Conversation with Amina, ROD, Valquíria and Wilds about the alternative media.

Background: Xexa - Calendário Sonoro 2021

With Special Guests: Amina Bawa is a journalist from PUC-RIO, Master in Culture and Communication from the University of Lisbon, having developed a project on cultural practices of African origin. In Brazil, she has worked in diverse areas such as trade union communication and the production of museums and cultural spaces. She currently works as a journalist at Associação Afrolis, a digital information project that aims to change the perception of reality about black and racialized women in Portugal and in the world. Information and Communication Technology teacher at Chapitô, a circus school in Lisbon. Editorial Producer at Gerador, an independent Portuguese platform for journalism, culture and education, in addition to being co-founder and International Relations of the Brazilian trends observatory, Brasil Mood.

Rodrigo Ribeiro Saturnino aka ROD is a researcher and visual artist. PhD in Sociology from the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon and Post-Doctorate from the Center for Studies in Communication and Society of the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Minho, where they are currently carrying out research on digital Internet platforms and algorithmic racism. They have published in several academic and scientific journals at national and international level. As a visual artist, he develops work focused on decolonial criticism. They participated in several group exhibitions and solo exhibitions, such as Feira Gráfica de Lisboa (2020), Casa do Capitão (2021), Espaço Damas (2021), Festival Bairro em Festa do Largo Residências (2021), Galeria Not a Museum (2021), at MAAT – Museum of Art, Architecture and Technology (2022), at the Municipal Galleries of Lisbon (2022/2023), in addition to participating in festivals and projects, such as the Walk Talk Açores Festival 2020, of the “Community as Immunity” project, of the “Primeiro Rascunho” project of Teatro do Bairro Alto, of Campo de Treino (2021) and of De/Codificar Belém, of Colectivo Faca. He developed the scenario for the play “Casa com Árvores Dentro”, part of the project “Pê – Prefixo de Dehumanização”, together with Cláudia Semedo, Gisela Casimiro, Kalaf Epalanga, among other artists. They are currently carrying out a residency at Largo Residência to activate the project “The place I came from”. ROD is a founding member of UNA – União Negra das Artes and Coletivo Afrontosas.

Valquíria Fernanda da Silva, born in Luanda and raised in the suburbs of Lisbon-Sintra, moved to Portugal at the age of 3 months accompanied by her parents and at around 12 years old she returned to Luanda where she lived for 5 years. Since 2021, she has a degree in Geography and Regional Planning from FCSH-UNL, where she intends to return to study. She is currently a teacher at a secondary school in Cascais and, although she likes what she does and sees herself in the values ​​and mission of the profession, she does not intend to work "forever". Valquíria believes that teaching in Portugal has many weaknesses and feels that there is not enough investment to mitigate them. In her spare time, she likes to read crime novels and watch anime.

Wilds Gomes is an unusual guy, just like his name. He lives in an organized chaos between Ethos, Pathos and Logos – things he learned in the Communication and Journalism course. From Calulu in São Tomé to Cachupa in Cape Verde, it has well-established Portuguese-speaking roots. He says he is everything and a little, and he writes about everything, after all, everything is possible when you write. He is passionate about life, easy laughs and imperfect smiles. As a child, I wanted to be the voice of those who had no voice, and it was in the universe of communication with BANTUMEN that I found a way to change the world, through words. He's creative, at least he considers himself that way, self-taught since he knows himself and puts a little bit of himself into everything he does.