Archive for 'Culture'
Breaking Dawn in Rio de Janeiro Posted by Rachel on Nov 10, 2010
This week, the stars of the Twilight Saga are in Brazil filming scenes for the final film in the series, Breaking Dawn. While some teenage carioca girls were overjoyed, not everyone was happy about the shoot. Today we’re going to read two stories about the film production in Rio de Janeiro from Brazilian news sources…
Brazilian Skateboarding Documentary Posted by Rachel on Nov 9, 2010
While soccer, volleyball, and Formula 1 are hugely popular in Brazil, there’s another lesser known sport that is very popular amongst urban youth: skateboarding. In fact, one of the world’s most famous skateboarders is Brazilian. To help understand this phenomenon, I’m going to share a really cool documentary available online called Dirty Money, a Portuguese-language…
A Viola Caipira Posted by polyana on Nov 8, 2010
I grew up to my dad listening to Brazilian folk music, especially “old school” sertanejo & forró (my mom was more of an 80’s rock and Roberto Carlos girl). One instrument that’s always stuck out to me in Brazilian folk music is the viola caipira. Unlike the “viola” you’re thinking of, the viola (pronounced vee-aw-lah)…
New Brazilian Soap Operas Posted by Rachel on Nov 5, 2010
There are two relatively new novelas out on Brazilian TV: Araguaia and Ti-ti-ti, both on the Globo network. Not only are Globo novelas among the most watched television programs in Brazil, but they are also a lucrative export: Globo soaps are translated and shown in countries around the world. So while these two shows are…
Que Beleza – Monobloco Posted by Rachel on Oct 26, 2010
While beleza can mean beauty in some contexts, it’s also a gíria that means “great” or “awesome.” In this fun song by the Carioca band Monobloco, you could roughly translate it as “ain’t it great?” or “isn’t it wonderful?” The lyrics are very simple and straightforward, so have a listen and read along! Lyrics –…
Oktoberfest em Blumenau! Posted by polyana on Oct 26, 2010
Now before you start to think this post belongs in the German Blog, don’t go too far because you’re in the right place. Oktoberfest in Blumenau, Santa Catarina, is an annual event that was originally created in the 1980’s to generate funds for the city after a severe flood took over most of the city…
Brazilian Profile: Carlos Drummond de Andrade Posted by Rachel on Oct 14, 2010
Carlos Drummond de Andrade is one of Brazil’s most beloved poets, and is considered one of Brazil’s most important writers. Born in Minas Gerais, the son of farmers, he grew up in a rural area of Brazil and then attended college in Belo Horizonte to study pharmacology. He would never become a pharmacist, though; he…