Digital collage from the editorship Funk Is BlackInstituto Kondzilla
Funk is Black
The origin of Brazilian Funk within the Black Movement.
Black Music
In 1970, Soul Music arrived in Brazil, a rhythm with a strong influence from jazz, gospel and rhythm & blues, making everyone dance and creating a counterculture movement in the favelas of Rio known as Black Rio.
Turma do passinho has fun at a baile funk by Anne Karr and FotogracriaInstituto Kondzilla
Miami Bass & "Uh-Tererê"
The 80s were dominated by Miami Bass, a hip-hop subgenre that became a fever abroad and over here too. But it was in the 90s that the mix of Miami Bass and Funk Music and the drumming of the African "atabaque" gave rise to Funk Carioca as we know it today
Carioca Funk
After the Miami Bass influence, a of Brazilian flair layer was still missing for the rhythm to take off. That's when the beat accelerated, the lyrics changed, new strands emerged and Funk Carioca became what it is today, recording its mark on history.
Young people talk about black influences on funk in a community in Jardim Ibirapuera, São Paulo by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
Repression of Funk
Like so many other manifestations of the black people, funk has always carried the wound of criminalization. The movement was, and still is, constantly associated with violence, to the point that all its production is questioned as cultural expression.
Renata Prado, researcher and funk dancer, poses with the community in the background by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
Funk is Black
A cultural heritage created by black people of peripheral origin, Funk is a tool of social and economic transformation in favelas across Brazil. Funk is a source of pride and no one can take that away from black people.
Digital collage from the editorship Beats and SamplesInstituto Kondzilla
Beats & Samples
Step into the studio for a true Brazilian Funk production session.
Glau Tavares, music producer, in a studio in Rio de Janeiro. by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
The VoltMix
In the late 80's, a new beat became common among all musical productions that exploded during that time: the VoltMix. With its danceable beat composed of booming bass lines, VoltMix spearheaded the "tamborzão era" and brought a more 'Brazilian' feel to Brazilian Funk.
Atabaque's Acclaim
It was time for the African "atabaque" drums to become the great reference for the funk carioca. The Congo de Ouro beats worked around here and inspired the famous "choo cha cha choo choo cha". The originality that the rhythm needed to spread and become popular.
Funkeira Deize Tigrona singing in the studio by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
The subgenres of funk
With the popularization of the rhythm, several strands emerged. There is Conscious Funk, which talks about the difficult reality within communities. Proibidão Funk, which opens up the conflict between rival groups. Ostentação Funk, which portrays the financial rise of the black.
Funkeira Deize Tigrona and the producer Glau Tavares with an MPC in a studio in Rio de Janeiro by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
Spreading through Brazil
But it doesn't stop there, Brazil embraced funk and its variations appeared in many regions, mainly in the Northeast. The bregafunk, funknejo, trapfunk, the "mandelão" and funk rave are booming at parties, on the streets and on audio platforms
The 150 BPM boom
For a long time, Funk was played at 130 BPM, that is, 130 beats per minute. In 2017, DJ Renan from Penha, became known for creating songs with a faster rhythm than usual, the famous 150 BPM, where the DJ is the protagonist.
Digital collage from the editorship Portando os KitsInstituto Kondzilla
Sporting the Kits
The fashion and design influences brought by Brazilian Funk.
Sporting the Kits
The kit, as it is called at the "Bailes", is one of the greatest characteristics of "funkeiros" and "funkeiras". It dictates the trends in the hood: clothes, sneakers, glasses, jewelry, haircuts, and of course, each one's personal style.
A young black man smiles with the Jardim Ibirapuera community in the background by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
The Brands
Funk revolutionized the presence of brands on the streets, many became more relevant after being mentioned in the lyrics. This is the case with the Juliet sunglasses, the most important item in the kit, and the European football team jerseys that are real hits.
Replicas are welcomed
Although Funk lyrics make references to brands, it is not so simple and cheap to access designer clothes. Replicas or RPs are welcomed pieces in the wardrobe of the "Funkeiros", subverting the logic of inequality: everyone can have whatever piece they want.
The Blindado
The "Blindado" cut is a trend that was born in the Brasilândia region, by the hands of Ariel Barbeiro and spread to the outskirts of São Paulo. The authentic tuft divided into colored strands is famous for being extra resistant and has spread through memes across social media.
'Bailes' and Entrepreneurship from the Quebrada
The "bailes" are events that move the entire local economy. The regulars invest in their appearance, whether with a haircut or by getting their nails done. Barbers, manicurists, hairdressers, and bars in the favela generate income and employment thanks to all this movement.
A shade at the "Bailes"
The presence of umbrellas in the São Paulo's "bailes" is a reality. Within Funk it comes with a revamped meaning. Umbrellas, as they are called by "funkeiros", are considered true luxury items in Brazil's largest city.
Young people shows their kits while sitting on a motorcycle with a gradient background by Anne Karr and Marcos Vinicius (Atemporalboy)Instituto Kondzilla
The subversion of kits by the LGBTQIAP+ population
The kits are still a marking between the feminine and the masculine.People who are part of the LGBTQIAP+ community and attend the dances, subvert this logic and use the kits they want.
Digital collage from the editorship PassinhoInstituto Kondzilla
The Passinho Movement
The body expression created by Brazilian Funk.
The Passinho Movement
Rio de Janeiro is the birthplace of the "Passinho". The movement emerged in the early 2000s in Rio de Janeiro communities, having the first direct references in 2006, when the "Imperadores da Dança" group included these unique dance moves in their repertoire.
What inspires the Passinho?
There's samba, break, frevo, free step, kuduro, capoeira and even influence from American artists like Michael Jackson, Bruno Mars and Usher. The "passinho" is the rhythmic translation of different cultural codes, where there are no rules, no right or wrong.
Dancer does Passinho move and smiles at baile funk by Anne Karr and FotogracriaInstituto Kondzilla
Deconstruction of movement
The passinho proposes a new way of dancing funk, bringing a break in the aesthetics related to the choreographies carried out until then. If until then, what dominated the protagonism of the dance was the wiggle, with the Passinho it is the turn to break this order.
Lacraia forever!
The precursor of the Passinho movement has a name: the dancer Lacraia. A black, poor and effeminate transvestite.
Lacraia paved the way for trans and drag queens artists to explode in rhythm, creating safe spaces for gender and sexuality diversity in the streams.
Keep exploring the movement
Discover more about the story of Funk and other peripheral artistic movements on the new documentary series "Beat Diaspora", Kondzilla and YouTube Originals production.
