Bboys in Brazil

1 March 2010

By Amber Dobrzensky. Photography: Grace Gonzalez Producciones InVitro.

Amber Dobrzensky is a Canadian writer and breakdancer who currently lives in Nicaragua. She was instrumental in organizing a series of breakdancing events which culminated in the Nicalibre festival, where b-boys from all over Nicaragua battled for the opportunity to earn a sponsored trip to compete at the Batalha Final b-boy competition in Brazil. The following are excerpts from a diary she kept, documenting the trip and the b-boy’s experiences. – Jonathan Jackson

When discussing hip hop, Nicaragua is one of the last places on earth that springs to most minds. Conjuring up images of volcanoes, Sandino, and a revolution, this land is a world away from the slick hip hop videos featuring b-boys (or breakers, commercially known as ‘breakdancers’) that you’ve seen on MTV. Despite the scene here being both quite small and mostly underground, you’ll find active branches in towns and cities from Bluefields to Chinandega. 2009’s NICALIBRE festival sought to give the b-boy community a platform for international exchange and exposure.

The winners, Electro Break crew: Larry, Daniel, David aka “Gringo”, Antonio aka “Casco” and Javier, and the individuals’ champion Pasquier, based in Managua and Leon, battled not only to make it out of the Nicaraguan qualifiers, but they battle daily just to make time for their favorite and only diversion. While Casco Loaisiya dances around his full-time job at Café Soluble SA, life-long friend Gringo cuts hair in Huembes. Larry, best known for his ‘moonwalking’ at the Gallo Pinto show in the National Theatre, was supporting his wife and daughter as a systems administrator for Corporacion CEFA. León boys Pasquier, enrolled in computer programming studies and designing tattoos for extra cash, and Javier, a b-boy ‘power move’ specialist with the rock-like strength of the Terminator, are two of only a handful of dancers pushing the scene in that region. Youngest recruit Daniel, 20, ran with a tough gang of ‘pandilleras’ in his early teens and escaped his violent lifestyle when he discovered breaking, choosing instead to dedicate his time to the art. These boys have families to support, all bar one with children of their own, but somehow always make time for b-boying. The fact that there’s no profit to be made through this talent – with none of the opportunities available to b-boys living in countries with commercial dance and hip hop industries – is a testament to the rawness of their passion. The opportunity to travel to and represent in Brazil was, for these young men, an impossible dream set to come true.

When the original sponsors pulled their funding this dream was nearly crushed, until InVitro Productions went to work documenting the story of these six dancers and Claro stepped in at the last minute to save the day as the new patrons of the “national team.” Against all odds, November 2009 saw six Nicaraguan B-Boys set off to São Paulo, to put their nation on the Hip Hop map…and “this is how the story goes.”

19.11.09

At 5:30 am the documentary crew rolled up to Barrio San Luis Sur in Carretera Norte section of Managua. Gringo and Casco, who grew up here together, had put up the rest of the boys and the neighborhood was buzzing with the news. Local friends and supporters turned up to wave them off, and at the last minute someone stripped his wall and donated a Nicaraguan flag for the trip. Everyone played it cool until the plane took off and ascended over the city, where the aerial view of Managua and the country was very real evidence that we were all, really and truly, on the way to Brazil.

The event organizers met us at the airport on the other side in São Paulo. We were ferried to the Extreme Club in Morumbi, São Paulo’s business district, a multi-purpose space that held both the venue and camping-style accommodations for visiting dancers. Guests were handed mats and sleeping bags upon entry; the Nica boys snagged a corner to set up a base alongside representatives from Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Argentina, Uruguay, Panama, Costa Rica, Israel and the US, as well as the Brazilian hosts. The boombox was blaring classic b-boy funk and the room smelled like the sweaty socks of the 100-plus b-boys and b-girls all jamming, mingling, and checking out the competition.

Dancers with Bruce Lee-bodies dripping sweat did their best to intimidate each other (and impress the b-girls) in casual circles, before busting outside to tag the neighborhood together and have a sneaky smoke. The jamming carried on until 4 am and team Nica only had a few hours sleep before the next busy day.

20.11.09
At 9 am the minivan picked us up at the Extreme club and we set off. A burst of rain early in the morning had led to a leaky roof, and even less sleep for the boys. The organizers trying to sort it out were stressed, and probably happy to get some of the visitors off their hands. As we drove across the city, the group had a better chance to absorb the immensity of São Paulo, with its millions of inhabitants (over 10 million, almost twice the population on Nicaragua) and thousands of skyscrapers.

First stop was Beco in Vila Madelena, a patch of twisted streets where a dedicated group of São Paulo graffiti writers (including BOLETA & HIGHRAFF) continually transform the community’s walls. Several hours of posing, interviews, and dancing produced some great footage and by late afternoon everyone was happy but exhausted and ready for bed…well, naps interspersed with jams and ‘practice’.

