Samba Opus 4: São Luís, the Brazilian Jamaica.

Format:

Video

Series:

Samba Opus

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

African Brazilian.

Jamaicans.

Race discrimination.

Cultural identity.

São Luís, Maranhão State.

Local Subjects:

South America, Mexico, Central America, and the Caribbean.

African Brazilian.

Jamaicans.

Race discrimination.

Cultural identity.

São Luís, Maranhão State.

Genre:

Documentary

Physical Description:

1 online resource (54 minutes)

Other Title:

Samba Opus 4: Belem, A Caribbean Brazil

Place of Publication:

Paris, Ile-de-France : Qwest TV, 1998.

Language Note:

In French.

In English.

Original language in French.

Original language in English.

System Details:

video file

Summary:

Located on the Atlantic coast, Maranhão is home to some of Brazil's most beautiful beaches. The state capital, São Luís sways to Jamaican rhythms. Close to the Caribbean and used to the merengue and the bolero, the population—often black, poor, and suffering from discrimination—has adopted reggae roots since its appearance in the 1970s. Since then, Bob Marley's records have been played on huge sound systems and concerts performed by local bands. Everything evokes Kingston, even police repression, except that reggae is danced here as a couple, in keeping with Nordeste traditions. Opening with Rita Ribeiro’s "Pé Do Lajeiro," the documentary explores nights in São Luís before heading to the countryside where sugar cane is grown. In the villages, other music and dances, often linked to Afro-Brazilian cults, persist: tambor de crioula and cacuriá, as well as the bumba-meu-boi, which for descendants of slaves, embodies their Africanness.

Notes:

Title from resource description page (viewed July 15, 2024).