Baile Funk

Funk carioca (favela funk) is known as baile funk in Brazil. Baile Funk originated in the city slums of Rio de Janerio, Brazil in the early 1980s. Brazils slums population largely consist of Brazilians of African decent otherwise known as Afro-Brazilians. The themes sung in baile funk vary from poverty, sex, economic hardships, violence, racial pride of black people and social justice. The main instruments used in baile funk are the 808 drums and trumpets.

Although these instruments are the frequently used every sound ever made can also be heard in songs such as, moaning galloping horses, gun shots, laughing etc. Baile funk still uses a lot of native African techniques such as repetition, call and response, and several different dance techniques.

Although baile funk is extremely catchy this music style has had an extreme amount of negative criticism. The lyrics are often degrading to women; by expressing women as sexual objects. These sexually explicit lyrics have turned many people against listening to baile funk. In some songs women are called “cachorras” (bitches) or “popozuda” (large ass) but ironically most of these songs are sung by women. Baile funk sings a lot about degrading sex practices; Since sanitation is poor in favelas and sex education is nonexistent un wanted pregnancies are dramatically increasing causing an over grown population in favelas creating public health and social issues.

Baile funk also has extremely violent lyrics some songs are written by drug-dealing gangs. Its themes include praising the murders of rival gang members and cops, intimidating opposers, claiming power over the favelas, robbery, drug use and the life of drug dealers in general. Authorities view some of these lyrics as manipulating the minds of listeners to take part in organized crime and assaulted violence, and playing some of these songs in some places are considered a crime. Furthermore, baile funk has also helped people create better lives for them selves. Some famous artists give back to their communities after they achieved their goals of being successful.

According to Brown and Keely this article uses two fallacies. The first fallacy used is Confusion of Cause and Effect. This is confusing the cause with the effect of an event or failing to recognize that the two events may be influencing each other. The article explains how the music is causing people to participate in violence, theft and drug abuse. But it is not only the music, it is the people who are singing the songs and creating these lyrics that explain their daily lives. This connects to the second fallacy used called Neglect of a Common Cause. It is failure to recognize that two events may be related because of the effect of a common third party. Because people living in favelas (slums) are mistreated and are seen as unequal, it causes these people to rebel against the government and their officials. In these slums the residents and officials do not respect each other and cause violence which further leads to songs written about these occurrences.