Moleque De Rua has been played on NTS in shows including Not Waving, featured first on 5 June 2025. Songs played include Rap Do Moleque.

MOLEQUE DE RUA

« …exuberant conscience poetry against a cocktail of samba, hip-hop maracatu.» L’Humanité

« …a festive celebration of multiculturalism. » Le Figaro Etudiant

« …a zestful mix of not only samba and other afro-brazilian rhythms but also rock, rap and funk and a sharp tongue unleashed to condemn endemic social ills. » Libération

« With Moleque de Rua the Barcelona Forum of Culture has found a nugget of gold…» Libération

MOLEQUE DE RUA (literally, Street Urchin) are a staggeringly energetic 9-piece favela combo who make their innovative polyphonic percussion instruments from recycled material and use them to concoct excitingly original sounds mixing samba and other traditional Brazilian rhythms with rock, funk and hip hop. In their dynamic stage show they not only decry the poverty, corruption and violence rife in Brazil but also exuberantly celebrate the force of their own life-saving culture.

Sao Paulo based composer and bandleader, Duda created the band 23 years ago with kids from his neighbourhood. The band, which has been touring Europe since 1993 is made up of several generations of these « moleque » performers; the youngest now being 15. The band has five albums to their name and has appeared in music festivals all over Europe. In addition, over the last 12 years Moleque de Rua has developed with the association Gamins de l’Art Rue a concept of workshop-residencies in Europe which encourage the active participation of local young artists and communities in festival and carnival events.

LES GAMINS DE L’ART RUE is a cultural association, based in France, dedicated to promoting the recognition of popular culture. Founded to fight against exclusion, it works to provide material and human resources for cultural movements, associations and emerging artists to develop exchanges and international projects. In France GDLAR has become an indispensable tool for local government agencies and independent cultural associations who work together with GDLAR to create opportunities for cultural and social exchanges in local communities.

Moleque de Rua Tour 2008 Celebrating 25 years of - music, poetry and resistance!

Austria- VIDC - Vienna Institute for Development and Cooperation, Vienna : Brunnen Passage, Floridita, MC Sunnseiten Festival. Residencies and concerts : Villach, Kapfenberg, Graz, Klopeinersee, St Veit, Hall in Tyrol Slovakia - Pohoda Festival, Trecin City Council residancy, Bratislava Switzerland- Paleo Festival Spain and Portugal : Forum of World Cultures Georgia France - Besançon, Musiques des Rues, residency : Clichy La Garenne, Vendée UK - Seachange Festival, Guanabara More dates still being booked

2007 New Album - Utopia Now ! Utopia ? We need to live it and construct it now in our own back yards - and that is just what Moleque has done with their new album for which they brought together musicians of all ages from their community around the favelas of Coreia and Bica in the Santa Catarina suburbs of Sao Paulo.