‘Right now, no one is atheist’: Youtuber recording early morning in Rio – 06/24/2023

Avenida Presidente Vargas, Rio de Janeiro. The Central do Brasil clock shows that it is past four in the morning, with rain and a temperature close to 20 degrees Celsius. Príncipe da Madrugada (as he prefers to be called), 34, says goodbye after walking for three hours through the nearly empty downtown streets. He’s the guy behind the camera recording for Madrugada RJ’s YouTube channel, small town.

With over 80,000 subscribers and nearly 200 videos posted, the channel has already toured Rio by night and cities in Baixada Fluminense as well as São Paulo. All recorded on foot or by bike, with a cell phone and image stabilization equipment. “What fascinates me about all this is passing through places where there are thousands of people during the day and at night there is no one,” he says, who records, edits and publishes everything himself.

Social networks also help popularize the channel. On Instagram, photos of darkened streets drive the account, followed by nearly 5,000 people. On TikTok, one of the videos with over two million views shows empty streets and has the words, “At this moment, no one is atheist.” Among the followers’ comments are praise and suggestions for places worth visiting at night, and words such as courage, fear and horror.

the beginning

The channel was created in June 2021, but the passion for the night side comes from times of military service. “As soon as I left the barracks, I wanted to explore this bit of work at night because there were more openings,” he says. Between jobs, he worked as a load checker for a soft drink brand.

When commuting between home and work or during downtime, early morning starts are pretty interesting for YouTubers. “You start noticing the details, the silence. The noise of a bird, some animals. It just took me by surprise and I ended up enjoying it,” he recalls, who has already spent 15 years of all-night touring.

The idea for the channel came about during the pandemic, and the place chosen for the premiere was Nova Iguaçu, a town in Baixada Fluminense where he was born and lives with his wife and two children. The channel’s first video, “Everything Shaken,” he says, was taken before image stabilization equipment was purchased, but the title of the premiere will set the tone for future videos: “The Most Dangerous Place in the Luz District.”

Without a face or a name

When that dawn march begins there are street cleaners in the streets, bohemians in front of a tavern almost closing and no one walking on the sidewalk. Behind the Museu de Arte do Rio, Madrugada taps and takes a few shots of Praça Mauá, also empty.

The rain stopped in front of the Church of São Francisco da Praina for a while longer. This is when he poses for some photos, always disguised. He does not show his face because he wants the streets to be the champions. This is also why he prefers to keep his name hidden.

It’s after two o’clock in the morning when Avenida Presidente Vargas first appears on the road, at the intersection with Avenida Rio Branco. Crossing 80 meters has never been so easy – only one bus crosses the asphalt at that hour. Behind the Candelaria Church, lit by a green light, Madrugada takes new shots and also stands again. Records made along the walk were later posted to his Instagram account.

Dream and fear

At 3 a.m., already in the Marechal Square of Ancora, Madrugada RJ ensures that you don’t have to be asleep to dream. “It gives me pleasure to partake of the dawn, to live the dawn. If I can do it every day, I do it.”

Before leaving for the wanderings, Madrugada—who attended Candomblé services at the Universal Church and now attends Umbanda—lights a candle and asks for protection. “I’ve already been framed by the militia, by the bandits, by the police,” he says. “I’ve lost count.”

He has also witnessed explicit scenes of violence, such as the time he witnessed and recorded a knife fight. The video was posted and went viral.
“I don’t mean to condemn or shame anyone. Since that could be a problem for both parties, I thought it best to leave it out,” he recalled. This was the only video on the channel he posted and he later deleted it.

Walking the streets at dawn might seem silly in a city notoriously violent, but that doesn’t stop Príncipe da Madrugada from spreading his philosophy about the pleasures of a nocturnal wander. “If there was a certainty that nothing would happen, it would be a practice for a lot of people. I often say it’s a deafening silence, but it’s really worth it.”

A year ago, he started monetizing the channel, ranging from $80 to $500, depending on the number of monthly posts and YouTube rules.

forbidden time

The night in the streets is just empty land for those who don’t frequent it. There are people sleeping under the buildings’ canopies, night watchmen, and a military police car that spins and walkers. One of them is the only person who interacts with the reporter and Madrugada throughout the text, in Rua Acre, to ask for a cigarette – which he does not have. At no point during the trip did Madrugada fail to carry his cell phone with him. (The rats appeared several times.)

After seeing and experiencing what could be a new video from Madrugada RJ, one detail comes to mind: In a newsstand on Presidente Vargas Street, black-sprayed messages enforce the rule: No stealing. Coincidentally, the morning after the adventure, a television news program featured a series of cell phone thefts in broad daylight on the same street. In the center of Rio de Janeiro, dawn literally follows the rule.