Vai Vai Vai (Go Go Go) Finding their groove at the Baile Funk
Crazy good or crazy bad?? real life cultural chronicles or glorifications of less than desirable elements?? mysogynistic or empowering?? Sexy or seedy? Freedom or constraint??
These are just some of the questions surrounding the culture of favela funk, carioca funk or just funk as it is known here in Rio.
Like most things in Brazil there are massive contradictions within funk music, like almost everything in Brazil it contains the crazy/beautiful dichotomy. Favela funk has been part of the fabric of this city for more than 25 years, it is controversial, it is divisive but it is real, very, very real. This piece is just my opinion based on experiences of attending a few of these parties.. I do not claim to be an expert but merely an observer and participant…….
Last Saturday night was my first time at a “Baile Funk” (Funk Ball) and i am still thinking about it four days later. I had previously been to 2 funk parties – one in Guadaloupe (far in the North Zone) and one at a Museum in the city centre, and while both were unique, the one on Saturday called “Heavy Baile” was the most sexually charged party atmosphere I have ever seen.
The Funk Ball is often half-jokingly referred to as the Puteria (orgy) by the MC’s on stage and it is easy to see why with couples getting down to some seriously sexy moves on the dance floor. While the “gatas” (women) are blessed physically they also know how to operate the bodies they’ve been given. Brazilians can squat, groove, grind, bend, bump and bounce like nothing i’ve ever witnessed. Its impossible not to find it sexy. Sweat soaked, voluptuous women dancing in a way that most women would be too shy or too judged to attempt in Europe. The men too have a rhythm and flow that made this gringo feel like he had been freshly dipped in quick drying concrete. The combination of willing participants, gnarly lyrics and “Pancadão” (Big Beat) mean the synergy whipped up is hot, sensual & openly criss-crosses the border to erotic.
The “Pancadão” (Big Beat) in Guadaloupe doesn’t happen by accident!
There is even a part of the show called “dancarina de funk” (possibly adaptated from rougher Jamaican “daggering”) where girls volunteer to go up on stage to dance/dry hump with the MC’s and their crew. Previous to Saturday I had seen a video or two of this on YouTube (filed under research) and it is certainly an eyebrow raiser. Saturday, however, blew even YouTube out of the water as two of the dry humpers came dressed as Gorillas specially for the dry humping occasion!!! It was hilarious, unnerving and somewhat disturbingly sexy all at the same time. (Note* There is a more serious element to Jamaican daggering – In 2009 it was banned after a spate of penis breakages when it was imported from the clubs to the bedroom)
One friend of the girl i was with even went up on stage where she proceeded to get simulated out of the stratosphere by one of the gorillas. She returned ten minutes later positively delighted with herself – wild cheers, hugs and high fives from her friends greeted her return and they had a great laugh about the whole thing.
Humour is a hugely important ingredient of the Baile funk and of Brazil in general. The revellers are, to an extent taking the piss out of them selves, taking the piss out of the derogatory definitions traditionally imposed upon them by the upper classes and above all else enjoying life despite often tough conditions – they also have way less hang ups about expressing themselves. Why sit around in a corner trying to make conversation when you can “make it happen” on the dance floor is the attitude among these girls many of whom don’t drink or drink very little.. They are at the “Baile” to dance not get drunk. They have curves and moves that are beyond belief – they also have desires so why should they not express them?? We have an old saying after all, that dancing is a vertical expression of a horizontal desire.
Wheres wally?? Spot the Irish Boy at the Baile Funk
The girls who dance sexily may be labelled “piranha’s” (women of low morals) by some guys or other women but does it not exhibit rare freedom that they don’t care about these labels? Is the fact that they are operating free of the shackles of what others think not something to be admired? As far a i know, we don’t look down our noses at the women involved in the hippy movement of the 1960’s for throwing off their inhibitions. Quiet the opposite in fact, their free love tendencies are widely applauded as revolutionary.
There is a further female empowerment element to the Baile but again it’s merits are (highly) debatable. At many parties females also get their time to “pump” the guys (often with hands tied behind them) in a practice called “Surra De Bunda”. Here the women demean the men (i didn’t even know this was possible) – albeit with their asses.
