Nogrega is one of brazil’s principal folklorists. A native of Recife, Pernambuco, he began his artistic career as a classical violinist before being introduced to traditional popular culture by one Ariano Suassuna. Nobrega became enamored with the myriad of artistic manifestations across the country. He had a particular passion for dance, especially frevo.

Maria Eugenia Almeida and Marina Abbib of Compania Soma Dança

Naturalmente or “Naturally” begins with a beautiful violin piece (played by Nobrega), accompanied by a drummer. A video showing dances from around Brazil is projected on the wall behind.

Nobrega introduces the concept: Naturalmente is the performance equivalent of a university lecture on Brazilian popular dances, that is, popular dances mixed with ballet for the contemporary inclined.

Nobrega with the cast of musicians behind

The show is divided into 3 parts, and after each section, Nobrega gives us a few words on how the conception of the show came about and the peculiarities of the styles.

First comes a swim in movement based on the three facets of popular culture dances. 1. The parade dances: maracatu, reisado, congado and so on… 2. The circle games: capoeira, samba de roda, cocô etc… 3. The popular theater: cavalo marinho and some others. He and his two young female dancers, from a group called CIA SOMA DANÇA take us through the different style of dances.

an amazing part of the first section.

In the second part, Nobrega explains to us the similarities between the popular dance movements and shows us the techniques developed from the study of these movements. Then an original sequence is presented, including solos of Nobrega in costume and the incredible technical ability of the dancers melding all the dances.

cia soma, the girls from the show performing their piece “Gemeas” or twins.

In the last part of the show is a mixture of dance styles from

US President Barrak Obama would like to be on vacation in Brazil, but sadly, a president has to attend to presidential matters. And so being, Obama arrives in Brazil today to a Brazil very different from the one former US presidents Roosevelt and Bush Jr visited. Brazil today is a country full of confidence, a booming economy, and increased global influence. America’s charismatic and popular president will be on the lookout for potencial partnerships to help in America’s recovery from the economic crisis of 2008. He will surely get a warm reception from Dilma Roussef, Brazil’s current President and the country’s first woman head of state.

Obama accepting a Brazilian soccer jersey from former Brazilian President Lula Da Silva.

This time Obama will meet with current President Dilma Roussef.

Now, it won’t all be business. On Sunday, Obama will go to Rio de Janeiro, perhaps the most picturesque city in the world, where he and his family will take in some of the sites. On the agenda is Corcovado, the famous Cristo Redentor statue on the top of the mountain, and the favela, or slum, Cidade de Deus, or City of God (it seems the State Department hasn’t confirmed this but Brazil’s government has made it public). Also on the agenda is a speech at the newly restored Teatro Municipal (Municipal Theater), a marvellous example of early 1800s Imperial Portuguese architecture with French influence. This speech will be for invites only, and because this change was made yesterday press accreditation for this Rio Mate blogger will be a little tough. Hmpf.  Originally he had been billed to give a public speech in the downtown’s Cinelandia square, but this was abruptly cancelled on Friday and no reason was given. It may be because the event was already being billed as a huge party by the city’s residents. They were planning on having blocos (Carnival bands) play there and be dancing till morning!

"Obama" partying in Carnival

The official facebook event for the Sunday is called “Obamafolia” or rather, in Americaneese, Obama Gras (play on Mardi Gras get it?). The event has 3338 attendees. The wall for the page is full of funny posts of disappointment. One user said that they want a refund, and many others are complaining that the Americans were afraid of the security measures needed and people drinking and kissing in the streets. Indeed many taxi drivers were complaining yesterday about all the road closures and that even the pigeons of Cinelandia square were banned from the area.

One thing for sure is that the Cariocas (Rio residents) will most certainly be offering the US President a glass of cold Mate for his enjoyment. After all, it is a typically Carioca thing to drink Mate. Too bad Obama can’t stay any longer in Rio. We are willing to bet, that after the President has finished with his official state duties sometime in the future, he will return to Brazil with more time to enjoy the good life of Rio de Janeiro.

