Cultural Preport - Brazil

Afro-Brazilian Culture:

            The path that we took across the Atlantic is similar to that of the middle passage. The slave trade went until 1888, the latest of any other country. RIO: It was founded in 1565, and it was the capital from 1793-1960. The samba is the national dance and music of Brazil, and is typically associated with Carnival. It is very ingrained in Brazilians. It is a very important part of their cultural identity. Mardi Graz is the United States version of Carnival, and it means Fat Tuesday, where you feast the day before Lent starts. Carnival is planned for all year-round. It is the largest celebration in the world. The sambadrome is where different samba schools march down competing to be the best. They come up with a theme, choreograph dances, and create costumes. In its simplest form, samba is percussion. They are African in the style they are made, but the instruments are similar to marching band drums. There is a steady beat in the drum, and then there are fast syncopated rhythms by the higher beat instruments. There is also melodic singing above it. One type of music that spun out of samba is Bossa Nova, or “new style.” This is typically with solo guitar and solo voice. It transferred the rhythm of the drums to the guitar, so it places syncopated chords.

            SALVADOR: There was heavy slave trade to Salvador because it is much closer to Africa. They disguised their religion, Yoruba, under Catholicism, and renamed their Gods Catholic important figures, such as Jesus. Drumming is played during Yoruba spirit possession. Once it became public, it went out into Carnival. Carnival in Salvador is different that Carnival in Rio. Salvador is much more participatory. The Carnival went from 11pm-5am, and it goes about a mile to a mile and a half long. Samba Reggae is popular in Salvador. It is a mix of the samba from Rio with a reggae flare.

Capoeira:

            This is a way of training to fight by hiding it with dance. It is now all over the world. It is a form of martial arts, and formed as a simple hope of survival. It is thought of as a dance, that way you could not be arrested for practicing it. It involved acrobatics, music, and dancing. Colonial authorities did not like it. It became legalized in the 1940s. Mestre Bimba and Mestre Pastinha are the fathers of two styles of capoeira. Learning Portuguese helps you understand it better. There are three kinds of capoeira: angola, regional, and contemporanea. The music involves atabaque, berimbau, pandeiro, and agogo. Berimbau sets the style and the pace of the game. It may take thirty years to become a master, especially if you do not know Portuguese.

Tips to Brazil:

·         Brazil is not for beginners.

·         Copacabana is Rio’s most famous beach.

·         Getting around the city can be extremely difficult.

·         It is legal to go through a red light; this is very common at nighttime. Be VERY careful if you are a pedestrian.

·         Buses are very difficult for tourists to understand; they do not have any itinerary. Cabs are fairly cheap though.

·         $1 = 2.30 Reais

·         ATMs close at 10:00pm, because of security reasons.

·         Brazil is the second most ATM fraud country in the world.

·         Churrasco is a restaurant where you pay a flat fee, that has a salad bar and then a whole slew of waiters come around with trays of meat. The cheaper meat will be in the beginning, and the richest ones at the end (so that you are full). Fogo de Chao (on the Praia de Botafogo) was started in Houston, and is now in Rio. It is very famous, and it costs around $60.

·         Although beachwear is more risqué, you will get arrested for being topless or naked.

·         Standup paddle is very popular in the Copacabana area.

·         Stuff to buy: Cangas (like sarongs that you use on the beach), plastic shoes, and handicrafts from O SOL in the Jardim Botanico neighborhood. All the things come from throughout Brazil.