Music video directed by Ronald Land builds a portrait of the reality of Rio’s favelas
This Thursday, 30th, the duo from Rio North Sectorformed by Pedro Yuka and Romulo Catharinoreleased the music video for “HeroThe track, which arrived on digital platforms on September 25, is the duo’s second single.
North Sector debuted his career with “Until the End”, on July 11, 2025, and mixes urban music styles to talk about the individual and collective pains of the Brazilian population.
The new song denounces police violence in Rio de Janeiro and builds a dark portrait of the reality of Rio’s favelas. “Are you going to see if there is an invasion in Leblon? / Are you going to see if there is a Caveirão in Leblon? / Are you going to see who wins with this setup? / Rifle in hand / Bodies on the ground”, they sing.
The lyrics also highlight the inequality in the treatment and opportunities offered to favela residents and those living in upscale neighborhoods. “Every day someone else dies who could have been an MC or B-boy / Shot because he didn’t have the look of those Backstreet Boys / While the FAB plane carries the flour of superheroes”, they continue.
The music video directed by Ronald Land — who has worked with names like Planet Hemp, BK’ and L7nnon — mixes images of the duo, excerpts from a private show and scenes of confrontation between the police and protesters.
Music also carries personal meaning for artists. After his brother’s death, Marcelo Yukaformer member of Rappa, Pedro combined his talents with Romulowho already worked at the studio Marceloto keep the project alive. After producing songs for several artists, the duo started to make some tracks of their own.
Despite being specialized in music and studio technique, Pedro He didn’t see himself as a singer, but he started studying singing to take on the role of vocalist and composer. “Herói” was the song that made him see the potential of this work.
“It was a period of mourning for me, and the Romulo followed all of this too. So the track carries feelings linked to this reflection, but the entire project has a social context, which is our view of music as a tool. And these individual veins, which are also beautiful, do not invalidate the rest of the work, because we can sew this well within our perspective”, he says Pedro.
For him, art needs to be a form of political positioning. “It’s not the first nor the last letter in which I’m going to talk about this”, he laments. “My brother talked about this 30 years ago, and unfortunately I’m talking about it again now. And what has changed in Rio de Janeiro?” vents the artist, referring to his brother Marcelo.
In a dystopian vision, the lyrical self of “Hero” imagine: “On the stages of the Brazilian outskirts / I saw Spice Girls performing funk / Bruno Mars singing in church / Ronaldinho giving up football to earn a little money on duty / While Gisele Bündchen runs with her children in her hand”.
“Hero” will be part of the album Whole wordsscheduled for release later this year. Check out the video clip:
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marcelo yuka
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Pedro Yuka
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Romulo Catharino
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Ronald Land
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North Sector
Source: Rollingstone
Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.
