Zombies of Brazil

If I said ‘Zombie Nation’ you might think I’m talking about a crappy video game from 1990, a horrible techno song that (apparently) US college kids like to sing when their team does something good, or a movie so bad that one reviewer described it as “a monstrously absurd turd of a film”.

If, on the other hand, I mentioned Nação Zumbi, at least some of my readers would think of a Brazilian band who are most definitely not crappy! I was lucky enough to be taken to one of their performances a couple of days after I arrived in Rio and I have to say they were awesome. Their style is a fusion of rock, hip-hop and traditional Brazilian music with some serious drumming thrown in. If you get the chance, go see them, they’re a great band. When I went to see them, I misheard the translation of the band name and assumed it meant Zombie Nation. In fact it means Zumbi Nation – this is Zumbi: 

Zumbi also known as Zumbi dos Palmares. His story is fascinating, inspiring and tragic.

Zumbi was born in 1655 in something known as a Quilombo – a colony of escaped African slaves. Some of these quilombos actively sent people back to plantations to convince other slaves to escape or even take them by force. The quilombo that Zumbi was born in is probably the most famous, Palmares, situated in what is now the Brazilian state of Alagoas. Palmares covered a huge area, had a population of 30,000 and was a focus for repeated attacks by Portuguese colonists.

Modern day Alagoas.

At the age of 6, Zumbi was captured and given to a missionary who educated and (unsuccessfully) attempted to pacify him. When he was 15 he escaped and returned to Palmares and during the following years he became an expert military strategist and leader.

In 1678 the Portuguese offered the leader of Palmares, Ganga Zumba, a deal that would grant freedom to all of Palmares’ citizens if they would accept Portuguese rule and move to a new location. Ganga accepted the deal with disastrous consequences – those that moved were re-enslaved by the Portuguese, Ganga was poisoned by his own people and Zumbi took over the resistance.

Zumbi successfully fought off the Portuguese for 15 years until 1694 when the main stronghold of Palmares was overrun. Zumbi was wounded in the leg but managed to escape and continue the rebellion for another 2 years. You can see why the African slave population thought he was immortal! The Portuguese eventually captured Zumbi after they tortured and forced another captive into leading them to his hideout – he was killed and beheaded on the spot. His head was taken to the city of Recife where it was displayed as a warning to others and also to prove that he was truly dead.

The 20th November, Black Awareness Day (and also my wife’s birthday).

Today in Brazil, 20th November (the anniversary of Zumbi’s death) is celebrated as Black Awareness Day (Dia da Consciência Negra). Zumbi has become a black icon, a national hero, a symbol of freedom and resistance to slavery and discrimination.

Bit of a history lesson today – hope that’s OK. I think it’s a really interesting tale and I’m glad the country takes a day to remember it each year. I’ll leave you with a video of Jorge Ben Jor singing his awesome song Zumbi.