Faced with polarized elections like this Sunday in Brazil, has it been discovered that artists and musicians are by definition citizens of progressive or left-wing leanings? Although Chico César is strong in his personal opinion, he is cautious before such an endorsement (“we are not a homogeneous bloc”, he emphasizes). “Bolsonaro he is a dictator. He praises torture, is misogynistic, and is a racist who doesn’t care about the return to slavery. He hates sexual diversity and human diversity.” Explains the singer-songwriter from Catolé de Rocha, a town in Paraíba in the northeast of the country.
His opinion agrees with many other Brazilian singers who have been vocal for days and have generally bet on Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva’s return to the presidency. This is how artists like Anitta, Lenine, Luisa Sonza or rapper Emicida put themselves. And old guard gurus: step forward Caetano Veloso in a music video with the song ‘Vira vira voz’, which calls for a comeback in favor of Lula. The lyrics underline a transverse character: “Baker’s vote, lawyer’s vote change / ‘Oppressed’, love’s vote change / Neighbor’s vote, family’s vote change”. About fifty artists were involved in the theme, including Gal Costa, Daniela Mercury and Maria Bethânia.
A new ‘Bella ciao’
Chico César also joined the campaign, although he was not featured in the original video because he was flying to Europe. “It’s important for people to express themselves and maybe it would be nice if there were videos of ‘Bolsonarist’ artists. That’s how we saw their faces, the bard from his new album ‘Vestido de amor’ says. The track titled ‘Bolsominions’, which presents “It’s a protest song like ‘Bella ciao’, of struggle to be sung in the streets, like those of Peter Tosh or The Clash”.
The lyrics speak of the “demons” that, in his view, the current Brazilian president brings with him. “I wanted to express my disgust at the neo-fascism prevalent in Brazil,” adds Chico César, but “violence against women, blacks, indigenous people and the poor comes from the creation of Brazil by Iberians and all Europeans”. Chico César believes that “it is time to defeat barbarism” and predicts: Lula “has the conditions to calm Brazil”.
Mobilization does not have such a broad equivalence. pro-Bolsonaro camp where affiliations have been recorded in more traditional musical fields, To the exponential ‘sertanejo’ like Gusttavo Lima. It is a popular species “It comes from immigration from within the country to the big cities”, explains singer and composer Wagner Pa, a carioca living in Barcelona since 1986, former leader of Brazuca Matraca. The worst part of Bolsonaro, he predicts, is “dividing the country, dividing the corruption and the methods, the way of doing things”. “My own family was divided; It is a reflection of this country.” Despite some reservations, he describes himself as “pro-Lula” because “it is not clear that the Labor Party was acting fairly in governing the structure.”
Wagner Pa is sure to receive good news on Sunday. Also this Monday, the day after his ballot box appointment, Chico César will perform at Barcelona’s Sala Apolo. “I hope we celebrate Bolsonaro’s fall and head down the Rambla towards Barceloneta. I sing ‘Bella ciao’ and my songs ‘Bolsominions’ and ‘Pedrada’: ‘fireball is in the air / shooting at fascists’””.
Source: Informacion
