Rap festival debates female participation in urban music

Throughout the afternoon and evening of this Sunday (16), the bohemian neighborhood of Lapa, in downtown Rio de Janeiro, will be the stage for a very urban musical style with black roots, just like samba, but more recent and with northern influences. -americanas: rap. Rhythm and poetry occupy four spaces with free concerts and others at popular prices, in addition to debates. One of the debate tables was Mulheres na Música Urbana, with Yvie Oliveira, founder and executive producer of Brasil Grime Show (BGS), and Juliana Wanderley, co-founder and collaborator of the black collective and magazine Brasa Magazine. Grime is a musical style that emerged in London in the early 2000s, in which rap singers make their rhymes over accelerated electronic beats. Founded in 2016, BGS opens space for urban music artists to experiment with style. Yvie says that she was a pioneer in working with grime in Brazil and that, in recent years, other YouTube channels have started to work with the style. “That is really cool to watch. Today, when you look at Brazil, there are more than ten radio stations on YouTube focused on grime. And, until 2020, there was only the Brasil Grime Show. So, today, I also have a place to sell my work to other grime programs in Brazil. We have a very strong influence, yes, and many artists who passed through us were able to understand this and work on top of the media that we provided to revert to what they wanted.” Despite the success, Yvie says that she went through many situations of lack of credibility for being a woman. “There are situations in which you can clearly see that the person will relate better if it’s a man giving the direction than with a woman. You will always have your word questioned. I’ve worked with over 60 artists and only two have had the confidence to work directly with me. The others preferred to go through other productions. But today they are coming back, asking for our assistance.” Juliana points out that, often, men receive credit for work done by women and that women’s efforts are disrespected. “There is ethics on the professional side and there is the personal side, and these are situations that will affect both. There are situations in which I need to impose myself, as a producer or advisor, to protect my space.” She adds that she needs to stand up as a woman and say, “you’re not going to talk to me like that, the same way you wouldn’t talk to a man.” According to Juliana, it is a difficult situation, because it gives the impression of petulance or of being a woman out of control. “And it’s not about that, it’s about us establishing a boundary of respect.” Also discussed were New Trends in the Urban Music Scene; Copyright: from Public Execution to Digital and Career Planning. The debates were curated by rapper Marcão Baixada, cultural agitator awarded at events such as Take Back the Mic, in Miami. Festival The festival Lapa pela Lapa was conceived by Agência Olga and carried out in partnership with the agencies V3A and SRCOM, in addition to the Brazilian Union of Composers (UBC), Selina, Rádio Mix, Mobees, Virgin Music Brasil and the Salve Lapa association. Sponsorship is from Budweiser and the State Secretariat for Culture and Creative Economy, through the Culture Incentive Law. According to the managing partner of Agência Olga, Mateus Simões, the objective of the Lapa pela Lapa project is to enhance Rio de Janeiro and one of the most traditional neighborhoods in the city. “Our inspiration came from North American festivals that use city structures to deliver a rich program to the public. Events like these move the local market and entrepreneurs a lot, in addition to valuing artists and creating unique experiences for the public. In the first edition, we chose to work with artists from the national rap scene, giving light to the urban culture that flourishes throughout Brazil,” said Simões. Shows The shows started at 3 pm. At Fundição Progresso, tickets cost R$40, plus a donation of 1 kilo of non-perishable food, and the main attractions are BK’ and Marcelo D2, starting at 8 pm. At Arcos da Lapa, with free access, BNegão entertains the public from 6.30 pm, followed by Drik Barbosa. The attraction at Casa Salve Lapa, at the Tá na Rua Cultural Center, is the battle of MCs, starting at 7 pm, with free admission. The closure will be with Mc Funkero and there will also be a live graffiti painting. The Virgin Music Brasil Space, in the Green Space of Fundição Progresso, will have a freestyle presentation by PK at 7 pm and by Marcelinho da Lua at 8.30 pm.

Agência Brasil