Brasil Observer #08 - English Version

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Photo: Agência Brasil

LEIA EM PORTUGUÊS

ARMY OCCUPIES FAVELA Report from Rio as armed forces take action to pacify the city’s largest complex of favelas >> Pages 4 and 5

LONDON EDITION APRIL 10 – 23

Photo: Rômulo Seitenfus

CATCH UP WITH CONKA In London for a sold out concert, the Brazilian singer speaks to Brasil Observer >> Pages 8 and 9

www.brasilobserver.co.uk

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Front Page: Leandro de Brito

BRAZIL TAKES LEADERSHIP ROLE AND HOSTS EVENT TO DEBATE THE GOVERNANCE OF THE WEB >> Pages 10 and 11

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IN FOCUS Important news from last two weeks

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BRASILIANCE Rio’s slum complex seeking for peace

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BRAZIL IN UK The Brazilian football in pictures

LONDON EDITION 07

UK IN BRAZIL Rugby is getting popular in Brazil

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PROFILE Rapper Karol Conka speak to us

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FRONT PAGE REPORT How is Internet going to be?

Host-cities special: North-Eastern Trio

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CONECTANDO

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2014 WORLD CUP

Brazilian music going beyond boarders

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BRASIL OBSERVER GUIDE Circus festival and much more…

Ana Toledo ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

EDITORS Guilherme Reis guilherme@brasilobserver.co.uk Kate Rintoul kate@brasilobserver.co.uk

PUBLIC RELATIONS Roberta Schwambach roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Antonio Veiga, Bruja Leal, Clarice Valente, Deise Fields, Gabriela Lobianco, Luciane Sorrino, Michael Landon, Nathália Braga, Renato Brandão, Ricardo Somera, Rômulo Seitenfus, Rosa Bittencourt, Shaun Cumming, Zazá Oliva

LAYOUT wake up colab

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1 6|17 FRONT PAGE REPORT 18 NINETEEN EIGHT-FOUR 19 GOING OUT 20|21 N EW CANVAS OVER OLD 22|23 T RAVEL 24 MIND & SOUL 25 FOOD

E D I T O R I A L

PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE OF THE INTERNET

By Ana Toledo – ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

digala@wakeupcolab.com.br

GRAPHIC DESIGN Jean Peixe ultrapeixe@gmail.com

DISTRIBUTION BR Jet brjetlondon@yahoo.com Emblem Group LTD mpbb@btinternet.com

PRINTER Iliffe Print Cambridge iliffeprint.co.uk

ACCOUNTING ADVISORY For 25 years the world has established a connection that gradually alters the daily lives of citizens and government authorities. It was with the coming of the internet that the world turned digital.

Since then, much has changed. Professionals from different fields of expertise had to reinvent themselves to keep up to date with the changes that the internet brought to the world.

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, What’s App… tools which very rapidly became indispensable for most of the nearly three billion connected users worldwide.

With the advance of the web space, the issue of privacy has taken another dimension. And beyond the life of the simple user, the issue of privacy has reached levels of national security, with revelations of strategic data gained though espionage from several countries. This reveals the net as a crucial factor in the economy and governance of nations.

All events in the virtual world move to the real world. Many discussions on the subject were addressed. In Brazil, the theme

became popular with the conduction of the Internet Civil Mark project in the Congress, approved by the Chamber of Deputies and now awaiting Senate vote.

Besides the popularisation in the country, with several discussions between civil society actors, the ‘Letter of the Internet’ has become a benchmark for other countries considering the most advanced design on the theme.

To broaden the debate and organising tenders, government representatives and civil society members from over 80 countries are attending the São Paulo conference NETmundial in late April.

Even with a consolidated development, it is necessary to establish rules for a context that goes beyond frontiers in which the internet connects us to different realities. Besides being a tool for public use, it is managed by various private interests.

The question now is to ensure democratic access to network neutrality, ensure privacy and the responsible use of the internet. It is with this in mind that we present this edition.

Atex Business Solutions info@atexbusiness.com BRASIL OBSERVER is a fortnightly publication of the ANAGU UK MARKETING E JORNAIS UN LIMITED (Company number: 08621487) and is not responsible for the concepts expressed in signed articles. People who do not appear in this expedient are not authorized to speak on behalf of Brasil Observer. The contents published in this newspaper may be reproduced if properly credited to the author and to Brasil Observer.

CONTACT contato@brasilobserver.co.uk comercial@brasilobserver.co.uk 020 3015 5043

SITE www.brasilobserver.co.uk

IN FOCUS Photo: Divulgation/UK in Brazil

PRINCE HARRY HEADS TO BRAZIL Prince Harry will visit Brazil again in June, according to an announcement by his press office earlier this month. The visit will be sponsored by the UK government and aims to strengthen the partnership between the two countries. After Brazil, Harry will go to Chile for a visit with the same goal.

The press office did not indicate the exact date of the visit or which city will host the Prince.

Some British media outlets have speculated that Harry could watch an England match during the World Cup in Brazil. The England team will play in Manaus, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte in the first phase of the competition.

In March 2012, Prince Harry made his first visit to Brazil. At the time, the UK government had launched the GREAT Britain campaign. The initiative has a presence in over 60 countries aiming to disseminate what the UK has to offer, attracting opportunities for business, education and tourism.

GREAT is supported by sectors that highlight different areas of British expertise like technology, innovation, culture, sports legacy, music, sustainability, creativity and entrepreneurship.

During his first visit to Brazil, Prince Harry played a game of volleyball on Flamengo beach, in Rio de Janeiro

MIGRATION A HOT TOPIC IN BRAZIL AND LONDON

RESEARCH MISTAKE GENERATES ANGER The Institute of Applied Economic Research (IPEA, in Portuguese) announced in early April, that there were significant errors in the dissemination of research into the Social Tolerance to Violence Against Women, a report that was released in late March and generated great interest.

After detecting the error, the director of Social Studies and Policies of IPEA, Rafael Guerreiro Osorio, resigned.

When released, the research had revealed that 65.1% of respondents agreed that women who wear revealing clothes deserved to be attacked. In fact, the correct data, released later put this figure at 26%. According to the correct survey, 70% disagreed with the statement that a woman’s choice of clothes justifies violence.

The previous data generated protests on social medias and discussion in the press with both men and women appalled by the sexism revealed in such data. The phrase “I do not deserve to be raped” had been widely repeated on various platforms in recent weeks.

Even with re-evaluation, the report reveals negative attitudes

surrounding the treatment of women. Re-calculations found that 65.1% fully or partly agree that women who are abused by their partners, and remain with them, “like to be abused”, the previous data had reported that only 26% agreed with this comment.

According Luana Pinheiro, Technical Planning and Research of IPEA, the errors do not overshadow the relevance of the study and the fact that Brazilian society needs to debate the results. “The report’s conclusions have not changed. We continue to have a high tolerance on the issue of female responsibility for the sexual violence they experience,” Pinheiro said.

IPEA explained that mistakes had been made in the organising the of database research, which had been employed to produce new reflections on the results. On further evaluation, the team noticed a different body of information was contained in the report. Pinheiro explained that there had been a mix up in the presentation of the tables relating to each statement asked of respondents, during the final assembly of the original document.

OSBORNE REVEALS BOOST FOR BUSINESS IN BRAZIL The Chancellor George Osborne announced in Brazil a package of financial support for British exporters in another attempt to boost trade.

In the previous package, Osborne had doubled the value of Treasury loans to £3bn in order to help exporters finance their dealings abroad. Now, he has announced that banks may use facilities of the Bank of England to finance for less risky exports, hoping to provide cheaper credit for companies increase international trade.

He presented the news in a speech at a conference in Rio de Janeiro, as he aims to develop trade relations with Brazil. In 2013, only 1% of UK exports went to Brazil, despite trade between the two countries has increasing by 50 % in the last four years.

Brazil has been the focus of business investment in the

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UK recently, as the country will host the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics. Last year, British companies won £1bn in contracts in Brazil.

The Chancellor’s goal is for the value of British exports to Brazil to total £1 trillion by the end of the decade. Hopes, however, have been frustrated by weak global demand for UK products amid financial and economic crises.

Also during this latest visit to Brazil, Osborne announced that British group Rolls Royce establish a factory to produce marine propellers in Rio De Janeiro. With an investment of R$ 80 million, construction of the new plant will begin in May and will make the first deliveries in January 2015. The focus of the unit will meet the local requirements for new buildings located near an area of pre-salt oil exploitation.

The preparatory phase for the first National Conference on Migration and Refuge (Comigrar) in Brazil has recorded more than 200 initiatives, conducted out in five regions of Brazil and abroad.

The goal was to raise suggestions to be presented at the conference, which will take place from 30 May to 1 June - when the proposals will be further discussed along with how to subsidise public policies in this area.

“Thank you to all those who contributed to the process of Comigrar this preparatory stage.

This allowed us to do something unprecedented: hear the voices of migrants and refugees in the country who have previously been silenced.

Now is the time to organise the ideas and to present them on the national stage,” said Paulo Abrão, National Justice Secretary.

Respondents gave their input at meetings, organised by civil society organisations and universities and at local and state conferences - convened by local governments. The process also included a free conference organised by Brazilians abroad, held in London, titled “From the UK back to Brazil: same rights?”

Discussions covered various themes and cast light on specific realities with great variations of position. Insights included the experiences of the foreign prison population, migrants, refugees, recent graduates, foreign students, migrant communities already established in Brazil, as well as children who arrive unaccompanied in Brazil and LGBT migration.

New migration flows were also widely discussed. Acre, Espirito Santo, Minas Gerais, Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and São Paulo are examples of states where specific conferences on Haitian migration occurred.

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brasilobserver.co.uk

BRASILIANCE

Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil

MARÉ COMPLEX OCCUPIED Federal troops occupied the favela complex on Saturday 5 April, without resistance

With armed forces take action as pacification process professes in Rio’s favelas, but concerns remain

By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão With just two months to go until they help to receive thousands of visitors for the World Cup, Brazilian security forces are conducting a major operation to occupy Complexo da Maré, considered the country’s most populous favela district in the Northern Zone of Rio de Janeiro.

According to official figures, there are 16 communities, almost 40 thousand homes and 130 thousand people living in the complex. The Complexo da Maré is the 38th community to be included in the “pacification program” of Rio’s favelas which are dominated by drug trafficking, gangs and militias.

