Brasil Observer #32 - EN

B R A S I L O B S E R V E R LONDON EDITION

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

SUMMARY 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20 21 24 26 28 30

IN FOCUS Global Warming: Brazil sets ambitious targets to reduce emissions

LONDON EDITION

GUEST COLUMNIST Caudio Fernandes writes about the challenges of Agenda 2030 Is a montlhy publication of ANAGU UK UM LIMITED funded by

PROFILE Ana Toledo interviews the professor and producer Paul Heritage GLOBAL BRAZIL Brazilian teenagers participate in UN General Assembly

ANA TOLEDO Operational Director ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

BR-UK CONNECTION Creative economy dialogues bring Brazil and the UK together BRASILIANCE End of corporate financing of election campaigns tests the Republic

GUILHERME REIS Editorial Director guilherme@brasilobserver.co.uk

BRASILIANCE Brazilian banking system, the lord of fiscal adjustment Challenges and opportunities for clean energy production in Brazil

ROBERTA SCHWAMBACH Financial Director roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

CONECTANDO In Goiania, music festival goes against local stereotypes

ENGLISH EDITOR Shaun Cumming shaun@investwrite.co.uk

NOW How young people from Rio and London create cultural alternatives

LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Jean Peixe peixe@brasilobserver.co.uk

GUIDE Icon of the Brazilian Tropicalia movement, Os Mutantes hits London

CONTRIBUTORS Ana Beatriz Freccia Rosa, Aquiles Rique Reis, Franko Figueiredo, Gabriela Lobianco, Nadia Kerecuk, Ricardo Somera, Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

SPECIAL CONTENT Zaza Oliva puts her eyes on what happened at London Fashion Week CULTURAL TIPS Exhibitions, films and concerts with Brazilian flavour in London

PRINTER St Clements press (1988 ) Ltd, Stratford, London mohammed.faqir@stclementspress.com 10.000 copies

COLUMNISTS Franko Figueiredo on Brazilian play writer Nelson Rodrigues Aquiles Reis on the new album of Ná Ozzetti and Zé Miguel Wisnik TRAVEL An incredible journey to Foz do Iguaçu, the water’s paradise

DISTRIBUTION Emblem Group Ltd.

COVER ART

Rimon Guimarães

flickr.com/photos/rimon

The art of Rimon Guimarães comes to existence by his experiences with the urban surroundings he finds himself in. The stressful city and his dissatisfaction about the actual situation in the world inspire him to make a statement against mass politics and capitalist publicity which promote their greedy politics without truly caring about the people. With his art in public space Rimon wants to take people away from their monotonous daily routines and provoke them to see the street as a place where they can exchange experiences instead of seeing it only as a pass-through. The work of Rimon Guimarães is a combination of design, performing art, video and music. Rimon participated in R.U.A. in 2012 and several collective and exhibitions in Brazil, Belgium, Argentina and Germany to name but a few.

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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BRAZILIAN FROM THE TREE TO THE CUP.

80% of the world’s coffee is produced in Brasil. When one hears about italian, french or even portuguese or german coffee, it is probably brasilian. Most of Brazil’s quality arabica coffee production is exported as raw material to be processed in destination countries. However Cereja Coffee is grown, sorted and roasted in Mogiana Paulista where the tradition of producing excellent coffee dates back 200 years.

In this region today there are many smallholders farming in mountainous terrain where much of the work has to be done by hand using age old methods as it is inaccessible for machinery. The passion of past generations is still alive and we never forget that it was coffee that brought us to this region in first place. It is with this same passion that our coffee now travels a different path, just to be with you and show how a brazilian coffee really should taste. Cereja Coffee beans or ground is available at: cerejacoffee.com

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

IN FOCUS

BRAZIL SUBMITS CARBON EMISSIONS TARGETS red the goal as clear sign of commitment of Brazil. “Eventually we may have fallen short for some, but I would say that what matters is the commitment of Brazil and signalling to the world that, in fact, it is committed to this agenda,” he said.

Despite the impressive goals regarding renewable energy, analysts have pointed out that the reforestation goals in Brazil could be increased from 12 million hectares to 20 million and that the country must do more on deforestation.

The Brazilian action plan commits to zero illegal deforestation in 2030, but seems to be a step back from an earlier commitment to end illegal logging in 2015. The plan also does not suggest what will be done with other types of deforestation (not only illegal). As noted by the Environmental Defense Fund: “These goals can only be achieved if Brazil sustain the 80% reduction in Amazon deforestation by 2020, as stated in the National Climate Change Policy, approved by Congress in 2009”. A number of groups have pointed out that Brazil should commit to zero deforestation from all sources (legal and illegal) in 2030.

The promise is also scarce on emissions from the agricultural sector.

The Climate Observatory, a group of NGOs in Brazil, suggested that the country could move further on reducing greenhouse gas emissions to keep global temperature rise below 2 degrees Celsius. For them, emissions could be reduced by 57% compared to 2005 levels by eliminating deforestation and the significant expansion of wind and solar energy.

With the expectation of reaching a global agreement at the Climate Conference in Paris, in December, Brazil’s commitment to the sustainable development agenda is a good starting point for more ambitious actions to be achieved.

DIVULGATION

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Brazil’s goals to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases are 37% by 2025 and 43% by 2030. The announcement was made by President Dilma Rousseff during the United Nations Conference on the Post-2015 Development Agenda in New York. The base year used for calculations, according to her, is 2005.

Rousseff pointed out that the numbers will be brought to the Climate Conference in Paris as commitment of the Brazilian government. The president also cited what she called the ambitious targets for the energy sector, especially the guarantee of 45% of renewable sources in the total energy mix (see chart). Worldwide, the average is 13%. Other announcements made by Dilma include the participation of 66% of water source in electricity generation; the participation of 23% from renewable sources, wind, solar and biomass in generating electricity; the 10% increase in the electrical efficiency; and the participation of 16% of fuel ethanol and other sources derived from sugarcane in the total energy mix.

“Brazil is one of the few developing countries to take on an absolute emissions reduction goal. We have one of the largest populations and GDP in the world and our goals are equally or more ambitious than those of developed countries,” said Rousseff.

Jorge Chediek, coordinator of the United Nations System in Brazil and representative of United Nations Development Programme, the Brazilian proposal exceeded expectations. “We were impressed not only by ambitious goal, but the extent that Brazil is proposing in terms of introducing more sustainable energy in the energy mix, incorporating more elements of the elimination of illegal logging,” he said.

The president of the Brazilian Global Pact Network, André Oliveira, conside-

Brazil pledges to reduce emissions combating deforestation and increasing share of renewable sources

MARCOS BESSA/EMBASSY OF BRAZIL

AGENDA g

INNOVATE IN BRASIL 29 October The Telegraph Business Event held in London the seminar Innovate in Brazil, in partnership with the Brazil’s Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade and Apex-Brazil, the Brazilian Agency for Investment Promotion. The event will bring together executives from a wide range of industries: ICT, oil and gas, renewable energy and health. Armando Monteiro, Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, will be at the conference, as well as David Barioni Neto, president of ApexBrazil. By invitation only. For more information visit the website www.telegraph.co.uk/innovateinbrasil

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INTERNATIONAL ASPECTS OF DEFENCE POLICY IN BRAZIL 12 & 13 November The purpose of this conference organized by the Brazil Institute at King’s College is to address in a multidisciplinary way the two key points of the Brazilian National Defence Strategy, bringing together politicians, academics and military to discuss the development of science, technology and defence in Brazil and the future of Brazilian participation in UN peacekeeping operations.

Among the conference participants will be the former Minister of Defence and Foreign Relations of Brazil, Celso Amorim. Those interested must register by the payment of 20 pounds via the link https://goo.gl/mGcL1K

Eduardo dos Santos is the new Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom – his third posting to London in a diplomatic career spanning more than 40 years. His previous position was in Brasilia as secretary-general of the Brazilian foreign ministry. He has also served as Ambassador to Uruguay, Switzerland and Paraguay. On 7 September Ambassador dos Santos welcomed guests to the Embassy’s Independence Day celebration.

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

GUEST COLUMNIST

HOW WILL BRAZIL IMPLEMENT THE SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS? The biggest challenge is to put Agenda 2030 on private and public institutions priorities

By Claudio Fernandes

Claudio Fernandes is an economist, advisor at Gestos, Soropositividade, Comunicação e Gênero.

Article originally published in www.brasilnomundo.org.br g

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At the end of September, at the headquarters of the United Nations in New York, presidents and senior officials from 193 countries, including the unprecedented presence of The Pope, spoke about the new Agenda 2030 for Sustainable Development and remembered what the Millennium Development Goals represented for mitigating serious global problems.

In the seventieth session of the UN General Assembly, member states adopted a resolution that represents the possible political consensus for the next 15 years to treat serious problems that affect the world. Eradicating poverty, reduce inequality between and within countries, achieve gender equity, regulate the overcrowded cities, ending the AIDS epidemic, ensure primary education for all children and completely stop deforestation are on the list of social, economic and environmental commitments agreed the in the seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) and their 169 targets.

Even considering the difficulties of the agreement negotiation process, the biggest challenge starts now, which is to put the agenda of sustainable development on private and public institutions priorities so, in fact, be possible to articulate national, state and local policies oriented by SDG, or as it is also known, Agenda 2030.

It is clear that in this implementation process, the adequacy of public budgets in the countries and the way they work with civil society are two fundamental aspects to the success of this endeavour.

In Brazil, to allocate resources for 2016, it’s already necessary to act now, aligning the Multiannual Plan, for example, and starting to prepare the monitoring structures of the SDG. This will be the main indicator of the government’s sincere interest in honouring the commitments made in the General Assembly because, apart from the traditional speeches at the UN, we need government’s general commitment to take this debate to all communities and populations affected by inequalities.

For this to become reality it will be fundamental to change the financing and incentives logic that promote sustainability parameters.

In this sense, one of the expectations of the Grupo de Trabalho da Sociedade Civil (Working Group of Civil Society), a collective of about 60 organizations that follow the post-2015 agenda is the creation of a National Commission to address the SDG. This demand is the result of a mature dialogue process and has been presented numerous times by this working group to the Brazilian government during the negotiations of the post-2015 agenda.

We hope that this committee contemplates multiple spaces for qualified participation of civil society, with multi representations of

federal, state and local governments and that has deliberative efficiency.

Another important issue is that the dispute with the defenders of neo-liberal utilitarianism, who tensed the negotiation process, will continue to be a drag, now in implementation, as formally Agenda 2030 insists that economic growth must be accompanied by income distribution and respect for the environment and vulnerable populations – visibly a distant approach of the Brazilian context.

But this is the solution required not only for Brazil, but for all countries facing the diagnosis that policies aligned to financial deregulation, the public debt, increased pollution caused by emission of organic gases, the expansion of social inequality, increased poverty, wars, hunger, among many other contemporary imbalances are not working.

