Every time you go clubbing, you think about forming a national identity, right? According to Leonardo Pereira, that’s what laborers in early Brazil did.
Pereira, the NU Rockefeller Fellow in Humanities, spoke Wednesday at Kresge 2-425, presenting his research on “Leisure and Social Identity in Bangu, Rio de Janeiro (1892-1930).” He makes the claim that dance clubs in Bangu, a suburb of Rio de Janeiro, helped form the Brazilian identity by mixing cultural traditions.
Bangu was settled along a major Brazilian highway and centered around a factory. According to archives, the original people who came to the town were all lower-class workers for the factory; 80 percent were Brazilian-born, while the others were recent immigrants. Initially, the factory sponsored all leisure in the town, starting a band (Sociedade Musical Progresso de Bangu) and a soccer league. Pereira described Bangu as a “semi-official society dedicated to labor.”
Soon, however, dance clubs starting springing up. Three major ones dominated society in Bangu — Flor de Lira (Flower of the Lyre), Flor de União (Flower of Unity) and Prazer das Morenas (Pleasure of the Mulatto Women). The clubs were notable because of their openness — the Flor de Uniãon wrote in its mission statement that all were welcome, even without a link to the factory.
Because they existed apart from the factory, Pereira says the clubs formed a national identity for the dancers. For example, Flor de União appealed to Afro-Brazilian influences, and ended up combining the two traditions. Prazer das Morenas was notable for mixing all the roots of those who entered. In this way, the clubbers were able to leave behind their immigrant traditions and embrace a Brazilian identity.
It’s important to note that the clubs had no political or labor ties, although factory and military officials did try to suppress them in fear that they might form unions. Instead, Pereira says, the sole goal was leisure and preparation for Carnaval. Periera also says that these clubs were responsible for making Rio the festive city it is today.
Next time you’re at the club, keep these thoughts in mind. Maybe that Jay-Z/Linkin Park mashup you’re grinding to is just a small part of the new American identity.
Pereira is a history professor at the University of Brasilia. His research focuses on the cultural history of Brazil.