Elijah, a humble tribute to Marielle Franco
Protest for the assassination of Marielle Franco in front of the Brazilian Embassy in Madrid, Spain. Photo: G. Serrano Edition: Patrick Maloney Leer en español I didn’t know her but an article in The Guardian described her as “an educated, articulate and capable young woman from a Brazilian favela”. Ernani da Conceição, a teacher from the neighborhood, said, “she represented renewal”. And Marcelo Freixo, a deputy in Rio’s state legislature and member of the Socialism and Freedom Party, said that she was, “one of my best friends, a very very strong and brave person but very sensible, with an unforgettable smile”. I read these expressions of sorrow —spontaneously generated across the globe— because of the assassination of the Brazilian activist Marielle Franco , just a few hours after listening to the baroque oratorio Elijah , written by Felix Mendelssohn between 1845 and 1846. The basis of the script is from a translation of the Old Testament by Martin Luther. The fou...