The Brazilian Government and Funk Music

Brazil's upper class and government don't understand or enjoy the baile funk phenomenon. In Brazil most baile funk isn't allowed on the radio because it is considered proibidão, or prohibited. Instead of recognizing the songs as those that reveal the reality of favelados' lives, the government believes they are recruiting people to join gangs or glorifying drugs and violence. Laws banning bailes or holding baile-runners criminally responsible have been instated and repealed several times since 1999, but a law in 2009 defined funk as "a popular musical and cultural movement and declaring that all issues related to the subject should be dealt with by the state of the art. The law also prohibits discrimination and social, racial and cultural prejudice against funk."[1] Despite this, in a intense crackdown on favela music in 2010, rappers like MC Smith and MC Frank were arrested. Paul Sneed believes that this is partially because of the concerts that are produced by gangs and drug dealers in the favelas. The government views all bailes as the same, even though some bailes don't play the "forbidden funk."

Though the influence of gangs on favela music is a reason for government intervention, the prohibition and fear of the music goes much deeper than that. Brazil's policy of "racial democracy," or the belief that Brazil has ascended above racial prejudice, is another factor in the fight against baile funk. Here race and class cannot be talked about separately because they are intertwined so closely in Brazil. The erasure of race in Brazilian society is a myth, and a quick glance at socio-economic demographics proves this. The lower classes are largely made up of Afro-Brazilians, and more Afro-Brazilians than not are creating funk carioca and dancing at bailes. The music itself is partially derived from African tradition music, shown in the heavy drum beat. In an article about the persistence of racism in Brazil, it is said that blacks are often not allowed into bars or other establishments because it is assumed that they have no money.[2] The prejudice against this music by the government is found within its racial and class origins, and much less in its supposed glorification of "immoral activities."

The sexuality and ambiguous morality of funk carioca doesn't exclude the influence of religion within the genre. In one of MC Smith's songs, he talks about how the favelados are "armored by the blood of Jesus Christ" and that they should not flee from Big Skull, a notorious slum gang. There is also the promotion of songs like "Bandido de Cristo," a forbidden funk song, that talks about Christ as a gang-banger.[3]

Below is the trailer for the most comprehensive study of funk carioca, Favela on Blast. The full movie can be found here.

[1] Baldelli, Debora. "The Music Brazil Doesn’t Want You To Be Listening To · Global Voices." Global Voices Overall. N.p., 05 July 2014. Web.
[2] Rabouin, Dion. "In Brazil, Racism Against Afro-Brazilians Persists." News One. News One, 24 June 2014. Web.
[3] Favela on Blast. Dir. Diplo. Mad Decent and Mosquito Project, 2010. Online.