Well, they didn’t give it to the Brazilian. But in the moments after Wednesday’s announcements there were three things that seemed radical about the choice of Cardinal Bergoglio. Not radical in the context of wider society in 2013, of course, but radical within the context of the papacy and its recent history. 1. Most obviously(…)
Arquivo - Tag: Culture
Brazil’s new supercouple
Neymar and Bruna are, for now at least, the country’s Posh and Becks, says Dom Phillips. Looks profitable. Let’s see if it lasts. Above, a picture “The New Pelé” instragrammed of her during Carnaval. By Dom Phillips “TOGETHER, AT LAST,” read the headline on this week’s edition of Brazilian celebrity weekly Contigo!. “To the delirium of(…)
Post-Carnaval – bloco party
Claire Rigby takes us behind the televised spectacle and into the free and fluid world of the street party – Rio’s true Carnaval. Above: The outskirts of a bloco in Leblon, on Tuesday morning. By Claire Rigby From the world-class razzle-dazzle of the sambadrome to the endless, hedonistic celebration that takes place in its streets, Brazil(…)
Pre-Carnaval
Dom Phillips walks us through the joyful insanity of Rio Carnaval costume etiquette, and the pre-celebration celebrations that are often better than the real thing. By Dom Phillips Ambling through the blazing heat and Saturday afternoon crowds on Rio de Janeiro’s SAARA street market, I was getting nowhere in my search for a crucial purchase:(…)
Brazil 2012 – year in review
This year, the country didn’t deliver on everything international observers thought the country had promised, but Brazil still remains one of the 21st century’s most remarkable success stories. 2013 could be decisive. For those paying attention to Brazil headlines, 2012 was mostly a bad year. For some, it was enough to re-evaluate the status as(…)
Questions for Tulipa Ruiz, Brazil’s bold new pop star
An interview with Tulipa Ruiz, the exciting and cutting-edge Brazilian musician, and the video to her contagiously funky and kooky rock hit, “É”. by Dom Phillips Tulipa Ruiz bounded on stage at Rio de Janeiro’s Circo Voador recently, and the packed crowd of hundreds began singing along to every word. And continued until they finally let her go, many(…)
Emicida – full interview
Emicida, one of the stars bringing Brazil’s intelligent, poetic, and radical hip hop scene into the spotlight, speaks to us for the Los Angeles Times. On Sunday, I published this article on the rise of rap music in Brazil, featuring quotes from interviews with Criolo and Emicida. Below is the (relatively) complete transcript of the(…)
São Paulo’s culinary cutting edge
South America’s largest city is famously a gastronomic melting-pot. It’s the kind of place where the best ‘local’ cuisine is often Japanese, Italian, Lebanese, or from Brazil’s Northeast over a thousand miles away. All of that is well-known. But for the newest additions to the scene, one heads(…)
To understand Brazil, understand novelas
Know who this is and what she stands for? The soap opera is a devastatingly important part of Brazilian culture. And life here imitates art just as often as these shows depict an exaggerated version of reality. By Dom Phillips IF you want to try and understand a country or a culture, you could do(…)
Preparing for September’s São Paulo art bonanza
By Claire Rigby There’s rarely a dull month in São Paulo as far as art is concerned. At any given moment, art lovers lucky enough to be living here or passing through have an immense calendar of world-class exhibitions to choose from. But knocking them all into a cocked hat is is the mighty Bienal,(…)