Alex Bordokas

The champion of Rio de Janeiro’s 2011 Carnival samba school competition is Beija Flor! This last Saturday they took to the avenue of the sambodromo at the parade of champions to the peoples delight. The samba school fro Nilopolis has won 6 times in the last 10 years. In the official competition, Beija Flor was the last to enter, rain coming down rain pouring down and all, to the absolute emotion of the fans.

As you may or may not know, every year samba schools choose a theme to celebrate carnival. The theme unites the song (the enredo), the costumes, and the decor on the floats. This year the the for Beija Flor was a homage to the one and only Roberto Carlos, the Rei (king) of Brazilian popular music.

Roberto Carlos himself appeared on the last carro alegorico (float) waving at the fans who had waited past sunrise for the spectacle. The floats followed his life, his career, and the song the same. In an American context, it’s like doing a theme based on a living Elvis. The famous composer and singer Neginho da Beija Flor created the ennredo (samba school song) all about the “king’s” life, and everyone sang their hearts out in unison.

The choice of Beija Flor as champion wasn’t without some controversy. Many people were rooting for last year’s champion, Unidos da Tijuca, and the fantastical creations of the carnavalesco (carnival designer) Paulo Barros. Many pointed out to the weaknesses in Beija Flor’s show: the float with the hummingbird (that’s what a beija flor is) looked like some cheap float out of the eighties, and there was a float with images of Yemanja, Orixa of the sea. What does that have to do with Roberto Carlos exactly? Finally, people said that the reason they won was because of the presence of the king Roberto Carlos himself, and the intense lobby behind the samba school.

Heck, whether true or not, there are no doubts that the show was fantastic, Roberto Carlos is adored and the union of the two made for an emotional moment as the samba school entered the avenue at the sambodromo.

Pra Ka Ti Boom! long live the king! Beija Flor, champion of carnival!

one of the official logos for Brazil

There are a lot of things that have led to the recent internationalization of Brazil. Of course, of course we have their increased visibility on the international level because of the improved economic situation in the country. The economy is finally maturing and the increase in expendable income  in the hands of people who have largely been disenfranchised and apart from the regular economy has helped turn things around. Public policy, tight bank restrictions, capital controls on foreign investment, and raw materials exports to “hungry hungry China”  have helped make this a reality.

But… the goodwill Brazil enjoys around the world is not due to a ‘vibrant’ economy nor the appetite of the Chinese for steel, wood and coffee, and not the mainstream brands worth like banks and what not. The cool factor of the Brazilian Brand is the people, their music, their dance, their ’style,’ the beaches, the nature and their sports. Basically Brazilian culture!

Let’s take a quick look at what is ‘cool,’ and Brazilian. Please note that a lot of these cross over.

Let’s start with Brazil’s most famous brand…

Carnival

There is no explanation needed for what is surely the world’s largest party and is a national obsession in Brazil. This year Carnival starts on March 5th and goes until March 9th, but many parts of the North East, the festivities have already started. The Northeast is more of a traditional style carnival with lots of street parties for the people and a tradition of being by the people and for the people. It is music, dance, and drink: samba, marchinhas, frevo, maracatu, madness, joy, a little debauchery and lots of kisses!

Carnival in Olinda, Pernambuco, Northeast Brazil

And now a little bit of sport…

Futebol (soccer)

Of course the country known as the ‘land of football (soccer) is perhaps the worlds largest soccer playing nation and home to its own unique style. Everybody loves the Brazilian team, its like the go-to team when your own home country loses. Pelé is the most famous soccer player the world has ever known, kinda like the Mohammed Ali of football. The players are national heroes, and they are known for having that special “swing” or balanço.

The Braziliannational team in 1962

and now…

Samba!

Samba is so many things. Music. Dance. Party. A special kind of swing in your step. Synonymous with the verb ‘to dance,’ it is a way of life. A round table with musicians playing tunes and singing, with everyone around belting out the chorus. It is a drum troupe with quick breaks and lots of brilliance. A circle dance with people clapping in unison. It is all over Brazil… there are as many types of samba as there are types of people in this great country. A few: samba de roda, samba chorinho, partido alto, samba enredo, samba canção, samba de mesa, samba de côco, samba de caboclo, samba rock, samba reggae.

