Moacyr Luz and Samba do Trabalhador Marluci Martins
Published 04/29/2024 00:00
Samba is the essence of Rio culture, as the song said: “whoever doesn’t like samba is not a good guy”. And for samba and art lovers, the traditional Samba do Trabalhador resumes its performances in the external area of the Banco do Brasil Cultural Center (CCBB), in the center of Rio, on May 1st, celebrating Labor Day. The event will take place from 5pm to 8pm and is free, opening the celebrations of the Cultural Center’s 35th anniversary.
The samba circle takes place every Monday, at Clube Renascença in Andaraí, in the North Zone and for 19 years it has become an obligatory stop for anyone who enjoys good samba, like nurse Jéssica Greice, 32 years old, who is from Salvador and met Samba do Trabalhador through a friend, when he came to visit Rio: “I loved the experience, it was very different from the samba places I’ve been to. I felt the essence of Rio samba, the great classics being played, people who seemed to be intimate with the place, the band, each other and got together to do a samba in the backyard. It’s great to see the diversity of the audience and the simplicity of the place, which brings that more intimate atmosphere. “, he said.
Carolina Gomes, 37 years old, was introduced by friends to the samba circle at Renascença and there she had the feeling of being at home: What I like most about Samba do Trabalhador is that it has no distinction between the audience, it is diverse, but all he focused on enjoying a good samba on Monday, especially those who work in entertainment. I love it, I wish I could go more often, but exactly because it’s Monday, I can’t always. However, it is a temple of good samba! It should be praised as such,” she emphasized.
Pole of resistance for Brazilian culture
The Rio tradition began with the initiative of samba artist Moacyr Luz, who on a Monday afternoon in 2005, a day when musicians normally don’t work, called his colleagues to make a sound and thus Samba do Trabalhador was born.
Moa, as he is known, revealed how it became a lasting cultural movement: “The initiative was not planned, it was an intuitive idea that turned into a significant cultural movement. My idea was just to get together friends who worked on the weekend so we could make food, exchange guitars, propose new partnerships, but all of this in a natural way. When I started Samba do Trabalhador, I had already recorded some important songs in my life, such as ‘Saudades da Guanabara’, ‘Coração do Agreste’, ‘Mico Preto’, explained the composer.
The project grew organically, without tickets at the beginning, just the desire to share music and culture. Over time, demands grew, requiring professionalization in aspects such as security, copyright and equipment. “Suddenly, I found myself with 13 musicians on stage, a new door opening for new values, new talents, and I began to realize the responsibility of this”, reflects Moacyr.
The success of Samba do Trabalhador is also reflected in their discography and performances. The group became a reference for new talents to showcase their original songs. “The fact that Samba do Trabalhador almost immediately recorded its first DVD in 2005, after recording two more DVDs, five CDs, this spread the space, the club, our samba circle across Brazil”, highlights Moacyr.
Having completed 19 uninterrupted years, Samba do Trabalhador’s challenge is to maintain its longevity and continue innovating. “I think the big challenge is to stimulate the musicians who are playing and always provoke something new in the audience, which never stops coming. I talk to the musicians that we are not just a group, we are a concept. So the way of playing , respect for harmonies, inventing introductions, trying to create a synthesis of new harmonic paths, respecting the lyrics, the banality, fighting against the banality of the lyrics of some of the most popular types of samba. And I believe that as it is a concept thing, It is being renewed and will be renewed for a long time to come”, emphasizes the samba singer.
Gabriel da Muda, who has been part of the samba circle for 19 years, alongside Moa and several musicians, talks about the importance of the place: “Samba do Trabalhador is my life, it was there that I learned everything I know about samba I was very young when I started and I realized a lot of things with all my time spent playing samba,” he said.
He also highlights the main reasons for Samba’s popularity: “I think the main characteristic is this game, being a samba circle on Monday afternoon. I think it really attracts people out of curiosity, who don’t believe it, right? and the carioca is the guy who makes fun of us. Not to mention the musical part. We have a very refined musical side, modesty aside, you know? the oldest and the youngest, the best known and the least known”, highlighted one of the project’s founders.
For Mingo Silva, a black voice from Niterói, named by Moacyr, the difference in the samba circle is the energy: “each show is a show, and there at Samba do Trabalhador there is this, every Monday is a second. It’s a different energy! You see people who have never been emotional, crying and singing along with us. You get there and leave there clean, with clean, renewed energy”, said the group member.
