Cliff Berrien, artistic director and founder of Batucaxé. photo: Jim Palka
The capacity for collective joy is encoded into us as deeply as the capacity for the erotic love of one human for another – Barbara Ehrenreich
After Cliff Berrien, the artistic director and founder of Batucaxé, discovered Barbara Ehrenreich’s book, Dancing in the Streets, he had a better understanding of social justice and social issues, and why our society does not regularly express collective joy in secular and integrated contexts. Ehrenreich points out that when joy is expressed collectively in today’s culture, sports are usually involved.
Berrien has devoted much of his life to creating ways for people to freely and safely express collective joy. Batucaxé – the 50-member community group known for its energetic, joyful music and dancing – and Tucson Carnaval are two results of these ongoing efforts.
Berrien, a professional musician, DJ and lifelong percussion student for more than 30 years, grew up in Washington, D.C., during the civil rights era. After Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated, there were riots all over the country. Berrien recalls that there was a curfew and people used public transportation because they were not allowed to drive their own vehicles.
“During my early life, I questioned why there were things that society lets us do and things that they don’t let us do. There are certain behaviors that are acceptable and certain behaviors that aren’t,” Berrien says.
“That seemed like a form of repression to me as a young man growing up.” Berrien also remembers Woodstock and some of the early music festivals where experiencing collective joy was not only allowed, but also encouraged.
Collaborations with musicians, performing artists, schools, community organizations and the public and private sectors to create events for people to actively participate in and enjoy have inspired much of Cliff Berrien’s work, including Tucson Carnaval.
The first Tucson Carnaval event involved a small gathering of people drumming and having fun at Himmel Park in 2008 for a few hours. In 2010, thousands of Tucsonans and more than 20 performing arts and cultural groups participated in the all-day event.
Carnaval or Carnival, the four-day festival famously held in Brazil before Ash Wednesday, brings in six billion dollars annually to Rio de Janeiro alone. Evolving from a Babylonian ritual where slaves were allowed to take their master’s place for five days, the historic social and political struggles between the rich and the poor remain in the undercurrent of the festival’s music and the dance today.
Berrien explains that the intent of Carnaval was that it would be embraced by everyone, regardless of class, race and life situation. “You would have aristocrats and the very poorest of the poor on the streets dancing, singing and playing together.”
The tradition of Carnaval most likely did not develop in the United States because it was illegal – and punishable – for slaves to drum or perform any indigenous traditional African music in most states. “The one place and time slaves could drum and sing was on Sundays in New Orleans. And it’s the only place in the U.S. to develop its own vibrant celebration (Mardi Gras) that’s known throughout the world,” says Berrien.
Inspired by Ehrenreich’s book, the 4th Annual Tucson Carnaval theme is “Dancing in the Streets.” The event is Saturday, February 19 at Armory Park, 220 S. 6th Ave., from 1 p.m. to 8 p.m. Events include performances by multi-cultural groups, children’s activities, interactive workshops, food, craft and community vendors, and a procession where the community can participate. The parade begins at 2 p.m., and the finale at 7:30 p.m. features the pyrotechnic theatre group, Flam Chen. The event is free and open to the public.
This year’s “Dancing in the Streets” theme is not only historical in its inspiration, it is an open invitation to the community, says Berrien. “Carnaval has grown in many places like Brazil in different ways. For Tucson Carnaval, it is about dancing together in the streets and celebrating our shared our humanity together.”
Tucson Carnaval is presented by Batucaxé, in partnership with the Armory Park Neighborhood Association, Tucson Children’s Museum, Downtown Tucson Partnership, Tucson Parks and Recreation and Many Mouths One Stomach. Visit TucsonCarnaval.org or call 284-0185 for information.
Kenya Johnson is a marketing consultant and has been a member of Batucaxé since 2009.
