Brasil Observer #10 - English Version

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www.brasilobserver.co.uk TECH CITY IN LONDON (PHOTO: DIVULGATION)

MEET THE TEN BRAZILIAN ENTREPRENEURS HEAD TO LONDON THIS MONTH TO INTERNATIONALISE THEIR BUSINESSES AFTER WINNING UK TRADE & INVESTMENT TECHNOLOGIC COMPETITION

LONDON EDITION MAY 8 – 21

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IN FOCUS Important news from last two weeks

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BRASILIANCE Family farming X Agribusiness

LONDON EDITION 06

BRAZIL IN UK Capoeira Festival invades Birmingham

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PROFILE Jorge Samek: 11 years directing Itaipu Dam

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FRONT PAGE REPORT Brazilians bring innovation

Host-cities: Curitiba and Porto Alegre

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CONECTANDO

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2014 WORLD CUP

A Brazilian game called ‘Bamba’

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BRASIL OBSERVER GUIDE Brazilian poetry and much more…

Ana Toledo ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

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

PUBLIC RELATIONS Roberta Schwambach roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Bianca Brunow Dalla, Bruja Leal, Clarice Valente, Deise Fields, Gabriela Lobianco, Luciane Sorrino, Marielle Machado, Michael Landon, Nathália Braga, Ricardo Somera, Rômulo Seitenfus, Rosa Bittencourt, Shaun Cumming, Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

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E D I T O R I A L

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19|22 TRAVEL SPECIAL

23 GOING OUT

24 NEW CANVAS OVER OLD

25 FOOD

FOR THOSE WHO THINK GLOBALLY

GRAPHIC DESIGN Jean Peixe ultrapeixe@gmail.com

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By Ana Toledo – ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

As the name of our publication says, we are observing the world around us from a Brazilian viewpoint. It’s our aim to show, through different perspectives, how Brazil is positioned within the global community and analyse the steps the country is taking towards becoming an increasingly important international player.

It is with great satisfaction and commitment, that we have created our tenth edition which reaffirms this goal and editorial position.

Our cover story highlights the initiative of the British Consulate in Sao Paulo to bring the winning ten Brazilian companies to England as part of the the second edition of Technology and Innovation Competition sponsored by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

On page 8, you will find an interview with one of Brazil’s most prominent business figures, Jorge Samek, director of Itaipu Binacional. The company is of very important strategic value for Brazil, both leading the sustainable energy sector and for the wider role it plays in fostering integration with Latin American countries.

The focus of Brasiliance in this edition looks at the state of family farming in Brazil, and why organisations like the Uni-

digala@wakeupcolab.com.br

Iliffe Print Cambridge iliffeprint.co.uk ted Nations (UN) believe that this kind of farming can save people from food shortages and rising prices. Agribusiness in Brazil is one of the largest exporters in the world and receives a great deal of land and funding, yet it is the small farms that generate employ the largest number of Brazilians and keep food on our tables. We look at what is being done to address these imbalances and how the situation stands today.

Never forgetting, the importance Brazil’s vibrant culture, Brasil Observer Guide is filled with information on Brazilian events taking place in the land of the Queen. Highlights include the upcoming celebration of Brazilian poetry at the Festival of Brighton and the concert of Caetano Veloso. We also visit rehearsals of the second edition of the Brazilian-produced Home Theatre Festival in Rio which will be returning to London later this year.

Thus, with one foot in Brazil and another in the UK, the Brasil Observer team continues its journey to establish a two-way street. Promoting Brazil on British soil and exploring actions that showcase the exchange of ideas and knowledge between the two countries.

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IN FOCUS PHTO: PAULO PINTO/FOTOS PÚBLICAS

Surely one of the most flamboyant popular movements around the world, the Sao Paulo’s LGBT Pride Parade in full glory

GAY PRIDE STANDS UP TO HOMOPHOBIA On the afternoon on Sunday 4 May, people gathered at Avenida Paulista, in the central area of São Paulo, for the 18th LGBT Pride Parade to celebrate lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and culture. Already one of the biggest events in support of sexual diversity around the world, this year’s the parade called for people to take a stand against homophobia.

