Afro-Brazil, at the Heart of the Black Atlantic
On Wednesday 8th October, Sofia Martinho and Peter Haysom-Rodríguez of the University of Leeds were honoured to meet the legendary Brazilian poet and novelist Conceição Evaristo and see her perform live, at the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds. Conceição was part of a "Sound System" panel of artists spanning Music & Poetry of the Black Atlantic, including Linton Kwesi Johnson, Roger Robinson and Malika Booker.
The debate across continents was fertile, with Conceição's Afro-Brazilian identity finding common ground within a shared, diasporic heritage. She discussed the key concept of "aquilombamento" (as developed by Beatriz Nascimento), which found multiple points of contact with works by the other writers present.
This common Afro-Atlantic tradition was particularly evident in the musical tracks that Conceição, Linton and Roger selected to be played alongside each other. Conceição's choice to play Elza Soares's "Maria da Vila Matilde" nearly brought the house down, with what Malika described as its "sick bass line"!
Conceição's tender readings, of some of her best-loved poems (including "Vozes-mulheres", and "Tempo de nos aquilombar") brought home the centrality of the Afro-Brazilian experience to global debates on historical racial injustices, continuing exploitation and restorative justice. The publication of this seminal Brazilian writer in English translation (scheduled for 2027) cannot come soon enough.