It is important to note that this favela complex, which has seen the most strategic of occupations featuring armed forces, is situated close the Tom Jobim International Airport (Galeão). On the banks of the Complexo da Maré, there are access roads that connect the airport to the city centre and the South Zone and West Zones popular with tourists. Therefore, anyone arriving in Rio de Janeiro at the international airport must travel through this the conglomeration of communities.

The occupation began on Sunday 30 March, with the entry of the state security forces - 1,180 military police officers and 130 civilian police, reinforced by federal police, highway police and marines. On Saturday 5 April, the operation

intensified, with the integration of the armed forces into the process.

According to Agencia Brasil, this new operation involved a total of 2,700 men, with 2,050 Army soldiers, 450 Marines and 200 militar police officers. This contingent will be in the region until 31 July 2014, shortly after the World Cup final in the city on 13 July.

The joint action, in accordance with state and federal authorities, is seen as essential in guaranteeing the implementation of the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP) in Complexo da Maré, after the initial occupation. After the installation of the UPP, as foreseen in the program, services and public works will be brought to the community, according to promises made by the Government and the State of Rio de Janeiro.

DISTRUST The arrival of the UPP at Complexo da Maré comes at a time when the credibility of the program is in doubt. The program has been represented as the “jewel in the crown” for the management of governor Sérgio Cabral (PMDB), who after two consecutive terms, will attempt to elect his deputy, Luiz Fernando Bigfoot, in the elections of next October. Since

they began in 2008, criticism of the UPP program, before have steadily increased.

As the pacification process has been implemented throughout the city, there have been frequent public complaints, justified by evidence of brutality at the hands of the installed police units (read more in the following article). Proving that whereas previously, the residents of these slums were the hostages of criminal gangs who dominated the territory, today their freedom and rights have not been fully secured.

Recent reports of attacks by criminal factions on the police units installed in the slums show that, in fact, the much vaunted peace is not absolute. This year, in February and March alone, there were nine attacks on UPPs in different communities, this shows that resistance has increased since 2013, when two UPPs were targeted by criminal groups.

Among the UPPs attacked was the one installed at Complexo do Alemão.

The occupation of the region had been seen as a milestone in the recent history of Rio’s public security. The resumption of control of the territory by the state took place in late November 2010, when the pacification program had been installed for two years (the first UPP was installed in December 2008, in Santa Marta in Botafogo). The operation included a troop of close to 3,000 men, with armoured support of the Marine Corps, and was even broadcast live by television stations.

One of the criticisms of the pacification program has been in its definitions of how communities have been addressed as a priority. The essential criterion for state intervention has not been the levels of crime and violence experienced by those living there, but the the location of the slum. Communities in the South, North and West zones, regions expected to see a high flow visitors, including foreigners, to attend the great events that Rio de Janeiro hosts like World Youth Day, World Cup and the 2016 Olympics) were prioritised.

It is understood that in order to increase a sense of security for visitors, places of eminent tourist and economic potential were focussed on first, rather than seeking to improve the lives of some of the worst-affected Rio residents first.

Those living in favelas in remote areas of the city, or the metropolitan area, face no prospects of being awarded with the pacification program of the state government. Worse still as criminal groups have been pushed out of complexes, the insecurity in these areas has increased.

A report in the February issue of the magazine Caros Amigos revealed that in 2013, the homicide rate in the Baixada Fluminense increased by 28%. There were also rises in other crimes, Car thefts rose by 36%, muggings by 35% and thefts in commercial establishments by 34%. The power of the criminal factions in neighbourhoods bordering the city has increased, coincidentally or not, after the implementation of UPPs in the central communities of the capital.

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RESIDENTS FEAR LIVING IN A ‘TERRITORY OF EXCEPTION’

Photos: Tânia Rego/Agência Brasil and Elisângela Leite

By Rosa Bittencourt*

The distrust of the residents was discussed during a public hearing held by community leaders from Maré

WHAT ARE PACIFICATION POLICE UNITS?

UPP workspace in Rocinha slum

Photo: Fernando Frazão/Agência Brasil

According to the Government of the State of Rio de Janeiro: “The Pacification Police Unit is a small force of military police who work exclusively in one or more communities in an urban area that has its area defined by law. Each PPU has its own office, and one or more bases. Each unit has its own equipment such as cars and motorcycles. It also has a commanding officer who leads a body of officers, sergeants, corporals and soldiers”.

Also according to the state government: “The UPP program includes partnerships between governments - local, state and federal, along with different civil society actors. Educational, cultural, sporting, social and professional integration projects, and others focused on improving the infrastructure, are being implemented in communities through agreements and partnerships signed between segments of the government, the private sector and the third sector”.

THE STORY SO FAR: 37 UPPs installed 257 territories reoccupied by the State 9.5 million square metres is the total area of the programs 1.5 million inhabitants affected 9.3 thousand police officers working in the UPPs 40 the additional UPPs that should be installed by the end of 2014

Information: www.upprj.com

Residents of Complexo da Maré met the arrival of nearly three thousand men of the Armed Forces into their community with suspicious looks on 5 April as the pacification program begins. Skeptics believe that rather than improving the lives of the community, the apparatus has been assembled only to ensure the safety of the thousands of tourists who will come to Rio in early June for the World Cup. Coincidentally, it has been revealed that the armed forces will remain in the favela complex until two weeks after the final of the tournament at the Maracanã, before the installation of another Pacifying Police Unit (UPP).

Brasil Observer made numerous attempts to interview residents of Nova Holanda, where a community meeting was held in the Arts Centre of Maré (CAM), but received evasive answers of “No”; “I cannot speak”; “I will not speak”; “I do not know”.

Even after much insistence, some opined, provided that their photos and names were not published in the hope that speaking to journalists will prevent prevent their community from suffering police violence.

Two names were featured repeatedly in the meeting: that of Amarildo Dias de Souza, a construction worker who was killed by a police UPP in Rocinha last year, and general assistant Claudia Silva Ferreira, killed during a police operation against drug trafficking in Morro da Congonha in Madureira, last month.

People of Complexo da Maré also fear that with the presence of the Armed Forces, the territory became a place of exception, where the laws are not respected and the rights of residents are suspended in the name of peace.

But what about the traffickers whom the police are here to target? This is another point of concern in Complexo da Maré.

“Long before the military arrived, the main bosses partially abandoned their points. We no longer see the coming and going of their bikes or traffickers selling drugs on the streets. Most of them fled, but many are hidden in the core of the slums. They say they will lie low and wait the end of Cup when the military leaves then go back to their business”, said one resident, who declined to be identified.

The resident also confirmed that, in some favelas of Complexo da Maré, rival factions have tried to enter the territory that is dominated by the Red Command, Third Pure Command, Friends of Friends and militiamen. The Department of State Security of Rio de Janeiro said the intelligence service did not detect the movement of new dealers in the region.

For the merchant Eli Ferreira da Silva, 39, who has lived and worked in the area since

2003, some kind of intervention is necessary.

“We’re still very afraid. There’s places that you cannot go at night. The shootings are not as common, but you cannot take the risk. Many people will come to the city and if one single foreigner dies it will be the end of the Cup and Rio de Janeiro”.

He does fear that after the World Cup, the region is at risk of being abandoned.

Married and a father of three, the Silva has an income of R$4000 per month (both him and his wife work). According to Silva, it is enough to live, since they have their own home. He acknowledges that this experienced is not shared by the majority who live there, as most people earn very little and the unemployment rate is high.

A 27 year-old hairdresser, born in the region, who requested anonymity, said that “it is a wonder now with police all around.

Before they came, the evenings were a vision of hell with shots and very dangerous”. According to the hairdresser, this is the first step to improving things for residents. “There are many NGOs that could help the most needy people here, but they have not previously been able to enter because of the traffickers. Now, they may come safely”. She praised the fact that the police have now been issued with special glasses to improve their visibility during actions. “So hopefully we will not run the risk of attacks against innocents”.

BASIC INFRASTRUCTURE A public hearing was held in the first week of April, attended by the Secretary of Public Security of Rio de Janeiro, José Mariano Beltrame and the chairmen of the 15 associations of residents of Complexo da Maré, along with the presence of other state departments, such as Health, Education, Housing, Sport, Culture and Sanitation. Speaking at the meeting, Beltrame said, “We know that the region needs a lot more.

Citizenship is not created only with police”.

The chairman of the Residents of Vila do Pinheiro, Janaína Monteiro, said that there are areas completely abandoned by the public service, but that most of them already have schools, health and sewers.

“We do not want the fake impression of social services from the UPP, as has happened in other regions, we want less violence without them wrongly assuming that every resident is thug or drug dealer.”

Beltrame said that an aggressive approach may be required, but it’s not a “rule” and promised to install ombudsman, where residents can make formal complaints to assess the conduct of police officers. *Rosa Bittencourt is correspondent of Brasil Observer in Rio

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brasilobserver.co.uk

BRAZIL IN UK

Photo: Divulgation The absorbing and thrilling collection is a befitting celebration of football culture in Brazil

Brazil’s beautiful game through a master’s lens With just two months till the World Cup in Brazil, football fever is starting to take hold and the Embassy of Brazil in London is no exception, hosting an exhibition of the acclaimed photographer Christopher Pillitz to celebrate the launch of his new book ‘Brazil: The Beautiful Game’.

Football is as synonymous with Brazil as beaches, bossa and beer and while the pessimistic news stories of delayed construction works rumble on, the country’s devotion to the sport is unrivalled in the world. Whether it’s teenagers playing on spot lit beaches, friends coming together to see their team or crowds gathering around a screen in a boteco, football is something that hundreds of Brazilians love. The latest exhibition and book of Christopher Pillitz’s work provide a view of this adoration.

Born and raised in Argentina, Pillitz originally worked in London’s top hotels before going against his parent’s wishes “to leave the trappings of the hospitality industry for a far more unpredictable and challenging existence” as he decided to become a photojournalist.

The decision certainly paid off, Pillitz has gone on to work with prestigious publications like the Observer, Sunday Times, New York Times and Stern, exploring the world through the lens of his camera and gaining insight into the countries he visited over the last 30 years.

Pillitz has covered all manner of subjects for his work and has valued each experience, “Seeing the best of humankind to the worst… has been a riveting journey of learning and discovery filled with surprises, heart-stopping

moments of disappointment, elation, thrill. A voyage filled with poetry and grit, awash with emotional resonance and delight.”

During the 1990s the photographer spent five years documenting Brazil’s beach and body culture, exploring the hedonistic behaviour of the country. The resulting body of work was a critical success, published in most of the world’s leading magazines, and developed into a book, with an accompanying exhibition, Brazil Incarnate which toured Hamburg, London, Manchester, Biarritz, Milan and Warsaw.