…and when samba meets the cool cat guitar players and poets of Rio de Janeiro we get…

Bossa Nova

Bossa Nova is the style that Tom Jobim and João Gilberto pioneered. According to wikipedia, Bossa Nova emerged primarily from the upscale beachside neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro vs. Samba’s origins in favelas of Rio. It is cool conscious, jazzy, quiet, tranquil and romantic.

what makes a body move?

Capoeira

The martial art  of Brazil is hidden within dance and is a symbol of Afro-Brazilian resistance to colonial rule. Capoeira in its essence is liberty. It is a finely tuned game with its own set of rules and guidelines. More than that, in its modern version, students of capoeira have shown incredible acrobatic prowess with their own unique technique and grace in the movements. Some of these guys seem to have no spine and defy conventional thought on what a body is capable of doing.

Favela

While Brazilians mostly skip a heart beat when gringos go on about favelas (there are many negative associations) but nevertheless, they have been part of the modern Brazilian brand ever since Black Orpheus won the Palm D’Or at Cannes in 1959 and City of God presented the updated epic story of the favela. Favelas are basically shanty towns built up in marginal areas, like the sides of big hills, and are, or have been mostly beyond the reach of the state. They are also a visual wonder; house built on top of house and an example of the possibilities of close co-existence. There is a good side of favelas: community spirit and art. Many are being”pacified” in Rio and the economic advances of Brazil are seeing many people in the favelas become part of the commercial and legal economy of the nation.

Bikini

Ever since the girl from Ipanema became a huge success the Brazilian bikini has taken off. A country with so much sun and beach is a natural location for some some of the world’s best bikini. Originally famous for their skimpyness, today’s reality of bikini design is more subtle and always in 2 parts; going topless is illegal in Brazil!

What would that Brazilian bikini be without the…

Brazilian Wax

Ahem… using wax or sugar & gum, a woman’s nether areas are cleaned and sculpted… ok nuff said… this is wildly popular around the world. Downside: it hurts in the instant. In Brazil it is pretty common practise and adored by everyone, or at least a healthy chunk of the population.. You never know though, styles change all the time. Things may shift the other way… I’m just saying… this is based on a lot of research.

a tongue and cheek video about Brazilian Wax in the UK…

now let’s talk meat…

Picanha

The Brazilian cut of beef so famous that there are restaurants around the world who have adopted the Brazilian formula of all you can eat meat served on giant skewers. This cut of beef was made famous the world over by the Gaúchos of southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina. In case you want to know what the cut is called in english, it’s sirloin cap, but a lot of its deliciousness is in the preparation: rock salt for 10 minutes, then beat it, cut the steaks at the right angle and throw it, with the fat intact, on the grill, then use sharp knives to cut small strips at the proper angle. Add farinha to give more substance and.. pronto (ready).

do you want a drink with that?

Cachaça

Cachaça is the national alcoholic drink. It is like rum in that it is made from sugar cane. It is strong and is the basis for the world famous Caipirinha: cachaça, ice and fresh limes. The best cachaça comes from Minas Gerais and can be sipped slowly and is a delight, the cheaper stuff is better for mixed drinks.

hmmm delicious and strong: caipirinha

maybe nature is more your thing…

The Amazon

The world’s largest forest and the world’s largest river (in terms of volume of water) known as the lungs of the world because of the amount of oxygen generated by the mass of vegetation. It is also probably the most bio-diverse area in the world with what could be thousands upon thousands of plant and animal species yet to be discovered by the man. A trip through the Amazon is an experience one never forgets. Deforestation in the Amazon has been a world wide concern and used to get Brazil a lot of bad press, but thankfully, the government has taken steps to make use of the Amazon basin more sustainable. Do check it out.

and who loves the Amazon? Uncle Da Silva, that’s who…

Lula

Luis Inacio Lula Da Silva, the country’s first ‘left’ leaning president, former trade unionist, and the world’s “most popular politician” according to President Obama. Lula used his charisma together with Brazil’s emerging economic power and his bolsa familia (family grant) plan to charm the masses and bring the country out of its colonial heritage into a new future. Lula in the international arena has made Brazil a country that carries respect and admiration. He has revived the “non-alignment” tradition of the past and taken an independent path for Brazil, one that has economic growth balanced with social equity.

