This paper focuses on a mainly amateur musicians from various parts of Brazil who, in response to the rise of “Bolsonarismo,” began to produce carnival marches, or marchinhas, lampooning Bolsonaro and his followers, which they posted to social media. Marchinhas have historically been seen as arenas for the expression of social critique, through humorous song lyrics and double meanings. After samba became the primary rhythm to accompany carnival, however, marchinhas became somewhat forgotten. Since de early 2000s, street carnival, spearheaded by blocos carnavalescos (organized street carnival associations), the marchinha has made a glorious comeback, many following the tradition of targeting politicians and public policies. In effect, then, many marchinhas could be viewed as modes of musical artivism. Following conversations with various marchinha composers, particularly those with social media profiles, the paper addresses their understandings of their activities and its effectiveness as a political tool.
