Archive for 'Culture'
Brazilian Time Posted by Rachel on Sep 18, 2011
I came across a really interesting TED video on Update or Die that I thought would interest all of you here on Portuguese Blog. There are two reasons: one, it’s a gringo speaking Portuguese very well (he’s Danish) and two, it’s a very valuable lesson about Brazilian culture and how foreigners interact with it. In…
Pôneis Malditos Posted by Rachel on Sep 14, 2011
One of the most popular commercials in Brazil recently is a Nissan commercial featuring the pôneis malditos, or evil ponies. The commercial became a viral hit on social media across Brazil, and it increased Nissan’s sales in Brazil by 81 percent. In August, Nissan sold nearly 1,500 Frontier pick ups, an 110 percent increase from…
The Legend of the Cuca Posted by Rachel on Sep 12, 2011
While there are a number of Brazilian legends, one of the best known is that of the cuca, a mythical character popularized in Brazilian culture. The cuca, which originally came from the Portuguese coca, a dragon legend, was brought to Brazil in colonial times. The cuca is an ugly old woman who appears in the…
Independent Samba Bands Posted by polyana on Sep 12, 2011
I’m sure you who study Portuguese are all up to your necks from hearing about Noel Rosa, Zeca Pagodinho, Jorge Ben Jor, and Exaltasamba and how these are all samba and whatnot. Which isn’t untrue. But when was the last time you heard something new? I feel like it’s the cool new hipster thing to listen…
Religion in Brazil Posted by Rachel on Aug 31, 2011
While Brazil is the largest Catholic country in the world, there are many other religions represented amongst Brazil’s 190 million people. Catholics now represent about 68 percent of the population, and Evangelical Christians encompass around 20 percent. Evangelical sects are on the rise, including Pentacostalists, Neo-Pentacostalists, Mormons, and others. In fact, Mormonism is one of…
Brazil’s National Anthem in English Posted by Rachel on Aug 26, 2011
Now more than ever, you can find quite a few texts online that are translated in both English and Portuguese. To give a few examples, there’s a limited New York Times syndication on MSN of NYT articles translated into Portuguese, and Paul Krugman‘s blog is syndicated in Portuguese on Estadão. As Adir recommended yesterday, reading…
Senna The Movie Posted by Rachel on Aug 23, 2011
The epic biopic Senna, a documentary about Ayrton Senna, a Formula One driver and one of Brazil’s most famous personalities widely considered a national hero, The film was recently released in the U.S., Canada, Europe and Australia. If you haven’t seen it yet, it’s a must-see for anyone studying Portuguese or interested in Brazil. Here’s…