First published 2010
Patrick Neate takes readers into the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, where Grupo Cultural AfroReggae wages war against the drug trade that devastates Brazil's poorest communities. The organization uses music and black cultural pride as their primary weapons, working to pull young residents away from the violence and addiction that surrounds them. Neate documents how this Rio-based group transforms lives through artistic expression and cultural appreciation. He shows the daily struggles of favela residents caught between poverty and the lure of drug money. The book captures both the creative energy emerging from these shantytowns and the harsh realities that AfroReggae confronts. Neate reveals how music becomes a form of resistance, offering hope where despair once ruled. This story unfolds against the backdrop of Brazil's rising global cultural influence, showing how local activism can create change from within.
Genres: non-fiction, cultural, activism, cultural-studies
Vibes: intimate, suspenseful, thought-provoking
Tropes: cultural-identity, social-change
Setting: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Favelas
Period: 21st-century
224 pages · ebook · Penguin Group
Content warnings: addiction, violence