Manauscult announces first indigenous performer for #SouManaus Passo a Paço Festival 2023

Ívina Garcia – From Cenarium Magazine

MANAUS (AM) – The Municipal Foundation for Culture, Tourism and Events (Manauscult) announced on Friday morning, 21, the Amazonian singer Djuena Tikuna as one of the local attractions that will make up the grid of the Integrated Arts Festival, #SouManaus Passo a Paço 2023. On July 19 and 20, CENARIUM MAGAZINE addressed the importance of the participation of African and indigenous artists in the event.

The festival, celebrating the anniversary of the capital of Amazonas, which takes place between September 5 and 7, in the Historic Center of Manaus, until this Friday did not have artists of African and indigenous origin announced. The disclosure of the main line-up, which will have 11 national attractions, was made last July 13, among them, gospel and Christian artists appear in prominence as religious representatives.

Read more: Manaus City Hall announces the attractions of the Festival ‘Sou Manaus – Passo a Paço 2023’

To CENARIUM, Djuena said she received the invitation with surprise and joy and highlighted the importance of the participation of indigenous artists in the festival. “It is very important when indigenous music occupies these spaces and it can be heard by an audience that discovers and defends the importance of valuing indigenous peoples and their artistic expressions, which are reflections of our daily struggle to affirm who we are”, she said.

“We are the multicolored birds that sing best in flight. Therefore, I hope that indigenous artists can increasingly be contemplated to celebrate these moments. We are also Manaus, since always echoing through this land of river our songs of resistance”, he pointed out.

According to Manauscult, the festival is still in the process of curation, and the organization has not yet closed the artists of each segment. “Our intention is to bring different musical styles that please all our public diversity and are respectful of all cultures and religions”, wrote the Foundation on a social network.

On Thursday, 20, CENARIUM MAGAZINE gathered a list of national and established artists, in Brazilian music, who could enter the event’s line-up, based on the request of readers, with singer Djuena Tikuna, as one of the highlights.

Read also: Meet the artists of African and indigenous matrices who could be part of the ‘Sou Manaus’ Festival

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Learn more about the artist

Djuena Tikuna is from the Amazon village of Umariaçu II, a Tukuna Indigenous Land located in Tabatinga (1,106 km from Manaus). The artist is one of the biggest references in indigenous music in the country. In 2017, she became the first indigenous person to perform a musical show at the Teatro Amazonas, in Manaus, in the 121 years of the venue’s existence.

In 2016, Djuena sang the Brazilian National Anthem in Tikuna language at the opening of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In 2018, she was the first artist from the Brazilian Amazon to be nominated for the Indigenous Music Awards, in the category of Best International Indigenous Artist.

The amazonian indigenous artist songs are: “Maraka’anandê”; “Ewaretchiga”; “Tchautchiüãne”; “Healing Forest”; “Eware – Sacred Territory”; “Ngütapa”; “Wotchine”; “Putürarü’ü narü ügü”; “Rü yiegumeegü i yaãtchigü”; “Totchimaükü & Dematükü”.

The report contacted Manauscult and asked if more names of local and national artists of African and indigenous origin will be released. But we did not get a response until the closing of the article.