Debora Baldelli

I'm a Social scientist, ethnomusicologist and content editor currently living in Portugal. In wonderful and sunny Lisbon I am focusing on my PhD in Ethnomusicology (UNL/FCSH). At Global Voices I collaborate as a write and translator of posts in Portuguese. I also like to suggest posts related to culture. It was during Global Voices Summit in 2010, in Chile, that I discovered the world as a small village.

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Latest posts by Debora Baldelli

Documentary Explores 90s Rap Culture in Sao Paulo

  30 October 2013

Through interviews and archival footage, the documentary “Sabotage Nós” (We Sabotage), available to watch online, presents important moments of Sao Paulo's rap music in the 90s. The film tells the story of the release of the album “Rap é compromisso” (Rap Is Commitment), Sabotage's debut album. Sabotage was an important...

Brazil: Protest Posters Turned into Song

  22 June 2013

“I turned Facebook off / to show how to be tough / There is so much stuff / that one poster is not enough”. This is the translation of the chorus of the song “Brasil em Cartaz” (Brazil in Posters), a kind of collective song and video clip made ​​from phrases on...

Brazil: Repression at FIFA Confederations Cup in Rio de Janeiro

  18 June 2013

Following the wave of protests against adjustments to transportation and public spending before the 2014 World Cup, protesters outside the Maracanã Stadium in Rio de Janeiro were reprimanded by the Military Police, who used tear gas against people who had taken refuge in Quinta da Boa Vista City Park, as...

Brazil: Youth Documentary on Pacification in Rio's Favelas

  11 September 2012

The Project 5X Favela (5 Times Slum), which aims to give a voice to young filmmakers living in the favelas of Rio de Janeiro, is now addressing the pacification process in Rio's slums. Their new documentary, 5X Pacification, intends to portray the impact of police units presence in the daily...

Brazil Approves Racial Quotas in Higher Education

  5 May 2012

The Supreme Court of Brazil has unanimously approved the adoption of racial quota policies in higher education institutions across the country. The approval of the policy brings up again the controversial debate on racial discrimination and racial inequality in the country.

Cape Verde: The Musical Legacy of Cesária Évora

  29 December 2011

After the death of Cesária Évora, symbol of Cape Verdean music, on December 17, there was an abundance of tributes and declarations by her faithful audience from almost every corner of the globe. With the singer and Cape Verde in the spotlight, the blogosphere discussed who might take her place as musical spokeswoman for the country.

Brazil: “The City's Most Beautiful Band” Wins the Internet

  21 May 2011

A musical love “prayer” was one of the hottest topics of the week on the Web in Brazil. A Banda Mais Bonita da Cidade‘s video, (the name means “The City's Most Beautiful Band”) released on May 17 and recorded in a long take, has already thrilled more than 700,000 people [pt]...

Brazil: Young Man Recycles Wood by Building Instruments

  14 May 2011

David Rocha, a talented young man from São Paulo outskirts, has been building instruments from any kind of used wood, as the video in this post illustrates. Some of his accomplishments so far are a cavaquinho, a Brazilian rebec and an acoustic guitar made with wood from a cod box, all with...

Brazil: Mapping a Traditional Music Instrument Online

  11 April 2011

Rabeca.org is an online project that aims to gather and present information about the Brazilian rabeca and Guanari rawé in a map with audio recordings, photos, texts and videos. The platform offers an opportunity to explore this fascinating instrument similar to a violin, but with a regional focus and tradition.

Brazil: Flooding in the Mountainous Region of Rio de Janeiro Devastated Cities

  16 January 2011

The mountaineous region of Rio de Janeiro is suffering what is being considered Brazil’s most-deadly natural disaster: there are more than 500 fatal victims and countless people left homeless so far. This tragedy, which gives only its first steps in the aid of the victims, still doesn't allow us to assess the damage and the work to be done, but it already brings back the debate about the urgency of creating a policy for climate catastrophes in the country.

Lusophone Traditions in Malacca

  4 January 2011

Baragül, a Brazilian blogger, investigates the lusophone influence in Malacca (Malaysia). In this post he argues about some gastronomy traditions shared between Brazil, Portugal and East Timor that are also present in the former Portuguese Colony.

Brazil: Youth using citizen media to chronicle Rio violence

  28 November 2010

Young residents in the Complexo do Alemão favelas in Rio de Janeiro have begun using social and citizen media to chronicle the recent wave of violence spreading through the city. Seventeen-year-old aspiring journalist Rene Silva has set up a Twitter account, @vozdacomunidade (voice of the community) [pt], to monitor the police occupation of...

Brazil: Bloggers react to wave of violence in Rio de Janeiro

  26 November 2010

A recent wave of violence has frightened residents of Rio de Janeiro and reignited a familiar public debate on security in the city. A great wave of panic, in part brought on by the mainstream media, also brings to the fore a new problem: the great proliferation of false rumors on the internet.

Brazil: Collaborative Website on Street Dwellers

  25 July 2010

Maria Frô talks about the new website FalaRua [Street Talking], dedicated to the street dwellers of Brazil. The online community offers information about the Project for Training and Strengthening of Street Dwellers and invites everyone to participate through a quick registration. [all links in Portuguese]

Brazil: Lusophone Countries United at the Theater Stage

  16 July 2010

For the first time in Brazil, theater groups from East Timor and Sao Tome & Principe will present plays at the FESTLIP (Festival of Portuguese Language) [pt]. The festival taking place in Rio de Janeiro, also includes plays from all the other lusophone states: Cape Verde, Mozambique, Angola, Guinea-Bissau, Portugal...