Born in Umariaçu in the Alto Rio Solimões region, vocalist and songwriter Djuena belongs to the Tikuna, Brazil’s largest Indigenous Amazonian ethnic group. Having learned her art form from her mother, who learned from her grandmother, who, in turn, learned from her ancestors, Djuena identifies as “singer of the Indigenous movement”. Her own lyrics are full of activist spirit and speak of matters dear to her community, such as the environment and the demarcation of lands. More importantly, she sings in the Tikuna language, which, for her, is a political choice.
Djuena’s interpretation of the Brazilian National Anthem was featured at the Indigenous World Games in 2015 and at the opening of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in 2016. In 2017, she launched her first album Tchautchiüãne (My Community) and performed it at the Amazon Theater in Manaus, making her the first Indigenous singer to perform there in over 120 years. In 2019 she toured Europe, and released her new project, Wiyaegü (Fished People) featuring a CD, book, and documentary.
***Program will be conducted in Portuguese. This event is hosted by PORT 3559: Advanced Portuguese: Music, Literature, and Film, with professor Lilian Feitosa, and co-sponsored by The Americas Center/Centro de las Américas at UVA.