black as the opposite of all that.” Born Larissa de Macedo Machado, the diva-to-be was a church chorister in her childhood. In her teens, she made a name for herself in Rio de Janeiro’s baile funk scene as a dancer and singer. She has now exploded into the public consciousness with an album and a huge hit single, Show das Poderosas , which topped the charts and attracted 52 million YouTube views. Though adored first and foremost as a pop idol with a strong message and some catchy tunes, her backers project her as a cultural bridge between the predominantly black and mixed-race shanty towns on Rio’s hillsides and the wealthier and whiter communities below. She has toned down the suggestive dancing, gangsta references and explicit lyrics of baile funk. Now, however, questions are being asked about whether she – or her marketing team – have gone too far in re-tailoring her image to attract a more lucrative demographic. “If pop stars have curly hair, they are going to feel coerced into straightening it. If they have a big nose, they will be coerced into getting rhinoplasty,” said Arraes. “It creates a vicious cycle for self-esteem.” This is a sensitive topic in this largely mixed-raced nation. Brazil – one of the last big countries in the world to ban slavery – has the largest population of African descent outside Africa, but race and ancestry are less