Hudson Rodrigues

Bambas

Four years ago, I began to develop an interest for my past and for black people, as I am a black man, surrounding me. Neighbors, Family, friends... The process were already happening, I just captured it. All it takes was being honest with myself about my background and the situations that I experience daily. I started to photograph relatives in 2015, studying some situations, scenarios, poses and composition. I was looking for something that represented us in a true natural way. I shoot my cousin, a beautiful black boy full of life, my tired aunt siting in the couch, and I began to make interesting discoveries. Some of the parties I attented also worked as an observational laboratory. The ones born in a unequal place fight a lot to gain some respect! For this new photoshoot, I want to show in a direct way the situations that most black people live in my country. The look in the poor but strong kid eyes, the face of the working black woman tired of a life made of struggle, the proud young people showing its achievements that are overrated for so many people. The photos I present here were made in a very simple way. I was always part of the scenes, I’m one of them. I capture life, the strong pose besides tiredness, the masks that we use to hide inner scars. Fighting for basic stuff is exhausting, but we are still standing. Here in Brazil we are millions dealing with the sad reality of racism. But we keep moving forward, with the strenght and wisdom that came with our experiences. There’s a saying that the king never loses its crown. The same goes for our children and women, the true black queens. Despites all the pain, we walk the tightrope with a smile in our faces. After all, we are the dirt roads, alleys, favela royalty. We are BAMBAS*. * Bamba is a brazilian slung common in samba lyrics. It is used to define someone who is an expert in something, a bold and brave person. With a touch of swing.