Festival Madureira and Flap gather under the overpass, with names like Sandra Sa, Mano Brown and Martonalia

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— Madureira is a synthesis of Afro-Carioca culture. Holding the festival at this time is to reaffirm our anti-racist struggle and recognize the contribution of black people to Brazil’s cultural identity, says musician Jongueiro Marcos Andres Carvalho, one of the event organizers.

The program combines music, jongo, dance and creative economy with the Aure, Companhia de Aluanda da Cerinha, Imperio Serrano and Agbala Dudu drumming, and the traditional Baile Charme de Viadut. The event also celebrates the 15th anniversary of Companjia de Aranda, a reference by Serinha Jongo that promises to transform the region into a great meeting place for Afro-Brazilian cultures.

But the party under the overpass isn’t just about music. This year, Madureira Festival joins Frap — Festa Literaria das Periferias in bringing to the district for the first time a program that combines literature, performance, music and memory.

From Wednesday to Sunday, and again from the 27th to the 30th, Flup 2025 will pay tribute to author Conceição Evaristo, the first living author to be honored at this event. Recognized as an intangible cultural heritage of the State of Rio, Flap presents a new edition with the theme “Ideas that captivate the world again”, proposing a deep dive into the connections between language, body and territory.

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The literary festival will bring together luminaries from Brazil, Africa, the Caribbean, North America and Europe, including Michelle Alexander, Ana María Gonçalves, Mireille Fanon Méndez-France, Eliana Alves Cruz and Steve McQueen, to discuss art, ancestry and social justice.

In addition to discussions and workshops, the program will feature shows by Sandra Sa, Mano Brown, Luzi Luna, Jonathan Fell, Martonalia, Majur, and others, strengthening the connection between literature and Black music. The agenda also includes the attractions of Central Única das Favelas (Cufa) and Zê êne bar in Madureira.

For curator Julio Rudemir, bringing Flap to the neighborhood is a symbolic return to the roots of Rio’s popular culture.

— Madureira is Rio’s cultural capital and the birthplace of samba, jongo and charm. This is where you see people on the streets and where you can still hear the cries of street vendors. It is a living realm that resists isolation and the logic of online commerce. Anyone interested in people is interested in Madureira. Flap has always believed in this dialogue between art and people. Being here means being aware of this force, this energy that keeps culture alive, he says.

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The connection between the two events came naturally.

— When we learned that Flup would be held on the same date, we saw it as an opportunity to join forces and expand our impact. Arriving in Madureira with fringe artists like Michelle Alexander, Ananda Devi and Mano Brown is important, but it’s already entrenched in the mainstream. Demonstrating the strength of these global or transatlantic peripheries risks forgetting or not interacting with local production. Thanks to our partnership with the Madureira Festival, we can be there with the drums of Portela, Jongo, Imperio Serrano and Queen of the Drums Quiteria. There is a very strong local expression there, and this is fundamental.

Ludemir recalls that the double act began when his “long-time partner” Marcos Andre sought out DJ Michel from Bail Charme, and Michel presented a proposal for the Madureira festival to the Frap organizers.

— We welcomed with smiles and understood that the festival was going to be even better. It bridges the gap in dialogue with local expression, and we hope to incorporate it into our curation in the future, he says.

For him, the flap is also a tool of resistance and reconstruction of black memory in Brazilian literature. Ludemir said the country’s literary tradition began with writers like Paula Brito, Machado de Assis, Lima Barreto and María Firmina dos Reis, but black writers have historically been less visible since repeal.

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— The book industry, like Brazil’s other cultural industries, was exclusive and racist. This situation will begin to change, he says, with positive policies that have transformed the publishing market.

According to the curators, works such as Lázaro Ramos’ In My Skin helped pave the way for a new generation of writers such as Jamila Ribeiro, Giovani Martins, Jefferson Tenorio, Itamar Vieira Jr. and Ana María Gonçalves.

–Black writers do not exist alone. There is a whole network of Black readers, editors, critics, and festivals that supports this ecosystem. Like samba and poetry slams, he concludes, literature is a form of resistance.

Crespa Fair and Giant Sparrow Circle enliven the festival

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Founded in 2018, Madureira Festival is born out of a collaboration between neighboring cultural groups that aims to strengthen the local scene and open new opportunities for artists and producers. Rede Madureira was established from this union and introduced an incubator for local projects in its first year. Since then, the event has established itself as one of the main events dedicated to the appreciation of black culture in Rio.

— The creation of this festival was an offshoot of a cultural movement that already existed here, a showcase to show off the power of Madureira and open up markets for our group — explains musician and jongueiro Marcos Andres Carvalho. — Jongo and samba are appealing here, and street dance and hip-hop coexist. It is the region that reflects the most diversity of Brazil.

The event will promote the Crespa Fair, which focuses on the creative economy and black entrepreneurship, with exhibitors from fashion, gastronomy, art and beauty, in addition to music and dance performances. The fair strengthens the festival’s role as a space for circulating knowledge and strengthening suburban community networks.

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Carvalho highlights the economic and symbolic impact of the project:

— Festivals create jobs, income, and self-esteem. It employs around 300 artists and producers, all drawn from local cultural chains. This is a movement that demonstrates the strength of suburban culture as a driver of development.

This year’s festival will be held outdoors, for the first time, under the Madureira viaduct, in a more democratic format, according to Carvalho.

――Everything will be even more powerful because it will be held under the elevated railway tracks, which is a sacred place. The experience will be unique, but it will be even more unique when Flup occurs at the same time.

Rodrigo Nunez, coordinator of Companjia de Aruanda, emphasizes the symbolism of performing in the neighborhood.

— Madureira is a sacred place and a quilombo of cities. I was born in Serigna, a fan of Jongo and a disciple of Master Darcy. Our company was born to spread Black heritage and celebrate the coexistence of old and new. In Madureira, Jongo interacts with charm, and Samba interacts with hip-hop. The most powerful innovations are those built on tradition.

He said the opening of the festival will be marked by a large Jongo circle celebrating the company’s 15th anniversary.

— This is a symbolic coincidence. The circle’s anniversary falls on Zumbi Day, during Flap, and the opening of the festival. We’re going to bring together eight Jongo groups for a big celebration – stay tuned.