Michael Jackson Statue in Brazil
In 1996, Michael filmed the video for They Don’t Care About Us (They don’t care about us) in two areas of Brazil—Salvador and Dona Marta, or as Brazilians call it, “Santa Marta slum,” located in the south of Rio de Janeiro—with the participation of local residents and the drumming group Aladum. The symbol of this group was printed on the white T-shirt Michael wore in the video, and that very T-shirt made the drumming group famous.
One day after Michael’s death last year, Sergio Cabral, the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, announced that his city would build a statue of the legend in Santa Marta as a tribute. A year later, on June 26, 2010, the work was carried out, and now this statue and the wall display next to it are among the attractions of the area for tourists who come to take souvenir photos beside it.
The Michael statue was built on the roof of a newly established cultural center for teaching music to young people in the area. The center includes classrooms, a rehearsal hall, a library, and a studio. Its founder says:
"Michael opened the world’s eyes to the social situation of Rio de Janeiro. He brought insight with him and put Santa Marta at the center of attention."
On the day the Michael statue was unveiled, students from this same center played his songs in praise and gratitude to him. That night, fans lit candles at the venue. The organizer said:
"Everyone knows his music. But people forget that he worked to help people—and that is the most beautiful thing about him."
The crime-ridden slum of 96 is now considered a symbol of social progress for Rio de Janeiro... and Michael Jackson was the one who started this path.
Source: eMJey / Latin American Herald Tribune / Billboard magazine
TDCAU video
The mayor of Rio de Janeiro was worried that showing the conditions of Dona Marta would leave a bad impression in the minds of people around the world. They were candidates to host the 2004 Olympic Games. The mayor tried to stop filming through legal means, but he couldn’t stand against the people who wanted to meet Michael Jackson. In addition, people hoped that by showing their poor village in Michael’s video, they would draw the attention of the world to their problems. A representative of Santa Marta had said:
"He has many fans here. Everyone here loves him, and his music is always heard in this area. He could have chosen any other place in the world to film. It is an honor for us that he chose our area."
Michael’s wall display
At that time, Dona Marta was under the control of a drug-smuggling gang. They received a large sum of money in exchange for a contract that required them not to take action against Michael and his group. Now the police have cleared the area of smugglers and use it for security projects. For this purpose, all kinds of facilities and social services—including access to wireless internet in this former slum—have been provided.
In this song, Michael shows images from different corners of the city and, in the voice of the people of the area, shouts at the police and officials, asking why they don’t care about this poor village and its people. He calls for their cruelty and ignorance.
The Michael statue was built on the roof of a newly established cultural center for teaching music to young people in the area. The center includes classrooms, a rehearsal hall, a library, and a studio. Its founder says:
"Michael opened the world’s eyes to the social situation of Rio de Janeiro. He brought insight with him and put Santa Marta at the center of attention."
On the day the Michael statue was unveiled, students from this same center played his songs in praise and gratitude to him. That night, fans lit candles at the venue. The organizer said:
"Everyone knows his music. But people forget that he worked to help people—and that is the most beautiful thing about him."
The crime-ridden slum of 96 is now considered a symbol of social progress for Rio de Janeiro... and Michael Jackson was the one who started this path.
Source: eMJey / Latin American Herald Tribune / Billboard magazine