Carnival in Rio as a cure for mental illness

Audio 03:41

Text by: Sarah Cozzolino Follow

The Rio de Janeiro carnival begins this Friday, February 21. For several days, hundreds of "blocos" - groups of musicians - will parade through the streets, drawing thousands of revelers in their wake. Among these blocks, that of the Pinel Institute, a large psychiatric hospital in Rio, plays with the border between madness and normalcy. Patients, therapists and the public mix to the rhythm of the samba.

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From our correspondent in Rio,

Hamilton de Jesus has eyes that shine when he sings one of his compositions about life in the mental hospital. Like every year, he presented a piece of samba for the hymn competition that will be played by the bloco of the Pinel Institute during the carnival. “ It makes us work the mind, to exercise it, so that it is not too empty. So we think and write something. It doesn't matter if it's good, very good, or bad ... The important thing is to participate, ”he explains.

Hamilton was diagnosed with schizophrenia as a result of trauma while serving as a soldier during the military dictatorship. He no longer knows exactly how long he has been in the bloc , but he knows he has real talent. " Madness has at the same time the aspect of excessive suffering, which we try to minimize by all means ... But it also has the aspect of a free imagination, a form of irreverence, creativity very interesting, ”he explains.

Samba as a remedy

Alexandre Wanderley is a psychoanalyst and coordinates the bloco of the Pinel Institute called " Tá pirando, pirado, pirou " a word game in Portuguese on the different phases of madness. For 16 years, the group has been fighting against an archaic vision of psychiatric asylums and advocating a message of inclusion of patients in society. " The objective is to transform the social imagination of madness, which is always associated with an idea of ​​incapacity, whether it be to live together, to work, to produce, to create ... With an initiative like this we shows that all of this is prejudice, "says the doctor.

On stage, Monique Mattos shines. She won the anthem competition this year, with a text on the theme of fake news. “ Therapists don't like to label us based on a diagnosis. Here, I am considered more as an artist than as a patient, ”says the young woman. Being part of the bloc helped him regain self-confidence. “ It is very important for each of us. It is a process of humanization, a remedy. The bloco injects us with doses of Dona Ivone [Lara], a samba composer, doses of Cartola. We get drunk on samba, madness and disguises to live this world in a more interesting and less locked up way, "she explains.

A happy mix

Therapists and nurses sing to the hearts of the patients and their families. A mixture that first surprised Lotus Dutra, 73, a big fan of carnival. " We never imagined that this wonderful thing could come out on the part of people with mental problems!" They are the ones who make up, who participate. They are all here! So we see people with more or less problems. But they are all wonderful . ”

Lotus is so enthusiastic that she bought the group's t-shirt, glass and badge, illustrated by the patients. A way to support him when he has more and more difficulties to exist. Deprived of public funding this year, the bloco launched a crowdfunding campaign.

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