“Do. not. under. any. circumstances. send. help” would be the cry if i was ever on the receiving end of an SDB.
There is also an increasing number of female MC’s on the circuit and an amazingly named group called Gaiola dos Popozudas (Birdcage of Big Butted Girls) who sing ripostes to some of the more “machista” (macho) male MC’s . Are these sisters truly doing it for them selves? – just in a whole new Brazilian way? One of their videos has 15 million hits on YouTube so i’m pretty sure they don’t give a rashers what i think either way.
But all of this does beg the flip side question… Are these revellers (especially the women) being totally free or totally constraining themselves within old frames of reference? Many will argue that girls at funk balls are only valued for their bodies, their dance moves and above all else their asses. Are they defining themselves as humans whose only use is in the bedroom or are they on a different plain of freedom from their supposedly more developed western sisters who, despite having all the theory and education, are still far more demur, passive and culturally restrained from expressing their sexuality overtly. In fact are we all way too bloody shy, self- conscious and socialised in Europe – are our stiff upper lips really stifling some of our innate human instincts? Are we all metaphorical wearers of a chastity belt that only comes off along with the lights??
Maybe negative aspects do emerge on a deeper sociological level but for me “Baile Funk” is first and foremost a supreme outpouring of joy – raw, positive, sexy joy. Rio de Janeiro, despite its beauty, is not the easiest place in the world to live for millions of “Favelados”. Daily struggles blight their lives and many are constrained by poor educational and employment opportunities. Many will never travel far beyond the favela let alone Brazil.
The government has even attempted to remove their right to a Funk party in the past but Saturday night (as well as the other two events i attended) has shown me that whilst there is politically corrupt systems, ongoing drug/police wars and poverty all over this city the people cannot be defeated. Those that have been under the hammer of a system for generations have still got many modes of resistance. They neglect of generations of political regimes has constrained and limited their potential in many aspects but has not diminished their spirit.
Funk is a temporary breaking of constraints, a casting off of problems and inhibitions if you will. Bumping and grinding until dawn, the sexiest people in the world “let go” like no others. Of course Carioca’s (Rio people) have amazing beaches (still free despite despicable attempts in the past to introduce cover charges at the prettier ones) but apart from that Rio can be a very expensive city especially for the low paid. Thankfully, sex and music are still free (last time i checked) hence the power of the music and sexiness of the funk party. Baile Funk is the conduit for these two remaining low cost-high value elements of life, bringing them together to be celebrated along with life itself.
Baile Funk is also a powerful antedote to my “good” Catholic upbringing in Ireland replete with large levels of guilt, shame, religious repression as well as the need for a minimum of 10 drinks to be had before anything “sexy” is attempted.
Funk music, which started in my mind as mere noise is fast becoming one of the true expressions of Brazilian life. For better or worse a funk ball is a microcosm and like Brazil itself it is all there in one big, bubbling, colourful, noisy, sexy as hell melting pot.
(In part 2 of this blog i will discuss the origins of Carioca Funk, its lyrical development from gang/violence to highly sexual themes, the culture of ownership and importance of place as well as some of the problems associated with the movement)
Some helpful Giria terms used at the Baile Funk:
Funkeiro – A person who goes to funk parties
Novinhas – young teenage girls controversially celebrated in some Funk songs
Gatas/Gostosas – Hot, Sexy or beautiful women.
Popozuda – big assed woman
Favelado – Person who lives in a favela
Carioca – Person from Rio
Putaria – whorehouse or orgy
De quatro – doggy style
Senta – Sit (one of the most common imperatives of funk lyrics)
Safado(a) – shameless, horny or dodgy man or woman
Burro – means donkey but used as Giria for a big hard ass (don’t shoot the messenger)
Pancadao – big beat of Funk
Fluxo – flow
Vagabundo/piranha – woman/man of low morals
Surra de bunda.. where a woman pounds her ass into the mans face in a sort of demeaning version of “daggering”
brazirish15 