Archive for November, 2008
Brazilian Dance Series: Part I Posted by Rachel on Nov 19, 2008
Today we’re starting a new series about Brazilian dance forms. Forró is a type of dance that originated in the Northeast of Brazil, and is also known as arrasta-pé, bate-chinela, fobó, and forrobodó. Danced to the music of the same name, the movements have a variety of influences: indigenous ritual dances, traditional Dutch and Portuguese…
Carnival 2009 CD Release in Rio Posted by Rachel on Nov 18, 2008
Last night, this year’s top 12 Carioca samba schools met at the Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro to reveal their songs and themes for the upcoming Carnaval in February 2009. This year’s themes include a homage to famous Brazilian writers, a Brazilian history theme, a homage to the 100 year-old Municipal Theater of Rio, an…
Brazilian Profile: Leandro Barbosa Posted by Rachel on Nov 17, 2008
At six foot three inches tall, it may seem ironic that Leandro Barbosa acquired the nickname “Leandrinho” (Little Leandro) while growing up in his native Brazil. But when he arrived in the US and began playing in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns, he got a new nickname: the Brazilian Blur. Leandro grew up in…
Rio Summer Event Posted by Rachel on Nov 14, 2008
This past week, the first annual Rio Summer Event was held in Brazil, attracting fashion moguls like Valentino, supermodels, and socialites alike to Brazil’s favorite seaside city to check out Brazil’s latest summer fashions. Take a look at the coverage from the event: Official website, Claro Rio Summer Vogue UK Coverage Jornal do Brasil Coverage…
A Brief History of Brazilian Currency Posted by Rachel on Nov 13, 2008
Today we’re going to look at the many changes Brazilian currency has undergone throughout history. To understand the difference in value of each currency, see here. Until recently, the Brazilian economy was quite unstable and inflation was often quite high, and as a result the currency changed many times. You’ll note that some of the…
Top Fifteen Best Brazilian Albums Posted by Rachel on Nov 12, 2008
Musician and author Charles Gavin picked the top fifteen Brazilian albums for a Globo music special, choosing the albums he considers “essential” to understanding and appreciating Brazilian music. The list encompasses various genres, including rock and samba. You can listen to samples from the fifteen albums here. Let’s take a look at the list: João…
Sports in Portuguese Posted by Rachel on Nov 11, 2008
Though the most popular sport in Brazil is obviously soccer, today we’re going to take a look at how to say the names of different sports that are played or popular in Brazil. futebol: soccer [foo-chee-BOH] volei: volleyball [VOH-lay] volei de praia: beach volleyball [VOH-lay deh PRY-ah] basquete: basketball [bahs-KEH-chee] futsal: indoor soccer [foo-chee-SOW] jiu…