Women are subjected to various forms of violence, including symbolic violence such as that practised by means of musical letters. Discussing gênery violence as one of the limits to freedom of expression is needed in a society with strong roots in patriarchy and in the country with one of the highest femicide rates in the world. The article discusses the need to establish criteria to define what supports violence against women in letters displaying such conduct, so as to avoid criminalising peripheral cultures. On the other hand, musical letters can also represent a form of marginal feminist resistance against violence that women are subjected to in our society. By way of literature review and critical analysis of musical text, the article analyses the text of the music ‘Tapinha’, — read case in holding producers and authors to behave for violence against women — and other musical passages which bring the same form of violence but have not reached the judiciary. As counters, the ‘Maria de Vila Matilde’ music by Elza Soares appears to represent women’s empowerment by means of musical expression.