In fact, the data produced by UN agencies, civil society and academia point out that if there isn’t an urgent global paradigm shift in the current generation, the future of the next generations will be compromised permanently. The current mantra in the hallways and UN meeting rooms is that, for example, “this is the last generation that can do something to reverse the causes of climate change,” a problem that, finally admitted, is a collateral effect of the world’s dominant production and consumption model.

To understand the criticism of the “model”, just observe how the desired patterns were becoming hegemonic, conditioning the social significance of the individual, capturing subjectivities front of repeated symbols in each social space play in a vast network of channels where subliminal messages – buy, acquire, accumulate and then discard and replace – is practically the heart of economic growth-any-cost to achieve this kind of “prosperity”.

On behalf of macroeconomic figures and individual pleasures, lives and territories are hit by the global supply chain – poorly regulated and not transparent – to the dynamics of the world’s centres of consumption.

The importance of this resolution adopted by the UN is that it interacts directly with the current reality of the planet, the countries and the people, characterized by social, economic and ecological breakdowns, unprecedented in recent history.

And it proposes possible solutions ahead of the perception that all crises accumulate and overlap, driven by a multiplicity of interests of countries, groups and powerful people to maintain their hegemonic positions.

One example of this arm wrestling between developed and developing countries in the context of Agenda 2030 was the negotiation process of the third International Conference on Financing for Development, held in July in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The conference, part of the post-2015 process, should have resulted in the identification of funding sources and the SDG means of implementation, currently estimated between 3 and 6 trillion dollars a year. But although the conference has guided the creation of a technology facilitating mechanism and a system for tracking their implementation, it did not indicate additional sources of financing for sustainable development.

No clarity about where the funds will go beyond the current mechanisms for cooperation and direct investments, clearly insufficient, opened the door for the private sector to be protagonist in services and infrastructure, which were States’ responsibilities.

The point here is that we already have examples of how public-private partnerships work in Brazil. Therefore, the implementation of Agenda 2030 will require strict monitoring of these partnerships to really put sustainability at the heart of this political and economic contract.

The agenda for sustainable development, contrary to what is preached and practiced in Brazil, calls for countries to adopt progressive tax policies, seeking cuts to relieve the population with regressive tax on labour and production.

Even the resulting Addis Ababa Action Agenda suggests seeking innovative financing mechanisms, though not explicit that taxes on financial transactions in the capital market is one of the most appropriate measures.

Thus implementing the agreed commitments over the next 15 years will require courage from all countries because the model of the world economy has long been consolidated as a financial dictatorship.

Public budgets devote the largest share of resources to cover the increasing debt interest while austerity policies and the reduction of direct investments undermine economic activity, endangering the stability of countries and jeopardizing the employability of future generations.

In Brazil, regarding the current economic crisis, the federal government must work with the idea of fair taxation and tax progressivity as the neuralgic cell both for the mobilization of new features, such as to continue to reduce social and economic inequalities, including reduced extreme wealth.

This would be the beginning of a possible economic democracy promoted by the sovereign power of the state in collecting and allocating public resources in a fair, efficient and accountable way.

The commitment of Agenda 2030 is agreed at the UN, but its result only time will tell. And in this case the agenda has a monitoring process that includes civil society. The challenge is not small, the huge work, and only together, the satisfaction will be achieved.

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

PROFILE ARQUIVO PESSOAL

PAUL HERITAGE WE HAVE MUCH TO LEARN FROM THE OUTSKIRTS AREAS OF BRAZIL

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By Ana Toledo

Professor at Queen Mary University; international associate at the Young Vic; associate producer at the Barbican; international adviser to Brazil’s Ministry of Culture; artistic director of the People’s Palace Project; and honoured with the title of ‘Cavaleiro da Ordem Rio Branco’ by the Brazilian government. Paul Heritage develops cultural and social projects for over 20 years, strengthening the exchange between Brazil and the United Kingdom.

In an interview with Brasil Observer, Paul, now in Brazil, tells the story of his relationship with the country, projects that are underway, what he is preparing for 2016 and his perceptions about the networks that have formed and still are being formed by this relationship.

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

What are your ongoing projects at the moment?

We had great pleasure in launching Casa Rio in early October. The house belongs to the state of Rio and is where once the Theatre Museum was; it is in Botafogo. We have five large rooms for artistic residencies and three collective spaces for co-working.

This year we have already scheduled activities. The SESI (Industry Social Service) is with a playwriting workshop every Tuesday. We have already received two artists from England, from Battersea Arts Centre and Contact Theatre in Manchester, who attended the event NOW!, promoted by the Youth Agency Networks. In addition, we have the Festival Nova Frequencia, which uses a room as an office until December, when the festival will happen in the house.

At the opening of Casa Rio we launched a call for 2016. Proposals for space occupation – from a week to up to three months – can be made through the site www.casario.rj.gov.br.

I hope the Casa Rio is always a home, not a cultural centre because the house has a special spirit: the relationship with the neighbours is always important in art in general. It is a public space that belongs to the state of Rio. It is important that we do not close our cultural institutions, it is important to be open.

How was the beginning of your relationship with Brazil?

Interesting because the first person who came to the opening of Casa Rio was an exconvict named Edson. When he met me, he said, Paul, do you remember me? I said no.

He explained that we had worked together on a project in 1995, 20 years ago, at the Penitentiary Lemos de Brito in Rio de Janeiro.

He was a prisoner who took part in my first theatre project in Rio. Now he has his own theatre company, created by him.

The story began when I was invited by the British Council to give lectures on Shakespeare in Brazil in 1991. At that time I already worked with prisons in the UK. So all the cities that passed, I visited a penitentiary. In Brasilia, in the famous Papuda, I was invited to do the same project that has already performed in the UK. I returned in 1992 to start an art project in prisons.

I worked in Brasilia and then went to Rio. Everything was growing, but by 2005 had a strong focus on theatre in prisons.

During this period, I started to develop projects with groups already working on the periphery, such as Nós do Morro, Afroreggae, Youth Agency Networks, which make a huge difference in cultural and social scene, especially in Rio. And I was delighted that my entry into the country was a meeting with several ‘Brazils’. Brazil in the plurality, the diversity of the country. Surely I was not only in the south zone of Rio de Janeiro.

What are the similarities and differences of the young population of the periphery of Brazil and the UK? What kind of exchange can be established between these two realities?

There is no difference, young people are young. Youth is that state of being that has something for young people worldwide. We brought two young people from London and Manchester. Despite the language, you do not see any difference when they are all together.

Even young people from England coming from popular communities, with some vulnerability, were shocked to see the level of social injustice in Brazil. So, it is important to bring outsiders, for example, to shock. Not to be too familiar with these situations. I do not see any difference, but the context in which they work is quite different. Nevertheless, energy, creativity and hope they have, their desire for change is enormous. It gives that feeling of wanting to bottle that energy and creativity they have in those territories!

In Brazil, there are initiatives that address these territories as productive places, which have a culture that has solutions and a contribution. This often is more advanced in Brazil than in England. We do not have the same footprint through the territory that you have here in Brazil. That is the idea that the territory has an identity that produces a culture and is part of Brazilian culture. The culture in the best sense of Brazil, it is an everyday thing, which is introduced in respect of some identities and territories. And that makes the dynamism of Brazilian culture in the best sense it has.

One of the things that I think have these meetings is a discussion/dialogue between Brazil and the UK on this fact culture is a right, a production, creativity, and not simply a product of art. With all our structures and strong cultural artists in England, I have no doubt that we have much to learn from the outskirts areas of Brazil.

What are your future projects?

We’re doing a big project on the homeless.

In April, we took a delegation of Brazilians to visit projects in the UK. In November, a group of British goes to Brazil. This is part of an event for the Olympics next year, with the homeless here, celebrating the culture of these people instead of thinking of them as threats to public space.

In May, we will celebrate the 500th anniversary of the publication of the book Utopia, by Thomas More, a partnership with the SESC and the British Council.

Next year’s 450th anniversary of Shakespeare’s death and together with the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, we will have about three months of activities with this relationship. Since 1995 we make this celebration one year yes, one not. This year one director from India and other Malaysia will participate, as well as Brazilian photographer Ellie Kurttz.

Cultural mapping between Brazil and the UK, prepared by The Art of Cultural Exchange, a two-year project ending in November 2016, with a large seminar in Rio de Janeiro.

And the Someone to Watch Over Me, a project on public security in the slums, the community perception of the police and the perception of the police about the community. It’s something we have to improve; cultural projects can come in and contribute to

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

GLOBAL BRAZIL

GENDER EQUALITY ON DEBATE Luiza and Irlane, both 16 years old, deliver the Girl Declaration to President Dilma Rousseff and represent Brazil in the UN General Assembly

By Karol Coelho

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He is prepared to work, she is taught to perform household tasks; he is encouraged to have relationships with girls, she is advised not to wear short clothes; he has a good salary, she earns less than men; he can come back home the time he wants; she cannot go out alone. These are recurring situations throughout the world, regardless of culture, showing how boys and girls are taught in different ways to maintain uneven patterns when they become men and women. Until 2030, however, the whole world will have to work so that such situations like these no longer exist.

A new global agreement, reached between 25 and 27 September, was signed by UN member states, defining Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), which will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDG), post-2015. The new agenda aims to simultaneously structure the global efforts for poverty eradication and the integration of economic, social and environmental development. In all, 17 goals have been established, including the fifth, aimed at gender equality and empowerment of all women and girls.

Seeking greater involvement and visibility of the role of girls in these negotiations, taking into account the various challenges they face around the world, the British NGO International Plan designed the project “This is my time!” (“Essa é minha vez!”, in Portuguese). Since the beginning of the year, girls from Brazil, Pakistan, Kenya and the Philippines, between 14 and 18 years old, participated in meetings to discuss their rights.

The project aims to support the process of developing leadership skills of a group of girls. In each country, there were elected representatives to attend the UN General Assembly. In Brazil, Luiza and Irlane were part of these meetings and were chosen to represent the country in New York.

Luiza lives in northern Rio de Janeiro with her mother. Irlane lives with her mother and grandparents in Codó, in the state of Maranhão. Luiza studies the 1st year of high school. Irlane is the 3rd. Luiza is lead singer of a rock band and plays guitar, likes to read about philosophy, psychoanalysis and spiritualism, as well as listen to music and change the colour of her hair. Irlane participates in projects developed by Plan International Brazil, likes to watch movies, listen to music and read.

Both are 16 years old.

“This is a chance for the girls speak for themselves and to rise up new experiences from a local look and possible for their own reality,” explains Ana Nery Lima, Program Technical Assistant at Plan International Brazil. Ana believes this is a unique opportunity in life of Luiza and Irlane. “The most important is to provide the opportunity for them to trigger capabilities developed in the project, and develop other ways of seeing the world from other viewpoints.”

