Religion and the Remnants of Slavery in Brazil

Summary of Work

In this photograph, there is a group of men and women of all ages dressed in white shirts, pants, and skirts. They walk on the bank of a river with large hills in the background. The group seems to be talking and laughing with one another and there is a light-hearted atmosphere. The group of people is from a quilombo, which is a community of people that are descendants of previously enslaved people in Brazil. The image is in black-and-white and has a slight “grainy” look.

Author

The photographer of this piece was Andr Cypriano. Andr was born in 1964 in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and studied photography in both Brazil and the United States. His work focuses mainly on domestic life and documenting the remote societies and areas of the world. He currently lives in Rio de Janeiro and New York City. From his time in Brazil and documenting the lives of those in remote areas, Andr Cypriano understands the plight of those in ostracized communities and their complex histories. His work seeks to understand and bring awareness to different cultures, not to mock or exploit them. When he commented on this photograph in particular, he stated “Different types of religious practices are part of the universe of the quilombola communities all over the country. References to African religious practices indicate the attempt to keep up a whole universe of cultural references which survived the violence of the slave system.” Andr Cypriano wants his audience to understand the deeper intricacies of lesser-known cultures and form connections between their domestic life and the lasting effects of colonialism, violence, and oppression.

Connection to History

The group of people shown in this photograph connect directly to the history of Brazil. They belong to a “quilombo,” which are communities in Brazil of people who are descendants of formerly enslaved people. Their lives and culture are the lasting remnants of a horrific system that sought to crush their way of life and beliefs. Through practicing their religion, they can keep their heritage alive, as their ancestors did while in slavery. This preservation of the past and unique cultural traditions was especially important during the time of neoliberalism in Latin America when this photograph was taken, which lasted from 1990 to around the last decade. Through neoliberalism, Latin American culture and society started to look like that of the United States, rather than keeping its uniqueness. This change also directly affected indigenous and remote areas as their cultures began to disappear, which was already a risk as there had been hundreds of years of oppression for these groups. However, indigenous and remote groups have found a way of preserving their cultures and history through tradition, religion, food, and clothing. These practices are still important today as their way of life continue to be at risk and oppressed.

Works Cited

Cypriano, A., photographer. (2005) Religiô Afro-Brasileira quilombola. Brazil Sergipe Porto Da Folha, 2005. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021636697/.

André cypriano. (2020, February 10). Retrieved April 13, 2021, from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_Cypriano