Punk Music Rocks !

                When I think of punk music, I think of the bad and the ugly. I think of the guys that party hard and don’t care about life. But those are stereotypes that proved to be wrong. The songs are still about partying and sex, however the voice of the song isn’t always about that life. The world sees youth as trouble, especially in poor neighborhoods. These youth don’t always get the opportunity to do something good with their lives because no one shows love towards them. No one believes in them and their dreams. So with society letting them down they turn to drugs and violence. It is a relief to see punk artists that do care.

                This movie has changed the way I think of these two countries. At first I thought Brazil as an exotic, fun, and happy place. The people there are miserable. It’s the tourists that are having all the fun. It was sad to see how hard they are working to make a couple of dollars a day. I always thought the youth in these communities were the luckiest kids ever. Now I just want to go hug all of them and make things better for them. There are kids out there in the drug game and getting killed for their families. It’s not always a choice for them. There’s not as much partying as I thought there would be in these communities either. When I think of exotic places like Brazil, I think about the party life and the tropical trees. I was in for a surprise while I was watching this movie. The neighborhoods were run down but the children continued their lives as if this was normal. I just think to myself, “How can they live like this and no one help?”

                When the going gets tough turn to music, right? The musicians in this documentary were all passionate about their music and their beliefs. They use music as a way to get away from the hurt. All are punk musicians and all believe in a religion. It’s weird to put a punk musician in church, however I can relate in this sense. If you walk into my dad’s church with jeans and a tee shirt, you will be looked down upon. It’s the same for punk musicians that attend church with their Mohawks and tattoos. One musician in particular, Henrique talked about this a lot. He says that he’s not religious yet he has the Virgin Mary tatted on his arm. He took his kids to get baptized but he’s not religious! It’s a sad thing to see, but it seems to me that he has been hurt by the church and I can feel his pain. The drummer from Superman is Dead is so passionate about how he feels and believes. I could see it all on his face as he was talking and describing the events of his community. The bombing in his neighborhood reminded me of some of the bombings in southern America. Both groups of people were seen as a threat to society. The things that go on in these communities make these artists want to fix things. They encourage the kids to start playing music so they will stay out of the streets. I want the same for the kids in my community. I think that all kids should find a positive hobby and stick to it.

                The connection between me and these artists is music. We use music as a way to get away from the demands of the world. I am fortunate enough to have a place to sleep and earn an education. Dolly feels grateful just to have a job. He works for a Nike factory, which ships off shoes to America. He is making shoes for every little bratty kid in America. Our lives are based on what society teaches us instead of what we want to see. We’re not allowed to have our minds and points of view. In these communities in the movie, the youth there aren’t treated with respect when they play music. Each country is based off religion which makes it hard for them to express themselves freely sometimes. In America drugs are a way of rebellion, but in these communities it is a way of life. The way they rebel is to not participate. Music on the other hand sounds the same in both places. Our punk music doesn’t sound any different than theirs. The only difference may be the language. But the messages and images are the same. The artists just live in different locations in different situations.

                In conclusion this entire documentary was very informational. It opened my eyes to reality and allowed me to see how these communities are truly struggling. I could see the passion in all three artists. They all wanted better for the kids in their communities. They live in poverty stricken communities with drug wars and violence. Even through all of this these artists are able to see the light and make something positive. They are articulate in how they express themselves. I can relate them in some instances. Things are not much different between our worlds. We try to put ourselves in different sides of the world and act as if we are total opposites. In the end we find we are more alike than different.