In the wake of the tragedy at the stadium to host the opening match in 2014 (pictured above), Mauricio Savarese speculates on the political logic behind the selection of the 12 host cities. By Mauricio Savarese “Who are the most powerful governors and mayors in Brazil?” Back in 2008, that was a strange question to ask someone(…)
Into Brazil – mountains and waterfalls
By Dom Phillips Brazil is much more than its famous beaches and cities. The continent-sized country also has a vast interior, with forests, mountain ranges (serras) and plateaux (chapadas) of at times staggering beauty. One dominant feature of its more mountainous landscapes is its waterfalls – and it is at the waterfall that cultures divide.(…)
Life in São Paulo’s occupied buildings – photos
Photos Juliana Knobel Text Vincent Bevins Take a walk around the center of São Paulo, South America’s largest city, and you’ll see a number of buildings covered in graffiti and revolutionary red flags. They’re abandoned structures occupied by left-wing social movements, and serve as living protests to pressure the government to provide for the millions(…)
New frequencies
From experimental jazz and Northern instrumental rock to left-field ‘headphone music’ and grindcore punk, Gaía Passareli explores some of the lesser-known acts in Brazil’s rich musical underbelly. By Gaía Passarelli What’s going on in Brazilian music right now? In my previous post, I recommended three good independent rock bands. This time, let’s take on some groups that(…)
Demilitarizing Brazil’s violent police
One officer speaks out about death squads and a public backlash against a police system they know is broken. Above, the Folha cover photo which helped to spur on Brazil’s June protests. Of all the complex and sometimes contradictory consequences of the demonstrations in Brazil since June, the clearest lesson may have been that the(…)
Terena and Guarani-Kaiowá tribes – photos
Above, a young member of Brazil’s Terena indigenous tribe poses with a toy gun he has fashioned out of palm tree leaves on the disputed land where he lives with his family. A few days before, a member of the tribe was shot and killed during a police operation to remove them from the land(…)
Rio – It’s a jungle out there
A brush with what appeared to be a shark and a large-scale beach robbery leads Dom Phillips to reflect on Rio de Janeiro, a city that despite talk of pacification, often reminds residents of a wildness lurking beneath the surface. Above, cops being ineffective in Ipanema. By Dom Phillips It may not have been a shark.(…)
Reading between the lines: Brazil at the Frankfurt Book Fair
From sensuality, samba and football to racism, violence and marginalization, Brazil’s struggles around its self image move onto the world stage, as a select group of Brazilian authors takes on the themes dominating Brazil’s crucial international image. By Claire Rigby With the 2014 World Cup just around the corner, practical preparations for welcoming the expected hordes of visitors to Brazil are now kicking off in earnest, with(…)
Gaía Passarelli: new music Brazil
What’s going on in Brazilian music? Journalist and former MTV Brasil presenter Gaía Passarelli introduces a few bands from the contemporary scene, who draw on 70s-inspired soul, Brazilian folk/country, and stoner rock. by Gaía Passarelli Of course, I’m very happy to report that there is good new music in Brazil. But it may be that this is always(…)
Marina Silva’s surprise alliance
By Dom Phillips Brazilian presidential hopeful Marina Silva took everybody by surprise Saturday when she joined forces with Eduardo Campos of the PSB party. The two will team up to fight the 2014 presidential election, with Silva most likely campaigning as Campos’s vice-president. Now the race suddenly looks interesting. Joining an existing party was the only way(…)
