The I.C.B.I.E. Blog

With December at the door, the end of year madness formally begins.  And in Brazil, that also means the end of the school year (and the beginning of summer vacation).  Yesterday the ICBIE celebrated the conclusion of the drawing course with an exhibition of the best works produced by the students.  This course is a milestone for the ICBIE, as it has been made possible by support from the City of Salvador, through the Secretary of Education, Culture, Sport and Recreation (SECULT).  Congratulations to Josiel and his students!

… and thanks to Ben, for the cool poster.

(English translation below)

Venerdì sera si è svolto un interessantissimo evento che ha coinvolto molti ragazzi e adulti della nostra comunità per un verso curiosi  di assistere alla presentazione della tradizionale danza italiana “Taranta o Pizzica” e dall’altro non vedere l’ora di gettarsi nella mischia e apprenderla. Antonello Veneri l’animatore, chitarrista e teorico del gruppo, ha cominciato a spiegare le origini storiche e sociali di tale danza nata nel territorio salentino vicino a Lecce. Tra i tanti fattori  affrontati nella sua prolusione molto efficace è stata la visione di un piccolo filmato in bianco e nero che mostrava una donna pizzicata dalla ragno tarantola, la quale cominciava a fremere e accartocciarsi sul pavimento, mentre un gruppo di strumentisti davanti a lei si scatenava in musiche dal ritmo infernale.

Alla fine Antonello ha ricordato che nessun ragno tarantola ha mai morso una donna tarantada, ma che tale danza nasce da una necessità espressiva interna del sesso femminile sottomesso del sud e che attraverso questa danza finalmente mostra se stesso, la sua forza, il suo esistere e amare la vita e l’eros, liberandosi dal male che ha dentro: sia del veleno del terribile animale (il significato simbolico), sia quello accumulato nella vita di una donna nata in mezzo ad una società patriarcale contadina (il significato psicosociale).

Poi è venuto il momento in cui Marcella Bomba, l’insegnante di danza,  ha cominciato a mostrare come si balla la Pizzica, tutte i vari passi, le giravolte, i salti, i movimenti caratteristici dei piedi sospesi, gli scatti e anche gli accessori necessari come la veste lunga,  fazzoletti o la tovaglia etc.

Dopo la sua prima individuale dimostrazione di danza ha invitato a ballare con lei alcune persone del pubblico che non hanno aspettato tanto a farsi convincere. Persino Julio che è tutto tranne che un convincente ballerino si è gettato con foga nel centro della pista, mostrando doti che fino ad oggi manteneva nascoste.

Infine piano piano tutti gli spettatori, circa una cinquantina, anche i più timidi, si sono abbandonate al ritmo della Pizzica senza più reticenze trasformando una lezione/concerto in una festa danzante piacevolissima e apprezzata da tutti.

Pietro

(Thanks to Ben and Alex for the great photos!)

Friday night there was a really interesting event that got a lot of our community’s kids and adults involved, inciting their curiosity and making them want to be a part of a presentation of the traditional Italian dance “Taranta o Pizzica.”  They couldn’t wait to join in and learn how to dance it.  The front man, guitarist and expert of the group, Antonello Veneri, began by explaining the historical and social origins of this dance, which began in the Salentino territory near Lecce.  Among the many angles that he confronted during his captivating introduction, the best came when he showed a brief black and white film that showed a woman getting bitten by a tarantula spider and then commencing to shake and writhe on the ground, while a group of musicians surrounded her and broke into a frenetic rhythm.

At the end of his talk, Antonello reminded us that no tarantula spider ever caused a woman to dance the tarantella by its bite, but that the dance was born because of an innate expressive need of the oppressed women of the south who, through this dance, are finally able to show off their strength, their lives full of love and lust, liberating themselves from the evil that lies within:  whether it be the venom of the terrible arachnid (and its symbolic significance) or the poison that has accumulated during a lifetime under the domination of the patriarchal rural society (and its psycho-social significance).

Then it was the turn of Marcella Bomba, the dance teacher, who began explaining how to dance the Pizzica, with its different steps, the spins, the leaps, the characteristic movements of the feet suspended in the air, the jumps and also the various accessories, such as the long skirt, the handkerchiefs, the tablecloth, or whatever.

