the lively soul of rio de Janeiro

Brazil is famous for its iconic carnival festival, its talented soccer players, and its favelas. Originally, favelas were illegal settlements built by former slaves that originated in Rio de Janeiro. Favelas have proliferated throughout all Brazilian major cities and form an integral part of Brazil’s landscape. Even some of the world’s biggest superstars, such as Michael Jackson and Beyonce, have chosen Rio de Janeiro’s hill-slope slums to film their music videos.

At the beginning of the 20th century, Rio de Janeiro needed to undergo reforms to develop into a more modern city. The then-mayor of the city began to carry out extensive urban renovations in the city center, which included the expansion and opening of long avenues. During the renovations, several shantytowns were demolished leaving their residents homeless and forced to seek shelter in alternative locations. This resulted in the sudden and massive expansion of favelas on the hillsides of Rio de Janeiro. The word “favela” originally comes from the name of a tree found in the Northeast region of Brazil that is known to cause skin irritations after touching it.

There are currently an estimated 1 000 favelas in Rio. About one out of four Cariocas l i v e s in one of the hundreds of slums clinging to the hillsides of the Marvelous City. Built between two of the city’s swankiest neighborhoods, Rocinha is Brazil’s largest slum with an estimated population of 200 000 squeezed into less than five square kilometers. Santa Marta, Mangueira, Vidigal, and Complexo do Alemão are some of the other most famous favelas of Rio de Janeiro. Located on the city’s outskirts and famously depicted in the Oscar-nominated movie “City of God”, Cidade de Deus is one of the only slums of the city sprawling on a flat land. In 1996, Michael Jackson sang “they don’t care about us”, as a reference to the longstanding governmental neglect faced by these communities. Favelas are inhabited by impoverished people who tend to have darker skin, many of them being descendants of slaves. Favela residents are often discriminated against for living in these communities.

Today, favelas are portrayed as lawless neighborhoods populated by violent criminals. The communities suffer from the stigma of being associated with numerous social problems, including extreme poverty, outbreaks of violence, high crime rates, drug trafficking, and

unsightliness. Yet, most slum residents Besides, some of Rio’s favelas are set in a describe their lives as fulfilling. A survey privileged location: they often offer jawconducted in 2014 in several slums dropping panoramic views of the city. For throughout 35 Brazilian cities stated that example, the Vidigal favela, overlooking 94 percent of favela residents say they Ipanema beach, has experienced a boom are happy. In Rio de Janeiro, the benefits of tourism and the arrival of foreign of living in a community environment are residents due to its scenic sea views. many and acknowledged by the favela Housing in Vidigal became more expensive dwellers themselves. According to the than in some other parts of the formal same study, more than two-thirds of city, which is the irony of the slums in Rio. favela residents would not leave the Wi-fi credentials are also shared among neighbors. Contrary to what one might are more technologically connected than their counterparts living in downtown favela even if their salary doubled. What Every year, millions of Brazilian and good might there be in living in a favela? international tourists converge in the Marvelous city to celebrate the world’s In Rio de Janeiro, favelas are not only a biggest party. Carnival holds a central matter of poverty; they represent a way place in Brazil’s national culture. And of life. About eight out of ten yet! Those most discriminated slum residents are proud of against in everyday life, living in a favela. These the favela residents, communities have rule the city for four developed their own economic ecosystem that makes money “ consecutive nights to showcase the Afro-Brazilian more profitable. This intimacy, this value of being heritage of For instance, one takes care of the together, this affection for your the country. The clusters of other’s child; credit neighbor, this is something you makeshift housing cards pass from hand only find in the favela. that run up the to hand within the city’s hillsides neighborhood. “This José Fernandes Junior are the birthplace intimacy, this value of being Resident of Rocinha favela of samba music and together, this affection for Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival your neighbor, this is something parade. The samba schools, you only find in the favela”, states José representing some of Rio’s ordinary Fernandes Junior, living in Rocinha. neighborhoods and favelas, parade Many inhabitants of the favelas prefer to dressed in the colorful costumes they have be rich among the poor, than poor among carefully crafted over the past year, show the rich. Usually, utilities such as water, the incredible organizational and creative gas, electricity, telephone, and even talent that exist within the favelas. Rio de cable TV, are acquired through makeshift Janeiro’s Carnival would not be the same taps called gatos, set up by the residents. without the favelas’ joyful cultural influence. think, the youth living in these communities Lucile Guéguen through the Sambodrome. Their dancers, neighborhoods: as of 2012, nine out of Sources: ten favela residents under 30 could access https://www.rioonwatch.org/ the Internet. So, leaving the favela also https://www.conversaafiada.com.br/ means giving up an economic ecosystem economia/2014/07/30/94-dos-favelados-saothat is beneficial and collaborative. felizes