Sony Music in Brazil has been ordered to pay $656,000 for releasing the song “Veja os Cabelos Dela (Look at Her Hair)” by the Brazilian clown Francisco Everardo Oliveira Silva and now congressman best known by his stage name, Tirirca.
The lawsuit was filed by 10 non-governmental organizations that fight against racism and the proceeds will go to the Diffused Rights Fund of the Ministry of Justice.
Tirirca is indeed a clown. His song is so outrageous, he compares a black woman’s natural hair to a scouring pad used for pots and pans. He also calls her a ‘stinking beast’ and says she ‘smells worse than a skunk.’
Outraged? So was I.
Sony’s defense: the song was not intended to offend black women and Tirirca was referring to his own wife in the song. Sony also claimed Brazilian’s use the same words in reference to white women.
You be the judge. Here are some of the lyrics in both Portugese and English:
Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela (4x)
(Look look look look look at her hair (4x)Parece bom-bril*, de ariá panela
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans)Quando ela passa, me chama atenção
(When she goes by, she catches my attention)Mas os seus cabelos, não tem jeito não
(But her hair just isn’t right)A sua catinga quase me desmaiou
(Her stench almost made me faint)Olha eu não aguento, é grande o seu fedor
(Look, I can’t take it, her smell is so bad)Veja veja veja veja veja os cabelos dela
(Look look look look look at her hair)Parece bom-bril, de ariá panela (2x)
(It looks like a scouring pad for pots and pans) (2x)Eu já mandei, ela se lavar
(I told her to take a bath)Mas ela teimo, e não quis me escutar
(But she’s stubborn and doesn’t listen to me)Essa nega fede, fede de lascar
(This black woman stinks, she stinks horribly)Bicha fedorenta, fede mais que gambá
(Stinking beast, smells worse than a skunk)
I wonder what would happen if this occurred in the U.S. What do you think? Would this song be protected by the First Amendment? Should it be?
Barbara Llarena is a high-tech public relations consultant with a passion for fashion, music and travel. Follow Barbara on Twitter at @aahsomepr, connect on Facebook and visit her site at www.aahsomepr.com.
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