Amidst the turbulence, the massacre, my connection to the cartel, I started to think of a better life. -- Anderson Sa We're a group of destroyed people infected by idealism. -- Jose Junior Through music we changed our reality. -- Anderson Sa AfroReggae was born out of chaos. -- Jose Junior Born out of desire to counteract the violent drug industry and police oppression, Grupo Cultural AfroReggae – GCAR (“AfroReggae Cultural Group”) was formed in January 1993, initially around AfroReggae Notícias (“AfroReggae News”) – a newspaper designed to add value and disseminate black culture. The newspaper primarily targeted young people interested in reggae, soul, and hip-hop, among other musical genres. The group soon thereafter opened its first Núcleo Comunitário de Cultura (“Culture Community Center”) in the Vigário Geral favela (a slum area) in 1993. In a short period of time, this center was offering its first workshops – dance, percussion, garbage recycling, soccer and capoeira – the foundations for new social projects. GCAR knew exactly what it was seeking with its programs: to offer a cultural and artistic education for adolescents living in slums. By affording local youth more chances of strengthening their citizenship, GCAR hoped to provide a viable path away from entanglement in the prevalent drug trade. In 1997, AfroReggae opened Centro Cultural AfroReggae Vigário Legal (“Vigário Legal AfroReggae Cultural Center”), a landmark in its history. With structured facilit