“What are all these gay, bisexual and transgender people doing on the avenue that is the greatest symbol of the capital? We want respect. We want dignity,” said the founding partner of the parade, Nelson Matias, at the press conference for the opening ceremony. Matias added, “To love whom I want is a right of intimate nature. Companies have to comply to protect this right and the government guarantee it.”

Human Rights Minister for the Presidency of the Republic, Ideli Salvati, said the LGBT community should seize the mobilisation achieved by the success of the parade and press Parliament for the approval of projects against prejudice. “You got two or three million people on the street.

You need to turn this into votes in Congress., because the power of white, rich, straight man is installed there” Salvati also expressed support for the bill that would see homophobia made a criminal act, a major ambition held by those who were part of the parade.

The mayor of São Paulo, Fernando Haddad, said that despite the festive mood, the parade also refers to matters of great seriousness. “We understand that this is a civic parade. For us, unfortunately, it is not yet a fully formed political movement,”

said the mayor, who also recalled the “atrocities” committed by people who are prejudiced in his speech at the event.

The governor of São Paulo, Geraldo Alckmin, chose this moment to announce the relocation of the Museum of Sexual Diversity to Avenida Paulista. The institution currently has a smaller site at the subway station in Republica, where it received 35,000 visits last year.

The goals of the parade and the politician’s calls for change have great cause in Brazil. A recent survey conducted at the University of Sao Paulo showed that 72% of men who publicly identify themselves as gay have suffered verbal abuse at work, in college and in their family surroundings.

Among this same group, 21% have been assaulted, compared with 4% of those who prefer not to reveal their sexuality.

‘FA IS FREAKING OUT OVER SAFETY IN RIO’

URUGUAY: 1ST LEGAL MARKETING OF MARIJUANA

XENOPHOBIC PARTY TOPS UK POLLS

In a report published in the Daily Mail, the head of security at the English Football Association, Tony Conniford, has expressed concern about reports of demonstrations, crime and violence in slums in retaliation to police intervention in Rio de Janeiro.

What worries the Conniford is that the England team will be staying at a hotel in Sao Conrado, near the Rocinha favela, one of the largest of Rio. Conniford is a veteran of the British police, where he worked for 30 years and says others are concerned about these problems.

“The problems here have been all over the papers. It’s bad.

I get calls from management, from my bosses at the FA, freaking out saying, ‘Tony, are you sure it’s safe?’ They ask me, ‘Is this really going to be safe for the team?’ They are worried. These are real concerns”.

Problems with the transit system in Rio de Janeiro also causes concern among the England team, who will be training at a military base in Urca. “The traffic is awful. Even with a police escort it will be a nightmare. The roads are terrible. The traffic is my biggest worry. We have to work on how we get the team from A to B without getting held up”.

Although the team will be based in Rio, England will play the first phase in Manaus, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte so smooth transit to the airport will be important.

This is not the first occasion that England staff have been critical of their trip to Brazil. They have already ruffled feathers with diplomats in Amazonia after the coach Roy Hodgson said he would not want the team to play in Manaus because of local climate.

Uruguayan President Jose Mujica has signed the legislation establishing the first legal marijuana market in the world.

After 60 meetings between seven ministries and nearly five months after it was approved by Parliament, the law that allows a Uruguayan person to consume up to 40 grams of marijuana a month has now gone into force.

Besides regulating consumption, the law creates cannabis clubs and allows the cultivation of up to six plants at home. The government of Mujica open tender for the concession of two to six licenses for the production of marijuana for sale in pharmacies.

According to an official announcement, 10 acres suffice to produce 18-22 tons of marijuana, enough for the local market quantity. One gram of the drug will cost between 20 and 22 Uruguayan pesos (less than £1). “We want to give a blow to the drug trade, taking his share of the market. No addiction is good, the only thing I suggest is to love,” Mujica said when presenting details of the law.

The regulation prohibits smoking marijuana indoors, in your place of work or education, or in areas of health, public transport, school buses. Driving while under the influence of drugs will not be permitted - in cases of suspicion, saliva testing will be undertaken. Events that encourage consumption of the drug will also be prohibited.

“These are the same conditions we have in place for the consumption of tobacco and is the same procedure that we have sent to Parliament to restrict the alcohol market,” said Secretary of the Presidency, Diego Canepa.