Now Pillitz has once again turned his attention to Brazil, this time focussing on the country’s long standing love affair with the beautiful game. Travelling the length and breadth of Brazil, this series of work takes you from impressive sta-

diums to deep sea oil platforms to prison yards and street alleys where people of all ages and backgrounds come together to watch or play a game.

At times the medium of photography cannot do justice to the intensity or liveliness of sports, but Pillitz’s work expresses rather than captures the kinetic energy of football, along with the excitement of watching a game unfold.

Released on the eve one of the most highly anticipated World Cups ever, the absorbing and thrilling collection is a befitting celebration of football culture in Brazil.

The Beautiful Game By Christopher Pillitz, published by Prestel, is out in April. The accompanying exhibition takes place at Gallery 32, Embassy of Brazil from 9 April to 2 May 2014.

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UK IN BRAZIL

More Brazilians giving Rugby a Try Photos: Divulgation

Try Rugby has increased the number of cities to 20 - reaching over 54,000 children, young people and adults

At a special event hosted at the House of Commons, it has been announced that the pioneering sports scheme Try Rugby has been extended to 24 cities and two new Brazilian states.

Try Rugby, which is the result of funding and expertise from Premiership Rugby, the British Council and the Service for Industry (SESI), started in Sao Paulo, initially in 12 cities in 2012. Over the last year and a half Try Rugby has increased the number of cities to 20 - reaching over 54,000 children, young people and adults.

The programme seeks to help to increase participation in the sport in the lead up to Rio 2016, to use rugby to support the social inclusion of disadvantaged young people, to build links between the 12 Premiership Rugby clubs in the UK and SESI centres in Brazil and to share knowledge and best practice in rugby with teachers, coaches and young volunteers, creating a sustainable workforce.

On 27 March, 100 people from the sports sector, commerce and government,

including senior people like Hugo Swire, the UK’s Foreign Office Minister with responsibility for Latin America met at a special event to discuss the successes and future of the scheme.

At this meeting, the three parties signed a contract in the Churchill rooms in the House of Commons to confirm the expansion of Try Rugby. All parties are committed to making the scheme last beyond Rio 2016 in order to leave a strong cultural and sporting legacy.

Brasil Observer spoke to James Thellusson, the scheme’s communication consultant who discussed how the country everyone associates with football has embraced rugby. “Rugby is new, which intrigues Brazilians. It’s different, which excites them. It tests different skills to football and, last but most important, it has a really strong team and communal ethic. Rugby requires individual skill but you can only succeed as a team. It’s not a sport for prima donnas.

“We think Brazil has great potential

as a rugby playing country. So we will develop the Try Rugby scheme with our existing partners in new places over the next few years in order to harvest the interest, which the Olympics will produce in this sport”, Thellusson said.

When asked if there had been any barriers or obstacles in the process, Thellusson was upbeat. “The fact that it is new created some challenges early on. You have to spend time explaining the rules and time getting people involved in trialling the game. The other big challenge early on was language. How do you explain what a ‘scrum’ is to people who have never seen the game before!”

Brasil Observer were interested to see what comparisons or similarities existed between UK rugby and its new Brazilian counterpart, to which Thellusson responded: “Brazilians seem to have a natural flair and charisma. Not just as people but as sports players. So, they play adventurously. In the UK, players are maybe a little less flamboyant in the way they

play the game. But overall, there are more similarities than differences. Brazilian and British rugby players like the same things about the game – speed, skill and tactics – and a similar culture which is communal, fun and social”.

The passion and appetite for sport are strong in the country and these scheme’s wider social objectives ensure that this is channelled into something positive for Brazil’s society.

Try Rugby want to connect with Brazilian and British businesses, charities, Government and other organisations interested in delivering a sporting and cultural legacy from Rio 2016.

If people want to find out more about the scheme in Brazil, they can find more details here: http://bit.ly/1h14Wyk.

g

If you are based in the UK and want to find out how you can get involved, you should contact wmorris@premiershiprugby.com or follow them on twitter @tryrugbybrazil.

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brasilobserver.co.uk

PROFILE

Karol Conka is what she wants to be

In London to perform for La Linea Festival, Karol Conka had a great conversation with Brasil Observer, covering everything from her African musical influences, the racism she experienced in her childhood and how the rapper Emicida helped her career Text and Photo: R么mulo Seitenfus

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“Black, white, rich, poor / The blood has the same colour / We are all equal / Feel warmth, joy and pain” this is one of the most meaningful lyrics of Karol Conka’s songs, that further on says “be what has to be, whatever you want to be”. In London for her first European tour, and speaking to me just a few hours before taking the stage, there’s no denying that Conka is being exactly what she wants to be.

Four years ago, Karol had a low profile, singing mainly at free gigs and uploading work to her myspace page. Flash forward to 2013 and she is stealing the show: competing with Anitta, Clarice Falcao and Strobo, in the Breakthrough category, she conquered at the Multishow Brazilian Music Award. This rise, she reveals was partly thanks to a friendly ‘slap on the wrist’ from the Brazilian MC, Emicida.

“He told me to take rap seriously and stop playing around. He said I was a great singer and I needed to charge for it, respecting the rap tradition. So I promised him I would become more professional about my work and myself”.

As well as having a great voice, Karol also has a fascinating personality and fuses the influences of her family experiences which include Candomblé into her music.

Karol confesses that she doesn’t understand spirituality as well as she would like, but thinks that being the granddaughter of a babalorixá (a leader in Candomblé, the African-Brazilian religion) and born on a 1st January have aided her ascendance to fame.

“After I released my album, Candomblé people came up to ask me what my deity was. I replied that I didn’t know and did not understand the subject.

My grandmother believed in Candomblé, but unfortunately I did not follow her path. Those people who approached me said even if I don’t know it, I have a deity who accompanies me, and that’s why I have a strong presence on stage”.

Karol’s album Batuk Freak, launched a year ago (read more on page 18) is full of rhythm and colour.

The songs represent the past of her ancestry, inspired by the beats of the African religion her grandmother played and also her future as she arrived at this new professional phase.

“My grandmother was macumbeira [follower of Candomblé]. Although I do not understand much about the spirituality of it, I was always charmed by the culture of the orixas [dieties]. My grandmother told me that I would be successful. When I was making the album with the producer Nave, the process reminded me so much of her. The beats of drums in the arrangements were inspired by her.”

After sharing the stage in Brazil with big names like Emicida, Marcelo D2 and Criolo, Karol is now reaching Europe. In London, she was part of the line up for La Linea Festival, singing hits from her album that’s had a great reception in the UK. Growing up in Curitiba, Karol was creative from childhood, dreaming of becoming a photographer and studying contemporary dance, which she thinks has helped give her a greater stage presence. While no one in her family is connected to music, her mother writes poetry and her family always supported and encouraged her, though things were not always easy.

Karol’s father was an alcoholic who died when she was a teenager. “My father was a very dear person. He always told me I was beautiful. My mother is perfect, she taught me to smile through everything.

One day I discovered that she sometimes allows her-

My ideology is to encourage people to smile

self to cry when she’s in the shower, but she always remains very strong person and projects this to the world”. In discussing the past, Karol recalls some other unhappy memories of her time at school.

“Other children called me racist names. One teacher called me a ‘chicken of Angola’. As I didn’t have any support, I thought I had to join in the fun so I helped my classmates give me names. One day a boy called me ‘chipa’, from chimpanzee. There was another one who used to take fun out of my hair.

A few years later, he said I was beautiful and that he wanted to date me. He said: ‘Hey Karol, let’s do something?’ to which I said ‘No, I’m going home to do my hair’.

“I would spend all day thinking of what names they could call me. When we played games, no one would hold my hands. For all those years, from 8 to 17, I straightened my hair in some attempt to fit in. Then I started to watch and listen to Lauryn Hill.

In addition to keeping her Afro hair, she sang songs that spoke of self-love and about being ourselves before loving a man. Her strong figure encouraged me to take my strength. I shaved my hair and let it grow back as it should be, with a powerful black hairstyle and I started to wear T-shirts that said ‘Black is Beautiful’. Lauryn Hill was my inspiration”.

I wonder, if some of the ideas in her lyrics are a result of what happened in her childhood. “My ideology is to encourage people to smile. My motto is ‘live smiling’. I went through many things in life: my father’s addiction to alcohol, bullying in childhood but my mother always taught me to smile in spite of everything, and that’s what I try to convey to people”.

Having had these experiences of racism, I wonder if Karol noticed or faced sexism or prejudice in the predominantly male musical milieu of hip hop. “The bullying I suffered in childhood meant I grew stronger and nothing else can harm me. When I started out, the girls in rap were trying to make themselves more masculine to go on stage. I did the opposite, I dressed and did my make up to represent the woman I am”.

“There are still people in the industry who do not accept that a woman can be on top. My friend Negra Li [singer and actress who’s breakthrough came at 16 when she joined the group Rap RZO] told me that at the beginning of her career she transformed herself to be accepted. Today I am the biggest female name in rap in Brazil, and I think that’s because I am always my true self. My idols are Emicida and Criolo, who treat me like a princess and respect me.

It was brat to have the pleasure of sharing the stage with them. The prejudice of sexism is also fuelled by women. In Brazil, women’s ideas about themselves are not clear, they confuse the concept of feminism by attacking each other.”

When asked about her plans for the coming months, Karol reveals that she is already preparing a second album. “I intend to launch it in 2015.

As I like to innovate, I promise it will not be different to Batuk Freak, but it will be like me: cheerful, colourful, with a hint of magic, with special appearances by international artists and a more electronic sound”.

Finally, Karol Conka leaves me with a message for her fans, who are spread across several countries after the success of the album and recent performances: “Be what you want to be. Tell yourself and others that ‘I am who I am and you must accept me so’”.

10 brasilobserver.co.uk

FRONT PAGE

Brazil hosts more than 80 countries to discuss the future of the Internet To Virgilio Almeida, who coordinates the meeting, both the national and international situations are favourable to changes in the global governance of the web In the same year that World Wide Web celebrates its 25th birthday, Brazil hosts the NETmundial: Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance.

Organised in a partnership between the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI. br) and /1Net (a forum that gathers international entities of the various stakeholders involved with Internet governance), NETmundial will take place on 23 and 24 April. The event will be broadcast live, and will also encourage remote forms of participation from a further 22 countries, including the UK. The meeting will bring together representatives of civil society, the private sector, academy and the global technical community, as well as government representatives from more than 80 countries.

