Galdino : Pataxo Warrior ( Sawandi's Defiance In The ShadowsDubMix) feat Jah 9 , Zumbi &The Ghost.
Galdino Jesus dos Santos was an indigenous Pataxó activist based in Brasil.
His story:
In 1997, he attended an indigenous rights meeting in Brasilia. Unfortunately, he missed the last bus to his lodging and as is the custom for many Brasilians, he stayed all night in the bus shelter in order to catch the morning bus. A group of youths – the sons of the capital’s elite judges and lawyers – found Galdino asleep. They poured gasoline on him and set him on fire, all as part of a cruel joke. Galdino died after suffering burns to 90% of his body. These murderous actions are indicative of how Brasil’s economically powerful elites treat those they perceive as ‘powerless.’
Our story:
Indigenous Resistance attended the trial of Galdino’s murderers. We met his family and were shown the coroner’s photos of his charred corpse. I.R. was also witness to the special treatment and light punishment meted out to the murderers. In the years since his death, we have watched the Brasilian media continuously mute all coverage and remembrance of Galdino’s tragedy. This state of neglect stands in sharp contrast to the high visibility given annually for the death of journalist Tim Lopes. But we know that Galdino’s death is not an isolated incident. It opens up urgent issues of land demarcation; the exploitation of resources on indigenous ancestral lands; and the abysmal state of indigenous rights throughout Brasil in general. There is no silence on Galdino’s story – only shadows.
IR: WE ENTER, WE WORK, WE DISAPPEAR
Track Credits
In Brasil: Zumbi and Pataxó singers recorded by Francisco X, João S. D. C., and The Ghost.
In Jamaica: Jah 9 (aka Janine Cunningham) vocals recorded by Sawandi. Drums: Rashaun “Blackush” McAnuff, recorded by David Kennedy at Cedar Hill. All other music created and arranged by Sawandi. Mixed at Anchor Studio by Delroy “Fatta” Pottinger. Mastered at Anchor Studios by Spiderman.
In Cyberspace: Vocals: The Ghost. Arrangement assistance: Prasonik, Tapedave, The Ghost & the Spirit of Galdino. Lyrics by Zumbi, Jah 9 (aka Janine Cunningham), The Ghost and Tapedave. Text remix:Prasonik
Released by: Indigenous Resistance