A survey released by The Sunday Times indicates that UKIP (the right wing UK Independence Party) will win the majority of British votes in the election for European Parliament at the end of May, despite previous research showing that the party is seen as racist by 27% of voters.

The results of this poll are not the first to show UKIP ahead of other parties in the electoral battle. Other studies have shown UKIP leading ahead of Labour by a percentage point. Further research published by The Sun points to a three point lead.

Both surveys showed that the Conservative Party is in third place with 22% and 23% of voter intention, respectively.

UKIP’s campaign for the immediate exit of the European Union and tougher rules on immigration has drawn support mainly from Conservatives in the southeast England who are unhappy with David Cameron. But the party has also made gains by appealing to voters in areas north of London, which are traditionally Labour strongholds.

The leader of UKIP, Nigel Farage, believes that success in the European elections will help the party to win seats in the national election in 2015.

When asked about the views of some of the parry’s members like Andre Lampitt who was banned as a candidate in April for expressing racist views on Twitter, Farage said the party is not racist or xenophobic, but admitted that mistakes were made when accepting new members.

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brasilobserver.co.uk

BRASILIANCE

INEQUALITY PREVAILS IN BRAZIL’S FARMING INDUSTRY Fifty years after the most effective attempt at land reform in Brazil, the subject remains a taboo. Independent agriculture still accounts for most of the country’s food production, but public spending continues to favour the production of commodities by large landowners

By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) of the United Nations (UN) has marked 2014 as the International Year of Family Farming. Through this, they hope “to raise the profile of family and smallholder farming by focusing world attention on its significant role in eradicating hunger and poverty, providing food security and nutrition, improving livelihoods, managing natural resources, protecting the environment, and achieving sustainable development, in particular in rural areas”.

In Brazil, despite undeniable advances in the last ten years, these kinds of farms continue losing ground and are being smothered by the antithesis of sustainable local methods: large agribusiness. Recent events have put these issues on the agenda and gradually given visibility to the contradictions that exist in this sector.

According to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE) and the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), smallholding agriculture accounts for over three quarters of jobs in Brazil’s farming sector. These types of farm are also responsible for producing most of the food that the country consumes: 70% of beans, 86% cassava, 58% milk, 59% of pork, 50% of poultry.

In total, family farms account for over 80% of the country’s agriculture. However, agribusiness continues to occupy the largest agricultural areas in the country: 75% of the Brazilian territory allocated to agriculture is in the hands of large landowners. Agribusiness is also awarded the majority of government funds for the financing of crops.

Looking at the current cycle relating to 2013/14 only, the federal government’s Safra Plan reserves R$39 billion for agribusiness, while the government’s National Program for Strengthening Family Agriculture (Pronaf), had a budget of only R$18,6 billion in 2013. This year, it is estimated that this figure will reach R$ 21 billion, but this is still a fraction of the allocation provided to agribusiness.

Although the consolidated amount of Pronaf in 2013 was, according to the government, 717% higher than ten years ago, it is still four times lower than the features offered to the agribusiness. The Ministry of Agrarian Development argue however, that the growth of resources to agribusiness for the same period was only 342% so that over time the differences in funding are being reduced.

In Brazil, family farming accounts for 77% of jobs in the agricultural sector, but occupies less than 25% of the territory allocated to agriculture with the majority allocated to agribusiness

PHOTOS: REPRODUCTION

ALLIANCE WITH AGRIBUSINESS It could be argued that over the past two years, the federal government’s attention to family farming has cooled compared to the privileges they have awarded to agribusiness. To ensure their political majority in the House of Representatives and the Senate, the government of President Dilma Rousseff had to establish relations with the more conservative parties and especially with the so-called “bancada ruralista” (deputies and senators with connections to agribusiness or those who won election campaigns thanks to finance from large agribusiness companies – including transnationals in this sector).

One example of this approach has been the change in position of Senator Katia Abreu, who is president of the National Confederation of Agriculture (CNA), which represents the agribusiness. Abreu was elected in 2006 by the Democrats (DEM), a right-wing party allied to the PSDB, the main opposition party to the Worker’s Party governments of Lula (2003-2010) and Rousseff (since 2011). In her first four years as a senator, Abreu was one of the staunchest critics to President Lula and his agriculture policy that sought to balance meeting the demands of agribusiness, while also paying more attention to the needs of family and smallholding agriculture.

