World Cup matches in Manaus are long over, but did the spotlight help the city transcend its reputation as a jungle outpost? Above, photos from Leco Jucá, part of a collective aiming to shine some light on the real city. by Chris Feliciano Arnold On the Sunday of the U.S.-Portugal match in Manaus, Isaura Vitória(…)
Arquivo - Tag: Culture
Songs that are better than the FIFA World Cup theme
The 2014 Brazil World Cup now has an official theme song, and it sucks. At least, that’s what lots of Brazilians have been saying since the video dropped Friday. I thought “generic foreign rhythms and lazy stereotypes” captured the sentiment fairly well. So, here are two songs (from Brazil) that might serve better as the(…)
No room for Brazil’s best cinema
With local entertainment dominated by Globo, cinema that is independent of the monolithic network struggles for space . Two types of movies get made in Brazil – vapid comedies made by the all-powerful novela factory, and small productions, relying on sponsors and donations, that few Brazilians will see. James Young Belo Horizonte The fear of(…)
Rio and graffiti artists – friends or foes?
After years of an uneasy relationship between Rio’s government and technically illegal street art, a new decree passed by Mayor Eduardo Paes has divided the city’s much-celebrated community of graffiti artists. Above, artist PXE approaches a wall in Arpoador. By Nathan Walters On a purely aesthetic level, pixação—the spiky black glyphs that pop up at dangerously(…)
Carnaval spreads across the land
Carnaval, long concentrated in traditional party centers like Rio, Salvador, and Recife, is taking roots in new cities all over the country. James Young reports from landlocked BH, Brazil’s unglamorous third-largest city, which is learning to put on its own celebrations. By James Young Brazil’s carnaval capitals are well established. There’s frevo music on the steep cobbled(…)
Brazil’s Gay Kiss
By Dom Phillips Last month, Brazilian television network Globo showed something shocking it had never shown on a prime time soap opera before: a kiss between two men. The kiss, between Félix (Mateus Solano) and Niko (Thiago Fragoso), had been anticipated and was shown in the final episode of the novela Amor à Vida (Love(…)
Reclaim the streets
In São Paulo, taking to the streets involves far more than protests, riots and demonstrations. It’s also about taking back space from the concrete jungle for parties, festivals, public parks and shopping-mall meetups – ‘rolezinhos.’ The poster in the photo above by Claire Rigby reads “More love, please.” By Claire Rigby 2013 may be remembered(…)
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.(…)
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(…)
