From the first steps of the samba that were developed by escaped slaves to the hyper-politicized modern-day hip-hop movement, music has always played a fundamental role in liberatory struggles in Brazil.

While initially a form of protest music, samba was in many ways co-opted and commercialized, assisted by Carnaval, becoming a dominant form of mass culture. Unsurprisingly, many in the favelas feel samba no longer has the capacity to express their identity or frustrations. Perhaps inevitably, other musical styles more acutely focused on protest, anti-authoritarianism and anti-oppression have emerged to fill the gaps left by samba’s co-option. By the end of the 20th century, samba had taken a backseat as a powerful counter-narrative emerged in the form of hip-hop, telling stories of racism, violence, poverty and injustice.

Check out this excellent hip hop video made by a collective of young women in Brazil (Construção Coletiva) who poetically sum up the social injustices imposed by the World Cup.