The Rooster Gang

Lupe Cuellar

Early-childhood environments filled with poverty and hardship can interfere with a child from having an equitable chance of education. Schools serving low-income communities frequently lack adequate resources, which only deepens the inequity, as children facing the greatest obstacles often receive the least support.  In Brazil, the intersection of poverty, racial inequality, and geographic isolation (especially in favela areas) exacerbates educational disparities. However, Brazilians hold a collectivist culture that prioritizes group harmony over individual pursuits, allowing communities to unite and— get creative– in order to grant every child an equal opportunity for education.

Nestled within the vibrant hills of a Rio de Janeiro favela, Patota do Galo or “The Rooster Gang” is an afterschool program for children to learn through the rhythms and beats of samba. Here, samba is simply a language of learning: Through composing lyrics, playing instruments, and performing as an ensemble, the children gain not only musical skills but literacy and discipline. The program is more than a music class; it is a safe space, a cultural classroom, and a grassroots form of resistance. 

In the midafternoon, one is able to hear the unmistakable rhythm of tamborims and surdos echoing through narrow alleyways, yet it’s not the only location one will find them. In the streets of Carnivale, where confetti flutters through the humid air like bursts of tropical snow, Patota de Galo paredes hand in hand as they celebrate being seen, being loud, being together. They may come from a place too often marked by inequality and neglect, yet they transform rhythm into opportunity—proving their resilience and belonging.