Favela won! - Resistance conveyed in bregafunk music videos

¡Favela venceu! - Resistencia difundida en los videoclips de bregafunk

Abstract

Music production accounts for spreading ideologies since music genres are intrinsically linked to political discourses. bregafunk is a music genre that fulfills this role in the music scene of Recife, Brazil. The genre’s video production portrays the city’s favelas as places of sociability and affection, as well as of ambition for better social and economic conditions. Based on the Foucauldian theory, favelas are an emblematic example of resistance. Thus, this study is guided by the following research question: how does the production of bregafunk music videos evidence favelas’ resistance? Foucauldian discourse analysis was applied to 777 bregafunk music videos posted on Youtube between September 2012 and September 2020. Results have evidenced a discursive formation showing higher favela representativeness in society. This discursive formation is characterized by the appreciation of favelas and their citizens’ efforts to empower minorities. These findings have evidenced favelas’ resistance by representing political identities inserted in this social space. This process reveals a specific and alternative ethos challenging the status quo by supporting political discourses with acts against those considered socially normal.

Keywords:
Bregafunk music; Favela; Music videos; Resistance; Foucauldian discourse analysis