ABSTRACT
This chapter describes and interprets two saraus that highlight recent immigration, Sarau dos Imigrantes (immigrant sarau) and Sarau dos Refugiados (refugee sarau). It have chosen two performances in particular, an acapella presentation by a Congolese male trio and a poem recital by a Haitian man. In both cases, there is an attempt to approximate immigrant and Brazilian populations. The chapter investigates a convergence, and it should be noted that its occurrence continues to be rare. It is based on notes and reflections from previous fieldwork conducted on saraus in 2010 and 2014 in addition to nine months of fieldwork in 2016 and 2017 focused on new immigration presence and activities in the city of São Paulo. The chapter presents the semi-structured interviews with performers, event organizers, members of local NGOs and activist organizations dedicated to immigrant politics in the city. The widespread popularity of saraus since 2012, in part, a manifestation of a cultural opening facilitated by a visionary mayor.
