Opening Speech byDavi KopenawaConcertXenia França(2023 Latin Grammy Award Winner)

Xenia França is a celebrated Brazilian singer and songwriter known for blending Afro-Brazilian culture with contemporary music. She is the 2023 Latin Grammy Award winner for Best Portuguese-Language Contemporary Pop Album and is a strong advocate for racial and gender equality.

Xenia França, a celebrated Brazilian singer and songwriter, skillfully blends the roots of the African diaspora in Brazil into her distinctive sound, combining traditional percussion with elements of electronica, jazz, and R&B. In 2023, she secured the Grammy for Best Portuguese-Language Contemporary Pop Album, underscoring her innovative musical approach. Notably, Xenia's artistic prowess earned her a Latin Grammy nomination in 2018 for both her debut album Xenia and the single Pra Que Me Chamas? Her multifaceted talent, rooted in cultural richness, has not only garnered critical acclaim but also reinforced her commitment to musical exploration and cultural representation.

This concert mirrors the KYOTOGRAPHIE exhibition of Claudia Andujar. Since the 1970s, Andujar has devoted her life to photography and advocacy for the Yanomami, one of the largest Amerindian communities in the Brazilian Amazon. Curated by Thyago Nogueira, Head of Contemporary Photography at the Instituto Moreira Salles in Brazil, the exhibition draws from years of research into Andujar’s archive. It delves into her extraordinary contribution to photography and highlights her pivotal role as a human rights activist, championing the rights of the Yanomami community.

Davi Kopenawa of Brazil’s indigenous Yanomami people has dedicated his life to protecting Yanomami rights, culture and lands. He is a shaman and spokesman for the Yanomami people and has been honoured with numerous awards for his advocacy including the Right Livelihood Award.
The Yanomami territory is located in the heart of the Amazon on the border between Venezuela and Brazil. This area is among the planet’s most important biodiverse regions and remains under high scrutiny as exploitation of the Amazon’s natural resources continues to rise and indigenous lands continue to be invaded.
The Yanomami people are the focus of Claudia Andujar’s 2024 KYOTOGRAPHIE exhibition, The Yanomami Struggle. We have invited Davi Kopenawa as a special guest to shed more light on this crucial topic.