Words Frankie WechslerImages Ian Clontz

There are more than 300 indigenous tribes living in Brazil today, totaling around 900,000 people who are inordinately affected and displaced by the land development and mass tourism that continues to spread throughout the country.

In 2018, Further Rio: Song of the Amazon aimed to highlight these issues and raise money for sustainable development through a unique musical project, an experimental writing camp co-curated by Atrium Creative Retreats, the music collective behind the experiential music and arts festival, FORM Arcosanti, and the Equator Initiative, which brings together the United Nations, governments, civil society, businesses, and grassroots organizations to address the challenges of land degradation, biodiversity, conservation, and social equity.

Further Rio: Song of the Amazon brought together musician and songwriter Matsipaya Waura Txucarramãe, an indigenous artist of Northern Brazil, with a group ofinternationally renowned musicians, including experimental cellist Kelsey Lu, drummer Zach Tetreault of Hundred Waters, Canadian electro-pop duo Purity Ring, LA-based electronic auteur Empress Of, and folk singer Julie Byrne, to produce this site-specific song and video, which shines a light on the issues facing indigenous people and is meant to raise funds and awareness for sustainable development communities in Brazil and all over the world. The camp and was hosted by Chez Georges, a Brazilian Brutalist landmark high on a hilltop in the lush Santa Teresa neighborhood between the city center and the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. Set on the edge of a protected forest and featuring a state-of-the-art music production room, the hotel was an ideal setting for the project.