Through a series of actions, the initiative seeks to strengthen the knowledge and capacity of adolescents so that they feel comfortable to express their opinions in an effective way and without barriers. Opinions that were recorded in a document that was called the Girl Declaration, whi-

Plan International-supported girl advocates outside the UN in New York

ch, in Brazil, was handed over to President Dilma Rousseff weeks prior to the meeting in New York in order to influence the government to facilitate their demands on Sustainable Development Goals and global and national policies and plan for monitoring the commitments made in their respective countries.

The participation of young people in international negotiations always attracted the world’s attention. In 1992, a Canadian girl of 12 years old, Severn Suzuki silenced the UN climate summit to highlight the lack of solutions found by heads of state. More recently, the Pakistani girl Malala Yousafzai, who had just recovered from an attack of the Taliban, spoke at the meeting of young leaders at the UN General Assembly.

Luiza and Irlane met Malala during the last meeting and tell how was the whole process, from the beginning of the project to the participation in the summit of world leaders and what they expect from now on about their lives and the rights of girls.

BO: How did you see the issue of girls’ rights before the project and how do you see it now?

Luiza: I’ve always been a bit feminist, I just did not know. I had no knowledge of what was missing for girls had in fact equality on men. I have been through many hassles in life, for always like to advocate for a cause. If I feel I am right, I speak. Thousands of times I faced directors of my school because boys in-

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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DIVULGATION

To achieve gender equality, world leaders must create measures to achieve the following goals: Ending all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere; g Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in public and private spheres, including trafficking and sexual exploitation and other types; g Eliminate all harmful practices such as early marriages, forced and child and female genital mutilation; g Recognizing and valuing domestic and care work unpaid, through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies, and the promotion of shared responsibility within the home and family, according to national contexts; g Ensure the full and effective participation of women and equal opportunities for leadership in all decision-making levels in the political, economic and public life; g Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, as agreed in accordance with the International Conference Programme of Action on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences; g Carry out reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources and access to ownership and control over land and other property, financial services, heritage and natural resources, in accordance with national laws; g Increase the use of basic technologies, particularly information and communication technologies, to promote the empowerment of women; g Adopt and strengthen solid and legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels policies. g

Luiza (above) and Irlane

vaded the ladies room and nothing was done, or because only boys could play football in physical education classes. I always created problems with this because it is ugly. “Beautiful girl to be angry with life,” as they said. Now I know that these things happen because I’m a girl. Before travelling to New York, I thought the biggest problem to be faced in Brazil was education, but now I learned that it is a worldwide problem.

Irlane: Before the project, I was already aware of the importance of gender equality and equity. Participating in the project and the assembly and being part of the drafting of the Girl Declaration just made me have more sense of how gender equality is important. To be engaged with it makes me happy, because I know its importance, and I know how much it can change the world.

BO: Throughout this process, what has been more important?

Luiza: In Brazil, what most impressed me was the meeting with the girls of the five regions of the country in Brasilia. They are fantastic! I did not speak a word without thinking of all the experience and knowledge they passed me. And in New York, what most impressed me was the speech of Malala.

I fell in love with her from the first pages of her book “I am Malala”. I had the honour of participating in a historic moment. We, young people around the world who were gathered in the As-

sembly, won a lantern each, a flashlight that very few have in the world because it is rechargeable with solar rays. And when Malala rose to speak, we all rose together, and in the middle of a speech to the UN declined lighting and lit lanterns. It was the first time the doors of a meeting like this were opened for young people; all authorities turned and looked at the girls.

Irlane: Definitely seeing Malala and being with the girls from other three countries (Philippines, Pakistan and Kenya), and seeing that even in the midst of so many differences in culture and customs, we share the same problems (health, protection, education and vocational training), the same willpower to change this situation. I feel honoured to participate in all the mobilization and UN General Assembly, having been with other girls. It made me want this mobilization of gender equality and the rights of girls is even greater, that the whole world knows the importance and our rights to be sanctioned.

BO: Are you satisfied with the meeting results?

Luiza: Not only satisfied, I feel accomplished. I was thrilled to see the spotlight of the world focused on the subject.

I’m just a face that showed up to talk.

What kept my vocal cords were all girls of Brazil. All of them were heard.

Irlane: It was a step the fifth goal of sustainable development as it is a sign that

gender equality and health, education and protection are important. The results are walking, we are making progress. To have a discussion on gender equality is a start, create this kind of discussions is to generate a number of others, such as taboos break. It is to recognize that gender equality is important to make things evolve. It’s a long way to go; they gave a kick off saying “Hey, gender equality is important for the world to evolve.” It is a path towards gender equality in the world.

BO: What are your expectations now?

Luiza: I want to keep active. I want to be able to help the girls. No doubt, after all this, something will happen. It is as if they had prepared a large lump of clay and now all that remains is for us to form it. My biggest dream is to see every child in school and no girl simply diminished by being a girl.

Irlane: I want to be sure that the world we live all eight billion people know that gender equality, health, education and protection are not privileges, but rights.

We must have the guarantee of them.

I have many dreams, but one of them is that every girl and woman is respect and recognized by being girl and woman and have gender equality today, now. Let the world know that girls/ women can be anything they want. My dream is to graduate in International Relations and to be Ambassador of the Rights of Girls and Women in Brazil.

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

BR-UK CONNECTION REPRODUCTION

Initiative is part of Transform; the British Council arts program that connects Brazil and UK organizations

PARTNERSHIP PROMOTES SERIES OF DIALOGUES ON THE CREATIVE ECONOMY

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technologies, creative industries generate new products and services that ‘overflow’ to other companies inside and outside the industry, including the most traditional ones.

With ample capacity to generate better jobs and higher income, become the new focus of public policies that reinvent themselves from the new requirements imposed by the changes on the world stage,” Lidia Goldenstein concludes.

The concept of Creative Economy has been widely spread and appropriated by governments, public and private institutions, producers and artists in Brazil. However, there are still conceptual and practical subsidies to boost Brazilian ventures in the fields of Creative Economy, as well as a greater understanding of socio-cultural dynamics and market, policy analysis and coordination capacity for the efficient implementation of policies and Creative Economy plans by both the public sector and the private sector.

The debates are meant to encourage reflection on these questions from experiments that have already been conducted in Brazil and the

UK, providing inspiration for the development of new projects and policies in the Brazilian context. It is expected also that these dialogues will contribute to position the Creative Economy as a major strategic axes of development of the country and encourage professionalism in management areas for the Creative Economy.

Four Brazilian cities will host the events: Rio de Janeiro (29/9 and 30/11), Porto Alegre (13/10), Recife (15/10) and São Paulo (2/12 and 3/12). In each, the content of the discussions will dialogue with local needs on specific topics in the area of creative industries – design and innovation, urban regeneration and public policy.

The initiative is part of Transform, the British Council arts program that connects organizations, artists and experts in Brazil and the UK and that aims a long-term partnerships and the development of artistic areas of both countries. To download the three publications for free, please visit the website www. transform.britishcouncil.org.br

The UK is preparing for Rio 2016 with a new pilot Consulate General in Belo Horizonte to make the most of trade and business opportunities ahead of the Games.

Minister of State for the Americas, Hugo Swire, visited the State of Minas Gerais to open the new British consulate, which will open for an initial two-year period while Brazil hosts the Olympic and Paralympic Games 2016.

Team GB and Paralympics GB have chosen the city for their preGames training camps in July and September 2016. Belo Horizonte will also host a number of test camps to check the training facilities over the next year.

Speaking in Belo Horizonte, Hugo Swire said: “I’m excited to open our new British Consulate General in Belo Horizonte, and to visit Minas Gerais for the first time. The eyes of the world will be on Brazil next summer and I have no doubt that the people of Minas Gerais will make our 800 Olympic and Paralympic athletes, coaches, physiotherapists and staff feel extremely welcome as they prepare for the Games.”

“The Olympics and Paralympics will create a strong connection between the UK and this part of Brazil and we want there to be a lasting legacy. Our new Consulate General will allow us to support those British companies who have already invested in Minas Gerais, and help others to take advantage of the exceptional opportunities in science, innovation and education in the years to come.”

DIVULGATION

From September to December, the British Council, in partnership with Brazilian and British organizations working in the Creative Economy, and sponsored by BNDES (Brazilian Development Bank), held a series of debates on prospects, challenges and solutions with which the two countries have been dealing over the last decade within this theme.

The events are a direct result of a series of three publications launched in 2014 by the British Council, entitled “UK/Brazil Creative Economy Dialogues”, curated by economist Lidia Goldenstein.

“The need to articulate a new way to meet the costs resulting from the rupture of the old production paradigm has led some countries and cities to promote new development strategies. So it imposed a reflection on new models of public policy. It was in this context that the idea arose that there was a set of sectors, called the ‘Creative Economy’, that started to be strategic due to its ability to leverage the national economy, making it more innovative,” she explains.

“Encompassing a complex of activities that feed creativity and new

UK EXPANDS PRESENCE IN BRAZIL AHEAD OF OLYMPICS 2016

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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CACHAÇA COLLECTION IN CAMDEN TOWN In the busy streets of Camden Town, there’s a place that offers a great deal of Brazilian culture, with food, drinks, decorations, music and a collection of 400 bottles of cachaça. Labels are divided between Made in Brasil and Made in Brasil Boteco, both in the famous North London area.

The collection began 11 years ago when the bar first opened its doors. The former owner and the manager bought a few bottles to use in decoration. Then the current owner, Renato Paziam (photo), began working on site. As an appreciator of cachaça, Renato increased the number with a gentle request to his friends: “When returning from Brazil, bring me a cachaça for the collection,” says Renato. “And that pervaded friends and increased the network with customers as well. I will not say that every week I received a new bottle, but at least once a month someone comes with a gift of cachaça.”

Since then, the collection took shape and today completes the charm of the houses’ environment, exposing labels from all regions of the country. “Brazil produces cachaça in all regions, so there’s a huge variety. For example, in São Paulo, the Pirassununga region produces 51. In Minas Gerais, the region of Salinas. And in the south, Webber House has been produced since 1948 by a German family.”

Among the labels, Renato highlights the Anísio Santiago, which is considered the best cachaça in the world. The famous Cachaça, Sagatiba Envelhecida, a single batch that was found in an old building after 23 years of aging in European oak barrels from the nineteenth century. “The intention is to increase the collection and enhance a product that is the face of Brazil and with excellent acceptance abroad”.

Altogether, there are 20 different options on the menu for tasting.

CAIPIRINHA Undoubtedly, the caipirinha is the most famous Brazilian drink. And its differential everyone already knows: “caipirinha is made with cachaça, with vodka has another name, is the caipirosca,” emphasizes Renato. “In most cases, it’s a conditional factor for a costumer asks for the drink: saipirinha with cachaça.”