and now for something different… hmmm, how ’bout a get away from hectic life…

Boipeba beach, Bahia

Beach

Beach in Brazil is abundant. From the urban locals of Rio, Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza, and Florianopolis, where you can have an espresso and head to the beach, snooze after work, or go play after school. Then there are the remote paradise-like, hard-to-get-to gems of Caraiva, Boipeba, Jericoacoara and Maracaipe, where one goes to escape, eat fisherman’s fare and enjoy the tranquility. The country is blessed with white sand, clear temperate waters, lots of sun, and beautiful surf.

a vid from the urban beach Ipanema…

and what is the beach without máte,

Cold Mate

In Rio, iced máte has evolved into the beach beverage. In the 1930’s, mate vendors began toasting the dried mate leaves and selling the brew as a cold beverage in soccer stadiums. Now, Southern Brazil has become the world’s largest producer of yerba máte, and máte bars and beach vendors are as ubiquitous in Rio as Starbucks is in North America.

thats all for now folks, let me know what you think on facebook

Alex Bordokas

Carnival is fast approaching and residents of the USA and Canada might be wondering g what there is to do to bring that carnival cheer to north America.

Umm that’s a good question… There are tons of parties I’m sure, a lot of stuff on the local level, smaller parties and bigger parties, but is there anything that stands out considering most of the people in North America can’t get to brazil.

Well it so happens that I’m on a plane right now heading from Miami to Recife to get some carnival action and lucky me I just happen to spy a nice little article about some sweet carnival picks in the USA.

First off I’ve got to give proper respect to Jenna Schnuer from American Way in her article Carnival side shows:

Chicago Samba tears it up in Chicago (of course)

Here are a few choice samba in the USA choices:
New York

Yerba Buena restaurants, with world  famous fare by chef Julian Medina, are serving up traditional Brazilian cuisine, including feijoada between March 5-8 www.ybnyc.com
Washington D.C.
Bloombar is hosting weekly samba classes for $10. 3222 11th street N.W. www.bloombars.com

samba chicago samba!

Chicago

Chicago Samba, a percussive samba troupe with cavaquinuos and what not will throw a hyped up killer party with beautiful women in samba school costumes, free dance lessons and the essential caipirinha (only $5!) a few of this caipirinhas of course can make your feet lighter but watch out so that you don’t fall over hehehe

chic and good food and lots of samba for carnival

Las Vegas, New York Chicago and Miami

The internationally renowned brand Sushisamba will of course celebrate carnival with some festive necessities: food and drink specials, samba dancers, batucada (drummers) and a live event feed from Rio. This all goes down on march 5th. www.sushisamba.com

fine dining with carnival in miami

Anything happening in your area that is super carnival special??? Check Rio Mate on facebook and post on the wall. I’ll get the info and write a blog post. You could also include pics and some info if you want and send it to abordokas@yahoo.com.

happy carnival!

So, in Rio blocos are differentiated from Samba Schools or official big Carnival parades because, they don’t usually have any floats that go with them, in some cases there may be a car with a sound system attached to it so we can hear a singers voice. Overwhelmingly however, blocos are composed of a percussion section and often a horn section playing traditional marchinhas or old school marching songs with lyrics that carry a double meaning and have a strong horn section.

One of the best part of the blocos is that they are mobile! Yes, they often start in a square in some part of the city, the “gathering spot” and then march along a path with revelers in tow… boom… here you sing the tunes if you know them, smile awkwardly if you don’t, purchase beer and other refreshments from vendors (including rio mate!) and try and catch the eye of a beautiful maiden, or beau, whatever your preference. During carnival time it is also fairly common for people to put on an array of simple costumes, like sailor outfits or superman outfits or all sorts of ridiculous but very funny attire, I love it when girls dress all creatively, like Poison Ivy or as nurses.

For pictures  of 2010 Rio Carnival Street Blocos, check our facebook gallery.

The blocos also have wicked names, like “Cutucano Atrás” or “Tickling [my] behind” and “Vem em mim que eu sou facinha” or “COme to me because I’m easy (femine)” and “Que merda e essa?” or “What shit is this?”

Now there are blocos all over Brazil, in every city and territory, the best I’ve seen (and I’ve seen lots from São Luis to Belo Horizonte) are in Rio and Recife. They are simply super creative and in Recife you have like 700 different types of blocos in each neighbourhood!

