and tamarind trees, or any place where a jongo, choro or samba circle can happen. Or, as another verse from the same song by Sargento already cited here says: "Samba agonizes, but does not die, someone always rescues you before the final gasp."

Image description: This is a painting in vibrant colors, depicting a social scene. In the background, we see several people gathered in a place that looks like a market or a fair, with stalls and people interacting. In the lower part of the image, two individuals are in the foreground, talking. The man, wearing a white shirt and jeans, has his arms resting on his thighs, while the woman, wearing a gray dress, holds a white handkerchief. Her eyes are closed and she seems to be emotionally engaged in the conversation.