In 2009, a 12-year-old violinist played through tears at his mentor’s funeral — the man who helped pull him and countless kids away from crime with music

    by Original_Shegypt

    13 Comments

    1. Original_Shegypt on

      He was only 12 here. His name was Diego Frazão Torquato, from a favela in Rio.
      He survived meningitis as a kid, grew up around violence and poverty, and found hope through music with AfroReggae, a project helping kids stay away from crime.

      The man he’s crying for was Evandro João da Silva, his mentor and the one who brought him into music. Evandro spent his life trying to protect kids in the community.

      Sadly, Diego later developed leukemia. In 2010, complications after surgery weakened him too much to continue treatment, and he passed away at just 13.

    2. BuildwithVignesh on

      Heartbreaking and beautiful at the same time. The kind of story that reminds you how powerful music really is.

    3. SlaughterMinusS on

      Wow, this is all kinds of sad.

      The teacher was mugged and shot and then the young man dying of cancer.

      I may not like what my country is doing right now, but I still have to remember that there are worse places by far.

    4. “This photo is even more heartbreaking when you know the full story. The boy was Diego Frazão Torquato, and he was playing at the funeral of his mentor, Evandro João da Silva, in Brazil.

      Evandro ran the AfroReggae cultural group, which used music to help kids escape the violence and drug trade in Rio’s favelas. He was murdered in 2009.

      Tragically, Diego himself died just a year later from leukemia. He was a symbol of hope for his entire community. An absolutely devastating and powerful story.”

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