After her solo demonstration of the dance, she invited a few people from the audience, and it wasn’t hard to convince them to join in.  Even Julio, who is hardly famous as a dancer, threw himself wildly into the center of the floor, showing talents that had hitherto been hidden.

Bit by bit, all the spectators, about fifty of them, even the shyest, abandoned themselves to the Pizzica rhythms, and, losing their inhibitions, they transformed the lecture/concert into a delightful dance party that everybody loved.

Pietro

The kaleidoscopic succession of ICBIE events continues this Thursday with a presentation regarding one of Italy’s most fascinating dance traditions, the tarantella.  Antonello Veneri and Marcella Bomba are experts in the field, and are also professional educators.  They will present a brief introduction to the pizzica, the tarantula bite that causes women to dance, together with a study of the music that is used to accompany it.  The event will conclude with a dance laboratory, where the public will be invited to participate, along with live music.  The locals won’t forget this experience any time soon!

Thanks to Ben Pfannl for preparing this great poster!

After six months of spectacular service at the ICBIE, our faithful Marcella has returned to Italy.  As a result, our dear president, Pietro Gallina, is filling in for her, providing this full account of the book launch last week.  

(English translation below.)

Dopo numerosi eventi culturali presentati durante questo anno dall’ICBIE, sono stato particolarmente toccato dal lancio del libro VIDAS em RISCO di Gino Tapparelli, Tania Cordeiro, Cecil Vilar Noronha e Andreja Almeida. Perché? Certamente per il fatto che per la prima volta si è toccato direttamente l’assunto delle persecuzioni della polizia nei quartieri poveri e nelle favelas, venire a conoscenza che il primo motivo di morte tra i giovani tra i 15 e 29 anni non è per malattia, ma per arma da fuoco. Quanto dolore e umiliazioni questa gente spesso, povera, negra, disoccupata, di bassa scolarizzazione o completamente analfabeta, deve passare quando il figlio viene incarcerato o ucciso sia o non sia colpevole di un crimine. Il libro consiste più che altro in una ricerca statistica che, come si può immaginare, è stata spesso ostacolata dalle autorità. E ancora tra i temi affrontati anche quello sul trattamento delle donne incinte carcerate con i figli appena nati  da dover in parte crescere in galera nei primi mesi di allattamento…

Il salone dell’ICBIE era abbastanza pieno soprattutto di ragazzi dei nostri corsi, abitanti dei vicini quartieri periferici dimenticati da tutti; alcuni di loro hanno raccontato di essersi trovati in situazioni psicologiche drammatiche simili a quelle descritte nel libro, il quale fornisce anche alcuni consigli e misure per prepararsi e prevenire assurde paure e incapacità nel muoversi tra le burocrazie della giustizia, dei commissariati di polizia e del sistema carcerario. Il dibattito dopo le relazioni degli autori presenti è stato ricco e spesso aspro nei toni, anche per gli interventi di un tifoso della repressione violenta che è stato da tutti zittito: poteva benissimo essere un inviato brasiliano di Maroni e Bossi!

Poi la presenza illustre e l’intervento incisivo di Danilo Zolo membro dell’Accademia Europea e Prof. di Filosofia del Diritto all’Università di Firenze, esperto di carceri dei quali ha parlato con fantastica competenza e con ferocia critica, ha tenuto tutti i presenti incollati alle sedie, fino a quando a suo favore si è levato anche un grido di una volontaria italiana che ha ricordato il recente assassinio di Stefano Cucchi per mano delle forze dell’ordine italiane.

A fine conferenza è stato commovente vedere che i giovani si erano messi in fila, dopo aver ottenuto ognuno una copia gratuita del libro, per farselo firmare da due degli autori e relatori presenti, Gino Tapparelli e Tania Cordero.
Hanno presenziato alla conferenza tra gli altri, il Prof. Mauro Porru, del dipartimento Lingue Romanze dell’UFBA, il lettore di italiano Raul Poleggi dell’UFBA, il giornalista di ITALIA News, Agostino Piero Pedone e il responsabile di Radio Itapagipe.

