Quilombo

The Quilombo Space is a showcase of independent artists and cultural producers from Brazil’s urban periphery. In Brazil, the quilombo was a maroon community where formerly enslaved Africans and their descendents settled, and forged a new society, resisting their exploitation and dehumanization. Today, the term quilombo symbolizes hope, solidarity, freedom, and autonomy for subaltern peoples of Brazil and around the world. Quilombo Space is curated and hosted by Flávio Lima, director of Casarti, A Casa do Artista Independente, a cultural center that supports the arts in the suburbs of Rio de Janeiro. Join Flávio as he interviews the musicians, filmmakers, poets and artists who are changing the cultural landscape of Brazil today.

Interview with

Antônio Carlos Mariano

Afro-Brazilian cultural manifestations and Latin America are all represented in the music of Antônio Carlos Mariano. This musician and songwriter incorporates the strength from his ancestry into his melodies and harmonies.

From the peripheries of Brazil to the most important music festivals where he performs, Mariano leaves a remarkable imprint, and encourages brotherhood among people.

In this interview and acoustic performance, he discusses his influences linked to the Afro-Brazilian religions, the songs his grandmother used to sing while doing domestic work, and even The Beatles.

The music festivals throughout the countryside of Brazil also served as a stage for Mariano where he competed with his songs like “Roda,” as well as partnerships with other poets and songwriters in “Dona Arminda.”

Among his new projects, he is recording an album where he is melding his melodies with the poetry of the great theater personality, Solano Trindade.

Previous Interviews

Rossandra Leone is a powerful figure in the fight for social justice from the periphery of Rio de Janeiro. Her talent as an emerging filmmaker is undeniable. She has already won prizes and gained recognition in several Brazilian film festivals.

As a multimedia student, she produced the movie “O Jogo.” Later, she became involved with the Cinema Negro movement. Despite access to very few resources, she persisted in infusing quality into her work. She knows this is a tough business.

As a Black lesbian, Leone relied on her perseverance and street savvy to overcome obstacles; here it is worth highlighting that the suburbs in Brazil are places where the majority of residents are poor and Black.

In this interview, Leone talks about her fears growing up and about the condition of being an invisible resident of the periphery, which she exposes on screen in her film, “Real Card,” a short about the city of Rio de Janeiro’s challenges and contradictions.

Her most recent prize-winning movie, “Blackout,” is running successfully in film festivals. The Afrofuturistic short is a fictional story of a Black woman who succeeds in changing the system.

Any resemblance to Leone might be mere coincidence. Her skill in the dance for survival reminds us of the iconic lyrics from the great Brazilian songwriter Gonzaguinha: “No campo do adversário, é bom jogar com muita calma procurando pela brecha.”

Interviewed by:

Flávio Lima

Flávio Lima is a geography teacher and songwriter who recorded his own album “Sinestesia,” the author of articles such as “Nos Quintais Da Casa Do Artista Independente,” and the books, “Memórias Da Grande Madureira” (Afro Museum Rio – UERJ), and “Subúrbios Cariocas Uma Deriva Contemporânea Sobre Nosso Chão.” In collaboration with Rodolfo Bertamé, he wrote the book “Diálogos Suburbanos”. Flávio is the founder and artistic director of the Cultural Center CASARTI – Casa do Artista Independente, and the founder of MAIS – Movement of Independent Artists from the Suburbs.