eu sambo eu jongo eu rio – (I sambo I jongo I laugh/Rio) is an art project for two large ceramic tiles panels created by the artist Laura Taves / Atelier Azulejaria located in the north of Rio de Janeiro on a stretch of road Transcarioca, between the districts of Campo Grande, Cascadura, Madureira and Oswaldo Cruz. The theme and the design of the panels were inspired by local influences, such as the musical tradition of the region and in the colours of the some of the local samba schools: Portela (white and blue), Imperio Serrano (white and green), and also by Jongo, the music brought from Congo-Angola by slaves, and considered to be one of the ancestors of samba. The light blue and white diamond tile pattern, are representative of a common ceramic design found in the traditional bars from this part of the town, where the samba and music in general are informally played.
Jongo is an intangible part of Brazilian heritage, and many people are still unaware of its history and its importance within the culture. Luiza Marmello, singer for the group Razões Africanas, explained the connections, “Jongo actually came from Angola through the tradition of the Bantu tribe. Its musical structure is responsive (one person sings and the other answers) and influenced samba, which has a similar verse and response structure.”
Jongo Serrinha http://jongodaserrinha.org/
The panels were commissioned through a partnership between the Consórcio TranscariocaBRT – Secretaria Municipal de Obras e Andrade Gutierrez , and Atelier Azulejaria in 2012.
Area of the panels: 700m2 and 32.000 ceramic tiles.
Atelier Azulejaria: The Atelier Azulejaria (Tile Workshop) in Rio de Janeiro is a workshop designing and making the Portuguese style of azulejos (ceramic tiles) for contemporary public and urban art projects. The Atelier develops social, educational and collective projects that combine arts, culture, urban communities and public space, and involve the active participation of the local population in the favelas and disadvantaged areas of urban Rio de Janeiro.
Marcos Chaves. Atelier Azulejaria, Rio de Janeiro, 2012
AAJ Press 
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