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A few major stars are featured in the Moro no Brasil, including a pre-fame Seu Jorge, Bahian singer Margareth Menezes, embolada heroes Caju and Castanha, and Recife meta-musician Silverio Pessoa. But the bulk of Kaurismaki’s subjects are largely unknown to Western audiences, and even Brazilian ones. He devotes a good chunk of the film to traditional folk forms, and while that might suggest a kind of fetishism in certain cultures, in Brazil those old styles aren’t just wildly popular among ordinary citizens, they’re the foundation for nearly all of the country’s vibrant contemporary pop music scene.
Things get much more interesting when the interviewees start describing what it’s like to be a black punk. They not only stand out amid fellow punks–the scene is overwhelmingly white–but they also feel like outcasts among other blacks, who decry their investment in a subculture seen as white and alien. Interspersed amid the four profiles are a barrage of sound bites from dozens of musicians and scenesters–including members of Fishbone, 90 Day Men, TV on the Radio, and Dead Kennedys–which keeps Afro-Punk lively and brisk. Spooner is definitely a provocateur, and the film opens with text that takes issue with the metaphor behind Patti Smith’s “Rock ‘n’ Roll Nigger.” He’s out to give fellow blacks something to identify with–and challenge whites who too often make glib assumptions about what it’s like to be black. The DVD includes an interview with Spooner, deleted scenes, and commentary from the director and Damon Locks of Chicago’s Eternals.
