Favela Uprising

afroreggae is the band from rio de janeiro that is part of the cultural organisation of the same name working for social change within the favela communities. the organisation has achieved phenomenal success in the last 13 years, using music and cultural programmes to change the lives of thousands of people in the areas hardest hit by drug-traffiking, violence and poverty. the band and the foundation have won huge acclaim in brazil and beyond. grupo cultural afroreggae (gcar) was inspired after 21 innocent people died in the favela vigario geral in 1993. it was the brain child of singer anderson sa and afroreggae director jose junior. together these two set up the organization which has been working tirelessly in the favelas of rio offering an alternative way of life to young people seeking to escape drug trafficking gangs. they are championed in brazil by their musical 'godfathers' caetano veloso, gilberto gil and actress regina cas. afroreggae, the first band of grupo cultural afro reggae (gcar) to become professional, appeared in 1995, as a result of dance and percussion workshops in the favela of vigrio geral. until 1998 the history of the band is marked by rehearsals and concerts throughout rio. slowly but surely the visual and musical aesthetic of the band took shape, with the addition of kit drums, guitar, bass, caixas de folia carnival drums and the presence of a dj. it was also around this time that the band started to compose its own songs which tell the story of life in the favela through samba, reggae and hip hop. the live show demonstrates all the fervent energy out of which afroreggae was born. since 1998 the band has toured within brazil and internationally, releasing their first album 'nova cara' on univeral in 2001. afroreggae's new album features guest appearances from ty, estelle and manu chao. on mr bongo.