Anyways our good friends at BrazilCarnival.com published (or rether re-posted much like we do) the schedule for the pre-carnival and the carnival blocos in Rio de Janeiro. Just a  note, my favorites: Orchestra Voadora, Maracutaia, Rio Maracatu, Me enterra Na Quarta, Cordão do Boitata.

from their site:

In total, there will be 443 licensed Rio Street Carnival bands – blocos, so the tough thing here will be deciding where to go!  The list we published is separated by dates and group of neighborhoods, so you can locate yourself in a practical manner.

Prepare your costume or no costume and join in!  Everything is free (except the innumerous beers you will certainly drink) and certainly the most democratic street carnival celebration on the entire planet.  I am sure you will identify yourself with one of them and maybe meet the love or your live, or of the day!

so much fun

Alex Bordokas

Seeing as Flamengo played yesterday, I thought I’d recount a little tale of the time I went to see Flamengo play in the Maracanã. A few notes on Flamengo: Their fan base is the largest and most fanatic, in Brazil, there are several different associations, the most famous of which is the Urubus, or the vultures (yeah I know scary) but all in all, they are wgreat people having good times, going crazy, getting emotional and throwing fireworks around the stadium.  One interesting thing about Maracanã is that it is fully a dry stadium, no booze in or outside in the the immediate vicinity of the stadium…

here is the wikipedia version of Flamengo :

Clube de Regatas do Flamengo (Portuguese pronunciation: [flaˈmẽɡu]) is a Brazilian multisport club located in Rio de Janeiro.

Despite not being the club’s official name, Flamengo has become the term used by most to refer not just to thefootball team, but also the entire sporting association. Other nicknames used by fans include “Fla”, “Mengo”, and “Mengão”(which means Big Mengo), as well descriptions of the club’s official colors, rubro-negro, which translates to “the scarlet-blacks”.

Flamengo’s football team—the most popular club in Brazil with an estimated 35 million supporters—placed 9th in FIFA Clubs of the 20th Century.

The Maracanã

The Maracanã, as it is called, is the biggest stadium in South America, and  a visit to here is an experience that most Cariocas (Rio residents) would say is absolutely essential. It is legendary in Rio and the stadium will host the final match of the 2014 World Cup, and it will also be the centerpiece of the 2016 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Paralympics as the site of ceremonies and the football finals. Mate tea served cold has a story here as well, in the early days, cold mate was the beverage of choice at the matches.

My host on this mission was one Mr. Arthur Max. Max is a die hard Flamengista, a fan of the football (soccer) club Flamengo. So naturally we went to see a Flamengo game (post comparing Rio Futebol teams coming soon!). The game was a Pan South American championship game with Flamengo versus Libertadores from the Université Catholica en Chile.

Entering the Maracanã it is kind of akin to entering a large and imposing church. This church of Brazilian football (soccer) is as impressive as they come, beautiful, and gigantic. It was originally built in for the 1950 FIFA World Cup, and despite not being completed at the time (it lacked a press gallery and some washrooms) it opened its doors for the tournament. The final game of that tournament saw Brazil lose to its neighbour Uruguay 2-1. The official attendance of the game was 199,854, with the actual attendance estimated to be about 210,000. Imagine, 200 000 people at the same game!! Crazy.

After some renovations in the 90s, and most recently between 2005 and 2007, the Maracanã today is a little more sleek, modern, comfortable and a little less raw. The standing sections have all been removed and now the stadium’s official capacity is 88,992.

As I entered the stadium I was immediately struck by the groups of fans on the second level, waving three story high flags and dozens of people carrying lit flares, and others setting off fireworks. People playing samba drums, singing and chanting along. The vibe was intense. And this was a game with hardly any opposing fans present. That element of competition was absent from the equation, but I can only imagine the energy of two local teams with all their fans present playing. Holy Sh@#$ it must be very, very wild. Still, the absence of a strong local opposing fan base made for a very celebratory game with the torcida very positive.

