Music and parties to brighten up the city

By Camilo Rocha (Journalist, DJ and musical researcher)

These days demand the strengthening of all communities and industry chains that work with culture. Among these, nightlife is the most vulnerable one. After all, events and spaces that play music after dusk have always been targeted by authorities and politicians in the name of morals and peace.

In order to fend off this orthodoxy, we must always remember that nightlife fuels a city in many ways. A vibrant scene of clubs, venues and bars builds cultural capital and makes the city desirable for visitors. This is why Tokyo subsidizes regular night events and various night-related activities.

The nightlife generates jobs and revenue, both directly and indirectly. And this isn’t just in relation to night club gigs. A study of the New York nightlife published in 2019, estimated that it generated nearly 200,000 jobs, including restaurants and sporting events.

The nightlife is also a talent incubator. It is in the bars, dancefloors and concerts that artists, musicians, filmmakers, VJs, DJs, stylists, bartenders, chefs and producers connect. “Small independent events can be business schools for young creative boys,” Mirik Milan, Night Mayor of Amsterdam night for six years, told me once.

Historically, electronic music parties have promoted inclusion. In São Paulo of the 1980s, they were safe “public squares” where heterosexuals and gays lived in harmony. Nowadays, independent parties in the city provide women-only line-ups and take action in order to improve the access for trans people. The nightlife also helps society to move towards a better place.

There is currently no effective public policy that recognizes and stimulates the powers of the nightlife across the country. Perhaps the first mapping initiatives that took place this year via DATA SIM and MovFica will contribute towards a greater understanding of this potential. The nightlife of Brazilian cities wants to move forward, just like a train; it does not wish to stay stuck in a tunnel.