Corpos Percussivos: Empowering favela kids with music

Corpos Percussivos is a non-governmental organization involved in the teaching and creation of music. It was founded in 2002 with the aim of reducing the social exclusion of youth who live in Recife’s “favelas”, or slums. Its programmes give youth an opportunity to build self-esteem through the development of musical skills and abilities. Corpos Percussivos works to strengthen and preserve local cultural identity, develop a sense of citizenship among marginalized youth, and build social inclusion through education in arts and culture. It also aims to stimulate new forms of cultural expression, and to develop partnerships with local community groups and national and international organizations. The unique teaching methods developed by Corpos Percussivos have been disseminated in a wide variety of arenas, including the Garanhuns Winter Festival, in Afro-Brazilian communities (“quilombos”) in Pernambuco, in universities and non-govermental organizations, and in workshops in Sweden, France, Germany, Denmark and the United States. Corpos Percussivos has been the subject of three Bachelor-level university dissertations (Business Management, Tourism and Journalism) and a Master’s dissertation in Economics. Its work has also been documented in academic seminars and conferences, and in media reports. Workshops and classes are taught by founder and director Jorge Martins, as well as by young teachers-in-training. Corpos Percussivos also stages public performances, bringing to …