After all the cultural events that were presented at the ICBIE this year, I was particularly touched by the launch of the book Lives at Risk by Gino Tapparelli, Tania Cordeiro, Cecil Vilar Noronha and Andreja Almeida. Why?  Certainly, for the fact that for the first time, we touched upon the subject of police brutality in the poor neighborhoods and in the favelas, while learning that the primary cause of death for youths between 15 and 29 is not from illness, but from gunfire.  How much pain and humiliation do these poor, black, unemployed, poorly educated or completely illiterate people suffer, when their children are put in jail or killed, whether or not they are guilty of committing a crime?  The book is full of statistical research that, as you could imagine, was often impeded by the authorities.  Even more, among the book’s themes is the delicate issue of the treatment of women who are incarcerated while pregnant, or with infants, who are then forced to grow up in prison, even while they are nursing.

The ICBIE’s main hall was nearly full, mainly students from our courses, residents of nearby peripheral neighborhoods that are forgotten by the world; several of them spoke of having found themselves in dramatic psychological situations similar to those that appear in the book, which also provides a few bits of advice and tactics to confront such situations, to prevent irrational fears from blocking the capacity to deal with the bureaucracy of the justice system, the police stations and the penal institutions.  After the authors’ presentations, the subsequent public discussion was lively and often heated in its tone, partly thanks to the statements of an ardent supporter of violent repression, who was forced to be quiet by everyone:  he could have been a Brazilian envoy of Maroni and Bossi! (who are two vociferous law-and-order ministers in the current Italian government.  ndr)

Then there was the illustrious presence and incisive intervention of Danilo Zolo, a member of the European Academy and law professor at Florence University who is an expert on prisons, and who fired a tirade that combined a fantastic competence with an equal dose of critical ferocity, holding the audience glued to the seats until an Italian volunteer shouted out that the same thing has just happened in Italy, with the murder of Stefano Cucchi at the hands of the Italian police.

At the end of the encounter came the emotional moment when the kids lined up to receive their free copies of the book and to get them autographed by the author Gino Tapparelli and his collaborator Tania Cordero.   Among the other notables at the event were Prof. Mauro Porru from the department of romance languages at the UFBA; Raul Poleggi, a lecturer of Italian at the same university; Agostino Piero Pedone, a journalist from ITALIA News and a representative of Itapagipe Radio.

This Friday evening at 6:30 PM the ICBIE will be hosting a book presentation and a video projection; both events are focused on local realities in the city of Salvador.  The book Lives at Risk: When Violence and Crime Threaten the Public and Private World was written by two sociology professors at the Federal University of Bahia, the Italo-Brazilian Gino Tapparelli and the Profesora Ceci Vilar Noronha.  The product of more than a dozen years of research in the poor areas of Salvador, it provides an exhaustive study of lawlessness and violence, and their devastating effect on communities.  The film Next Stop Salvador de Bahia was realized by our friends at ARCI in Reggio Emilia, together with Telereggio and the Fuori orario (After Hours) artistic circles.  The film documents the work that ARCI is carrying out in the Novo Marotinho district of Salvador, where they offer education, sport and music activities.

After all the street art, Friday’s event will be quite a contrast.

Pietro just posted this link on facebook, and it seems appropriate to share it here, too.  The local Salvador television, Aratu, made this video of the Berlin Wall event in the Pelourinho last week, and there are priceless interviews with O Presidente, Julio and Bigode.  Don’t miss it!

http://www.aratuonline.com.br/2009/videos/3365,populacao-destroi-replica-de-muro-de-berlim-no-pelourinho.html

Important addition:  The new ICBIE volunteer Ben Pfannl just added a comment to this article with a link to his video of the Arte Cosciente percussionists, as they played at the Berlin wall event in the Pelourinho.  It seemed a pity to leave it buried in the comments, so here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIIrBn7Wkho  Ben was a student at AOSR in Rome and he will be staying in Ribeira for six weeks.  Thanks!

The Nigerian artist Darton X brought his brilliant colors to the ICBIE last night, and they radiated their light on our community, which is always receptive to any manifestation of African culture.

Peter Oluwadare Adeniyi was born in Ikere-ekiti, in the Ondo region of Nigeria, in 1968, and he began painting at the age of six.  By the time he was ten, he had won Third Prize at the West African Art Conference.  After university studies in Italy, he returned home to share his experiences with many prominent African artists, an exchange that permitted him to develop a highly personal style, combining cubism with traditional art to create a phantasmagorical warp, full of gleaming colors.

