November 21, 2022

11:11

Ívina Garcia – from Amazon Agency

MANAUS – This week, Councilman Rodrigo Guedes (Republicans) revealed on the floor of the City Council of Manaus (CMM) concern about the realization of the 12th Amazonian Afro Festival of Yemanja, which takes place between December 29 and January 1 in the capital. According to parliamentary, the movements are not getting response from public authorities to organize the event.

Guedes highlighted the importance of diversity and respect for the festivities of traditional peoples. “The State is secular, I am Catholic Christian, but we must respect as a State those who think differently and not erase their history and their cultural manifestations”, he said.

The councillor asked his other plenary colleagues that laicity be established, that is, that there is no interference of religious currents in state affairs that prevent some religions from having privileges over others.

Since 2010, the “New Year’s Eve of Yemanja”, as it is popularly known, is organized by the Association for Socio-Cultural Development Toy Badé and the Amazon Articulation of Peoples and Traditional Communities of Terreiro of African origin (Aratrama), and brings together various cultural manifestations of Afro-Brazilian peoples to the waterside of the Ponta Negra beach, in the west of the city.

In all years, the organizations had support from the Government of Amazonas and the Manaus City Hall, but, according to Guedes report, in 2022, the negotiations with the City Hall have been difficult. AMAZON AGENCY sought the cultural manager Xɛ́byosɔnɔ̀n Alberto Jorge Silva, who confirmed concern with the realization of the event.

He reported that at a meeting with the Municipal Secretary of Culture, Alonso Oliveira, and the State, Marcos Apolo, was told that the Municipal Foundation for Culture, Tourism and Events (Manauscult) had no funds to fund even the metal structure, provided last year.

In Alberto’s evaluation, the City Hall has no way to create embargoes and difficulties for the realization of the festival. “This incurs in structural racism, religious segregation, religious prejudice. The Manaus City Hall has no way to deny the Christmas mega-structure, assembled in Ponta Negra, the mega-structure for New Year’s Eve Gospel. The Yemanja Festival does not cost 20% of the amount spent only in these spaces ‘Christian’ banked with public money”, he says.

The Manaus City Hall built a tunnel with 30 thousand LED lights, with 130 meters, the boardwalk Ponta Negra for Christmas celebrations and announced the creation of “Christian New Year”, with the presence of gospel singer Aline Barros, with the cache, on average, R$ 80 thousand per show. The artist Simone Mendes, of the former duo Simone and Simaria, was also announced for the “Sustainable New Year’s Eve”.

The mayor of Manaus, David Almeida, justifies that 45% of the population manauara is evangelical and, therefore, the existence of the gospel event is important. “I want to respect all cultural, artistic and religious forms. We live in a representative society, […] So we are preparing a great turn party for 2023 with much praise, worship and special guests, in a night that will be unforgettable”, said during announcement of the festival.

The recent proposal of Councilman Raiff Matos (DC) wants to make mandatory the presence of gospels artists in public events of Manaus City Hall. The events are the Anniversary of Manaus, Festival Sou Manaus Passo a Paço and New Year’s Eve in the City.

The Bill No. 415/2022 states that “the required inclusion in the main events held annually by the Municipal Executive Power, will contribute to the cultural appreciation of musical attractions of the regional gospel segment, and also with the family and Christian socialization”.

Lack of dialogue

Alberto Jorge told the report that tries contact with David Almeida and Alonso Oliveira by WhatsApp, but so far follows no response. “So that it is not said that we do not seek dialogue, I sought the mayor of Manaus, David Almeida, before resorting to other instances of law”, highlights.

“We believe that in a civilized society and in a Democratic Republic of Law, the secularity of the State and equality of rights are not favors or exceptions, above all they are duties provided for in the Constitution”, reinforces Alberto.

Alberto also says that several leaders of social movements LGBTQIA +, Black and Afro Religious, are contacting and providing support. According to him, all want a meeting of leaders with the councilors of the City Council of Manaus to request a mediation. So far, the manager confirms that prefers dialogue with the City Hall to resolve the issues.

“First we will seek, once again, dialogue with Manauscult, if there is complication and unwillingness as in previous years, we will leave for heavier measures, not only in the political field, but in the legal field”, points Xɛ́byosɔnɔ̀n Alberto Jorge Silva.

In response to AMAZON AGENCY , the Manauscult advisory board denied the speech of Councilman Rodrigo Guedes. “The New Year’s Eve has our support. Always had. This year will be no different”, said the press officer, informing that the New Year’s Eve of Yemanja will have support from City Hall with stage structure, sound, lighting, railing, chemical toilets, tents etc. The advisory also assured that the body will “receive Mr. Alberto to define the details”.

“There was no negotiation, contact with me or with Jonathan Azevedo, who is the president of the Association of Socio-Cultural Development Toy Badé”, rebuts Alberto.

According to him, in previous years, Manauscult was instrumental in making the festival one of the three largest cultural manifestations of Yemanjá in Brazil. Alberto Jorge regrets the treatment that the event of traditional peoples has received in the current municipal management.

“In 2021, we received the worst and most Franciscan structure in 11 official years of the Festival, inferior to this only when we received no help from public authorities”, says Alberto. He recalls that in the year 2019 the festival had great attractions, such as Margareth Menezes and a mega structure.

That same year, the festival had a circulating public of about 35 thousand people, according to data from Manaus City Hall and the Integrated Command and Control Center (CICC).

“One thing is certain: following the example of what has been done for over 60 years, when neo-pentecostal evangelicals did not even set foot on the Ponta Negra to baptise anyone, we, the Macumba, will be on the beach of the Ponta Negra on the days and nights of 29, 30 and 31 December 2022 to maintain our tradition. Religious intolerance will not put down roots in the Waters of Yemanjá”, says Alberto.