The constant practice at base-camp drained a lot of energy, but there was so little time together nobody wanted to hang five. One of the things team Nica was excited about spotting today was the b-girls! There were more than 10, and the standard was high. Watching ladies bust out moves you have not yet mastered yourself never happened at home. To be fair, the other b-boys were also a push. Most of the other visitors do their best to live the b-boy lifestyle – dance 24/7, and make some money off it. Raw hip hop is thin on the ground in Nicaragua so this was the first time these boys have been exposed to such a massive dose of their own addiction.

21.11.09
The guys started out the day by taking part in workshops, with internationally renowned B-Boy Bebe (USA) dropping knowledge on battle techniques. Everyone was definitely concentrating, and stepped up their game from the very first throw-downs.

At 2pm the doors opened and the local hip hop community started flooding, getting ready for the Brazilian qualifying event. Circles (or cyphers) of dancers formed all over the huge hall, a reinvented rollerblading/skating space, and everywhere you looked there was someone busting a move. The local crews had a lot of supporters and the competition was so heated that the battles went on until nearly midnight, when everyone was so exhausted that the finals were rescheduled for the next day. Drained…but not so tired there wasn’t room for a little party, as the venue hosted a hip hop and house night. The boys learned how to rock, Brazilian style. Once again, there was a lot of action and very little sleep to be found.

22.11.09

The day of reckoning. After exhausting workshops with judges Mini-Mish (Israel) and Crazy Legs (US), president of the legendary Rock Steady Crew, the b-boys and b-girls prepared themselves for battle. The camp was a sea of caps, bandannas and elbow pads. It was hard to focus, between the newness of everything, the stress of competing and the overwhelming testosterone that was spilling out everywhere.
The ladies’ individual competition kicked off the day, with representation from Chile, Argentina, Venezuela, Uruguay, Brazil and the US. B-girl Cielo from Buenos Aires rocked out as the winner, throwing down style and power, clean footwork and solid blow-ups. The competition moved swiftly and both the Electro Break crew battle and Pasquier’s individual event flew by at the speed of light.

Argentinians, Rock and Trick took on Electro Break and stole the show with some flashy power combos. In the individuals, Pasquier had a tough draw and lost to Salo from Venezuela, who went on to the semi-finals. The level of competition was fierce. The crew finals, with Venezuela’s Flying Legs against the Brazilian Funk Fockers, was a heated battle that definitely boiled over several times before the home team claimed the title. Brazil came out with energy, humor, bravado and most importantly, a true sense of brotherhood and teamwork that ultimately dominated the day.

The night was all about celebration, the shedding of dance-floor attitudes and making of new friends. A few blocks from the venue was the corner bar, stormed by the international posse with the crowds spilling out onto the street. As the bottles of Bohemia beer were emptied, the smoke-pit of b-folk began unleashing their other talents; beatboxers busted rhythms for MCs while the smokers were tagging the block. Casco got creative with some drip pens and a camera, Pasquier let loose with some Nica freestyle rhymes, and the beat didn’t stop ‘til the break of dawn.

The final 48 hours were hectic with city filming and yet more practice with new friends. E-mail addresses were exchanged alongside trick techniques, dope poses were snapped, and memories were consolidated. The guys began to get excited about going home; it was the longest any of them had ever been away from their families, jobs, and gallo pinto! The event had been awe-inspiring, and after a taste of the international scene the guys were raring to bring new knowledge and experience back to the motherland. Plans were made for more events, classes and how to better unite the b-boy movement and raise both expectations and the national level.

Returning home, the B-Boys seemed empowered; having braved planes, funny food, Brazilian mosquitoes (bigger than Kanye West’s ego) and more, they left Brazil with a sense that they are now in the hip hop loop, recognized on a world scale. Full of ideas and refreshed motivation, they are ready to raise the bar for 2010. The documentary, which wrapped shooting in São Paulo and is now in post-production, is expected to be released later this year and aims to further raise the profile of b-boying in this country. New doors have been opened, new worlds explored, and new energies imported; for 2010 not even the sky, now conquered by airplane, is the limit.

3 Responses to “Bboys in Brazil”

1. Bboys in Brazil « Hecho Magazine | Today Headlines says:

   2 March 2010 at 7:09 PM

   [...] first time these boys have been exposed to such a massive dose … See the rest here:  Bboys in Brazil « Hecho Magazine Share and [...]
2. From bBoys 2Men: Breakdance desde Nicaragua - Rockonola says:

   4 March 2010 at 4:22 AM

   [...] PROXIMAMENTE. Crónica del viaje y fotografías en Hecho Magazine. [...]
3. Zona Libre says:

   18 March 2010 at 11:56 PM

   Kudos from one brainiac to another.