A group of Brazilian women behind bars applied makeup, donned gowns and competed in a singing contest in a Rio de Janeiro prison during an event designed to sport light talents and boost confidence ahead of the detainees' release
Within a vast echoing multipurpose hall, the 15 candidates took turns to sing their hearts out on a purple-themed stage
in front of an audience made up of prison officials, volunteers and fellow detainees who clapped and sang along with them
Our department has the mission to re-socialize through work, study, reading, qualification and culture that we present here today
This third edition is very important for us. It's a unique event, and you saw how they get emotional and how they move us
Months before the big day the candidates from four detention facilities auditioned rehearsed and ran makeup costume and hair tests adding variety and stimulation to a repetitive prison routine
The day of the competition, known as Voice of Liberty, the women prepped in a room complete with mirrors and a dressing screen
by vocalizing and shaking their arms to release nervous energy. Today I am a person alone in the world
I no longer have a father. I no longer have a mother. Music is a way to strengthen myself in this moment of sadness
because being imprisoned is sad, being deprived of our freedom, and singing our body is imprisoned
but our voice can go wherever it wants. Our mind can cross borders
A panel of jurors composed of actor and TV presenter David Brazil and singer Mauricio
Matar, among others, watched carefully, attributing scores for voice, performance, presentation, and charm