In 2011, Katia Abreu, along with several other party colleagues, migrated to the newly founded PSD, led by then-mayor of São Paulo, Gilberto Kassab, and funded with support (albeit behind the sce-

nes) of the government, who wanted to bring the party in as an ally and thus increase their influence in Congress.

Once part of the PSD, Katia Abreu’s attitude shifted, for example, she was a major enthusiast of the bill sent by the Rousseff government that established new regulatory framework for Brazilian ports.

While in government Rousseff, more for political expediency than ideological origin it must be said, has approached the “ruralistas” and distanced herself from movements that represent family farming like the Landless Rural Workers Movement (MST). On countless occasions in her first three years in office, Rousseff personally participated in events related to promoting agribusiness.

Moreover, only this year did she find time to sit at the table with the MST to discuss the movement’s demands during the group’s Sixth National Congress.

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GDP GROWTH The importance of agribusiness in the Brazilian economy does give weight to the arguments of those who advocate the commercial agriculture model. In the last two decades, agribusiness was responsible for ensuring trade surplus and minimising deficits.

Agribusiness has also supported the growth of GDP. Last year, while Brazil’s GDP grew by 2.3%, agriculture expanded 7% a large increased compared to the service sector, which rose 2% and other industry which increased by just 1.3%.

Nildo Ouriques, professor in Economics at the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC) and the Institute of La-

tin American Studies (Iela), this model economic policy adopted in the last 20 years is misguided. Under this policy, Brazil acts as a mere exporter of raw materials and importer of products with higher added value.

The origin of this role for Brazil lies in the so called “Kandir Law”, from 1996, authored by then Congressman Anthony Kandir (PSDB) and signed by President Fernando Henrique Cardoso.

The legislation changed the tax rules relating to Goods and Services in order to relieve the export of agricultural commodities (soybeans, corn, cotton and ores).

The legislation encouraged the expansion of this agricultural model based on large estates intended for monoculture.

In practice, this is the exact antithesis

to diverse smallholdings, based on small family farms, which serve to produce food for the population. When asked about the side effect of this economic policy Professor Ouriques does not mince his words: he believes it has let to “the poisoning of the food consumed by the Brazilian population”.

Ouriques is referring to the intense use of pesticides that is required in this agribusiness production model. For at least five years Brazil has led in global pesticide consumption. Today this figure stands at around 800 million litres a year, according to Brazil’s Permanent Campaign against Pesticides and Life, a think tank raising awareness for this issue.

In April, the group released O veneno está na mesa – 2 (The poison is

on the table), the second edition of the documentary directed by Silvio Tendler which warns about the uncontrolled use of pesticides by Brazilian agriculture and how this is endangering the environment and people’s health.

There are many people trying to promote the needs and voices of Brazil’s forgotten farmers. On 7 and 8 May the free event to promote small hold agriculture, Green Rio took place in the city’s Botanical Garden area. The program included discussions on income generation, production of organic foods, climate change and sustainability. An exhibition also presented examples of successful products from marmalades to honey to cachaca and cheese which are produced on family farms.

Development of agricultural production in Latin America and the Caribbean, according to data released by the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO)

Family farming plays key role to food security and employment in Latin America Given the limitations to providing new land for agriculture, additional food production in Latin America and the Caribbean needs to be achieved by increasing the productivity of the sector. Family farms play a key role in this goal, according to a recent report.

The collaborative research was prepared by the Economic Commission

for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC), the UN’s Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean Food, the Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the Inter-American Institute for Cooperation on Agriculture (IICA).

According to the Director General of IICA, Victor M. Villalobos, “family farming is the economic activity with

the greatest potential to increase food supply in the region, reduce unemployment and remove from poverty and malnutrition the population that are more vulnerable in rural areas.” In South America, the share of agricultural employment is significant in the countries analysed ranging from 53% in Argentina to 77% in Brazil.

For 2014, the production and agricultural exports in the region will receive a boost thanks to economic recovery in Europe and increased global demand, which in turn will be encouraged by the growth of developing countries and expansion of its middle class, provided there aren’t any extreme weather conditions or fluctuations in the currency market.

