Singing contest in Rio prison provides creative outlet for women behind bars

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A group of Brazilian women behind bars applied makeup, donned gowns and competed in a singing contest held on Friday in a Rio de Janeiro prison, during an event designed to spotlight talents and boost confidence ahead of the detainees’ release.

Within a vast, echoing multipurpose hall, the fifteen 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.

Many performed gospel songs, while others offered interpretations of MPB, the acronym for Brazilian popular music in Portuguese — including “Black Sheep” by the much-loved, late singer Rita Lee.

A panel of jurors composed of actor and TV presenter David Brazil and singer Maurício Mattar, among others, watched carefully, attributing scores for voice, performance, presentation and charm.

Fernanda Fernandes Domingues, 36, won the first prize. “I don’t even know what to say, I’m really happy!” she said. “Music is a way of empowering myself in this sad time, because being in prison is sad.”

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.

Rilary Cristina Leite, 31, used to sing in bars, at parties and at church before being arrested six years ago. She is due to leave prison in less than a year and said that the show was an opportunity to help her along the path of rehabilitation by showcasing her skills.

“It’s magical because we’re doing what we want. It means liberation for us. We’re in prison and art liberates us,” Leite said, adding that her dream is to sing at the Rock in Rio festival.

This year's competition, with the theme of “hope and emancipation,” was the third organized by Rio de Janeiro’s state prison administration authority.

Maria Rosa Lo Duca Nebel, Rio’s state secretary for penitentiary administration, said the objective of prison is also to rehabilitate through work, studies, reading and — like on Friday — through culture.

It also helps with the atmosphere within the facility, she said.

“This helps calm things down, in the sense that it eases the tension, because the prison system — even though this is a women’s unit — is an environment that’s tense by nature. What we’ve provided here, with everyone’s presence, creates that sense of relief,” she said.

Cassiane Victoria Moura Martins won last year’s show. She has been singing since she was three and used to perform on the radio and other public spaces.

She stopped after being incarcerated for involvement in drug-trafficking, but picked it up again thanks to the contest and aspires to sing professionally. She plans on making videos for TikTok once she exits the facility.

“When I sing, I feel at peace. It’s kind of like a calming medicine. I need it. So I sing, and everything is OK.”

Follow AP’s Latin America coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/latin-america

An inmate performs on stage in the Voice of Freedom rehabilitation program singing contest at the Djanira Dolores de Oliveira women's penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Inmates warm up their voices backstage as they prepare to sing in the Voice of Freedom rehabilitation program singing contest at the Djanira Dolores de Oliveira women's penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Inmate walk to the stage to compete in the Voice of Freedom rehabilitation program singing contest at the Djanira Dolores de Oliveira women's penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Inmates get ready backstage to sing in the Voice of Freedom rehabilitation program event at the Djanira Dolores de Oliveira women's penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

Inmates wish each other good luck before competing in the Voice of Freedom rehabilitation program singing contest at the Djanira Dolores de Oliveira women's penitentiary in Rio de Janeiro, Friday, Jan. 23, 2026. (AP Photo/Silvia Izquierdo)

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Law enforcement investigating the disappearance of “Today” show host Savannah Guthrie 's mother sealed off a road near Nancy Guthrie's home in Arizona late Friday night.

A parade of sheriff’s and FBI vehicles, including forensics vehicles, passed through the roadblock that was set up about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) from the house.

The Pima County Sheriff’s Department said the activity was part of the Guthrie case. But it said the FBI requested that it not release further information.

Guthrie, 84, was reported missing on Feb. 1. Authorities say her blood was found on the front porch of her Tucson-area home. Purported ransom notes were sent to news outlets, but two deadlines for paying have passed.

Authorities have expressed concerns Guthrie’s health because she needs daily medication. She is said to have a pacemaker and has dealt with high blood pressure and heart issues, according to sheriff’s dispatcher audio on broadcastify.com.

Investigators have studied surveillance video, sorted through thousands of tips and submitted DNA and other evidence for laboratory analysis.

The FBI said it has collected more than 13,000 tips since Feb. 1, the day Guthrie was reported missing. The sheriff’s department, meanwhile, said it has taken at least 18,000 calls.

On Tuesday, authorities released footage showing an armed, masked person at Guthrie’s doorstep on the night she was abducted. The videos — less than a combined minute in length — gave investigators and the public their first glimpse of who was outside Guthrie’s home in the foothills outside Tucson.

Associated Press writer Audrey McAvoy in Honolulu contributed to this report.

FILE - This image provided by the Pima County Sheriff's Department on Feb. 2, 2026, shows a missing person alert for Nancy Guthrie. (Pima County Sheriff's Department via AP, File)

A banner reading "Bring her home" on a fence outside of the KVOA news station in Tucson, Ariz., on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Pima County Sheriff block a road near Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Pima County Sheriff block a road near Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)

Pima County Sheriff block a road near Nancy Guthrie's home in Tucson, Ariz. on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026. (AP Photo/Ty ONeil)