Like so many young Brazilians, Raphael Carlos and his friends dreamed of being soccer players. And this year they reached the World Cup in Qatar, albeit unexpectedly: through their choreography with which Neymar, Vinicius Junior and other ‘Canarinha’ players celebrated their goalsto the chagrin of some.
“The hand forward, shoulder, head”… with simple lyrics, a catchy rhythm of Rio de Janeiro ‘funk’ and ‘TikTok-style’ dance steps, the The song “Pagodão do Birimbola” by the group Os Quebradeiras had already gone viral on that social network before the World Cup.
And he fell in favor with the players, until he sneaked into the celebrations of the 4-1 win that Brazil gave South Korea on Monday, in the round of 16.
An attitude that bothered more than one, starting with the former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, who described it as disrespectful towards his rival.
overflow with joy
“In Brazil we dance to overflow with joy. Before anything, we are already dancing… it is in our essence”, explains to AFP Raphael Carlos “RK”, one of the founders of Os Quebradeiras that emerged in Niteroi, a neighboring city of Rio de Janeiro.
Its four members, between the ages of 18 and 23, have fun repeating the dance while recording videos to promote their upcoming ‘shows’ on a street in the Tijuca neighborhood of Riodecorated for the World Cup.
Dressed in green and yellow sportswear -the colors of Brazil-, Gustavinho, LC, RK and Zelé twist their torso and hips, with a wide smile.
Behind him, a graffiti with the caricature of the star Pelé. At his feet, another one by Vinicius Jr. with the inscription “Dance, Vini”.
That phrase became popular after the attacker was the subject of comments considered racist in September for celebrating his goals by dancing with his Real Madrid team. The president of the Spanish Association of Soccer Agents called on him to “stop acting the monkey”, a comment for which he apologized.
The dance, “embedded” in the culture
Due to its African and indigenous roots, Brazil “is made up of peoples who have always dealt with the world by dancing. Not only to express joy, but also pain, sadness. The body that dances is absolutely embedded in our culture”, maintains the historian Luiz Antonio Simas.
Photo: — Abedin Taherkenareh
And he believes that the relationship between football and dance, two national passions, goes further.
“Brazil’s great contribution to soccer was rhythm (‘ginga’): the occupation of empty spaces. Dribbling is a way of dancing,” he says.
Long before the TikTok era, Brazilians were already specialists in inventing choreographies, present in the sensual wiggle of groups of the “axé” genre originating from Bahia (northeast) in the 1990s, or the refined “passinho” in contests. dance ‘funk’ in the favelas of Rio in the following decade.
Not counting the centuries-old carnival festivities where samba has always reigned frenetic.
“Dancing is natural, you are born learning to dance at family parties, there is always funk playing, you always dance”, explains Gustavo Rosa, Gustavinho, another 18-year-old member of Os Quebradeiras.
Since long before he was born, Brazilian and Latin American players have celebrated the goals of their clubs by reproducing the fashionable dance of the moment, among them Ronaldinho when he scored for Flamengo, Neymar for Santos or Sebastián “el Loco” Abreu, in Botafogo.
“Full Explosion”
Attributing the dance to a lack of respect for the adversary “is a mistake. Dance is something very Brazilian, they need to study our culture more to better understand how things are here”, affirms Rosa.
In Doha, the Brazilian coach Tite supported the attitude of his team with similar arguments.
“I am not going to comment on people who do not know the history and culture of Brazil, our way of being,” said Tite, who against South Korea broke his usual composure and joined the dancing celebration with the occasional movement after a spectacular goal by Richarlison.
“There are people who like to complain when they see another happy, and the Brazilian is always very happy, that’s why we bother them”, said Vinicius Jr.
Os Quebradeiras hope that the team will continue to do many dances and bring home the long-awaited “hexa”, their sixth world title.
And if it’s a matter of dreaming… that the players invite them to dance together to celebrate the title.
“It would be a total explosion”, imagines Gustavinho. (AND)
Source: Eluniverso
Paul is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment and general news. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established herself as a respected voice in the industry.