A veritable avalanche of art has cascaded upon the hapless residents of Ribeira, hailing down from all directions, first from Berlin, then the Chapas, and now from Nigeria.  In just a matter of hours, the ICBIE doors will open to an exhibition of works by Darton X, a Nigerian who hails from the Ondo state, but who just happened to leave his home for Italy, where he studied electronics and art.  Twenty years ago, he moved to Bahia and briefly embarked on a career in the electronics business before he decided to dedicate his life to art.   His works have been shown in San Francisco and L.A.

The exposition will be open to the public through November the 22nd, Sundays excluded.

13 Tele di Spirito di Antun Kojtom Lam

Dopo la proiezione e l’esplicazione dei principi della cultura Maya - avvenuta la scorsa settimana - , mercoledí 11 novembre l’ICBIE ha ospitato l’esposizione delle 13 Tele del pittore mexicano del Chapas, Antun.

All’inaugurazione ed esposizione di un unico giorno hanno partecipato numerosi studenti e collaboratori dell’Istituto ed una rappresentanza dei grafiteiros del Progetto Salvador Grafita, a dimostrare l’interesse per altre forme di arte e per i diversi messaggi che le stesse inviano.

La serata é stata allietata dall’ottima lasagna preparata dall’amico Marco Turra dell’Associazione Turrismo - accompagnatore e promotore del progetto Bonbajel Turr Brasil - e da un gustoso guacamole preparato dallo stesso Antun.

Ancora un altro incontro interessante ed un intercambio culturale ricco e proficuo quello avvenuto tra la comunitá dell’ICBIE ed il progetto Bonbajel Turr; grazie a Marco e ad Antun per aver portato a Ribeira un pezzo della cultura Maya e della lotta della popolazione del Chapas.

Marcella

Thirteen Canvasses of Spirit by Antun Kojtom Lamb

After the film projection and the explanation of Mayan culture, which took place last week, on Wednesday, November 11th, the ICBIE hosted the exposition of thirteen canvasses by the Mexican painter from the Chapas, Antun.

For the inauguration and exposition of the one-day show, many of the Institute’s students and collaborators participated, together with representatives of the Salvador Grafita Project, who showed their interest in other forms of art and for the different messages that they transmit.

The evening was enlivened by some exquisite lasagna — prepared by our friend Marco Turra from the Turrismo Association, who is traveling with the artist and promoting the Bonbajel Turr Brazil project — and by a tasty guacamole prepared by Antun himself.

It was another interesting encounter and a rich and proficuous cultural exchange between the ICBIE and the Bonjabel Turr project; thanks go to Marco and Antun for having brought a bit of Mayan culture, complete with the struggle of the Chapas people, to Ribeira.

Marcella

EVENTO CONCLUSIVO “A QUEDA DO MURO DE BERLIM….E DE TODOS OS OUTROS MUROS”

(English translation below)

20 anni dopo la caduta del Muro di Berlino i cittadini di Salvador de Bahia hanno potuto rivivere simbolicamente l’evento della realizzazione e distruzione del muro  nel cuore del centro storico nel Largo del Pelourinho.

E´questo ció che é avvenuto l’altro ieri, 10 novembre, qui a Salvador in un evento organizzato dall’ICBIE, in collaborazione con Goethe Institute e Prefeitura di Salvador – Secretaria de Educaçao e Cultura.

Dopo aver costruito a partire dalle prime ore della mattinata (grazie per questo all’infaticabile lavoro di Julio e Richard, supportati dallo stesso Pietro e dall’amica Veroneek) un muro in carton gesso di circa 5 per 2,40 m, lo stesso muro é stato messo a disposizione di chiunque volesse lasciare il proprio “segno” . A partire dalle 13 molti artisti conosciuti della scena bahiana come Menelaw Sete, Paulo Mello ed altri, gli altrettanti conosciuti  grafiteiros Julio Costa, Bigod, Thito Lama, Sins, Covero e molti molti altri e tutti i presenti e passanti casuali hanno potuto lasciare la loro testimonianza sul muro attraverso disegni o frasi che richiamano la tematica dell’abbatimento dei muri, sociali, economici, razziali, ecc ecc. Non sono mancati i messaggi e le dichiarazioni d’amore, disegni simbolici e disegni piu o meno espliciti. Il risultato é stato sorprendente, un collage interessante di “tag”,  disegni come  vere opere d’arte, messaggi significativi e forti.

