Orfeu Negro and Emicida AmarElo: song, community and survival

Abstract

This work aims to investigate the figure of the singer featured in Marcel Camus's film "Black Orpheus" (1959) and Cacá Diegues's film "Orpheus" (1999)—both based on Vinicius de Moraes's play "Orfeu da Conceição"—and to compare them to the distinct image of Orpheus featured in the documentary "AmarElo: É tudo pra ontem" (AmarElo: It's All for Yesterday), by rapper Emicida. Drawing on notions of "community," "survival," and "literature and other arts," we aim to contribute to the debate on Black Brazilian resistance and inventiveness. Emicida brings to the forefront residents of peripheral areas and characters who have had and continue to play an important role in the struggle for minority rights in Brazil. Cultural mediations, lyrical tone, and sociopolitical perspective are present in the three works that contribute to this essay.