The torcida is what truly makes the Maracanã and indeed most football (soccer) matches in Brazil so spectacular. The torcidajust means the cheering section or fans of a specific team. There can be different torcidas for the same team, like the “YoungTorcida” or the Urubuzada (the Vultures) for Flamengo. In Minas Gerais the torcida for Mineiro Athletico is called Galocura(‘Galo’, from rooster, their mascot, and ‘locura’ for craziness).

While the torcidas (especially the young boys of the torcidas) can be responsible for the not-so-cool elements of organized football (soccer) fans, including acts of aggression and general lets-go-craziness, but in this blog post anyway, I will focus on the positive parts that help create the emotion generated by a good match. In any case, in Brazil at least, football (soccer) games have become a lot cooler and are visited by all walks of life, men women and children of all creeds and classes.

One of the coolest things is the bands that play songs that it seems everyone knows and sings along to. The awesome community spirit is at its best and most energizing at the games. It was a beautiful game, and as soon as Flamengo scored their first goal, he crowd erupted into cheers of joy and emotion. People hugged and sang with tears in their eyes. Of course, there were people cussing Adriano (Flamengo’s star player known as the Imperador, or the Emperor) because of what they thought was his laziness on the pitch. People quickly changed their tune as he scored the side’s second goal, or rather as they say in Brazil: GOOOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!! The match ended 2-0 for Flamengo.

The Marcanã is highly recommended and an absolute must see for fans of football (soccer).

]]> http://www.riomate.com/1968/news/2011/02/17/1968/feed 62 http://www.riomate.com/1962/news/2011/02/09/fire-in-samba-city-carnival-costumes-and-floats-destroyed http://www.riomate.com/1962/news/2011/02/09/fire-in-samba-city-carnival-costumes-and-floats-destroyed#comments Wed, 09 Feb 2011 22:07:38 +0000 alex http://www.riomate.com/?p=1962

Sad news is made its way through the world of samba and across Rio de Janeiro on Monday . A fire at Samba City, Rio’s district near the port lands that houses many of the samba schools and the federation that deals with Carnival parades, destroyed the warehouses of 3 samba schools and the head office of the confederation, LIESA. It wasn’t long before samba heads on facebook and twitter were going nuts and people were expressing their shock and sadness. “This is terrible.” and “WHAT!” were common comments in reply to people’s posts on the news. Thousands of costumes, plus floats and sculptures, are gone. “Say it ain’t so” What does this mean for carnival? Rio’s Carnival attracts more than 700,000 tourists annually and pumps $500 million into the city’s economy.

Worst hit was the samba school Grande Rio. Their warehouse was the ‘epicentre’ of the blaze. Tom Phillips from the Guardian newspaper wrote:

For months, the carnival-mad supporters of Grande Rio, one of Rio de Janeiro’s leading samba schools, have been dreaming of victory.

With the city’s world-famous carnival set to begin on 4 March, Grande Rio’s dancers, designers and musicians were widely tipped to win their first ever samba parade contest. Decked in the school’s green and red colours, its website carried the slogan: “We will be the champions. Yes we can!“

Cahê Rodrigues, the school’s artistic director said 98% of his school’s floats and costumes had been destroyed. Beyond Grande Rio, União da Ilha do Governador and  Portela were also hit. Globo News reported that 8 400 costumes were destroyed and 4 of the 14 warehouses on the site were damaged.

Samba City near the Port Lands

Everyone is asking, “now what?” All that work for not?? Will they still compete? And what about the competition? Normally the Samba School that scores the least amount of points falls to division A and the best from division A moves up to ‘Group of Champions’.

By the end of the day, a consensus if not an official decision was being talked about. The schools affected would still parade but there would be no chance of them winning. Liesa and the Presidents of all the schools met in the evening to discuss a change in the rules so no group gets demoted this year (only one comes up from the Group A) and then back to the usual rules for next year. They all want to help out any way they can, even with floats and costume support. Grande Rio, Portela and Uniao da Ilha won’t participate in the points system. Super sad, but the carnaval will go on with full spirit!