In Made in Brazil you can find several flavours of caipirinhas, cockatials of cachaça. After experiencing, the acceptance is immediate!

CURIOSITIES • Cachaca is only cachaça if it has been made in Brazil! Any other distilled from sugarcane which has been produced outside the country should have another name.

• In 1659, the Portuguese crown banned cachaça production in Brazil fearing competition with the bagaceira, a Portuguese distillate made from grape.

• The prohibition was not cheap for the Portuguese court. In 1660, the Rio de Janeiro producers revolted and managed to seize power in Rio de Janeiro for five months. This period in which the trade of rum was released became known as the Revolt of the Cachaça.

• In 1789, during the Minas Conspiracy, intellectuals, priests and military involved drank cachaça as a symbol of democracy.

• During the Modern Art Week in 1922, cachaça was greatly exalted. The intention of the organizers – artists like Oswald de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira and Anita Malfati – was to rescue the rich Brazilian culture that cachaça kept.

• Cachaça is the third most consumed distilled drink in the world.

• There are over 300 synonyms for cachaça. Bendita, marvada, caninha, branquinha, amarelinha, água que passarinho não bebe, parati and mé are just some of them...

• Cachaça is the only drink that can be aged in more than 30 kinds of wood.

• In Brazil, there are now more than 40,000 houses producing cachaça! Each producer has a different regional characteristic. It makes our beloved cachaça have one of the most complex aroma and flavours distilled in the world.

FONTE: QUINTAL DA CACHAÇA (WWW.QUINTALDACACHACA.COM.BR).

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

BRASILIANCE

THE REPUBLIC ON TEST Backed by Supreme Court decision, President Dilma Rousseff vetoes corporate donations to parties and candidates, contrary to the Chamber of Deputies, who promise retaliation. How will Brazil pull through?

By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

N

Neither the economic turmoil nor the impeachment threats surrounding President Dilma Rousseff are ebating. What is putting into question the balance between the three powers of the Federal Republic of Brazil is the decision on the end of corporate financing of election campaigns – one of the political reform items currently under debate. The month of October will see decisive episodes play out.

To have a dimension of this test, we must first point out that the end of the corporate campaign financing cuts the umbilical cord which makes the political power an instrument of economic power. That is, entrenched interests of the alliance between politicians and the economic elite are being seriously threatened at this moment. To stay in the game and keep their privileges, the actors of this alliance will have to leave their comfort zone and seek new strategies.

Furthermore, between the three powers – executive, legislative, judicial – and even in each of them there are differences on the issue that are very difficult to be circumvented.

And they are difficult not because of restricted to ideological differences.

As a rule these are differences essentially pragmatic, related to private interests, corporate ones at the best.

The reform, which should be considered in order to radically change the discredited national political system, became mere trading currency of interests between the parties.

SCENARIO At the press time, the scenario is as follows: President Dilma Rousseff had sanctioned on September 29, the bill passed by Congress that instituted a political reform in the country.

She vetoed, however, the crux of the reform: the corporate campaign financing. It followed a personal conviction, of her party (Workers Party), the centre-left camp parties and pro-

gressive social movements.

But Dilma Rousseff had key support. Two weeks before the veto, the Supreme Federal Court (STF) had ended the trial of a direct action of unconstitutionality filed by the Order of Attorneys of Brazil (OAB) that questioned articles of the electoral law authorizing the corporate donations to candidates and parties.

By eight votes to three, the Supreme Court considered this financing unconstitutional.

The presidential veto grounded in a Supreme Court decision, however, was not guarantee that the corporate campaign financing will end until the time of writing. The veto of the President as mandated by the Constitution, must be considered by Congress (deputies and senators), which should happen this October.

TRUMP CARD The congressmen who defend the corporate funding tried a trump card: conditioning the approval of other vetoes on matters approved in the Congress that increase government spending (against the fiscal adjustment) to the overthrow of the veto to campaign financing. The tactic is to use the same session of Congress to vote all the vetoes. The trick is advocated by the President of the Chamber of Deputies, Eduardo Cunha, and rejected by the President of the Senate, Renan Calheiros, both from the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party.

The Chamber and the Senate have opposite positions on corporate campaign financing, confirming that differences occur not only between the powers but also within them. Business funding had been approved by the Chamber but was then rejected by the Senate. In proposal return to the Chamber, however, deputies managed to keep this form of election financing in the political reform bill.

More serious divergence exists within the government, between

President Dilma Rousseff and Vice, Michel Temer (Brazilian Democratic Movement Party). The day after the presidential veto, Michel Temer met with opposition leaders in the Chamber of Deputies who defend corporate funding of political parties and campaigns. Speaking to the press, Temer did not challenge the veto of Dilma Rousseff, however defended the approval of the funding provided on a proposed constitutional amendment (PEC 113/2015), currently in the Senate, which would end the unconstitutionality declared by the Supreme Court in the trial the lawsuit filed by OAB.

RELATIONS The veto to corporate campaign financing tends to further worsen relations between the Presidential Palace and the legislative. That’s what the professor of Political Science Emerson Urizzi Cervi, from the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), evaluates. For him, even based on the decision of the Supreme Court, Dilma Rousseff will suffer a burden for not fully endorse the reform passed

by Congress.

Cervi considers, however, that problem is not necessarily between institutions – executive and legislative. “[Dilma’s relationship must become more shaken] with sectors and political parties that have in some leaders in Congress a ‘spearhead’ for political issues. It is not Congress that is in favour [of the corporate campaign funding], but leaders of major parties, including the Workers Party, using their representation in Congress to ensure that the parties continue relating with companies financially,” he said to Brasil Observer.

ON THE RIGHT In factual truth, it is in opposition on the right of government of Dilma Rousseff which is the largest defence to corporate campaign financing.

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

Money bags marked the popular political reform act in Brasilia. According to a Datafolha survey commissioned by the Order of Attorneys of Brazil: 74% of Brazilians are against corporate campaign financing

NEW RULE CAN BE APPLIED TO NEXT YEAR’S ELECTIONS

PEDRO FRANÇA/AGÊNCIA SENADO

And it is this opposition that has sought to put such a question as currency in trading for the assessment of vetoes matters that raise federal spending – the so-called “bomb agenda”.

These are presidential vetoes to the projects approved by Congress that increase government spending at 22 billion reais a year. Are among the projects, granting average salary increase of almost 60% to the Judiciary servers, the application to pensions the same policy of valuing the minimum wage and change the rules of social security.

At the meeting with Michel Temer, right-wing opposition leaders in the Chamber of Deputies were explicit in place as a condition for clearing the session for consideration of vetoes the commitment by the

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Senate to process a schedule for the PEC 113/2015, which makes constitutional corporate donations to parties and campaigns. “We want the establishment of a polling schedule for the PEC and, after that timetable we can also agreeing on the voting agenda of the Congress session. We need to move the consideration of vetoes and set the issue of campaign financing,” said the leader of the Democrats, Deputy Mendonça Filho, to the Agência Brasil. The session of the National Congress was convened for 6 October.

ON THE LEFT In opposition on the left, led in the Chamber of Deputies by PSOL (Socialism and Freedom Party),

the veto of President Dilma Rousseff to corporate financing of political campaigns has all the support.

Legend classifies the end of the financial resources of donations by companies as essential to the fight against corruption. “This is a decisive step to rid control of the political system of large economic groups and corrupt schemes that condition mandates of the Executive and Legislative, offending the public interest,” says the party.

That is the labyrinth in question.

In the midst of an economic and political crisis – compounded by the opportunism of congressmen who work to defend their own interests – the challenge of Brazil is not only find a way out of this situation, but getting out of it alive.

In 2016 there are municipal elections in Brazil (mayors and councillors). By the decision of the Federal Supreme Court (STF), which found unconstitutional the donation of funds by companies to candidates and political campaigns, the elections next year would be free of business financing. Only individual donations would be permitted (currently limited to 10% of gross income in the previous year). “We found that donations by companies end up contaminating the political and democratic process and there is a catch by the economic power of political power, which is absolutely unacceptable in a democracy,” said STF Minister Luiz Fux, to the Agência Brasil.

To Brasil Observer, Emerson Urizzi Cervi, professor at the Federal University of Paraná, argued that, immediately, the tendency is that few benefits are perceived by the population. “It will depend a lot on how the TSE [Supreme Electoral Tribunal] will regulate the matter. If you leave open for parties to receive corporate donations in non-electoral periods, and to prohibit political parties and candidates during the elections, you can still generate more imbalance between large parties and everyone else.

Today, only three parties concentrate most on donations from companies in non-election periods,” he said.

Those regulations, in his evaluation, will also be decisive to verify the weight that the end of business financing campaigns will be in fighting corruption. “It will depend also on how regulatory agencies are able to monitor and punish deviations possible. If there is supervision and punishment, it will be a breakthrough for the representative system. If not, it may have the opposite effect.”

Cervi further noted that corruption is combated not just forbidding companies from donations to campaigns. “Reducing the issue of corruption to business financing is a monstrous mistake. Corruption is prior to the campaign finance.”

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

ADJUSTMENT’S PARTNER Structured since the 1950s for receiving income and government bonds, the Brazilian banking system enjoys high interest rates, aides unemployment and increases profits during the crisis

By Paulo Donizetti de Souza, from Rede Brasil Atual

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In a recent interview with a newspaper, the owner of Itaú Unibanco, Roberto Setubal, spoke about the so-called Agenda Brazil, a set of suggestions for government policies to be negotiated between the Presidency and Congress. Setubal said the initiative gives some “steps” but is modest. The banker defends broader reforms. Does not mention, for example, more taxation on shareholders of large companies, like him, to pay more taxes on their profits and for the country to collect more. But highlights a priority: “labour reform”.

According to Setubal, Brazil is one of the countries with the highest labour dispute cases in the world. “In Japan there are 7,000 labour claims. In the US, they do not reach 70,000. In Brazil, we have a few million”. Asked if it’s not be because there is disrespect for workers’ rights, he countered that the problem is the law: “no company can fulfil [obligations].”

In the first half of the year, each of his 85,000 employees gave, on average, a profit of 140,000 reais to Itaú shareholders, helping the bank to reach record net profit of 12 billion reais. “We are super legalists, but it is impossible to meet all the details,” Setubal said.

In the 12 months to 30 June, Itaú Unibanco laid off 2,392 people. Its direct competitor, Bradesco, cut 5,125.

Out of the three largest private banks in Brazil, Santander was the only one with a positive balance; it hired 1,485 more than those who resigned.

The situation makes the protection of jobs a priority for the Bank Workers National Command, which is negotiating with the federation of banks, the Fenaban for renewal of the national collective agreement.

According to the command, in the last four years the salaries of new employees are 42% lower than of those who left.

In addition, the purchase of HSBC by Bradesco causes apprehension in the category, as there is no case of the process that does not result in downsizing of staff numbers.

