GIOVANNA GAMA

GINGA MANIFESTO

– gin • gah –

 

When asked to describe Brazil, most people lean towards its stereotypes of football, carnival, barely dressed men and women, and sometimes living with monkeys (yes, they are around but we just leave them alone). If Brazilians were asked to raise their hands if they have heard jokes or questions about those topics, you best believe they would have all done it in a split second – myself included. However, we are all tired of it and Ginga is here to break all of these stereotypes and show a different side to the country. It is here to show the fashion, the culture, the politics and the activism that make Brazil as rich, complex and fun as it is.

 

The publication will highlight and question some of the country’s main ongoing issues – from the current president Jair Bolsonaro to the endangered Amazon forest, indigenous tribes and local craftsmanship. It will tell the stories of the people that have not always had an opportunity to have a voice, tell its readership that a country as big as Brazil is much more interesting than what the media has shown and express its culture with the artists, designers, photographers and creatives that form our history. Ginga also challenges the status quo by celebrating the LGBTQ+ community, drag queens and transgender people who have long been abused and discriminated in a right-wing conservative country. It features new young designers and artists who are not afraid to speak up and use their work as an avenue to bring awareness to political affairs, homophobia, racism and corruption, while also honouring the beautiful craft from local artisans and materials. Ginga is a magazine that both exposes the reality as a Brazilian and celebrates the greatness of such a culturally rich country. This publication challenges the mainstream and shares opinions that would have been censored by the government and the media otherwise.