Activation – Sertão Negro – Rádio Jatobá: da oralidade às ondas sonoras [Jatobá Radio: from oral tradition to sound waves]

On September 26, the activation Rádio Jatobá: da oralidade às ondas sonoras [Jatobá Radio: from oral tradition to sound waves], will take place as part of the program of educational activation proposals happening at the work of Sertão Negro throughout the 36th Bienal de São Paulo. The event will take place from 3 pm to 5 pm at the Sertão Negro work, on the first floor.

Rádio Jatobá: da oralidade às ondas sonoras is a commented DJ set that proposes an expanded listening experience of Quilombo Kalunga (GO), where sound and memory intertwine as living territories. Based on field recordings, songs, stories, and prayers, the project constructs a narrative that values oral tradition and traditional rhythms, such as sussa, in dialogue with contemporary music influenced by this quilombo matrix. Artist/mediator Genor, together with musician Thainan, guide the audience through tracks and commentary, prompting reflections on tradition, resistance, and presence.

Genor Sales holds a degree in Visual Arts from the Federal University of Goiás and, through his experience in the periphery, develops research using the subjectivity of fish out of water to discuss social, racial, and food issues. A member of the Jatobá Nascente Association, a project of Sertão Negro, he participated in ARCOMadrid, Spain (2025); Panorama de Arte Contemporânea de Goiás, GO (2024); SP Arte – Rotas Brasileiras, SP (2024) and Pemba – Residência Preta – Dos Brasis/Sesc (2022).

Thainan Meneses is a farmer, singer, composer, music producer, and co-founder of Terrauna Agroecologia. He develops the socio-environmental project Sertão Verde, at Sertão Negro Ateliê e Escola de Artes, where he is responsible for the school garden. As a singer and composer, his lyrics tell the story and daily life of the people of the Cerrado, discussing the connection between city and countryside in the complex networks, experiences, cultural manifestations, and reality of these people.

Sertão Negro (founded in 2021, Goiânia) is an atelier and school of arts founded by Dalton Paula and Ceiça Ferreira. Located in a quilombo, a historic settlement founded by descendants of escaped enslaved Africans, it bridges Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions and contemporary art practices through programs in ceramics, printmaking, capoeira angola, agroecology, and a film club. The building is designed with sustainability principles, incorporating rainwater harvesting and bioconstruction techniques. Rooted in Afro-Brazilian knowledge and values, Sertão Negro stands as a cultural epicenter dedicated to preserving and expanding Black ancestry and artistic production for future generations.

Activation – Sertão Negro – Rádio Jatobá: da oralidade às ondas sonoras [Jatobá Radio: from oral tradition to sound waves]
36th Bienal de São Paulo – Not All Travellers Walk Roads – Of Humanity as Practice
September 26, 2025
Friday, 3 pm
Sertão Negro’s work, 1st floor
Ciccillo Matarazzo Pavilion
Ibirapuera Park, gate 3
Av. Pedro Álvares Cabral, s/n
São Paulo, SP
free admission