Tutto il lavoro di realizzazione é stato accompagnato dal ritmo delle percussioni della banda dell’Associazione Arte Cosciente de Saramandaia, che ha contribuito a creare un’atmosfera suggestiva ed emozionante.

Numerosi i mezzi di comunicazione presenti, come le TV locali TVE, Aratu (http://www.aratuonline.com.br/2009/noticia/33862,populacao-destroi-replica-de-muro-de-berlim-no-pelourinho.html) che hanno giá passato la notizia nei loro programmi televisivi e nei rispettivi siti internet. Inoltre tante interviste per gli organizzatori dell’evento, il video ufficiale di Stefano Barbi Cinti e le fotografie di Paranaguá, insomma un evento che rimarrá registrato tra i piú importanti organizzati dall’ICBIE.

L’evento é stato onorato anche dalla presenza del Segretario alla Cultura della Prefeitura di Salvador, Carlos Soares, dal Sub Prefeito del Pelourinho José Augusto Leal, dal vice console italiano Giovanni Pisanu, dai rappresentanti del Goethe Institute il direttore Ulrich Gmunder e la Segretaria della Programmazione Culturale Wiebke Kannengießer, e dal lettore di lingua italiana dell’UFBA Raoul Poleggi.

E a conclusione della giornata alle 17 al suono del rullo dei tamburi il primo colpo per la distruzione del muro é stato inflitto da una tipica donna bahiana dell’Acarajé, anche questo a simbolizzare l’abbattimento di ogni frontiera e ogni divisione. Poi tutti in un atto che é sembrato molto liberatorio hanno contribuito all’abbattimento del muro in un esplodere di frammenti di gesso e macchie colorate. Credo che ognuno di noi che ha partecipato all’abbattimento del muro stesse pensando al proprio personale muro da abbattere, al proprio personale ostacolo che vorrebbe superare nella vita, alla propria personale difficoltá contro la quale lotta quotidianamente….forse per questo ci abbiamo messo tanto vigore e tanto entusiasmo nel distruggerlo.

Poi é partita la caccia al pezzo di muro da portare a casa come ricordo ed ognuno ha scelto quello che piú gli piaceva o quello che riteneva piú significativo ed interessante. Le percussioni continuavano a suonare mentre andava avanti una vera “derrubada” del Muro da parte di tutti i partecipanti e i passanti casuali. Molti turisti, molti abitanti del Pelourinho stesso si sono fermati incuriositi da ció che stava succedendo sul posto e tutti hanno entusiasticamente contribuito a rendere la giornata piú interessante, piú forte dal punto di vista dello scambio culturale, della conoscenza storica, della partecipazione e della condivisione –  obiettivi ed ideali che l’ICBIE sin dalla sua nascita persegue in ogni sua attivitá.

Insomma la giornata di ieri é stata la giusta e degna conclusione di 10 giorni di evento in commemorazione dei 20 anni dalla caduta del Muro, un evento che ha riscosso un notevole interesse come dimostra l’importante numero di visitatori delle due esposizioni organizzate all’ICBIE e il numero di persone che ha partecipato all’evento nel Pelourinho.

Come sempre lo staff ICBIE ha dimostrato impegno, perseveranza, capacitá organizzative e devo dire anche forza fisica visto il lavoro che é stato necessario per realizzare tutto questo, in particolare il muro costruito ieri nel Pelourinho.

Nota personale: Mi piacerebbe che non fossi la sola ad esprimere la mia opinione sull’evento di ieri e che molti dei nostri frequentatori del blog lasciassero il  loro commento. A volte mi sembro un pó di parte nel dire che l’evento é stato un successo perché per me rappresenta anche una soddisfazione personale. Quindi invito tutti coloro che hanno partecipato alla organizzazione e realizzazione dell’evento, e tutti quelli che l’hanno direttamente o indirettamente vissuto ad esprimersi al proposito.