Something else that worries the industry is the goal recently announced by Itaú, to advance the replacement of its 3,863 physical branches by digital agencies. Today, 70% of the institution’s employees are in these units.

NEVER BEFORE Reaching the sum of 24 billion reais profit in six months, from January to June, the three largest private banks in the country boast a situation incompatible with the Brazilian economic reality. While the forecast for GDP growth for the next two years is 2% negative, net income of Itaú Unibanco is 25.7% higher than the first half of last year. Whereas in tax

collection, the country suffers from the economic downturn, the gain of Bradesco was 8.8 billion reais, 20.6% bigger than last year. And at a time when unemployment rates were pointing upwards and the average labour income, down, Santander celebrates a jump of 15.5% in its half -year profit to 3.3 billion reais.

Part of this result comes from the work force. As Itaú increased by 29.2% average net profit per employee, Bradesco achieved average of 93,400 reais (plus 27.2%) and Santander, 66,000 reais (plus 12.1% ).

Another part comes from fees paid by customers – 32.5 billion reais in revenue of “services provided” in the three largest private banks from January to June this year – and interest on loans they take – revenues from credit operations totalled 95.6 billion reais.

There’s another important source of income: public debt. Compared to the first half of 2014, the result of Itaú Unibanco with Securities (TVM) grew 95.1%, Bradesco 44.8% and Santander 64.5%. The three combined have grossed 62.6 billion reais with TVM, in which have great weight the government bonds remunerated based on the Central Bank interest rate, the Selic, which is 14.25% and provides real gains (above inflation) close to 4% annually.

For the government, pursuing a fiscal adjustment scheme from the start of the second mandate of Dilma Rousseff in order to save money to balance the books, the debt interest represented in the first half an expense of 225 billion reais. On the pretext of controlling inflation and help the country through a time of crisis, that the government estimates will last until 2016, the interest rate policy – in addition to fatten the financial gains of those who bet on them – slow economic activity. And the drop in the level of jobs and income makes dynamic sectors such as industry and trade, stop.

UNREASONABLE Professor José Carlos Braga, from the Economics Institute of the State University of Campinas (Unicamp), regrets that the Dilma Rousseff government has retreated from the battle against the financialization of the economy. From August 2011, the Selic rate has gone through successive meetings on the Monetary Policy Committee, beating in October 2012 its lowest historical level, 7.25% per year, compared with an inflation that marked 5.45% (real rate of 1.7%).

“The banking system of the country is not a participant in the industrialization process as is tradition in the countries where industrial policies are developed and internationalized. Since the Juscelino Kubitschek Target Plan in the 1950s, it formed a private banking system unable to su-

pport the development,” says Braga.

The government was moving in this direction. Public banks – Banco do Brasil, Caixa Federal, BNDES, Banco do Nordeste – played key role to force private banks to adjust their lending policies, but lacked continuity. “There has been restructuring for the private sector to be protagonist, not just beneficiary of the development process.”

For José Carlos Braga, at the time this new scenario was being implemented “for real” – from the articulation of public banks – came the political reaction of economic forces.

“There are economists who openly argue and defend passing BNDES funds to private banks.”

CONNECTED MEASURES Brazilian public banks operating in retail should also be mentioned.

Banco do Brasil and Caixa had in the first half of the year net profit of 6 billion and 3.5 billion reais, respectively, an increase of 11.5% and 2.8% over the same period of 2014. While the Banco do Brasil had little positive balance in the number of employees (growth of 0.7% to 112,000), Caixa lost 1,853 jobs (down 1.86% to 98,000 employees).

Both institutions, in addition to slam on the brakes with loans that were pulling the credit market also enjoyed on their balance sheets the Central Bank interest rate policy.

The results with Securities totalled 47 billion reais from January to June, an increase of 58.7% in the BB compared to the first six months of 2014 and 30.7% in Caixa.

Looking to mitigate the impacts of political and economic crisis, the government returned to resort to some stimuli to the domestic market through the banks it controls. There were created some credit lines aimed at stimulating sales of cars and credit offers with low interest for companies that do not reduce its staff. “What is the meaning of this with a Selic that size? It is comical,” criticizes Braga.

“The country needs a set of structural movement and connected measures,” says the professor. In Brazil, remembers Braga, deindustrialization has started since the 1990s and nothing was done to stop it. “Developed countries that respect themselves do not give up building a strong industrial structure,” he says. The economist views with scepticism the predictions of the economic team that the critical moment is “passenger” and extends until 2016, and then begin the “new cycle of development” promised by Dilma Rousseff.

“What reasoning can sustain this? It may be a passing crisis? Yes. But only if it requires another way of fighting, other than one that leads to recession. If it was bad for Greece, it will not be good for Brazil.”

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

THE CHALLENGE OF CLEAN ENERGY The Brazilian production of wind and biomass energy grown in recent years, but the country is still behind what is possible on solar energy, infrastructure and innovation to depend less on hydro and thermal

By Maurício Thuswohl, from Rede Brasil Atual

H

How has the Brazilian energy matrix evolved in these 23 years that have passed since the country hosted the ECO92, the historic global conference on the environment held in Rio de Janeiro?

Always observed because of the deforestation in the Amazon Forest and its impact on the warming of the atmosphere, Brazil has usually trumped its “clean” energy based on the use of hydroelectric plants. It is a fact, but the dams, which a few years ago accounted for over 80% of the energy generated in the country, respond in 2015 for “only” 66.6% of the national installed capacity, according to data collected by the Brazilian Ministry of Mines and Energy (MME).

With followed droughts around the country, the drop in reservoir levels and the delay in the completion of major projects like Belo Monte, Santo Antônio and Jirau hydroelectric plants have been losing ground to thermal, which burn oil or coal and are much more polluting. These now account for almost a third (29.7%) of current installed power capacity in Brazil, also according to the MME. Energy sources considered cleaner, such as solar and wind power, have space and potential to grow in the country, but its large-scale use still depends on development projects and infrastructure works.

With regard to wind power generation, the wind blows seem to favour Brazil. According to the World Wind Energy Association, the country recorded in 2014 the third largest market growth, behind only India and the United States. Brazil came to the end of 2014 with 4,945 megawatts of installed wind capacity and already in commercial operation conditions, according to the Chamber of Electric Energy Commercialization. The sector jumped from 90 plants in operation conditions in 2013 to 195 this year, an increase of 117%.

CONNECTING THE REGIONS According to the MME, wind power generation currently accounts for 3.7% of installed capacity in Brazil. The expectation is that with the next auction to be carried out by the Energy Research Company (EPE, in Portuguese) this share will rise to 8% by 2018.

Such a development, however, may be hindered by a lack of infrastructure for the transmission of energy generated by wind. In the evaluation of the ministry, the country needs 6 billion reais to build 4,087 km of new lines between the States of Bahia, Goias, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo.

Another 600 million reais are needed for the construction of 1,200 km of regional interconnection networks in the Northeast region. Only when it is in fact established a wide network connection between the producing regions and major consuming centres – located in the South and Southeast

regions of the country – wind option will become economically viable.

The expansion of wind power has received investments. In the main Alternative Sources auction of the year (FA 2015, in Portuguese), in April, three new plants were contracted, all located in Bahia, with 90 megawatts capacity and forecast delivery date for January. The latest Energy Auction, held by EPE in July and scheduled for delivery in 2018 contracted 19 projects of wind farms with an installed capacity of 538.8 megawatts in Bahia, Ceara, Maranhao and Piaui.

In total, 29 projects were contracted, with 669.5 megawatts, corresponding to investments of 2.5 billion reais.

Other auctions for alternative sources are scheduled take place later this year.

In the first quarter of 2015, started commercial operations 781.4 megawatts of new wind projects, or 49% of new energy installed in the period.

According to EPE, the capacity of wind farms in Brazil will be 22,400 megawatts in 2023, or 11.5% of the installed capacity.

PLACE IN THE SUN According to the MME data for 2015, solar energy represents only 0.01% of the national energy matrix, after an increase of 207% compared to 2014. The current installed capacity of solar funding is paltry 15 megawatts. In a country that has great exposure to the sun all year round, the result shows how much the industry has room to grow. The main bottleneck for the development of this modality continues to be the lack of national technology for the production of so-called photovoltaic panels and components, and other equipment.

Government attempts to overcome this deficiency. Brazilian National Bank BNDES approved this year a 26 million reais funding for a nationalization project of photovoltaic components developed by the company Pure Energy, from the North-eastern State of Alagoas. The transaction, approved under the Inova Energia Plan, is the first bank financing approved for a project in the chain of solar energy.

At the same time, the academy also mobilizes resources to develop national technologies. A project led by researchers at the Solar Energy Technology Centre (NT-Solar), at the Faculty of Physics of the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUC-RS) aims to create more efficient solar panels than the world average, and with lower costs. The project has already received 6 million reais in investments through a partnership between FINEP, Petrobras, Eletrosul and National Electric Power Company.

BIOMASS AND NUCLEAR While the development of wind and solar production is not enough, other energy sources contribute to the Brazilian matrix. The production of electricity from biomass, according to

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the MME, participates this year with surprising 9.2% in the national installed capacity, almost the same result as natural gas (9.5%). However, more than half of production with biomass occurs from the burning of sugarcane, considered polluting.

The Union of Sugar Cane Industry (Unica) complains about the lack of efficient infrastructure and regulatory aspects for the development of a chain of electricity generation from biomass. It said the energy produced with sugarcane could increase up to 15% in 2015, if properly stimulated.

The biomass sector seeks to grow more sustainable alternatives, with the increase in the number of projects for use of the methane gas produced in landfills or of urban waste processing to generate electricity.

Brazil still has a controversial nuclear generation plant. The plants Angra 1 and Angra 2, the only operating in the country, now account, according to the MME, for only 1.5% of the national installed capacity. The construction of Angra 3 and the resumption of a nuclear program, however, are on the agenda, admits the government itself.

In May, the Brazilian Association for Nuclear Activities Development ratified an international declaration, signed by 39 countries, which aims to “the generation of nuclear energy as a better alternative to curb global warming.” The Brazilian government is committed to the construction of 12 nuclear power plants by 2050.

NORTH AND NORTHEAST The growth of production and wind energy supply in the Northeast is remarkable. The projection of the National Electric Energy Agency (Aneel) is that by 2018 the region has more than 15,000 megawatts of installed wind capacity. In three years, together with the wind, hydroelectric and solar sources total production of clean energy in the Northeast is expected to exceed the level of 27,000 megawatts, which will place the region second only behind the North region in this regard. Of the 341 newly auctioned energy projects

by EPE, 283 are in the Northeast.

The wind option has been instrumental in addressing the current state of water crisis. If it was the performance of hydroelectric power only, current production in the Northeast would be 2,800 megawatts, well below the capacity of 6,000 megawatts, which would inevitably lead to a crisis in the supply of energy. This is not happening thanks to the wind energy generated mainly in the States of Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara and Bahia.

