From BrazilFIFA – From Brazil

Songs that are better than the FIFA World Cup theme

Vincent Bevins — Wed, 21 May 2014 21:28:09 +0000

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 (un)official soundtrack to the tournament.

Football country” is a collaboration between São Paulo rapper Emicida and ostentation funk performer MC Guimé. As with a lot of the country’s socially conscious urban songs, it helps to know the language. But there are English-language subtitles over the video’s extended intro, which make the themes pretty clear.

The next contender, “Everyone’s Cup,” is a Coca-Cola production, so it’s unsurprisingly more polished. But it features Amazonian star Gaby Amarantos and moves through uplifting scenes of real Brazil without stereotyping. For a more agressive, Brazilian, and visually impressive take on the same song, check out this effort below, “Everyone click play.”

Beer at the World Cup

Vincent Bevins — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 00:30:44 +0000

As if Brazil hadn’t already been infuriating FIFA enough lately, it is looking like the government may uphold a ban on alcohol during all matches in 2014.

Soccer fans in Brazil drink beer before and after the game, and are so intensely focused on the action during the 90-minute matches that the current law doesn’t discourage many fans from attending. But FIFA, the soccer authority, makes a lot of money off of beer, and is insisting that Brazil essentially agreed to allow sales when they signed up to host the event in the first place.

FIFA doesn’t write our laws, many in Brasília have been saying. If it comes to that, FIFA will be extremely displeased. But what can they really do?

Yesterday this newspaper broke the story that lawmakers were considering dropping the provision that allowed alcohol in stadiums, since they feared it could be voted down. Today, the government was quick to insist that they would include it in the World Cup bill that will be voted on next week.

But that begs the question – if they almost dropped it, fearing its defeat, does simply loudly proclaiming that it will stay in mean that it will pass?

This matters most to Budweiser, a major sponsor of the 2014 event.

In 2007, when Brazil was trying to win the right to host the World Cup, authorities guaranteed there would be no “legal restrictions” on food and alcohol. It was this agreement that led FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke to say earlier this year:

Alcoholic drinks are part of the FIFA World Cup, so we’re going to have them. Excuse me if I sound a bit arrogant but that’s something we won’t negotiate. The fact that we have the right to sell beer has to be a part of the law.

Readers may remember that a little more recently, some Brazilians thought Valcke sounded quite arrogant indeed when he said the country needed “a kick up the backside”, and set off a huge row.

Brazil and FIFA have not been seeing eye to eye on much recently.

FIFA is upset with Brazil about delays in construction of necessary stadiums, the state of infrastructure, roads, airports, security, and safety, as well as a dispute over whether or not students and the elderly should be eligible for half-price tickets to the games. Brazil is upset at FIFA for making such a big deal about everything and trying to mandate how the event will be run, down to the smallest detail, in order to maximize profits.

Fans familiar with sporting events in the US or Europe are often shocked at how little commerce takes place at Brazilian soccer games. At a lot of stadiums, absolutely nothing is on sale but a cheap hot dog and can of soda.

That is because in Brazil, soccer is not just business. It is sacred.

Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo is clearly trying to pressure the Brazilian legislators into approving the pro-alcohol bill by saying today that they basically had to. But it seems a lot of them think they don’t. If they vote it down, then what will FIFA do? Complain more?

Links:
Fifa apologizes, sort of, to Brazil
Brazil World Cup – Please enjoy your staying
Brazil World Cup: trouble brewing

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FIFA apologizes, sort of, to Brazil

Vincent Bevins — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 22:57:34 +0000

If you were President Dilma or Sports Minister Aldo Rebelo, would you be happy to receive this letter from FIFA boss Joseph Blatter?

I just got a curious email from a PR, and the obvious intent was to inform me, the journalist, that everything is getting better between FIFA and Brazil. But: 1) the fact that this letter needs sending at all is a problem and 2) it seems like Blatter is saying the same thing General Secretary Jerome Valcke said, but with fancier words.

If you haven’t been paying attention, Valcke told Brazil the country needed “a kick up the backside” to get things going in preparations for the World Cup, setting off a huge diplomatic row and leading Brazil to refuse to deal with Valcke anymore.

This is the letter in full. I have bolded the parts that would make me mad if it was sent to me.

Dear Minister,

First of all, please allow me to express my deepest regret for the present situation. I am gravely concerned about the deterioration in the relationship between FIFA and the Brazilian government, a relationship that has always been characterized by mutual respect, as you rightly point out in your letter of 5 March 2012. In the meantime, you have also received a letter from the FIFA Secretary Jerome Valcke and I have no further comment on this matter other than to say that both as FIFA President and personally, I would like to apologize to all those – above all the Brazilian government and President Dilma Rousseff – who feel that their honor and pride has been injured.

Nevertheless, dear Minister, we should and must work together. We have a common goal – the organization of an extraordinary World Cup in the land of football, in the land of champions. Brazil deserves to host the World Cup and the entire world is looking forward to it. However, the sands of time have been running since 2007. Therefore, let us not waste time on entrenching our positions. Let us instead build something great together, as promised by President Lula during his presidency. I will be travelling in Asia in India, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal until 10 March, and afterwards I would like to meet President Rousseff and yourself as soon as possible – ideally next week.

I trust in your understanding and willingness to arrange such a meeting. Furthermore, I would like to convey to you my utmost respect and also kindly request you to send President Dilma my very best wishes.

Yours sincerely,

FIFA
Joseph S. Blatter
President

“Brazil deserves to host the World Cup” ? Well, that is just so very, very nice of you to say, Joseph.

Links:
World Cup Planning at a standstill as FIFA and Brazil trade insults (Andrew Downie Blog)
Brazil World Cup – Please enjoy your staying (terrible English on Cup site, from this blog)
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