Kahue Santos, born in one of the most violent poor neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, never imagined he would cross the Atlantic Ocean to perform in Lisbon, the capital of Portugal, at an event attended by Pope Francis. For Santos, this is a dream come true. Santos (16 years old) is a violinist in an orchestra made up of young musicians from the sprawling Mare neighborhood, which is home to more than 140,000 people and is known for violent police raids and clashes between drug gangs.
Santos said, "If it weren't for the orchestra, which has saved many people, many of us wouldn't be here now." He spoke before an early performance in downtown Lisbon ahead of Pope Francis's visit to Portugal, which will take place from August 2 to August 6. Pope Francis will attend a gathering of Catholic youth for World Youth Day.
The Mare do Amanhã orchestra was formed in 2010 from the ideas of Carlos Brasil and his father Armando, who worked as a bandleader and was kidnapped and killed in 1999. His blood-stained car was found in Mare. Instead of turning his grief into hatred, Brasil decided to use music to keep children off the streets and away from drug trafficking.
Santos expressed, "It’s amazing to feel that our dreams have come true and to compare where we came from to where we are now." Santos joined the project when he was nine years old and learned under Anna Beatriz Souza (24 years old), who is also a violinist in Mare.