Virgilio Almeida, the Secretary of Brazil’s Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI, in Portuguese), who is coordinating the event, has said that the meeting is part of a positive context of changes in governance policy relating to the Internet.

Almeida highlighted two recent events: the announcement by the United States that they intend to discontinue network governance in favour of the global community and the approval of the Internet Civil Mark by the Brazilian Chamber of Deputies (more on the next page).

Last month, the U.S. Department of Commerce officially announced their new understanding about the issue and asked the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) to build a transition process accordingly.

“It is a positive result of the organisation of the conference and the entire global movement,” Almeida said. “Brazil has been one of the leading nations in this movement for more transparency, but it is a positive change for the entire international community”.

The Secretary recalled that the recent revelations of espionage had reduced confidence in the current model and argued that, due to its decentralised nature, the Internet cannot be regulated at a national level. “The Internet has more than 3 billion users. It is considered nowadays a general purpose technology, a basic and essential element in the life of almost every citizen and a key component in the economy and the governments of the countries,” he said.

Representation of content contributions by sector

Representation of content contributions by geographic region

“But on the other hand, it can increase the threats of cyber crime, attacks on freedom of expression and human rights, transnational legal disputes and market concentration and wealth,” he added. To Virgilio Almeida and many others, a review of the arrangements that organise the functions and resources of the global network is vital to the strengthening of cyberspace and its use for social and economic development.

WHATS ON THE AGENDA? The conference will also include the publication of nearly 200 content contributions from 46 countries representing different attitudes towards the Internet. The

documents, which relate to the discussions that take place during the two days of the meeting, consider two main topics: “Internet Governance Principles” and “Roadmap to the future evolution of the ecosystem of Internet governance”.

The content contributions received by NETmundial cover various subjects related to Internet governance. The following subjects are among those addressed: multistakeholderism (with 101 contributions), Human Rights (83), the role and responsibilities of the State (62), and user’s inclusion (also with 62). From these texts we can observe the main concerns of Internet users and policy makers regarding the future development of this ecosystem.

All of the content contributions are fully available for reading here: http://content. netmundial.br/docs/contribs. The interest of Brazilians in the subject of Internet policy was also apparent in the number of contributions from the country. The country with the largest number of content contributions was the United States (31 contributions), followed by Brazil (16), then the United Kingdom and India (both with seven), followed by Switzerland, France and Argentina (both with six) and Japan and Sudan (both with four). See the accompanying info graphics illustrating levels of participation by sectors and geographic regions for more on this.

The NETmundial concept will see different topics discussed by different committees, each one with representatives of the stakeholders and distinguished experts in this field, to lead the session, provide insights and answer audience questions.

NETmundial is supported by the High-Level Multistakeholder Committee, composed of ministerial representatives of 12 countries (Argentina, Brazil, France, Ghana, Germany, India, Indonesia, South Africa, South Korea, Tunisia, Turkey and United States of America).

In addition to this, there are a further 12 members of the multistakeholder international community. This Committee includes representatives of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the United Nation’s Department of Economic and Social Affairs (DESA) and representation of the European Commission.

Thes responsibility of these committees is to oversee the overall strategy of the event and to promote the involvement of the international community around the themes discussed at the conference.

The Executive Multistakeholder Committee is also responsible for the agenda of the meeting, its format, the call for participants and the management of the received content contributions, ensuring balanced participation across the global community.

Brazil’s Logistics and Organisational Committee and the Council of Governmental Advisors complete the organisation of the event. g

For more information: www.netmundial.br

brasilobserver.co.uk 11 Photo: Gustavo Lima/Câmara dos Deputados

Activists attend the historic vote on the Internet Civil Mark in the Chamber of Deputies in Brasilia in late March 2014

“Brazil’s Civil Mark is the most advanced law in defence of the free Internet” After five months of controversy and intense debate in Brazil, in late March, the Chamber of Deputies approved the Internet Civil Mark, which defines the rights and duties of users, access to network connections and the role of services providers.

The approval paves the way for Brazilian Internet users to be guaranteed the right to privacy and non-discrimination (more in the box). The bill now goes to the Senate and, if approved, will go forward for presidential approval.

In an interview with Brasil Observer, Dr Sergio Amadeu, who is a civil society representative on the Steering Committee for the legislation, said that “Civil Mark is the most advanced law in defence of a free Internet throughout the world.”

We have previously reported that the bill has been praised by the creator of the web, Tim Berners-Lee. The British physicist said that the adoption of rules to protect a free internet would be the best birthday present possible for web users in Brazil and around the world.

When asked what his expectations were of the Senate approving the bill, Amadeu is optimistic, but stresses that the pressure of big corporations who are against the original text, especially with regard to network neutrality, remain strong.

“The hope is that the Civil Mark will pass more easily through the Senate, as the main lobbyist of telecom operators sits in the Chamber but undoubtedly, the war is not over.”

On the position of Brazil in relation to other countries, Amadeu was emphatic saying that “the Civil Mark is a law that wants to keep the Internet free, open and diverse. Worldwide, the Internet has been the target of laws that aim to criminalise it, control it and restrict its use, the Civil Mark wants to ensure that it continues to function as it works today, with neutrality and the freedom to create content, protocols and technologies.”

The minister ended by saying that “the Civil Mark is a law of principles that can serve as a model for all countries that want to ensure the logic of freedom as a basic principle of the web.”

INTERNET CIVIL MARK: KEY POINTS

NEUTRALITY Operators may only sell packages that limit the amount of accessed data and connection speed. They cannot discriminate or increase their charges by content type (video, image, text) nor origins (news websites, social networks, blogs).

PRIVACY The records of services provided will be stored by both operators (for one year) and websites (six months). The information shall be confidential and may only be available via request of the Judiciary. Websites, social networks or similar cannot keep the personal information of a user after they delete their account.

OFFENCES A website has no responsibility for what is posted by users but is required to remove content when the Justice system requires it to do so. The website can only be punished if they do not comply with this.

12 brasilobserver.co.uk

WORLD CUP 2014

2014 WORLD CUP

TRIO OF THE NORTHEAST As the first country to have over 10 host cities, during Brazil’s World Cup, the Northeast region of Brazil will be represented by four cities: Salvador, Recife, Fortaleza and Natal.

Having written about Salvador in issue 6 (read at issuu.com/brasilobserver), and with only weeks to go, our journey of host cities needs to gather pace so here we highlight the other three cities that form a dazzling trio.

Anyone going to any of these cities during the Cup will certainly have no regrets. With you want to see breathtaking natural scenery (read more in Travel pages 22-23) or soak up the rich traditions of the Northeastern region, in each city the hospitable locals have a wonderful accent that is music to the ears.

RECIFE Recife is the largest urban region in the Northeast and also historically the oldest capital of Brazil, founded in 1561. The Recife of today remains at the forefront, with projects like the Digital Port - a collection of a hundred companies that make the city a major centre of digital technology in the country. The city has also long been known for its intense and unique cultural production which fuse the modern and traditional.

With nearly 1.5 million residents, and seaside and inland districts, the state capital is characterised by a happy combination of beaches, history and culture that attract millions of tourists.

The Arena Pernambuco, built in the metropolitan region of Recife, was completed in April 2013 and received three matches of the Confederations Cup. The arena has a capacity of 46,000 people and will host five matches in the 2014 World Cup. The multipurpose stadium was designed and constructed so that after the World Cup, it will host shows, conventions and other events.

FORTALEZA The state of Ceará, whose capital is Fortaleza, has the privilege of having a pleasant climate, that is not as humid or hot as other regions. The coast reaches average highs of of 27 ° C, while the mountains and backcountry are colder, reaching 20 ° C. A state of great cultural wealth that gave Brazil writers like José de Alencar and Raquel de Queiroz. It is also the birthplace of great Brazilian humorists, as Renato Aragão, Chico Anísio and Tom Cavalcante, and poets like Patativa do Assaré.

Music is another very interesting cultural aspect of Ceará, with rhythms ranging from forró to MPB with more famous names like Fagner, Belchior, Amelinha and Ednardo. Also from the region, Eleazar de Carvalho, in turn, is one of the most renowned Brazilian maestros.

For the 2014 World Cup, the city’s Castelão Arena was the first of 12 arenas in Brazil to be delivered. It has 63,903 seats and received an investment of R$ 518.6 million. The stadium will host six matches: four games in the first round, one of the Brazilian team, plus two eliminatory matches.

NATAL One of the most famous and popular with Brazilian tourists, and a growing number of foreigners. The coast of Rio Grande do Norte State sits on the corner to the Atlantic, on top of Brazil, and offers visitors stunning scenery, bathed by clear and warm waters, in which you can relax in natural pools at low tide. The coastline stretches for over 400 km and the state capital is Natal.

Hosting four matches of the first round of the World Cup, the Dunas Arena in Natal will have capacity for 42 thousand people during the World Cup and 32,000 after the tournament.

The stadium will feature two screens, state of the art sound system, VIP lounges, 40 cabins with exclusive bathrooms, restaurants, a gym and commercial spaces. The multipurpose arena was designed to hold conventions, exhibitions and national and international shows.

WORLD CUP 2014 Photos: Divulgation

brasilobserver.co.uk 13

RECIFE - DON’T MISS Patio de São Pedro Cultural Complex This is listed as cultural heritage area thanks to for architectural beauty, with the eighteenth century buildings and houses preserved houses with original features.

Boa Viagem

This beach is the main ‘postcard’ site of the city, with a stretch of approximately 8km of beach and warm, clear waters with an extensive range of reefs, forming natural pools at low tide.

Old Recife

This is the historic centre, with plenty of relics of the city, featuring the Church of Pilar, Church and Convent of the Mother of God, the Apollo Theatre, Train Station and Fort of Brum. Though it isn’t just an outdoor museum, the neighbourhood also houses bars, restaurants, nightclubs, There is also a large handicraft Market, in addition to ‘point zero’ at which the city was first founded and the first synagogue in the Americas, the Kahal Zur Israel, built in 1637 by Jews who came from Amsterdam to live in Recife.

Monastery of São Bento

The Church has the richest collection of gold plated relics within its sacristy. The collection is baroque style and dates back to the sixteenth century.

Palace of Frevo

Here visitors can get information to better understand this music and dance manifestation featuring umbrellas that is ubiquitous with Recife culture.

FORTALEZA - DON’T MISS Surrounded by white dunes of fine sand, Fortaleza attracts to enjoy its beaches. Its metropolitan area offers seaside areas filled with restaurants and bars, which turn the day into a gastronomical experience.