The expectation of Aneel is the season of strong winds in the Northeast – which runs from August to December – to become self-sufficient region later this year. New plants will start up in Piaui and Pernambuco.

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

CONECTANDO

THE INDEPENDENT AXIS OF THE MIDWEST Festivals like Vaca Amarela evolve year after year and break with the notion of a Goias focused on country music

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By Carmem Curti

It’s easy to define the stereotype of the people born in Goias that the rest of Brazil faces as true. Already known for decades because of its country music duos and singers, it’s almost impossible to unlink Brazil’s Midwest region and, for that matter, primarily the state of Goias, from cowboy boots, guitars and hats. That musical genre and the archetype of the people who listen to it are, for many, the “business card” of the state. But, even considering the classics, the cultural importance of the genre and its root, that are extremely fixed in the life of people who live here, we know that a house isn’t built with only one material.

In Goiania, capital of the state, the independent music scene is the alternative where part of the population takes refuge from the oppressor pop country music. Through the effort of people who are interested and engaged to bring movement to this axis, it has significantly strengthened in the last 15 years and its bands and festivals are gaining more and more space in the country’s cultural agenda. Some of the festivals that happen here practically divide the year of the person who waits anxiously for the time when they take place. One of the most expressive and awaited, among others like Bananada, Grito Rock and Goiania Noise, is the Vaca Amarela.

In its 14th edition, the Vaca Amarela 2015 – literally, Yellow Cow 2015 – occupied, from the 4 to the 6 of September, the 19.000 m² of the Cultural Centre Oscar Niemeyer, with about 10 thousand people who came to watch de 45 shows of the festival’s line-up. Besides those shows, “warm-up” and closing gigs – called Drops – of the festival were before and after the main weekend and a conference with boards that discussed, mainly, the role and the crescent appreciation of the independent cultural production.

During the conference (called Unconference), the secretary of Citizenship and Cultural Diversity of the Brazilian Ministry of Culture (Minc), Ivana Bentes, highlighted the importance of the attempt to decentralize the music festivals from the Southeast region (majorly the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo) of Brazil. “We have to worry in increasing our personal ‘culture repertory’, and that’s what Vaca Amarela is doing today: culturally enriching the region where it is produced”, said Ivana, surrounded by young musicians and producers of the city.

Rollin Chamas: the best image of the festival

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

CLÁUDIO COLOGNI/DIVULGATION

THE COW What happened in this year’s Vaca is what is happening in every festival hosted in Goiania: the “Yellow Cow”, that was born more a rocker calf than anything else, has proved once more that the city has the audience for every musical genre that presents itself with its varied line-up, which dissolved any type of barrier between the different people. Rockers watched and applauded rap shows and fans of rap enjoyed funk and dancehall shows, whose fans, on the other hand, appreciated rock music.

From the beginning of the festival, on Friday, it was given to the audience a taste of what the weekend would be like. Local bands, like Components and Cha de Gim, made it clear that the differences existed even among us: the first one, an easy listening indie rock, and the second, a mix of schizophrenic and politicized cordel literature with a nice beat, showed to the unaware the it wasn’t simply a rock festival what was going to happen in the next days. That same Friday the goianos of Luziluzia, João Canta Brandão and Carne Doce have played, as well as the cariocas of Baleia, the paulistas of O Terno and the rapper Emicida, who doesn’t need presentation. Tim Bernardes, the vocalist of O Terno, talked about the dimension of the festival. “In Sao Paulo we who make independent music are used to see small parties and shows happening in small houses that don’t even resemble the proportions of a festival like this one. It’s amazing what people manage to do here”, he said.

On the festival’s second day, an same thing happened. The night was finished by the headliner Tulipa Ruiz, the Paulista singer-slash-awesome interpreter-slash-darling, that presented the show of her tour Dancê, and the day mad it evident not only the variety of the independent music scene, but the solidarity which is within its members. One of the stars of the line-up that day, Lei Di Dai, brought to the stage a group of dancehall dancers of Goiania. “They are the best dancers of Brazil and many people don’t know them yet. It’s important for me to support the people from where I am playing – and make people dance while doing it”, Lei Di Dai explained, while the group of dancers were being surrounded by the curious on backstage.

Another demonstration of solidarity took place with the funk singer Deize Tigrona, who, according to herself, has just made a pause due to problems with maintaining her and her daughter only with music. Deize, wich had a funk sampled by the British singer M.I.A. and played with the famous DJ and music producer Diplo, presented in Vaca Amarela a raw show, almost without production – almost, because she was accompanied by two local drag queens and by João Lucas, the general coordinator of Vaca Amarela, that made the role of Deize’s DJ. On the 6th, last day of the festival, the Oscar Niemeyer Cultural Centre was crowded, most because of the already renowned bands that were going to play that day, like the emotional Fresno and the headliners of the night, Cone Crew Diretoria, and also because of the Always incredible local bands, like Aurora Rules and Cherry Devil. Among those, shows like the one of the band Dogman, for example, were a roller-coaster of emotions: in one moment, we were completely immersed on their hard rock, slamming our heads, attracted by the viking-ish beard of their vocalist, and in another moment we were being thanked by him, who called us “cuties” and made re-

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ferences to cooking reality shows. Dogman, by the way, is also a proof of the solidarity of the scene and that in Goiania there’s a will to make these kinds of thing happen: the band will record their first CD, which was crowd funded majorly by goianos who are interested in their kind of music.

Another band that, literally, instigated the audience and the people in the production of the festival – which went up to the stage and stayed their until the end – were the super goiana Rollin’ Chamas. The band plays gaudy and exaggerated rock and is iconic in the city, with shows that are always the crown jewel of every festival where they participate.

It’s hard to describe the energy that they brought to Vaca. A vocalist dressed as a lady, drag queens, an electric barbecue grill and couch on stage, a guy with a horse mask, beer rain, people in their underwear and a roast chicken that was handled as a gift to the crowd: it almost didn’t make sense to watch another show after this one – they were the last but one –, with all its chaos. The audience was an ocean of little flags, distributed earlier that day, with the symbol of the band: the flag of Goias with the slogan “I’m Goiano and Fuck it”. No other scene could be that emblematic, in that context, to finish Vaca Amarela.

PILOT The two stages of the festival were named after Daniel Belleza and Carlos Brandão, men that are nearly mythical in the independent scenario in Goiania. The choice for these names makes evidente the pride that the people involved – local artists, production and audience – feel in seeing the festival evolve. It is almost the rule here to take in consideration what the independent axis of the city were and what it has become. The general coordinator of Vaca Amarela, João Lucas, said that Goiania has walked a long way and that, for him, Goiania is today a model for other parts of the country that want to produce independent festivals and take their cultural production to another level. “The city has tradition and was the pilot for many things that are being made in others cities, like Cuiaba, capital of Mato Grosso”.

But every pilot needs to be improved. For some of the local musicians interviewed, the next step is the consolidation of a loyal audience and more persistence from the people that want to work with music.

Macloys Aquino, the guitar player of the band Carne Doce – which appears side by side with Boogarins and Hellbenders as one of the great highlights of Goias – thinks that Goiania is the ideal environment to produce music well. “We have a lot of bands, places to receive them, better structure and payments than other cities, better technicians, specialized stores that are huge, and the dynamic that all those years and festivals created.

What the artist needs is to conquer its space and have focus while trying to do this”, he says.

“We always try to improve. The first president of the Brazilian Association of Independent Festivals, for example, was Fabricio Nobre, that is goiano. That is plenty of people here that want to see the independent scenario grow stronger. The perspective for Vaca 2016 is to keep and increase the quality of what was already done”, explains João Lucas. And our hope – we who take refuge in independence, that divide our years by festivals and/or don’t look good with a cowboy hat – is simply this one: to continue to see the independent production evolve in Goias and to say that we, in some way, were part of this.

Carmen Curti is a student of Journalism at the Federal University of Goias.

This article was produced in partnership with Brasil Observer for the project CONECTANDO. Learn more: www.brasilobserver.co.uk/en/about-conectando

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

CREATES

OPPORTUNITY

How young people of popular origin in Rio and London are creating in the field of music and dance DIVULGATION

One of the editions of I Am Next, idealized by Seshie Henry and held in various locations in London

By Marília Gonçalves – from the Youth Agency Networks, in editorial partnership with the Brasil Observer

It’s all dominated! Young people from outskirt areas in Rio de Janeiro and London are shaking the world of events production to give opportunity to other popular artists. In its own way, the youth questions the old structure of the music industry and creates alternatives. This is the movement that we see here, in the youth page now in the world.

Ronaldo Marinho is 21, was born and raised in the Cantagalo slum located in the famous Ipanema, South Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The boy was one of the first young sponsored with 10 thousand reais from the Youth Agency Networks. At the time 17, Ronaldo says that he was guided by Marcus Faustini, founder and creator of the Agency to put his idea on the street, try it out, see how it could impact his territory. Today, with five other young people, he is about to perform for the third time the Festival Favela em Dança (or Favela in Dance), first in the world produced in a slum.

The FD is a festival that merges the already traditional urban dances such as Hip Hop and Break, with the Carioca Funk, represented at the event by Passinho. The purpose of the FD directors is to mobilize the people of the shantytown around the event, causing direct and indirect gains that remain there. This is clear, for example, in hiring young residents of Cantagalo as production assistants or in partnership with local businesses. In addition, during the festival of urban dance workshops take place, starting new dancers in the art.

In 2013, during the first Festival Favela em Dança, people from several outlying towns such as Duque de Caxias and Paracambi got involved. “It was amazing because at 17 I saw my project reach several cities in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

On the first day we had over 120 people making class. It was very gratifying to see the festival going on,” recalls Ronaldo. According to Ingrid David, who works in communication and uptake of project funds, the biggest challenge is to convince PATROCÍNIO

PARCERIA

Team of the Favela em Dança, a unique festival of urban dance performed inside a slam

the festival is for everyone. “For those who live in slums and for those who live on the asphalt,” he explains. That is, breaking with the idea of a divided city.

RIO-LONDON CONNECTION Seshie Henry is 19 years old and is a young black from London. Passionate about music, he noted the lack of spaces in the city for the rise of new artists. So about a year ago the boy conceived the project I Am Next, which he develops in The Agency, reproduction of Rio’s Youth Agency Networks in the British capital. The project consists in organizing events that serve as platforms to give visibility to young artists, take them to new audiences and enable them to access the mainstream industry.

According to Professor of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ) Micael Herschmann, there was a significant change in the music industry over the last 20 years with the weakening of the recordings on discs. The huge advantage of this industry has become over concerts, live

performances. Popular groups, however, have always had sustainability schemes. “They used the phonogram as dissemination strategy.” In Brazil, there are times there is an informal economy around performing dances (funk, in Rio, or hip hop, stronger in São Paulo), that move entrepreneurs and peripherals manufacturers, and other professional fields as fashion and beauty. “It’s a scheme that works, it has sustainability,” explains the author of “O funk e o hip hop invadem a cena” (The funk and hip hop invade the scene), among other books.