Marcella

THE FINAL EVENT “A QUEDA DO MURO DE BERLIM….E DE TODOS OS OUTROS MUROS”

Twenty years after the fall of the Berlin wall, the citizens of Salvador de Bahia were able to symbolically relive the building and the destruction of the wall in the heart of the historic center at Largo del Pelourinho.

This is what transpired on November 10th, here in Salvador, at an event organized by the ICBIE, in collaboration with the Goethe Institut and the city of Salvador - the Secretary of Education and Culture.

After the construction of the wall, begun in the early morning hours (thanks to the tireless work of Julio and Richard, assisted by Pietro and our friend Veroneek), a wall of plasterboard, about 5 x 2.4 meters was then available to everyone who wanted to leave their mark.  Starting at 1 PM, thirteen well known artists of the Bahia scene, such as Menelaw Sete, Paulo Mello and others, as well as the equally renowned graffiti artists Julio Costa, Bigod, Thito Lama, Sins, Covero and many, many others, including all the casual passers-by, were able to leave their testimonial on the wall, with drawings or phrases that evoked the theme of wall breaking, whether social, economic, racial, or whatever.  There were the inevitable messages and declarations of love, symbolic designs and explicit drawings.  The result was surprising, a fascinating collage of tags, drawings like real art works, and strong messages.

All the while, the scene was accompanied by the pounding rhythms of the Arte Cosciente Association’s band, which helped to create a thrilling and provocative atmosphere.

There was plenty of media attention, from local TV stations TVE and Aratu (http://www.aratuonline.com.br/2009/noticia/33862,populacao-destroi-replica-de-muro-de-berlim-no-pelourinho.html), who have already transmitted their coverage in their news programs and on their websites.  There were also many interviews of the directors of the event, with an official video by Stefano Barbi Cinti and photographs by Paranaguá: in short, an event that will be remembered as one of the most important that the ICBIE has ever organized.

The event was also honored by the presence of the Secretary of Culture of the City of Salvador, Carlos Soares, by the Assistant Mayor of Pelourinho José Augusto Leal, by the vice consul of Italy Giovanni Pisanu, by the representatives of the Goethe Institute, including the director Ulrich Gmunder and the Secretary of Cultural Programs Wiebke Kannengießer, and by Raoul Poleggi, lector of Italian language at the Federal University of Bahia.

And at the end of the day at 5 PM, a drum roll was followed by the first blow to destroy the wall, which was struck by a typical Acarajé Bahian woman, which was meant to symbolize the destruction of every barrier and every division.  Then, in an act of pure liberation, the wall was demolished in an explosion of plaster fragments and colored shards.  I think the everyone who participated in the destruction of the wall was thinking of his or her own personal walls to break, of personal obstacles that have to be overcome in this life, of every individual difficulty against which we have to fight every day… maybe this explains the explosion of energy and enthusiasm that toppled it.

Immediately after, everyone scrambled to find a piece of the wall to carry away as a souvenir, and everyone chose the piece that they liked best or that they thought was the most significant or interesting.  The drums continued to thunder while the plunder of the wall continued, involving everyone, including people who just happened to pass by.  Many tourists and many local residents of the Pelourinho stopped, full of curiosity about what was going on, and all the people helped to make the day more rich, more full of cultural exchange, through the historical reality, the solidarity and the sharing—just the kind of objectives and ideals that the ICBIE, since its birth, has sought in all of its work.

In all, yesterday was the proper and culminating conclusion of ten days of commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the fall of the wall, a show that sparked a lot of interest, as shown by the large number of visitors to the two expositions organized by the ICBIE and the crowd that assisted at the event in Pelourinho Square.

As always, the ICBIE staff showed its commitment, perseverance and organizational skills, and I have to say also physical force, considering the effort that was required to realize all of this, and particularly, the wall that we constructed in the Pelourinho yesterday.

A personal note:  I’d like it if I weren’t the only one to write my opinion about yesterday’s event, and if many of our blog readers could leave their comments.  Sometimes it seems like exaggerated bell-ringing when I give my opinions, because this is, for me, a big personal satisfaction.  Therefore, I would like to invite everyone who participated in the organization and realization of the event, and all who participated in the event, directly or indirectly, to please add their reactions.

Marcella

Many, many thanks to Paranaguá for all these splendid photos!