Dragão do Mar

Symbol of the rich culture of Ceará, this cultural centre is home to the Museum of Contemporary Art, Rubens de Azevedo Planetarium and Culture of Ceará Memorial. There are also squares for craft areas and shows, a library, planetarium, theatre and cinemas. Not to mention the bars and restaurants which have taken up residence in historic buildings.

Beira-Mar Avenue

Getting around the Beira-Mar Avenue, which links the beaches of Iracema, Meireles and Mucuripe can be difficult but it’s pretty unavoidable. It’s always the point of fever of Fortaleza, day or night.

Central Market of Fortaleza

An opportunity to bask in the culture and life of Ceará. With many delicacies and artesnanal crafts, it’s a great place to learn about the work of the “rendeiras” who create exquisite lace.

The Sunrise or Sunset Coast

Take a buggy ride through the Sunrise or Sunset Coast to see the beaches as Aquiraz, Caponga Beberibe on one side and Cumbuco, Treiri and Lagoinha on the other.

NATAL - DON’T MISS Forte dos Reis Magos Arguably one of the strongest symbols of the city, the fort was the first construction in Natal started in 1598. Its strategic location was chosen to protect the territory from foreign invasions.

Handicraft

Anyone who likes to buy souvenirs will love the Natal handicraft markets. At Ponta Negra there are several also that sell local beverages, dried food and other items that you cannot find in other cities.

Pitangui Lagoon

Pitangui Lagoon is about 35km from Natal but is well worth the trip as it is a perfect place to relax. Taking in the scenery and visiting the bar is an interesting way to have fun.

Careca Hill

This is the main ‘postcard’ place of Natal. Careca Hill is is a sand dune on the edge of Ponta Negra beach where people used to practice sorts like sand boarding. Currently it is forbidden to climb the dune, but it’s still interesting to visit both by day and night when different lights catch the white sand.

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CONECTANDO

BRAZILIAN VIBES IN MY MOTHERLAND At this moment in time, I can most definitely say that I am doing what I love and that I’d like to continue until the day my senses fade away. I know this sounds a bit dramatic, but could it perhaps be excused considering I’ve been in the karmic land of India for just under three years? Since moving here, I’ve been promoting global underground sounds, inspired by my past experiences and the growing Indian music market, though this wasn’t my initial intention.

I moved to India, my Motherland, in order to “get a sense of the creative scene here”.

A very general itinerary sure, but I was at a point in life where I had the freedom and confidence come here and see what would happen.

When I initially moved, I enjoyed the sensory overload of varied talent and vast potential, and as time went on I dug deeper and found even more satisfaction. I began to take note of people creating their own sound and taking inspiration from outside, however I felt there was a lack of new “world sounds” on the radio and at live venues.

This frustrated me as I often thought about how well music with local roots and global influence would be received here.

While I realise this is done to a small-degree, predominantly in the space of folk-music, Indian listeners do not get to sample the fresher sounds of Afro Hou-

se and Sambass like I had seen their British enjoy.

So when I heard that the Angolan Kuduro group Buraka Som Sistema and Seun Kuti (the son of legendary musician Fela Kuti) were coming to Delhi, I was surprised and elated to know that there could actually be a market for these sounds here.

Both shows took place at Blue Frog, the most well-known music venue in India, and both, as expected were very high in energy! But the best bit was the way the crowd responded, it didn’t matter that they didn’t understand the lyrics, they simply lost themselves in the infectious rhythm. It was these inspirational events that made me realise I had to get back to what I’d been doing in Nottingham seven years before - promotion rare sounds and musical gems from round the world.

Back in my Notts-days I had a lot of fun - maybe too much fun, it’s really not a cliché when they say your college days are your best! During this time, I lived in Brazil for a period of time as I specialised in Portuguese in my degree. Needless to say I loved it, especially as part of my time was spent promoting Indian culture at the Cinema Nosso, a charity set-up by the inspirational Fernando Meirelles.

While there I immersed myself in the music culture, connected with a lot of talent and picked up many sounds.

On returning to Nottingham I

felt the need to do something with this new music. With an active music scene, the local radio played a broad range of genres but not so much world music so I saw this as my chance to share my loves and musically inspire others. I recorded my demo (over and over again) in the hope of getting a show slot on URN, and boom - it worked. Every Sunday for a year I spent my day sharing good world vibes to the good community of Nottingham.

Fast-forward several years in to India and I’m in a state of deja-vu as I host a weekly radio show, DJ and write to explore the global underground. The radio station is a godsend, it’s one of the only Indian stations where the sounds aren’t dominated

by Bollywood and Commercial music. While there’s nothing wrong with that music, I believe the music door needs to open a little wider.

One of my favourite collaborations on the show was a recent special with the Brazilian embassy and two labels I hold in immense esteem, Mr. Bongo and Far Out Records. The special focused on rare and classic 60s and 70s Brazilian sounds.

The aim was to go beyond the surface of Brazilian music during this period. Much of the response was “interesting” which could be interpreted either way but if it’s getting people here to open up and listen, that’s step one.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE? Conectando is a project developed by the Brasil Observer that aims to put into practice the concept of ‘glocal’ communication, helping a local story find a global audience of readers. You can be involved too, just send your story to us! Find out how to get involved by contacting conectando@brasilobserver.co.uk.

From London to Delhi, with some moments in Brazil, Amrisha Prashar explores and promotes global underground sounds

By Amrisha Prashar – from Delhi, India

Photo: Personal archive

Amrisha doing what she does best: playing music

g

Keep in touch: www.iamrisha.com www.soundcloud.com/iamrisha www.facebook.com/iamrisha

brasilobserver.co.uk 15

Brasil Observer

GUIDE

In a very inspiring partnership between British and Brazilian artists Graeae and Circo Crescer e Viver present Belonging, a pioneering collaborative performance as part of CircusFest 2014. >> Read our exclusive interview with co-director Vinicius Daumas on pages 16&17 Graeae e Circo Crescer e Viver apresentam o espetáculo Belonging na edição 2014 do CircusFest, em Londres, em uma parceria entusiasmante entre artistas brasileiros e britânicos. >> Leia nas páginas 16 e 17 Photo: Divulgation

16 brasilobserver.co.uk

By Gabriela Lobianco

CIRCUS FESTIVAL ROUNDS UP BRAZIL AND THE UK

“It will be a spectacle of great technical, aesthetic and artistic quality. What differentiates us from other circuses is that our cast is made up of people with physical disabilities. Regardless of this, we always want the audience to be touched by the performances and watch because it’s very good”.

It was with this passionate declaration that Vinicius Daumas, artistic director of Circo Crescer e Viver, spoke exclusively to Brasil Observer ahead of the troupe’s show Belonging, which takes place from 15 to 19 April at the Roundhouse, Camden, as part of the international celebration of contemporary circus, Circusfest.

Belonging is the result of a collaboration between the Brazilians from the Circo Crescer e Viver and the English from the Graeae Theatre Company, with the co-direction of Vinicius Daumas and Jenny Sealey from each company. The title of the show was chosen to represent how the two groups “belong to each other”, a theme which is developed throughout the performances.

Tina Carter

Photo: Juliana Chalita

A shot from the ‘work in progress’ presentation in November 2013

Por Gabriela Lobianco

FESTIVAL CIRCENSE TRAZ PARCERIA ENTRE BRASIL E REINO UNIDO

“Será um espetáculo de ótima qualidade técnica, estética e artística. O contraste é que escolhemos um elenco diferenciado, pessoas com deficiências físicas. Independentemente disso, queremos que o público seja tocado pelos números apresentados; e que assistam porque é muito bom”. Foi com essa declaração apaixonada que o diretor artístico do Circo Crescer e Viver, Vinicius Daumas, explicou com exclusividade ao Brasil Observer a escolha da trupe que compõe a atração “Belonging”, que será apresentada de 15 a 19 de abril na Roundhouse, em Londres, como parte integrante do festival internacional de circo contemporâneo, o Circusfest.

“Belonging” é fruto de uma colaboração entre brasileiros do Circo Crescer e Viver e ingleses da Graeae Theatre Company – com direções de Daumas e da inglesa Jenny Sealey, diretora artística do Graeae. Embora não haja tradução literal para o título da peça, fica subentendido que os dois grupos “pertencem uns aos outros”.

brasilobserver.co.uk 17 The artists from different cultures (six British and ten Brazilians) and with different impairments, explore their individuality and connection to each other, using the theatrical backdrop of the magical circus ring to represent wholeness. With plenty of circus acts like juggling, tricks with hoops and trapeze arts, communication between the cast is in four languages: Portuguese, English and Brazilian and British sign languages.

After the London premiere, the show will be presented to the Brazilian public in May, with a performance in Rio de Janeiro as part of an initiative between the Circo Crescer e Viver and the M’Baraká studio.

COMMON IDEAS The partnership between Daumas and Sealey only began in November 2013 when Sealey visited Brazil.

Together, they developed a qualification in circus skills for people with disabilities. After an initial 10 day workshop, their first show, A Festa (which means The Party) was presented on 4 December 2013, in Rio.

After this promising start, and with the support of an extensive network of partners, such as the People’s Palace Projects, the Dance Company of Viviane Macedo and the British Council, the pair focussed on creating a more ambitious presentation and Belonging started to take shape.

As Sealey explained, both her and Daumas’ circus companies have a similar social mission to improve access to culture and social rights. “It was a profound encounter that inspired this integration project and I think this comes at a time of dramatic shift in public attitudes towards disability.” As a director with an international reputation for her pioneering work in widening participation in theatre, Sealey was involved in the planning and presentation of the opening ceremony of the Paralympics Games in London 2012.

ACCESSIBILITY AND DIVERSITY According to the decree of Brazilian Law Number 5,296, accessibility in relation to disability means “the conditions and possibilities to reach and use public

and private buildings, their spaces, furniture and urban equipment, with security and autonomy, and as independently as possible.”

Daumas points to the importance of understanding that accessibility is not restricted to people who have long-standing physical disabilities. “A woman in late pregnancy or a senior person with mobility difficulties are examples of people who need to have better accessibility to spaces”. For him, it is extremely important to understand that “people are people” and that in order to represent diversity, adaptations are necessary because no two human beings are the same.

Unlike other circus events that are aimed at children, Belonging has been created for audiences of any age, background and ability. In this genuinely original production, sign language, audio descriptions, the original soundtrack and set design unite brilliantly to engage the audience. If you want to see something different and truly inspiring, you should make yourself part of the Belonging experience.

