Tati Quebra-Barraco, (birth name: Tatiana dos Santos Lourenço, born 1980 in
Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro ( , , ; literally 'River of January'), or simply Rio, is the capital of the state of the same name, Brazil's third-most populous state, and the second-most populous city in Brazil, after São Paulo. Listed by the GaWC as a ...
), is a Brazilian rapper, whose music consists mostly of
hip hop and
funk carioca genre. Tati is considered Brazil's first lady of hip hop as the first woman to break the barrier of male-only funkers. She is a popularizer of
Baile funk in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
and, having been born in Rio de Janeiro's
City of God favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
, exemplifies that style of hip hop. Her
stage name literally translates into "Tati Shack-Wrecker".
Lyrical style
Barraco demonstrates the prejudices surrounding Baile funk and
working-class culture
Working-class culture is a range of cultures created by or popular among working-class people. The cultures can be contrasted with high culture and folk culture, and are often equated with popular culture and low culture (the counterpart of high ...
in
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
in her lyrics: that many or all of the people who come rom the favelas are sexually depraved
drug-dealing maniacs. Even with strong sexual meanings, her lyrics nevertheless break down stereotypes, demands equality between men and women, all the while exciting her audience.
Her style of
Baile Funk, said to originate from the shantytowns (or favelas) of
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
[THE FUNK PHENOMENA: Fact Magazine]
is clearly reflected in her musical stylings and even her lyrics and name, which translates as "Tati shack-wrecker".
Her most famous song to date is "Boladona" (2004), whose
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second mo ...
video has more than 5 million views.
Success
In the few years since she has been in the game, she has become one of the genre's top earners selling millions of CDs.
Barraco has been known to epitomize the working-class, Baile-funk culture of sex-crazed, "drug-dealing maniacs"
and many prominent rumors have been started about her, such as her being arrested for
drug possession. Ultimately, Tati's success has not been so much about her music, but from her image on the
Brazilian soap ''America'', the related media exposure, and her brazen personality.
Soaps in Brazil can command up to 90% of the viewing public on peak nights, which is no mean feat in a country of 183 million people. The exposure to the Brazilian public that Tati has enjoyed due to her role in ''America'' is staggering.
Perhaps Tati's painfully honest lyric, which has become her famous catchphrase, "sou feia, mas tô na moda" (I'm ugly, but I'm trendy.
) is all too true. This was also the title for a documentary about Brazilian night life. The movie maps the Rio de Janeiro funk scene from the point of view of women, who are responsible for creating the "funky" atmosphere for
dancehall events.
Personal life
Barraco is a mother of three children and still lives in the
favela
Favela () is an umbrella name for several types of working-class neighborhoods in Brazil. The term was first used in the Providência neighborhood in the center of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century, which was built by soldiers who had ...
.
References
External links
official websitein
Portuguese
Portuguese may refer to:
* anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Portugal
** Portuguese cuisine, traditional foods
** Portuguese language, a Romance language
*** Portuguese dialects, variants of the Portuguese language
** Portu ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Quebra-Barraco, Tati
1980 births
Living people
Musicians from Rio de Janeiro (city)
Funk carioca musicians
21st-century Brazilian women singers
21st-century Brazilian singers
Brazilian women rappers
Feminist musicians