Indigenous music for World Rainforest Day
Mestre Poa, leader of the Indigenous Noke Koi nation, plays Nora sai monoté on a traditional flute.
The stories of Brazil are beautiful and brutal in equal measure. This song recalls the correrias of Noke Koi territories, when groups of this ancient nation (also known as Katukina or Katuquina) were forced from their land by fire during the rubber boom of the Western Amazon.
As the industrial revolution rolled on, Europe needed rubber to run its machines and vehicles, and the rubber trees were found in the Amazon. The boom began in the late 1870s, and the work was done by people brought from the Northwest into this challenging environment to face diseases such as malaria, and a range of dangerous animals. In the first wave, many were slaves, and though slavery was officially abolished in 1888 in Brazil, the oppression did not end there; many of the new arrivals had very little say in their fate. Forced by their masters to subdue the land, they started fires to drive the traditional peoples of the jungle out of their aldeias (Indigenous villages).
Baquemirim team with Mestre Poa
Let’s sing and dance
The fires are arriving
Strangers are arriving
Let’s call the rain
Indigenous people - savages as they were called in Europe - were categorised along with animals as beings without souls; they could be worked and killed as animals. They fought against rifles with arrows, and most of the men were killed. The women were raped and taken as wives, the children were enslaved. Eventually the international outcry became too great, and the church sent in missionaries. Word went along the rivers of the Amazon that men in frocks would perform a ritual with water, so the invaders would not kill them any more. Indigenous people came down by canoe in their tens of thousands to be baptised, and given souls worth saving. Despite this, they were often branded like cattle, with the name of their rubber company or their master, and put to work tapping rubber.
Despite this horrific history, the mix of cultures created that emerged from the forest today is unique and rich, a beautiful blend of West African, European and Indigenous culture. Mestre Poa still wears a cross as a symbol of salvation, reminding us of the complexities of this story. Nothing is simple in a cascade of oppression, but life is tenacious and culture adapts.
We celebrate life in all its diversity and beauty. We remember our history, but we also note that this history continues today. There are currently 40,000 armed illegal gold miners in Yanomami territories, diverting rivers to get at their quarry, murdering Indigenous people. Similar stories could be told of other tribes. We are creating links with the Indigenous world to draw attention to these conflicts, working to create a more decent future.
We believe that if we in the global north appreciated the richness of these endangered environments and understood our shared history, we would do everything in our power to protect them. Businesses can help by connecting to these groups and starting regenerative projects in these territories. Individuals can support these initiatives and show their solidarity, being a voice for the oppressed. Artists can help with their creativity; Misha Mullov-Abbado is making an orchestral arrangement of this song, and we’re open to collaborations. Get in touch so we can make things happen together.
Thanks to The Cube Microplex for part-funding this production, and to Baquemirim for preserving and the culture of the Amazon. This collaboration is the first of our Voices of the Forest series, showcasing the cultures, biomes and creatures of the Amazon and Atlantic Forest - join our mailing list to keep up to date with further productions.