Photo: Juliana Chalita

GRAEAE AND CIRCO CRESCER E VIVER PRESENT ‘BELONGING’ Dates: Tuesday 15 – Saturday 19 April 2014 Times: 7.45pm Price: £15 Tickets: 0844 482 8008 Venue: Roundhouse, London Info: www.roundhouse.org.uk

Jenny Sealey Vinicius Daumas

Assim, os artistas (seis britânicos e dez brasileiros) de diferentes culturas – formados por surdos, cegos e cadeirantes – exploram a individualidade e a conexão entre si, pela magia do picadeiro. Os números circenses envolvem truques com aros, trapézios e sedas. Além disso, a comunicação do elenco ocorre em quatro línguas: português, inglês e linguagem de sinais brasileira e britânica.

Depois da estreia em Londres, o espetáculo será apresentado ao público brasileiro em maio, no Rio de Janeiro, como parte de uma iniciativa entre o Circo Crescer e Viver e o estúdio M’Baraká.

IDEIAS COMUNS A parceria de Daumas e Sealey começou em novembro de 2013, com a visita de Jenny ao Brasil. Em conjunto, o Circo Crescer e Viver e o Graeae Theatre Company desenvolveram um projeto de qualificação e habilidades circenses para pessoas com deficiências físicas. A partir de um workshop de 10 dias o espetáculo “A Festa” foi apresentado no dia 4 de dezembro de 2013, no Rio de Janeiro.

Depois desse pontapé inicial – e com o suporte de uma ampla rede de parceiros, como o People’s Palace Projects, a Cia. de Dança Viviane Macedo e o British Council – “Belonging” foi se moldando.

Como explicou Daumas, as duas instituições têm como propósito uma missão social semelhante, de acesso à cultura e direitos sociais: “Foi um encontro profundo que inspirou esse projeto de integração entre nós e estimula uma mudança de paradigmas na sociedade”.

Diretora de reputação internacional pelo trabalho pioneiro de acessibilidade no teatro, Sealey foi responsável, com Bradley Hemmings, pela cerimônia de abertura dos Jogos Paralímpicos de Londres 2012.

ACESSIBILIDADE E DIVERSIDADE Segundo o decreto da Lei Brasileira nº 5.296 do dia 2 de dezembro de 2004, acessibilidade são “as condições e possibilidades de alcance para utilização, com segurança e autonomia, de edificações públicas, privadas e particulares, seus espaços, mobiliários e

equipamentos urbanos, proporcionando a maior independência possível e dando ao cidadão deficiente ou àqueles com dificuldade de locomoção, o direito de ir e vir a todos os lugares que necessitar, seja no trabalho, estudo ou lazer, o que ajudará e levará à reinserção na sociedade”.

Daumas aponta a importância de entender que a acessibilidade não está restrita às pessoas que tenham deficiências físicas. “Uma grávida no final da gestação ou um idoso com dificuldades de locomoção são exemplos de pessoas que precisam de acessibilidade.” Para ele, é extremamente importante entender que “pessoas são pessoas”. Por mais diversidade que exista, é normal ter que se adaptar, porque nenhum ser humano é igual, apesar das semelhanças.

Nessa produção, a linguagem de sinais e a descrição de áudio, a trilha sonora original e o trabalho cenográfico primoroso unem-se de forma brilhante com o público. Vinicius Daumas acredita que o circo é para audiências de todas as idades: “não é voltado para o publico infantil, mas também não é restrito”.

18 brasilobserver.co.uk

NINETEEN EIGHT-FOUR

UK SINGS TO THE TUNES OF OLD AND NEW BRAZIL

REINO UNIDO CANTA OS SONS DO ANTIGO E DO NOVO BRASIL

By Ricardo Somera

Por Ricardo Somera

We Brazilians have always loved the UK and its culture especially the music, but in recent years, we have been privileged to see this reciprocated with many new Brazilian artists coming to the UK and helping the British understand the true “Brazilian Soul”.

The growing number of UK performances by our artists seems to show that the “gringos” are loving it. Gaby Amarantos, Criolo, Gilberto Gil and Lucas Santanna are just some acts who have played sell out gigs recently. And now a new batch of artists, as it should be, are on their way so here I give you two stand out acts that reflect our African roots, the essential characteristic of all that is truly Brazilian.

By the time you read this column, the rapper from Curitiba, Karol Conka will have already had the hipsters of Shoreditch jumping and singing at her first show in London, showcasing her album Batuk Freak (read our profile of this exciting new singer on pages 8 and 9).

The album, which featured among the best of the year according to top blogs and Brazilian magazines, gained an underground following after Conka released the single Boa Noite, a unique mixture of hip-hop and Candomblé, an Afro-Brazilian religion. Some months later, in partnership with producer Boss in Drama, Conka reached the mainstream with the hit Toda Doida (which means something like All Crazy), which was an instant online hit on streaming sites like iTunes, Deezer and Rdio (note: we do not have Spotify in Brazil!)

Batuk Freak is one of those albums that has Brazilian authenticity and creativity in a mixture of sacred and profane, luxury and ghetto, and the connection of the new Brazil with African tradition. After London, Conka was heading for shows in other European capitals. The album was released by Mr. Bongo Records, which does an excellent job of spreading new Brazilian music (www.mrbongo.com).

Os brasileiros sempre amaram o Reino Unido e sua cultura – principalmente a musical. Mas, nos últimos anos, temos tido o privilégio de acompanhar a consolidação do caminho inverso: muitos novos artistas brasileiros têm pisado na terra da Rainha para fazer os britânicos entenderem o que realmente significa “Brazilian soul”.

Pelo número crescente de shows que nossos artistas têm feito por aqui, dá para deduzir que os gringos estão amando. Gaby Amarantos, Criolo, Gilberto Gil e Lucas Santanna são apenas alguns exemplos de cantores que tiveram ingressos esgotados.

Uma nova leva, como não poderia deixar de ser, está a caminho – e aqui darei dois destaques que se assemelham pelas raízes africanas, característica essencial de tudo que é verdadeiramente brasileiro, ou seja, miscigenado.

Quando você estiver lendo esta coluna, a raper curitibana Karol Conka já terá feito os hipsters de Shoreditch pularem e cantarem no seu primeiro show em Londres, apresentando o álbum “Batuk Freak” (leia o perfil da cantora brasileira nas páginas 8 e 9 desta edição).

O álbum, que entrou na lista dos principais blogs e revistas brasileiras entre os melhores do ano, começou a mostrar sua cara após o lançamento do single “Boa Noite”, numa mistura de hip-hop e candomblé. Alguns meses depois, em parceria com o produtor Boss in Drama, alcançou o mainstream com o hit “Toda Doida”, que colocou a guria nas principais paradas de streaming como iTunes, Deezer e Rdio – ainda não temos Spotify no Brasil...

“Batuk Freak” é daqueles álbuns que tem a autenticidade e criatividade brasileira numa mistura de sagrado e profano, luxo e gueto, além da conexão do novo Brasil com a tradição africana. Depois de Londres, Conka partiu para shows em outras capitais europeias.

Seu álbum foi lançado pela Mr. Bongo Records, que tem feito um excelente trabalho da divulgação da nova música brasileira (para mais informações acesse o site www.mrbongo.com).

Photo: Divulgation

SOUND OF THE SLAVES

SOM DO QUILOMBO

My second highlight is an album called Siriá – Mestre Cupijó e seu ritmo, recently released by German label Analog Africa, and distributed in the UK by Proper Distribution.

Siriá, from which the album takes its name, is a Brazilian dance originating from the municipality of Cametá, in the Northern State of Pará. The dance is created an expression of love, seduction and gratitude for Indians and African slaves before an event. For them it is something supernatural and miraculous.

The elements are the same used in the traditional dance called “carimbó”, but with larger and more varied developments.

Joaquim Maria Dias de Castro, who became known as the Master Cupijó, was born in Cametá in 1936 (he died in 2012) and began studying music at age 12. His greatest cultural contribution was reinventing the “siriá”, ensuring that the sound did not disappear by speeding up the beat and developing the arrangements to include more instruments. His kind of “siriá” was a huge success in Brazil during the 1970s and songs in this style were recorded by Fafa de Belem and Roberto Leal, two great singers.

The new album, Siriá – Mestre Cupijó e seu ritmo features 14 songs recorded between 1975 and 1982 (you can find more at www.facebook.com/AnalogAfrica).

O meu segundo destaque vai para um álbum recém-lançado pelo selo alemão Analog Africa, e distribuído no Reino Unido pela Proper Distribution: “Siriá – Mestre Cupijó e seu ritmo”.

O siriá é uma dança brasileira originária do município de Cametá, no Estado do Pará. É considerada uma expressão de amor, de sedução e de gratidão para os índios e para os escravos africanos ante um acontecimento. Para eles é algo sobrenatural e milagroso. O seu nome derivou-se de siri, influenciado pelo sotaque dos caboclos e escravos da região. Os elementos são os mesmos utilizados na dança do carimbó, porém com maiores e mais variadas evoluções.

Mestre Cupijó, como ficou conhecido Joaquim Maria Dias de Castro, nasceu em Cametá no ano de 1936 (morreu em 2012) e começou a estudar música aos 12 anos. Sua maior contribuição cultural foi ter reinventado o síria para que o ritmo não desaparecesse, acelerando a batida e incluindo arranjos de sopro. Seu siriá faria sucesso nos anos 1970 e seria gravado por Fafá de Belém e até por Roberto Leal.

O álbum em questão traz 14 músicas gravadas entre 1975 e 1982 – um lançamento e tanto para o verão britânico (mais informações sobre o disco você encontra em www.facebook. com/AnalogAfrica).

Karol Conka and Master Cupijó: two artists that represent the roots of the Brazilian music of yesterday and today

brasilobserver.co.uk 19

GOING OUT Photos: Divulgation

BRAZILIAN FILM FESTIVAL 8-13 May Where Odeon Covent Garden Tickets To be confirmed >> www.brazilianfilmfestival.com

The London edition of the Brazilian Film Festival is back again for its sixth installment, celebrating the best and most recent productions in Brazilian cinema. This year’s event will take at the Odeon in Covent Garden, from 8-13 May. Once again, the film festival has a packed schedule, expressing a riveting collection of Brazilian culture on and off screen, including the feature film, Serra Pelada (dir. Hector Dahlia), a story about the large gold mine located in the south of the Amazon river.

Other highlights include the award winning titles Tatuagem (dir. Hilton Lacerda), a feature about the leader of a theatrical troupe. Many British cinema fans will be interested to City of God: 10 Years Later (dir.

