DONA IVONE LARA LIVES:

SOCIAL NETWORKS AND POLITICAL STRUGGLE

Abstract

This empirical and bibliographic research, of a descriptive and qualitative nature, problematizes the concepts of racism, colorism and representation observed in social media debates, when Jô Santana, show director of “Dona Ivone Lara – the musical,” chose singer Fabiana Cozza to play the Queen of Samba. Comments posted on the play’s official Facebook page and on Cozza’s Instagram account, as well as the online posts and repercussion after the singer refused the role will be analyzed to understand how the racist ideology acts in social practice and in virtual discourses. The organizers’ announcement requesting candidates to play the role of “Rainha do Samba,” with no criteria for dark skinned Black artists, and the hue contrast between Cozza and Dona Ivone Lara fueled the debates. This study will be guided by three axes of responses to the announcement: 1) denial of the need for verisimilitude; 2) acceptance of Cozza’s Black identity, but not of the invitation; and 3) questioning around the singer’s Black identity. It will also analyze the content of the discussions regarding racial relations, if they have gained greater visibility, considering the outreach of social media. Its theoretical framework includes authors such as Sueli Carneiro, Muniz Sodré, Teun Van Dijk, Stuart Hall, Alice Walker, and Manuel Castells, among others.