The fire destroyed months of work and dreams of a Carnival championship for three samba groups. Losses for one group reached $5.5 million (U.S.). Worse than this, people who work on these floats without end are from normally disadvantaged communities and carnival is the place where they normally strut their stuff, ability and take pride in their work that will be on display to the world. Rio’s Mayor Eduardo Paes is guaranteeing up to $890,000 in funding for the groups to assure the show goes on. If that funding materializes, it will still be impossible to get everything done on time. Preparation takes about 8 months and carnival starts March 4th with the major parade set for March 6th. While they will still parade, it won’t be the same.

Now the questions into the cause of the fire emerge… Was it arson?? The police have said that arson is not suspected but are keeping the investigation open. People in Rio are saying that someone let a hot glue gun fall or that someone forgot their lunch in the oven while heating it up. With all the tinsel around, it’s not surprising that things caught on fire.

Costumes, Grande Rio in 2010

In a strange way, this unfortunate event is just more publicity for Rio, and with all the publicity the city has been getting through its traditional image of the “good life,” the upcoming World Cup and the Olympics and the offshore oil discoveries, this can only do good for the city. The solidarity this will create among lovers of samba and carnival will outweigh all the material damage. I can just imagine the tears of emotion flowing as Grande Rio,União da Ilha and Portela go down the avenida in the Sambodromo.

Samba is emotion!

the world's coolest tropical beach rave at Universo Paralelo

Once a year in a remote tropical beach side of Bahia state in Brazil, an alternative community creates a liminal state; a so called ‘free society’, or a ‘parallel universe’. Some people would prefer to call it a rave (or in Brazil a ‘haivee‘) festival. The participants and promoters of the festival are part of a global movement of people who long for alternative communities, organic food, fitness, mate tea and electronic music. These people travel the world over attending festivals with all of these elements. Some of the most famous ones are on the beaches of Southern Thailand, in Goa and Karnataka in Southern India, the Boom Festival in Portugal, the Ozora festival in Hungary and, of course, Universo Paralelo in Brazil.

Alegria, or joy, at the festival

the dance floor decorations

the brochure

Like all good festivals in beautiful natural settings, a good deal of planning and vison are required. Forget the stereotyped vison of what you expect a rave to be like, trance festivals are a whole other ball game. Beyond electronic music, there are workshops in everything from sport, health, art & theater, there are communal food areas for people who want to try new, mostly vegetarian, meals, and of course there is plenty of beach. An organized mini-city of tents and stalls is planned based on a few solid principles that all participants have to adhere to. In fact this is one of the main aspects of these festivals: One is not simply a patron who buys a ticket for a show, but rather, everyone is a participant. Everyone cleans up, takes care of the space and treats others with respect.

beach location of the next UP, Caraiva BA, Brazil

There are 10 rules that festival goers (dubbed “Planetary Citizens”) are expected to follow:

1. Fires are explicitly forbidden on the site.

2. All waste in the garbage!

3. Say no to disposable items, like plates and throw away cameras.

4. Water is the source of life. There is enough for all if we respect and conserve our use.

5. The ground we dance on is sacred. Allow us all to dance barefoot. Keep our dancefloor clean, it is noble to do so.

" the dance floor is sacred soil"

6. Your tent is your home, keep it clean and don’t throw waste in your backyard.

7. Preserve the local flora and fauna. Leave no trace of your presence.

8. Separate your garbage into organic, recyclables and disposables.

9. Respect & celebrate each others differences. We are at an alternative festival and planetary citizens respect each other!

10. Don’t exaggerate! Your body is an ecosystem, respect it. Drink enough water, use sunscreen and know your limits.

Those are the ten commandments of Universo Paralelo. I know you might think it’s a little hippy, but seriously, would not our world be a better place if all of us followed these tenets? So… if you want an alternative experience, a big party, trance music, and lots of beautiful half naked people, go to Universo Paralelo in December 2011 through January 2012. You won’t be disappointed. Bring some iced mate.

The Universo Paralelo website. Their myspace.