Cavi Borges & Luciano Vidigal), a documentary showing what has changed in the lives of the actors from the 2002 feature film, and also Revelando Sebastiao Salgado (dir. Betse de Paula), the first Brazilian documentary about one of the world´s most admired photographers.

Where Ronnie Scott’s | Tickets £30-£45

Where Rich Mix | Tickets Free

Where Barbican | Tickets £10-£45

>> www.ronniescotts.co.uk

>> www.richmix.org.uk

>> www.barbican.org.uk

EUMIR DEODATO @ RONNIE SCOTTS

DRAMA IN THE MIX 2014

CAETANO VELOSO @ BARBICAN

16-18 April

30 April

27 May

Following last year’s sell out shows, Brazilian-born keyboardist, arranger and producer Eumir Deodato makes a welcome return to Ronnie Scott’s. His successful career has seen him rack up 16 platinum records, while his discography, and all his work as arranger, producer and keyboardist, surpasses over 450 albums. Despite having had such a successful career, the man known as simply ‘Deodato’ will always be best known for his jazz-influenced adaptation of the Richard Strauss’ classical opus, “Also Sprach Zarathustra (the Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey)”.

Drama in the Mix celebrates the creative talents of young people in East London by providing a high-profile writing and acting showcase that gives them to chance to broadcast they work. With guidance from teachers, students in Years 7 to 9 have created their own short radio plays exploring the theme Brazil 2014. The selected entrants have received writing and acting coaching from industry professionals.

The students will showcase their work in front of a live audience and a panel of experts, head down to possibly see the next bright young writers.

As one of the world’s great songwriters and a thrilling live performer, Brazilian superstar Caetano Veloso’s music radiates incredible warmth. His seductive, melodic voice and bossa-nova guitar push Brazilian traditions into exciting realms, and his new album Abraçaço (loosely translates to ‘A Big Warm Hug’), forms the core of this world tour with his band. Caetano is one of Brazil’s cultural heroes, since his experiments with integrating rock and bossa nova in the late sixties made him a key part of the Tropicália movement alongside, Gilberto Gil.

“Desde 1992 servindo a Comunidade Brasileira”

Mudança segura e personalizada!

Horário de Atendimento: Segunda a Sexta das 08:00h às 19:00h Sábados das 09:00h às 12:00h Escritórios em Portugal e Espanha: E-mail: info@packandgo.co.uk

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Mudança Doméstica e Internacional

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20 anos

Aniversário em 2012 – Vamos celebrar!

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Entre em contato conosco para mais detalhes.

www.packandgo.co.uk 31/08/2012 23:05

20 brasilobserver.co.uk

NEW CANVAS OVER OLD

ART FOR THE PUBLIC Photos: Reproduction

By Kate Rintoul

Over the years, the term “public art” has become a loaded term that has negative connotations. For many people this phrase conjures up the image of large-scale and controversial works that have been paid for by a local council which people are never entirely happy with.

Recently I saw this while in Curitiba. The city is a marvel of successful town planning, the best known part of the Curitiba Master Plan is the pioneering Rapid Bus System, but the city is also famous for its numerous public squares and parks.

One of these is the 19 de Dezembro, which contains not one but three pieces of Public Art, all of which are subject to the same controversy, scrutiny and ridicule like the ones mentioned above.

The most prominent of these is the Naked Man created in 1953 by Erbo Stenzel – intended to symbolise Curitiba taking its first step as the new, free, independent city, ready to face the future.

Behind this there is a granite relief also by Stenzel depicting the history of the city in a fairly brutal social-realist style that is reminiscent of Soviet public art. It is accompanied by a relief also by Stenzel, a painting by Poty Lazzarotto and also a naked woman by Humberto Cozzo.

Because of its position at a busy road intersection, the rise in travel by car and Brazil’s ongoing need to eradicate poverty, the square has a bit of a gloomy atmosphere and is mostly frequented by the homeless rather than a focal point of public life. I have noticed this throughout Brazil - with interesting public art sculptures placed on traffic islands, most commonly seen at speed. I want to know more about the story of these strange icons - who created them and why.

It’s interesting to compare the fate of Stenzel’s Naked Man to that of another two men, located just across the road - a self portrait of Os Gemeos, the world famous graffiti double act. This made me think about the comparisons between Public Art in Brazil and graffiti - which could perhaps be termed as a form of Art for the People.

Graffiti is one of the biggest international artistic movements in Brazil. Rather than being seen as a nuisance, in Brazil people invite street artists to paint on their walls. In Curitiba, vendors in Rua Riachuelo commissioned different artists to express a story about the city on their shutters and if you go early in the morning the street is like an urban art gallery that paints a picture you would never see in a museum.

Such is the success of graffiti in Brazil that we are now seeing a phenomena in which art created for and by the public is extracted from walls and sold for record-breaking prices to private collectors. This kind of proprietorship seems to completely miss the beauty and meaning of graffiti.

I have a tip for anyone in Brazil bemoaning the fact they can’t have their own piece of Os Gemeos - leave the confines of your car and condo and get back onto the street to enjoy all the free art exactly how the artist intended.

As for me, I am going to focus my attentions towards the quieter pieces of Public Art. I will have to look out for high speed vehicles (and maybe the odd crazy person), but I want to discover the forgotten stories and people that fill Brazil’s streets.

brasilobserver.co.uk 21

ARTE PARA O PÚBLICO Kate Rintoul: “Curitiba made me think about the comparisons between Public Art in Brazil and graffiti”

Por Kate Rintoul

Durante os últimos anos, o termo “arte pública” tornou-se uma definição carregada de conotação negativa. Para muitos tal designação se traduz na imagem de trabalhos controversos e de larga escala que foram pagos com dinheiro do contribuinte sem que as pessoas tenham se manifestado totalmente a favor dos mesmos.

Pude ver isso recentemente em Curitiba. A cidade é exemplo de bom planejamento urbano, sendo o famoso corredor de ônibus que corta o município um dos ícones mais evidentes.

Mas os curitibanos podem também tirar proveito dos inúmeros parques e praças públicas.

Um desses lugares é a Praça 19 de Dezembro, que conta com não apenas uma, mas três artes públicas – todas elas vítimas da mesma controvérsia, escrutínio e ridículo como os citados acima.

A mais proeminente peça é o Homem Nu, criado em 1953 por Erbo Stenzel com a intenção de simbolizar os primeiros passos de Curitiba como uma nova cidade livre e independente, pronta para o futuro.

Atrás dele há um relevo de granito também de Stenzel retratando a história da cidade, em um estilo social-realista bastante brutal que é uma reminiscência de arte pública Soviética. É acompanhado por um relevo também de Stenzel, um quadro de Poty Lazzarotto e uma mulher nua por Humberto Cozzo.

Por causa de sua posição – ao lado de um cruzamento movimentado – e da necessidade permanente do Brasil de erradicar a pobreza, a praça tem uma atmosfera meio sombria e é frequentada por moradores de rua, em vez de ser um ponto de vida pública.

Tenho notado bastante isso no Brasil: interessantes esculturas de arte pública colocadas em ilhas de tráfego, mais comumente vistas em velocidade. Eu gostaria de saber mais sobre a história desses ícones estranhos – quem os criou e por quais motivos. É interessante comparar o caso do Homem Nu de Stenzel com o de outros dois homens, localizados do outro lado da rua – um autorretrato de Os Gêmeos, os famosos grafiteiros internacionalmente conhecidos. Fiquei a pensar sobre essa comparação entre arte pública e grafite, ou “graffiti” – que pode na verdade ser classificado como uma forma de arte para o público.

Graffiti é um dos maiores movimentos de arte internacional no Brasil. Mais do que vistos como um desrespeito, aqui as pessoas convidam artistas de rua para pitarem suas paredes.

Em Curitiba, os vendedores da Rua Riachuelo patrocinaram diferentes artistas para expressarem uma história sobre a cidade em suas fachadas e, se você for lá ao início da manhã, a rua é como uma galeria de arte urbana com quadros que você nunca veria em um museu.

Tal é o sucesso do graffiti no Brasil que agora estamos vendo um fenômeno em que a arte criada para e pelo público é extraída de paredes e vendida por preços recordes para colecionadores particulares. Este tipo de propriedade parece perder completamente a beleza e o significado do graffiti.

Eu tenho uma dica para quem no Brasil está lamentando o fato de não poder ter o seu próprio pedaço de Os Germeos: sair dos limites de seu carro e apartamento e voltar para a rua para desfrutar de toda a arte livre exatamente como o artista pretendia.

Quanto a mim, vou concentrar minhas atenções nas peças menos chamativas de arte pública. Quero descobrir as histórias esquecidas das pessoas que enchem as ruas do Brasil.

22 brasilobserver.co.uk

TRAVEL

THREE BEAUTIES IN THE NORTHEAST Photos: Divulgation

Without a doubt, the Northeast of Brazil is home the most beautiful beaches in the country. In fact, there is such an abundance of stunning stretches of sand that it is hard to pick which one is the best. So since we are focusing on Recife, Fortaleza and Natal as part of our Road to the World Cup coverage on pages 12 and 13, we thought we’d focus on the paradisiacal beaches that are close to these North-eastern capital cities.

PORTO DE GALINHAS The allure of the village of Porto de Galinhas, which is just over 80 km from Recife, continues to grow for both Brazilians and foreigners. Every year, 800 thousand tourists arrive there to relax at good hotels (which include comfortable resorts and charming “pousadas”), and enjoy the traditional cuisine and boat rides.

To the delight of those who love shopping, the village alleys are lined with funky stores and modern labels.

All with more attractive prices than other places in the Northeast of Brazil.

A weekend trip will give you enough time to make the so-called “jangada” (a particular kind of boat) ride to the natural pools, have dinner at Beijupirá and get to know the main beaches during a drive on the path known as “end to end”, which goes from Muro Alto to Ponta Maracaípe. For those who have time and are looking for a more relaxing experience, spending a week here is a very good idea.

JERICOACOARA Jericoacoara National Park is located 300 km west of Fortaleza and is home to a wide selection of natural beauty spots and biodiversity. To preserve the illumination from the moon and stars, the town’s sandy streets do not have any streetlights. There is also no access road for the last 15 km, so a 4x4

vehicle is needed.

Jeri, as it is known, is a place out of the ordinary compared to the modern world’s great cities. The streets are covered in sand and the beaches stretch for miles without visual interference. Everything has a slower and more relaxed feel.

