Brazilian Culture

Wed Mar 14

Rio+Design Milan celebrates its 10th year

The Rio+Design Milan show is celebrating its first decade. This year Milan International Furniture Fair will be happen between April 17th and 22nd. There the visitor will be able to check the work of 17 design studios from Brazil and 59 of their innovative projects. They are part of the Be Brasil exhibit, a show organized by the Rio de Janeiro state government, through an invitation made by the Apex-Brasil, a foreign trade organization.

Mon Mar 5

Caipirinha, Brazil's signature mixed drink, celebrates its 100th anniversary!

A mixture that took over world and became an icon of the "Brazilian way of life", the Caipirinha is turning 100 in 2018!

The drink has been officially recognized as a Cultural Heritage Asset since 2003, when Brazil's federal government signed a decree to safeguard the drinks recipe and its main ingredient: the cachaça.

Thu Feb 8

It's February and there comes Carnaval!

One of the most expected dates of the Brazilian year is just around the corner: Carnaval!

As you may already know, this is not a original Brazilian tradition. Its "invention" comes from the 11th century, when the Roman Catholic church established the Holy Week. The decree required that followers observed a forty-day period of fast and penitence -- Lent -- as a preparation for the Easter celebrations. What became known as "Ash Wednesday" marks the beginning of Lent; and, the days that precede it were considered as a great opportunity to feast on meat ("carne"): Carnaval!

Wed Jan 24

Anat Cohen - The Israeli Clarinetist and her love for Choro go to the Grammys

Choro is a popular music genre that was created in the streets of Rio de Janeiro in the late 19th century. For its lively melodies, it is still cultivated and appreciated in these Brazilian shores and abroad. It was her love for the genre that paved the way for the the virtuoso clarinetist Anat Cohen's two nominations for the 2018 Grammy Award -- Best Latin Jazz album and the best World Music album.

Wed Jan 17

New York's MoMA opens Tarsila do Amaral's first large exhibit in the United States

This coming month, starting on Feb. 11th, New York will receive the largest exhibit ever organized in the United States on the work of the late Brazilian artist Tarsila do Amaral (1886-1973); a seminal Latin American Modernism representative. The exhibit will be held by the New York's Museum of Modern Art (MoMA).

Mon Dec 4

2018 World Cup will display Brazilian art outside the field

Russia's 2018 World Cup is just around the corner - from June 14th to July 15th - and will be held in 11 cities. Brazilians already know who they are going to face in the group stage (Serbia, Costa Rica and Switzerland) and will also be participating in the festivities beyond the football played on the fields: throughout the world cup there will be a special programming dedicated to Brazilian culture.

Thu Nov 23

Bossa Nova Festival in France

Currently the only festival dedicated to the Brazilian genre in Europe, the "Festival Bossa-Nova" happens in the city of Thiais (in the metropolitan region of Paris) from Nov. 23rd to Dec. 12th. The nith edition of the event, organized by the Jazzonotes association, will open with a photo exhibit dedicated to the French singer, composer and guitar player Henri Salvador. The artist lived for a brief period in the city of Rio de Janeiro and would be celebrating his 100th birthday this year.

Fri Nov 17

Getting to know Brazil through the movies - Rio de Janeiro's portrayal in "E aí… Comeu?"

The movie "E aí... Comeu?" can be classified as a romantic comedy, however, it tells the story of its three main characters through the male point of view, their love misadventures and their relationship with the city. The movie title comes from a rather chauvinistic expression that friends use to confirm if the one being questioned has achieve his "romantic goal".

In addition to the headlining trio and their love interests, the movie has two other important characters in supporting roles: the "bar" and the city of Rio de Janeiro.

Fri Nov 10

Latin Grammy Prepares Special Honors to João Bosco

The composer and musician João Bosco will receive a lifetime achievement awards in 2017's Latin Grammy Award festivities. The ceremony will take place this next November 15th.

The artist will receive the lifetime award after having received eight grammy nominations throughout his career. The induction comes in the year he launched an album after an eight-year hiatus, the acclaimed "Mano que zuera", which succeeds the also highly praised "Não vou pro céu, mas vivo no chão".

João Bosco will not be alone in this celebration. The Latin Grammy tradition is to pay homage to artists from all over the Americas. This year's the lifetime achievement award will also be given to Lucecita Benítez from Puerto Rico, the Spanish duo Los Del Río, Venezuela's Ilan Chester, Victor Heredia from Argentina, Guadalupe Pineda from Mexico and the dominican Cuco Valoy.

The lifetime achievement celebrations will be awarded at a special closed ceremony in Las Vegas, as part of the 18th Latin Grammy Award Week.

Wed Nov 1

Visual Artist Inspired by Middle-Eastern Women Opens an Exhibit in Spain

The Brazilian artist Margot Jabbour looked for inspiration in the lives of women from the middle-east to put together the exhibit "Los Colores del Refugio" (Haven's colors). The show displays 20 pieces which will be on display at the Diário de Ibiza's Cultural Center, in Spain, from November 7th to 24th.

Mon Oct 23

Rogério Souza and Tiago do Bandolim's Choro and Samba US Tour

The Rogério Souza, the virtuoso guitar from "Nó em Pingo D'Água" band, will tour the US with his nephew Tiago do Bandolim, mandolin player between October 20th and November 5h.

The arranger, composer and guitarist Rogério Souza played and recorded with Brazilian greats such as Baden Powell, Turíbio Santos, Raphael Rabello and Dino 7 Cordas, Leila Pinheiro, Paulinho da Viola, and Ivan Lins.

Tiago Souza, who, in a typical Brazilian popular music tradition carries his instrument as a surname, is known as Tiago do Bandolim. He "grew up" musically in the post-Lapa rebirth generation of musicians and is a member of the Semente Choro-jazz group headed by Zé Paulo Becker. In 2017 he launched this debut solo album "De Solsaio", a collection of contemporary and traditional Choros.

Check out the duo's schedule in the US:

Confirmed dates:
Yale University (New Haven) - Oct. 25th.
Georgetown University (Washington) - Oct. 27th.

Check the artists'' facebook pages for additional dates at:
University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (Texas)
New York
Filadelfia

Fri Oct 6

Italians Hosts Great Brazilian Movie Titles at the 2nd Bari Brasil Film Fest

The cities of Bari and Matera will host the second Bari Brasil Film Fest (BBFF), promoted by the Abaporu Cultural Association. The Brazilian movies show will be held from Oct. 7th to 12th in Bari, and from Oct. 14th and 15th at the city of Matera, the 2019 European Culture Capital.

Wed Sep 27

September 27th - Saints Cosmas and Damian day, an Unique Brazilian Celebration

Handing out candies and treats to kids in the streets is not exclusive to Halloween. Saints Cosmas and Damian day, a religious date celebrated throughout Brazil, marks the day when kids go out on the streets to receive small paper bags filled with candies!

Wed Sep 20

Lyman Allyn Museum exhibit portrays Brazil's fight against slavery

Connecticut's Lyman Allyn Museum displays the exhibit "Bandits & Heroes, Poetas & Saints: Popular Art of The Northeast of Brazil", with pieces by artists from Brazil's northeast portraying the local customs and scenes.