Here is a posting from a message board on the website isratrance.com:

2011/2012
The Universo Paralello spaceship has already started getting prepared for yet another new adventure in the amazingly psychedelic tropics of the state of Bahia, taking off from all corners of the world to disembark in its forests and paradisiacal beaches. Such as in the previous editions, the UP tribe and its peaceful crew will reserve for the next UP 11 even more surprises, more attractions, and mainly more attention to a number of mishaps that caught us off guard during the last edition, UP 10. We will no longer be so reliant on sheer fortune and the weather nor will we tolerate certain acts of vandalism.* Despite the worst drought on the shores of the Northeast in the last 30 years, we managed to overcome a number of last-minute mishaps and secure the event professionally up to the last moment. We have weighed all the positive and negative aspects that took place and we look optimistically and with faith that a parallel life, away from the chaotic beat of the modern world, can indeed exist: a world free of wars, without so much haste and surrounded by beauty. We also acknowledge the figures of the services rendered: more than 500 shows and presentations, 1200 artists, food-court and bars working 24/7, highly equipped medical post, effective security, and no serious incidents during the 8 days of the festival.

The Festival has gained such a dimension that we have stopped to ponder and we now understand that we need more than one year to prepare for such a massive gathering. Therefore, as of now, UP will take place every two years. We shall meet again in a new paradise in 2011/2012: the new year of a new era.
The next Universo Paralello, with new and thrilling surprises, starts its new work schedule with a lot of support, celebration and presence of a number of people scattered throughout the world. We are ready to bring it on, focusing on all previous mistakes, doubling our attention to all mishaps. There will be many surprises in 2011/2012. Prepare to take off with the greatest UP of all times.
UP crew.

On New Year’s Eve, Brazil’s Olympic commission revealed the official logo for the 2016 Olympics. While crowds cheered and the commission shook hands with dignitaries, voices around the world, especially in the bloggosphere cried “plagarism!!!” Not very flattering for the design team to hear I’m sure.

3 D version

Here is what the financial times had to say: “What at first glance could resemble an upturned ornament or a falling table lamp is on closer inspection three bendy coloured figurines linking limbs. Look up the logo for the Telluride Foundation, the philanthropic organisation, or Matisse’s “La Danse” to see what the bloggers are on about.”

A quick look at the Telluride website and true enough, it looks like a total proverbial “bite,” or rip off. However, it would be unjust to judge too much, because, lets face it, people dancing in a circle is an image that has been propagated in popular culture again and again, and most famously by Matisse. Indeed, as creative director Fred Gelli said, “the symbol of a dancing circle is universal.” In reply, bloggers and journalists have said that this comment basically admits to a lack of creativity. But really, is anything original?? Many would argue that the best things are just new takes on old images and experiences.

An article in the world famous Guardian newspaper proposes that the logo does complete the most important factor for an olympic logo: “inoffensiveness.” While the article does to a certain degree tear the logo apart and compares it to previous olympic logo attempts like London and Athens. Their tagline reads: ” Brazil’s motif for the 2016 Games is a politically correct damp squib, like too many others before. If only the politicians would let designers do their thing.” So basically the whole point of an Olympic logo is to be political neutral, in other words inoffensive.

So lets’s look at the positive traits. The logo uses Brazil’s three colours from their flag, blue, green and yellow. It is three dimensional, so you can make a sculpture of it and walk through. It is also reminiscent of Rio’s incredible landscape, the most awesome city/landscape in the world.

Negatives: The three colours fade into each other, (can you say “cheesy”). Does the logo, as the Financial Times said, convey a modern happening city?? hmm not really, maybe in 2016, let’s wait and see. How many people see the city/lanscape in the logo and what is up with the cheesy brushstroke-effect script beneath it?

a happy moment for the team...

So that’s the gist of the debate. I think that over time the critics will ease up on this logo, I mean c’mon, considering what the creative minds had to overcome I think it is a bit clever: The dancing circle is universal and very common in Brazilian cultural traditions that involve African Native traditions and lots of song and dance. The three colours remind us of the three peoples who make the bulk of Brazil’s national identity, the Europeans, the Native Americans and the Africans, and it’s 3 D, how “next thing on the market” is that? In terms of the whole issue of logos and and politics and the Olympics, I would agree with Justin McGuirk, the design expert from the Guardian: ” No longer are art directors with a singular vision given the responsibility they need to create something unique and memorable. There are too many boxes to tick now; the whole process has been health-and-safetied. Politicians believe that the branding is too important to leave to designers. They really ought to loosen up – you never know, they might get themselves a decent logo.”

All I can say is that I can’t wait until the Olympics in Rio!

Alex Bordokas