The Brazilian Ghetto
 

http://www.brazilian.org.uk/news/award/pics/favela.jpg
(picture of a favela above)


The 'favelas' of Brazil are intriguing. These hillside ghettos of Brazil, ruled by drug lords and often adjacent to very affluent areas differ greatly from an American ghetto.

Without getting into too much detail, I just noticed some loud music coming from the balcony that faces the hillside favela a couple miles away. This particular favela is located right undernead the infamous Jesus statue ironically enough. The music blaring in the distance is Brazilian Funk... It's like rap, mixed with mega-funky basslines and beats and styling. It's an AWESOME style of music, but it's known as 'favela music' or looked down upon as inferior music of the less fortunate. Anyhow, looking from my balcony I can see lights flickering up in the middle of the favela and it seems they're throwing a party. Jammin music, really cool stuff... Its just weird to hear this music blaring, to be able to see the lights flickering amidst the huge favela, and to imagine them in their little town, which police wont dare to enter, throwin down, doin up their own Brazilian-favela kind of way.

They have favela tours in which an employee of the local drug lord allows you and your car safe passage to cruise around and take pictures and stuff. Without this approval you're pretty much guaranteed to be mugged or God knows what else. I'd like to go up there and see it firsthand and get some pics.

Much flavor.

Anyhow, I thought I'd share my little, as insignificant as it may be, cultural observation before I hit the sack.

This isn't K-Man. Proper punctuation and grammar? Nahhh.

Hey how is the food?

There was a good series on TV about those here.

Some very sad stories and some very corrupt cops.

food is the bomb... Brazilain Churrasco.... mhmmmm

sry for the proper punctuation, i was feeling all proper and introspective

interesting... thanks for sharing bro and please do take pics (if the drug lord lets you though)... :1orglaugh

Thank you for sharing, I love seeing how other people live, and learning there cultures. Do you have anymore Hi-Res pictures to share? I would love to see them! Thanks :thumbsup

how do people from this secret town act when they are in the city with the normal people aswell?

they act alot more playful and talk louder, shout to each other alot...

i was chillin with my buddy on the beach earlier (hes a US Marshall) and a kid sat down next to us and was staring at us, and we spoke to her in Portuguese and she was there with her 4 brothers who looked like favela kids, travel in packs, no parents to be found... my buddy bought the kids some sodas and they immediately started asking for pieced of our food we had... it was interesting to see them... they were like they've never had a coke, or a coke happened to them like once a month and they were stoked it was happening today. they stared at us alot, like they were trying to figure out how we got it made so we can have cokes whenever we like... shrug, god knows what they were really thinking... but they were friendly, made a point to shake our hands before they left.. they were about 12-13 years old... good kids.... it was just kind of weird the way the one girl just plopped herself right down next to us and started staring at us like, 'hello, my name is laura, what's your name" she had no fear of being proactive and making a new friend.... and before you pervs call Chester, remember, my buddy's a Marshall and we both have kids of our own...

she looked bummed when he had to go, i could see her keep looking at my buddy like she was gonna miss the nice dude who bought her a coke...

i couldnt help but feel bad for all the kids... knowing that they live in a perpetual warlike-zone... u can hear automatic-weapons firing in spurts at night sometimes.... then i always go over to my balcony to see if i can see anything.... nope... it looks so tranquil still... nothing changed... just heard some automatic gunfire.... like the wind...

im off to sleep yo

search images.google.com for favela

also search google im sure theres articles and reports etc

sounds like a day in chula vista

one more question... what are the girl like there? like are they snobby?

thanks for the share very interesting

here u go kman..tell em u want the tdf special


www.favelatour.com.br

thanks, that's what I have been doing for the last 45 mins :thumbsup

The movie City of God focuses on this and on the DVD they go into the actual ghettos. Very sad people are living like that. Kinda makes me want to tell the "poor" people in the US living in their air conditioned government housing with free food to stop complaining that the sink faucet leaks!

I really don't recommend going in a tour inside a favela. Period.

And hell yes, Brazilian BBQ... man do I miss it! So fucken GOOD!

Why no tour?

what a fukin dump...

It's just not safe, even with druglord permission. If police decide to storm in (rare but possible) then you will find yourself in a very bad spot. Plus, they (druglords) are in constant fight with each other to take over control and they have really heavy artillery, talking about army arsenal here.

It's moments like this that makes GFY all worth it :thumbsup

Thanks for sharing.

I rented this film the other day. I was blown away.

sounds awesome

Favelas... A lot of territory for drug lords to rule. :pimp

http://www.ephphata.net/images/favela-bresil2.JPG

Wow, looks really unique

Take some pics for GFY Kman :)

Good stuff dawg. Right on for getting out and checking out the world. :)

SixNine

That's neat

interesting... I've only seen the good side of brasil, never so it from the bad one...

holy shit! :1orglaugh

I watched City of Gods yesterday, a good movie about the favela's

I have been to the north zone several times. 90% of Rio is a favela. Some are really bad and some are just middle class people making a living. Not that different then Chicago south side in the 90's.

If you take the train up to the Christo you go through a small sample of of a favela. Very safe and a close view.

Just got the movie so I'll watch it tonight :)

thanks for the insight ive never been to Brazil

nice link TDF... i think ill go on some of these tours next week... =)

looks excellent

anytime bro.Just make sure you save some tang for me in thailand

What city are you in, I'm planning a vacation to Brazil soon..
and would like to know what city you are in and how your enjoying your general area...

If anybody wants to get a GREAT LOOK at favela life..
go rent or buy the movie "City Of God", there is a very powerful documentary in the DVD extras section that shows what life is like in the favela

nice pics...doesnt seem like a safe place to viist more then a few times. premission or not.


keep the pics coming, it is cold and snowy here...lol