At this time, Ronaldo and Seshie are in contact planning a partnership between the Favela em Dança and I Am Next. Possibly next year, the Rio’s project goes to England to participate in the exhibition platform thought by Seshie. The idea is to boost the culture from Rio in London to make an edition of the Favela em Dança in the old continent. If all goes well, it closes a cycle, driven by the Youth Agency Networks, of youth of popular origin creating opportunity for other young people around the world.

REALIZAÇÃO

APOIO INSTITUCIONAL

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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B R A S I L O B S E R V E R

MUTANT MUTANTES DIVULGATION

TANTES, U M S O , T N E M E V O ALIA M IC P O R T ’S IL Z A R B F EMBER V O N ICON O IN N IO T A T N E IQUE PRES N U R O F N O D N O L BACK TO

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

GUIDE

LONDON IS OUR SECOND HOME DIVULGATION

Sergio Dias: singer, composer and guitarist

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

By Guilherme Reis and Gabriela Lobianco

When the band Os Mutantes took the stage of the Barbican in London on 22 May 2006, it seemed that one of the greatest secrets of modern music was being revealed. After more than two decades, the group that influenced so many musicians in Brazil and around the world was active again. Next month, this flavour can be tasted again in a concert scheduled for 18 November at the Village Underground.

Leading the band is the singer, composer and guitarist Sergio Dias, the only remnant of the original formation. And what is the reason for another European tour? “Excitement to play,” says Dias in an interview with Brasil Observer. “I took a break in 2015 because I was exhausted after nine years on the road. Now my batteries are recharged recharged.”

Those who have never heard the music of Os Mutantes undoubtedly have tried their influence. During the absence of the band, their records were passed down from musician to musician as gifts, always inspiring and able to change the contemporary music scene. Sound collages and their tendency for cultural irony are now a prevalent aesthetic in modern music. Among the admirers of the band are Flaming Lips, David Byrne, Devendra Banhart, Of Montreal and Beck, who dedicated the “Tropicalia” music to the Brazilian Os Mutantes.

“It’s wonderful to see that our work is so recognized and influential. Serious musicians of high calibre are being touched by what we do and that is good to show that everything is possible,” says Sergio.

The unique sound of Os Mutantes was forged in a time of political and social turmoil. The city of São Paulo in the early 1960s lived the anxieties for freedom of a besieged nation. The military dictatorship in power played hard against anything that seemed to challenge the status quo. In that scenario, in 1964, two teenagers, Arnaldo Batista and Rita Lee Jones, met in a high school band contest. Inspired by the Beatles Revolver album, the two soon joined Arnaldo’s brother, Sergio Dias, and formed what would become Os Mutantes. Soon the band, along with other musicians, writers and artists, was participating in discussions that would eventually evolve into a defining cultural movement. With elements of political criticism, humour and an eclectic range of musical styles, Tropicalia was born, as well as the first disc of the band, named Os Mutantes, in 1968.

In 1976, with seven albums recorded, the singer Rita Lee leave the band to pursue her solo career, and Sergio Dias passes to lead the group until finally it broke up in 1978. The influence of Os Mutantes, however, intensifies. In 2000, Technicolor album, recorded in 1971, was released and received an almost euphoric response from critics. In 2006, the band reunited and performed a memorable concert at the Barbican in London, followed by triumphant performances in the United States. Without the original singer Rita Lee, and even after Arnaldo Baptista’s output, Sergio Dias decided to keep the band, recording Haih or Amortecedor in 2009 and Fool Metal Jack in 2013.

As well as for other two heads of the Tropicalia movement, Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, the city of London has special meaning for Sergio Dias. “London is always a delight; it is our second home,” confirms the guitarist. “Os Mutantes are now at a level in which the dignity of belonging to this name echoes all over the world, from London to Singapore, Australia, and Israel. It’s very rewarding.”

So what to expect for the show in London? “Each Os Mutantes show is unpredictable. The main thing is the audience, so it’s up to them. The songs are so strong that we can start the show with ‘Minha Menina’ and end with ‘Dia 36’ that would give greater standing.”

The public, moreover, can expect a number of songs in English, which will help further so that the energy of the audience dancing bodies take the guitars and vocals on stage.

Sergio Dias already has a very clear idea of who will be there on 18 November: “Our loved and adored public that has no age, no past and no future.”

REPRODUCTION

Sergio Dias talks to Brasil Observer before Os Mutantes concert: ‘everything is possible’

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From left to right: Arnaldo Batista, Rita Lee and Sergio Dias playing at Festival Internacional da Canção, in 1968

OS MUTANTES When 18 November Where Village Underground Entrance £19.25 Info www.villageunderground.co.uk

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

ZAZA OLIVA

NEW PLACE, NEW VIBE LONDON FASHION WEEK London Fashion Week said goodbye to Somerset House after 6 years, moving to a car park on Brewer Street at the buzzy, trendy Soho, the area of fashion and creative. The central hub hosted over 120 collections in the Designer Showroom and 16 spring/summer 2016 catwalk show at the British Fashion Council (BFC) Show Space across five days. The new location provided an epicentre for a citywide fashion celebration with close proximity to major retail areas.

“Somerset House is absolutely beautiful, but we were looking for a venue that would be more connected to the West End. As you walk around Soho you feel a lot of excitement and energy. It’s really good for an international audience to witness that and to understand the creative inspiration that we get from this incredible city,” said Caroline Rush, the chief executive of the BFC to The Telegraph.

New place, new vibe, street style became as a real street style on central London.

As at the area is cool as itself, we couldn’t really notice who was passing by and just stopped for texting on their smart phones than the people that really was at the big fashion event.

But being there for a while you could perfectly see who those are making the fashion crowd on Brewer Street. Curious people, independent business people advertising their own clothes or concept to get the photographers attention, designers, lot’s of bloggers and people that just go to show up, which make it fun and inspiring.

Check it out what the Brasil Observer saw at the vibrant Brewer Street, the new place at 62nd edition of London Fashion Week.

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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ZAZA OLIVA

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

CULTURAL TIPS

CINEMA

EXHIBITIONS

BRAZILIAN FILMS AT BFI LONDON FILM FESTIVAL

• Jia Zhangke, A Guy from Fenyang | Dir.: Walter Salles Exhibitions: 7/10 – 9pm – BFI Southbank. 9/10 – 6.15pm – Curzon Soho • Neon Bull | Dir.: Gabriel Mascaro Exhibitions: 9/10 – 9pm – Ritzy Cinema. 11/10 – 6pm – BFI Southbank • Command Action | Dir.: João Paulo Miranda Maria Exhibitions: 8/10 – 8.45pm – Cine Lumiere. 10/10 – 6pm – BFI Southbank

CINECLUB BRAZIL

• Salve Geral (Time of Fear) | Dir.: Sérgio Rezende Exhibition: 7/10 – 6.30pm – Embassy of Brazil in London • Colegas (Buddies) Dir.: Marcelo Galvão Exhibition: 21/10 – 6.30pm Embassy of Brazil in London

SEBASTIÃO SALGADO | OTHER AMERICAS

When: 11 September – 1 November Where: The Photographers’ Gallery (16-18 Ramillies St, W1F 7LW) Info: www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk

ROMEN GOUVEIA | SNOITCELFER

When: 17 September – 1 December Where: Coya London (118 Piccadilly, W1J 7NW) Info: www.braziliarty.org

PELÉ: ART, LIFE, FOOTBALL

When: 26 September – 8 October Where: Halcyon Gallery (144-146 New Bond Street, W1S 2PF) Info: www.halcyongallery.com

VOCES | LATIN AMERICAN PHOTOGRAPHY 1980 – 2015

When: 10 October – 9 January Where: Michael Hoppen Gallery (3 Jubilee Place, SW3 3TD) Info: www.michaelhoppengallery.com

MARIANA CANET | NATURE

When: 16 October – 13 November Where: Gallery 32, Embassy of Brazil (14-16 Cockspur, SW1Y 5BL) Info: www.culturalbrazil.org

MUSIC CONCERT/LECTURE ON THE MUSIC OF NOEL ROSA

When: 13 October Where: King’s College London, Great Hall Entranace: Free, booking necessary Info: www.kcl.ac.uk

DOM LA NENA

When: 28 October Where: St. Pancras Old Church Entrance: £9.50 Info: www.stpancrasoldchurch.wix.com

ADRIANO ADEWALE

When: 19 November Where: Cecil Sharp House Entrance: £12 Info: www.efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk

RUBEM DANTAS

When: 19 November Where: The Forge Entrance: £15-£25 Info: www.efglondonjazzfestival.org.uk

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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. . .

R A E Y W E N …AND WHAT’S IN STORE FOR BRAZIL IN 2015

DIVULGATION

DIVULGATION

CRIOLO IN LONDON

HIDDEN PARADISES

Brazilian rapper talks exclusively to Brasil Observer

Who isn’t dreaming of a holiday in the Brazilian sunshine?

ART FROM PERNAMBUCO

MISSING THE SUMMER

Embassy of Brazil in London presents new exhibition

A tour through Jericoacoara’s beach to forget winter

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PEDALING THE EFFORTS AND CHALLENGES OF SAO PAULO AND LONDON IN TRANSFORMING URBAN MOBILITY WITH BICYCLES

T R A E H T F O STATE

TOP BRAZILIAN BUSINESSES VISIT ADVANCED RESEARCH CENTRE IN THE UK WHERE PARTNERSHIP POSSIBILITIES EXIST

BRAZIL’S PUZZLE On the streets, people react to austerity and corruption ELZA FIÚZA/AGÊNCIA BRASIL

BEAUTIFUL GAME A humorous vision for the Brazil vs. Chile friendly in London RAFAEL RIBEIRO/CBF

STAGNANT ECONOMY To reassume growth, Brazil needs increased investments REPRODUCTION

EMICIDA EXCLUSIVE Brazilian rapper hits London and speaks to Brasil Observer DIVULGATION

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

COLUMNISTS

FRANKO FIGUEIREDO

RODRIGUES, WHO? Nelson Rodrigues is probably the most well-known and liked playwright in Brazil. So, if he is such a big hit with Brazilians, why hasn’t his work been exported more widely? And, can his work be truly translated to a British audience?

Controversial, decadent, immoral, an anti-Christ, these are but a few of the many adjectives associated with Brazilian playwright Nelson Rodrigues. One of his plays, Álbum de família (Family Album) written in 1946, chronicled the life of a semi-mythical family living outside society and mired in incest, rape and murder – it was so controversial that it was censored and only allowed to be staged 21 years later. Yet, Nelson Rodrigues is clearly the progenitor of the modern Brazilian theatre and his status is that of a cultural hero.