Until about 20 years ago, Jeri was just a simple fishing village, isolated to the world, visited only by adventurous travellers and while it has opened up in recent years it still retains its charm. All this does not mean that you will have to deprive yourself of comfort and luxury - you can have almost anything you want in Jeri: from massages to delicious dinners, quiet houses to live music bars and several excellent hotels.

TRAVEL TO THE NORTHEAST

PIPA

Porto de Galinhas: http://goo.gl/S47B9f

Homed to many dolphins and sea turtles, Pipa Beach belongs to the municipality of Tibau do Sul, 80 km from Natal. The village became known as Pipa because of the Pedra do Moleque (a big rock located at the furthermost point of the Afogados beach) looks like a barrel of wine or rum from a distance.

Along the road, prepare to be stunned by pristine beaches with clear and warm waters, white sand dunes, fragrant coconut groves, natural pools, beautiful views, intimate coves and impressive cliffs, some still covered by Atlantic Forest.

There are many activities to give you a different experience of Pipa including: boat rides, buggy, kayaking, horseback riding, and hiking the trails of the Atlantic Forest.

Save some energy for after dark as the nightlife is an attraction in itself.

Cosmopolitan and a lively Pipa folk party until the sun rises.

Pipa really has it all - age old charm combined with efficient infrastructure full of charm and comfort, with hotels, bars, shops and restaurants with international cuisine.

Jericoacoara: www.portaljericoacoara.com.br Pipa: www.pipa.com.br

brasilobserver.co.uk 23

TRÊS BELEZAS DO NORDESTE O Nordeste do Brasil abriga certamente as praias mais bonitas do país.

Difícil dizer, portanto, quais são as melhores. Mas, já que estamos falando nesta edição de Recife, Fortaleza e Natal (leia nas páginas 12 e 13), nada mais justo do que selecionar praias paradisíacas que estejam próximas a essas capitais nordestinas.

PORTO DE GALINHAS O fascínio dos turistas brasileiros e estrangeiros pela vila de Porto de Galinhas, que fica a pouco mais de 80 km de Recife, não para de crescer. Todos os anos, pelo menos 800 mil turistas desembarcam por lá em busca da boa rede hoteleira (com confortáveis resorts e também charmosas pousadinhas), da gastronomia nordestina e dos passeios de bugue e jangada.

Para alegria de quem curte ir às compras, as ruazinhas de terra do vilarejo escondem lojas descoladas, ateliês e grifes modernas. Tudo a preços mais convidativos que em outras concorrentes do Nordeste.

Dois dias são suficientes para fazer o tão falado passeio de jangada às piscinas naturais, assim como jantar no estrelado Beijupirá e ainda conhecer as principais praias durante um passeio de bugue, no trajeto conhecido como “ponta a ponta”, que vai de Muro Alto até a Ponta de Maracaípe. Mas, para quem tempo e quer uma experiência mais relaxante, passar uma semana no local é revigorante.

JERICOACOARA

Porto de Galinhas (1), Jericoacoara (2) and Pipa (3): three of the most beautiful beaches of Brazil

Jericoacoara é um Parque Nacional localizado a 300 km a oeste de Fortaleza.

Reúne um conjunto de belezas naturais de diferentes biomas criando um lugar único. A vila não possui postes de iluminação para preservar a iluminação proveniente da lua e das estrelas, as ruas são de areia e não existe estrada de acesso nos últimos 15 km, portanto é necessário veiculo 4x4 para chegar.

Jeri, como é conhecido, é um lugar fora do comum comparado com o mundo moderno das grandes cidades. As ruas são cobertas de areia e as praias se estendem por quilômetros sem interferências visuais. Tudo tem um toque mais lento e mais descontraído.

Até cerca de 20 anos atrás, Jeri era apenas uma simples vila de pescadores isolada do mundo, visitada somente por viajantes aventureiros. Mas todo isso não quer dizer que você vai ter que se privar do conforto e luxo. Quase tudo que desejar, você pode ter em Jeri: desde massagens a jantares deliciosos, de bares tranquilos a casas com música ao vivo, além de excelentes hotéis.

PIPA Moradia de golfinhos e tartarugas marinhas, a Praia da Pipa pertence ao município de Tibau do Sul, a 80 km de Natal. A vila acabou sendo conhecida por Pipa porque a Pedra do Moleque (situada no ponto mais extremo da praia dos Afogados) parece ao longe como um barril de vinho ou cachaça. Talvez venha daí sua propriedade em “entontecer” os aventureiros e turistas do mundo todo.

E é de entontecer mesmo! Ao longo da estrada você se depara com praias de águas claras e mornas, imensos coqueirais, piscinas e mirantes naturais, imponentes falésias ainda cobertas pela Mata Atlântica, dunas branquíssimas, enseadas, despenhadeiros.

Lá se pode fazer de tudo: passeios de barcos, de bugue, caiaque ou a cavalo, além de caminhadas pelas trilhas da Mata Atlântica. Inclusive este é um de seus encantos: consegue conciliar um cenário deslumbrante e um roteiro de tirar o fôlego a uma infra-estrutura cheia de charme e conforto, com pousadas, bares, lojinhas e restaurantes de gastronomia com nível internacional.

A noite é uma atração à parte. Cosmopolita e agitada a balada pipense requer energia, pois dura pelo menos até o sol nascer.

24 brasilobserver.co.uk

HAPPY ASTROLOGIC NEW YEAR

MIND & SOUL FELIZ ANO NOVO ASTROLÓGICO

By Clarice Friedmann

Por Clarice Friedmann

The Zodiac has closed its cycle in Pisces and begins its tour in Aries.

Aries is the first sign of the Astrological New year, the beginner. This gives Aries the same energy as a child who has just discovered their ability to run. The Aryans have a warm heart and restless hands. For all star signs, this period brings a contagious desire to start new ideas.

Dazzled by the joy of life and governed by the Fire element, Arians are adventurous. They are the sowers of new ideas. planting seed after seed, sometimes it has to be said, without taking the duty to care for their growth. As the Bull, Aries aries is powerful and initiate action and can also possess the patience and strength to provide resources for its development.

Aries is ruled by the red planet: Mars. Mythologically known as the planet of war, this can have the astrological characteristics of being impulsive.

Mars represents some of our strongest emotional experiences - the feeling of blood rushing to your head, the giddy feeling of love, primary conflict and the fight for ideals. Mars is also the lover of Venus and father of cupid - he knows his wars can lie in the bed of desire and love, momentarily forgetting his battles.

Currently Mars is in Libra, one of the houses of his lover Venus, the planet that rules the sign of balance. As an air sign and sitting on the other side of the astrological cycle of fiery of Aries the signs are complementary opposites that attract. Mars in Libra stirs the desire, the courage and the fire of renewal.

Currently this position opposes Uranus in Aries.

Astrological aspect brings energetic explosions and can cause people to use more than his physical strength. Mars is iron and fire, electric Uranus is a planet combination that feeds back thought. Mars represents Individuality and Uranus Freedom. This set of astrological aspects favours transformations, increasing the need to change.

People should take this moment of Uranus’ influence to use their creativity, which is one of the most natural and visceral qualities of native April.

To live is to expend energy so seize the energies of the ram.

O zodíaco fechou seu ciclo em Peixes e reinicia seu giro em Áries. Áries é o primeiro signo, a primeira casa, o iniciante. Tem a energia de uma criança que acaba de descobrir sua capacidade de correr. Os arianos têm o coração quente e as mãos inquietas. Seu período traz um contagiante desejo de dar começo a novas ideias.

Deslumbrados com o viver e pelo que há após a colina, arianos são aventureiros e regidos pelo elemento Fogo. Semeadores de novas ideias plantam semente após semente sem portar em si o dever de cuidar do seu crescimento. Áries tem a característica de iniciar ações, Touro, signo seguinte, possui paciência e a força de prover recursos para seu desenvolvimento.

Signo regido pelo planeta vermelho: Marte. Mitologicamente conhecido como o planeta da guerra, conferindo características astrológicas impulsivas ao mês de Abril. A guerra de Marte é o sangue subindo à cabeça, o movimento do amor, os conflitos primários e a luta por ideais. Marte é amante de Venus, pai de cupido. Ele sabe deitar sua guerra no leito do desejo e do amor, esquecendo-se momentaneamente de suas batalhas.

Atualmente Marte está em Libra, uma das casas de sua amante Venus, planeta que rege o signo da balança e o signo de Touro. Libra venta o fogo de Áries, são signos opostos complementares que se ajudam ou aprontam juntos. Marte em Libra nos atiça o desejo, a coragem e o fogo da renovação. Atualmente esta posição se opõe a Urano em Áries. Aspecto astrológico que traz explosões energéticas e pode fazer com que as pessoas utilizem mais de sua força física.

Marte é de ferro e fogo, Urano é um planeta elétrico, combinação que retroalimenta o pensamento.

Individualidade (Marte) e Liberdade (Urano). Este conjunto de aspectos astrológicos favorece transformações, aumentando o fôlego para mudanças. Áries é arquetipicamente representado por um Carneiro, animal de muita fome. As pessoas devem aproveitar esse momento de influência ventiladora de Urano para usar de sua criatividade que é uma das mais naturais e viscerais qualidades dos nativos de Abril.

Viver é expender energia, aproveitemos as energias do carneiro.

FOOD

CREAMY HOT CHOCOLATE

By Luciane Sorrino

We’ve all been enjoying the sunny weather recently but the evenings are still a little cold. Make the most of the chill and make the last of this season’s hot chocolates one to remember with this luxurious recipe.

I N G R E D I E N T S

I N G R E D I E N T E S

2 cups milk 2 tbsp corn flour 4 tablespoons good quality cocoa powder 4 tablespoons sugar 1 cinnamon stick 200ml double cream

2 xícaras (chá) de leite 2 colheres (sopa) de amido de milho 4 colheres (sopa) de cacau em pó 4 colheres (sopa) de açúcar 1 canela em pau 200g creme de leite

P R E P A R A T I O N

P R E P A R A Ç Ã O

In a blender, whisk the milk, corn flour with cocoa powder and sugar. Pour into a saucepan with the cinnamon and cook over low heat, stirring constantly until it just comes to a boil - be careful not to scold the milk. Turn off the heat, add the cream and stir well until smooth. Remove the cinnamon and serve hot.

Em um liquidificador, bata o leite, amido com o cacau em pó e o açúcar. Despeje em uma panela com a canela e leve ao fogo baixo, mexendo sempre até ferver.

Desligue, adicione o creme de leite e mexa bem até ficar homogêneo. Retire a canela e sirva quente.

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