A Rare glimpse into THE CITY OF GOD ...as told by Brazil's and Miami's most provocative band... -

THE CITY OF GOD

The Band from left to right: Raphael (Drums), Stephanie (Vocals), Rocco (Bass), Danny (Vocals), Gunnar (Guitar), & Tiago (DJ/Sunthesizer)…Tiago spoke for the band. We linked up at the Future Classic Festival in Miami.

LISA: Tell the readers where your band name came from?

City of God: We got our name from the City Of God Movie.

LISA: Did you see the third City of God installment which recreates the police side of the story?

City of God: The name of that movie is Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad), which is one of the dopest movies out there…you see there are two sides to the story about the Brazilian hood. The City of God talks about what is really happening on the streets, and then Elite Squad is the cops side of the story.

LISA: So what do you think about the second movie, The City of Men?

City of God: I think the City of Men was cool because it made people realize how it felt to be in a difficult world. The City of God was one story, but The City of Men was a series and it truly describes how it is to grow up in that environment. You see, Brazil is a really crazy country. Brazil is a country that has two different types of societies. High society vs. the very low society Brazil. Our new president, Luiz Inacio De Silva, aka Lula, is a people’s president…sort of like Obama is here…and he is really important to us and really what we want right now. But the whole concept of the movie truly describes what Brazil really is.

LISA: Are you well received in Brazil for embracing “The City of God” as the name to describe your band and your sound?

City of God: Of course. The City of God describes our cultures and it’s where our roots lie. And our roots are all about people. It’s not about what you have or what you do. We’re about people…and people carry people.

LISA: The City of God is a phenomenal group to where you’re talented enough to open for groups like NERD…Tell us how were you able to rise from that environment to where you are today.
City of God Pictures: Alexandre Rodrigues

City of God: Follow your dreams. Stick to your dreams and don’t stop for any reason. We’re proof that it doesn’t matter what city you’re in, what type of society you come from, your income, or anything that surrounds you. It’s only about you sticking to your dreams.

LISA: So basically, when we think about the City of God, what do you want us to think?