Nelson Rodrigues is not only Brazil’s greatest playwright but also one of Brazil’s national treasures.

Rodrigues’ work is as important as Tennessee Williams, Eugene O’Neill or Luigi Pirandello such is the universal, timeless and subversive quality of his work.

Nelson Rodrigues was the first Brazilian playwright to write dialogue that rings original and authentic to Brazilians; his language is honest, straight, cold, cruel but pulsating with Brazilian verve. In Rodrigues’ works we recognise our own Brazil.

Rodrigues covered every topic that his generation, and many generations after, found difficult to deal with; and bravely exposed the hypocrisy surrounding

Brazilian society: “Our faults lie within us, active and fierce, but unconfessed,” he wrote, and he projects these ‘faults’ on the stage quite vividly.

Rodrigues’ plays contain a large dose of heightened drama and characters whose behaviour are extravagant and extreme, some of them remitting to Shakespeare’s larger plays such as Titus Andronicus or even the Greek tragedies.

Rodrigues started his career as a crime writer and, as such, he must have seen and written about many sordid affairs gone tragic. It is this pervasive tragic human narrative, with many wonderful lead female roles, that he brings to the stage in spectacular form.

Back in 2005, StoneCrabs Theatre in association with the Embassy of Brazil in London produced a series of staged readings to test the translations of his works (Origens/Origins). The Brazilian Ministry of Culture had funded the translations (by Joffre Rodrigues and Toby Coe) of some of Rodrigues plays and a team of British Directors worked on the staged readings, these were followed by open debates with audiences, which included literary directors from the National Theatre, Lyric Hammersmith and Royal Court. The work was heavily attacked. Some found it crude, dated, and offensive, and others just loved it, though they felt the translations were ‘Americanised’. Audiences were divided, just as they were in Rodrigues’s time; but as Rodrigues himself said it once: “unanimity is always stupid”.

Against all odds, StoneCrabs Theatre Company went ahead and produced some of those works in London.

Waltz n.6, staged at the Greenwich Playhouse, was hailed as “Brazilian magic” by Time Out, receiving critic’s choice. Gareth Machin, then artistic director of Southwark Playhouse, programmed Lady of the Drowned as part of his final season as an artistic director there.

“This is unbridled lunacy á la Blood Wedding and just as thrilling…” wrote Siobhan Murphy for the Metro.

Lady of The Drowned was also Metro and Time Out critic’s choice. StoneCrabs went on to produce All Nudity Shall Be Punished, After Doroteia and The Asphalt Kiss to celebrate his 100th anniversary.

The work of Nelson Rodrigues has much potential to blossom in the current British artistic landscape, with Rufus Norris at the National Theatre and Vicky Featherstone at the Royal Court and so many other artistic directors pushing for more diversity and equality, it feels like this might just be the right time for Rodrigues’ work to fully take off in the UK. It will need a good injection of funds not only to get the work translated to the British stage, but funds to produce the works in theatres up and down the country, the latter being the greatest challenge.

Ten years on, Sacha Rodrigues is here in the UK with the goal to bringing his grandfather’s work to shine on the British stage once more. I very much look forward to seeing its light shine brighter than it did ten years ago. g

AQUILES RIQUE REIS

GOING BEYOND

Ná Ozzetti heard the songs of Zé Miguel Wisnik for the first time in 1985. Attracted by what she heard, she recorded four of them in his first solo album, three years later. Now both musicians are together again on the album Ná e Zé (Circus Produções). With artistic direction of the two, the work brings together 14 songs Zé Miguel composed between the 1978 and 2014, eight unpublished before.

Production was made by Marcio Arantes, who also made some of the arrangements and, among other instruments, played acoustic and electric bass and guitars with 6 and 12 strings. There are also arrangements written by Gui Amabis and Tiago Costa – the others were created collectively – and participation of Arnaldo Antunes and Marcelo Jeneci.

I praise those who, beyond their time, generate beauties never seen. I also praise those who lead us to high sound travels, treading illusory chimeras, almost unreachable. I praise music and praise the musicians who express emotion through their instruments and voices. And as Gilberto Gil said, “I praise the love that scares the war.”

And are precisely the yet unknown beauties that come in torrents, almost drowning us with their sensitive content. For such richness, such content we should listen with an open heart, allowing it to flood

Franko Figueiredo is artistic director and associate producer of StoneCrabs Theatre Company (www.stonecrabs.co.uk)

our souls and translate emotions still anonymous.

The voice of Ná Ozzetti goes beyond the limit: sharp as a razor, whose cut rips the skin without us noticing; the sensitivity with which she divides the melodic phrases is an addition to the technical sense.

Her emotion touches every phrase; her breath exposes her singing, stripping it.

Wisnik is a musician from the front of the São Paulo modernism line. His musical vision is so wide, as wide is his cultural production. His compositions are distinguished by poetic and harmonious plurality.

To start, two songs intertwined, almost siamese twins, “Gardênias e Hortênsias” and “Subir Mais”, both of Zé Miguel and Paulo Leminski. Ná starts singing a cappella. Soon the drums pull taken to the pop.

Following, Ná and Zé sing together... Beautiful opening.

“Noturno do Mangue” (Zé on Oswald de Andrade’s poem) brings arrangement of Letieres Leite for metals and the always-eloquent participation of Arnaldo Antunes, whose severe and passionate voice has a crazy charm. His duo with Ná is beautiful, as beautiful as the Andrade’s verses.

After hearing them sing, I praise Ná and praise Zé, they shiver me. I praise song that burns the soul, even if it does not define exactly what it is. g

Aquiles Rique Reis is musician, vocalist of MPB4

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

£10 Standard £8 Students

TRIO BARU 31st OCTOBER 7pm The Forge

3-7 Delancey Street,

Camden NW1 7NL

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

TRAVEL

, U ร A U IG O D Z O F F O S M R A H THE C

S R E T A W E TH

E S I D A R A P F O

The city of Iguaรงu Falls is surrounded by rivers and has in its subsoil is the second largest aquifer in the world Foz do Iguaรงu, in the triple border between Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina, it is a privileged city by the waters that surround it and are also abundant in its subsoil. It is in this territory that the second longest river in South America, Paranรก, receives the Iguaรงu waters shortly after it formed the wonderful Falls, a phenomenon that nature has created millions of years ago.

In its basement is the Guarani Aquifer, the second largest underground water reserve in the world, which is distributed by parts of Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and Uruguay. And there is the Itaipu reservoir, a huge lake of 1,350 square kilometres, artificially created in the Parana River to allow the operation of the hydroelectric plant built by Brazilian and Paraguayan on the border of the two countries.

This content was sponsered by Itaipu Binacional

brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

FALLS The Iguaçu River, which rises in the region of Curitiba, capital of Paraná, runs through the entire state and, in the last kilometres, in the section on which borders Argentina, after a curve and a rapid, form 272 rapids, with an average drop of 72 meters. The Iguaçu Falls see the world’s largest decreases in volume of water – in normal times, the flow rate is 1 million and 450 thousand litters per second.

The heels are presented in a semicircle resembling a horseshoe and extend over 2,700 meters of which 1,900 meters are on the Argentine side and 800 meters in Brazil. To see the falls in their full glory, one must see the two sides. On the Brazilian side, you can even take a boat ride under them, complete with a “bath”, while on the Argentine side is the size, view from above, from the grandeur of the Devil’s Throat, the most impressive jump.

All this exuberance assured the Iguaçu Falls, in 2011, the title of one of the new seven wonders of nature. The award, sponsored by the Swiss foundation New Seven Wonders was voted by worldwide Internet users.

PARKS In both Brazil and Argentina, the Iguaçu Falls are surrounded by national parks.

Brazil and Argentina maintain in total more than 600,000 hectares of protected areas and another 400 hectares of still primeval forests, home to endangered species, flora and fauna.

It is estimated that there are on the woods 800 species of butterflies, and 45 mammals, 12 amphibians, 41 snakes and 200 species of birds. Thanks to this rich biodiversity, coupled with the scenic beauty of Iguaçu Falls, the Iguaçu National Park in Brazil, and the Iguazú National Park in Argentina have been declared World Natural Heritage by UNESCO.

HOT WATER Surrounded by rivers, Foz do Iguaçu does not use the resources of the Guarani Aquifer for water supply of the population. But a few luxury resorts offer as attraction thermal pools, which come from underground to temperatures around 37 degrees.

The thermal water, which remains naturally warm all year, also has medicinal properties, allowing baths at any time of day and in any season.

ITAIPU Accounting for 16% of the electricity consumed in Brazil and 79% of Paraguay’s electricity consumption, Itaipu plant is the second most visited attraction of Foz do Iguaçu, visited annually by over 800,000 people. The plant, which in 1995 was voted one of the wonders of modern engineering by the American Society of Engineering offers a number of tours, including the reservoir, aboard a luxury boat with capacity for 200 people.

Gigantic in every way, Itaipu arouses interest not only for its physical structure, but for his work on environmental preservation of all its surroundings. Since the creation of the reservoir in 1982, Itaipu has planted over 44 million trees on the banks of the reservoir. Its main environmental program, Cultivating Good Water, won the United Nations this year the world’s best practice award in management of water resources.

But it’s with the numbers that the plant impresses. Its dam is almost 8 kilometres long a with a maximum height of 196 meters, equivalent to a building of 65 floors; iron and steel used in the construction of Itaipu allow building 380 towers similar to Eiffel Tower. Its spillway, whose function is to drain the water not used for generation, is able to shed 62,200 m³/s, 40 times more than the average flow of the Iguaçu Falls.

TOURS Since it was opened to visitors in 1977, while still under construction, the Itaipu Dam has received about 20 million visitors by the Brazilian and Paraguayan banks. Today, visitors have three types of tours: the Special Tour, which allows the visit to the interior of the dam; the Panoramic Visit, with strategic stops;

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and the electric vehicle test drive, where visitors drive an electric car assembled in the plant itself, accompanied by a monitor.

Other attractions are the Itaipu Dam Lighting, where the plant is illuminated gradually, with a special soundtrack; the Eco-museum, which brings details and curiosities of the region where the plant was built; the Bela Vista Biological Refuge, where you meet up close examples of regional flora and fauna; and the Port Kattamaram, from where you can go out to sail on a boat 200 seats at the Itaipu Lake.

BIRD PARK Another must-see attraction of Foz do Iguaçu is the Bird Park, home to over a thousand birds of 150 different species, some endangered. With 16.5 acres of lush Atlantic Forest, is the largest bird park in Latin America. But, contrary to the name, the park not only houses birds: there is also the paradise of reptiles of Brazilian fauna, like the python, iguana, alligator and the dreaded anaconda; and graceful butterflies, some rare in nature.

For the estimated 500,000 visitors that the Bird Park receives annually, the biggest charm is able to stay very close to the animals.

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brasilobserver.co.uk | October 2015

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