Nikolas Ferreira accuses singer Rubel of silencing video audio

Brazilian Federal Deputy Nikolas Ferreira has accused singer Rubel of orchestrating the removal of audio from an Instagram video titled “O Nordeste que foi esquecido”. The video, which features interviews with residents of Mundo Novo, Bahia, discussing the impact of the federal government in the Northeast region, originally featured the song “Grão de Areia” by Rubel and Xande de Pilares.

Following the removal of the audio, Meta stated that the sound was made unavailable due to a copyright request regarding the music used. Ferreira alleged that Rubel personally contacted Sony Music Brasil to trigger the removal, characterizing the act as an attempt to silence voices from the Northeast. The deputy linked the incident to the singer’s political alignment, noting that Rubel recently expressed support for President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva.

Ferreira has called on his followers to mobilize on the artist's social media profiles to demand the restoration of the audio, labeling the situation an act of censorship.