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brasilobserver.co.uk

BRAZIL IN UK

Birmingham embraces Brazilian rhythm FOTO: MELISSA BECKER

The fourth International Capoeira Festival brings Brazilian culture to one of the largest dance festivals in Europe

By Melissa Becker from Birmingham (UK) One of the biggest dance events in Europe will have a distinctly Brazilian flavour to its programme this year. A weekend of Capoeira performances, a carnival parade and special party will bring Brazil’s culture to the International Dance Festival Birmingham (IDFB) 2014, at the end of May. Organised by the group Cordão De Ouro Birmingham (CDOB), the 4th International Capoeira Festival will take place from 23 to 25 May as part of the month-long international dance biennial in Birmingham. There will be workshops, demonstrations and classes suitable for people of all ages to try.

The Capoeira Festival is not the only Brazilian touch to this year’s IDFB. At the end of April, the main programme, also included performances of Sideways Rain, by Paulista choreographer and director Guilherme Botelho, with his contemporary dance company Alias, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The show was one of the highlights of the festival’s opening week, with the company creating a mesmerising performance on the famous Hippodrome stage, one of the main venues in the city.

The special weekend celebrating Capoeira is the first event of its kind at the festival, part of the social programme developed in parallel to the IDBF main schedule. Curated and managed by “capoeirista” Samuel Mascote, from CDOB, the Capoeira Festival will include the presence of Mestre Suassuna, founder of Cordão de Ouro in Brazil who returns to the UK for the first time in almost 10 years.

No dia 29 de março, apresentação do grupo Someone at The Door Samba Band divulgou o festival em frente ao Rotunda, um dos prédios mais icônicos da cidade de Birmingham

Although the chance to meet the “mestre” will serve as a great opportunity for bringing CDOB members from around the world together, the event is not only for those who are already involved in capoeira with Cordão de Ouro. Mascote explains: “I think there’s no single UK institution giving major support to capoeira. My goal for this festival is to establish a platform so people can discover the connections we have. I want it to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone,

even those who don’t practice capoeira and others who don’t have any knowledge of Brazilian culture. It’s a great way to grab the attention of new audiences.”

Mascote started practising the Afro-Brazilian art form, where dance meets martial arts, 15 years ago in his hometown of Nottingham. He went on to live in Brazil for a year, improving his knowledge and Portuguese with Mestre Suassuna. For Mascote, the dance could be a major engine for promoting Brazilian

culture. “Capoeira is one of the biggest means of promoting the Portuguese language in the world. The language plays a big role in the dance form. You must learn the language as the movements, songs, traditions and all rituals are in Portuguese. In order to understand the art in a better way, those who practise need to understand the language”.

Mascote moved to Birmingham five years ago after he noticed that despite its large Brazilian community, the city was lacking a significant capoeira presence and deciding to promote the movement in the area. In this time he has engaged lots of people and continues to actively promote the dance style across the city. On 29 March, Mascote organised a presentation in collaboration with the Someone at The Door Samba Band, from Bromsgrove, promoting the festival in front of the Rotunda one of Birmingham’s historic city centre buildings.

For the festival later this month, the CDOB will be joined by other Brazilian artists including Jota III, the Birmingham-based Forró group and the Nottingham Samba Band, plus others who will perform at the Rebel Spirit party at the PST Digbeth club.

In association with Espirito Brum (the English strand of the Espírito Mundo cultural project), the event celebrating Birmingham’s underground music scene, is also part of the IDFB social programme and promises an authentic Brazilian club night on 24 May. The Brazilian weekend will close on 25 May, with an afternoon of free performances from noon and a carnival parade around the lake at Cannon Hill Park, at 4pm.

You can by Day tickets for the International Capoeira Festival when you arrive for £45. Tickets for the whole weekend cost between £60 -£90 and can be purchased online http://goo.gl/yjTwxv.

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PROFILE

PHOTO: DIVULGATION

Jorge Samek:

‘Itaipu has to be a generator of local development’

brasilobserver.co.uk 9

In an exclusive interview with Brasil Observer, the general director of the Itaipu Dam highlights the company’s performance in promoting sustainable regional development

By Ana Toledo

We all like to think we would like to take on new professional challenges, but accepting one of truly gargantuan scale - equivalent to 14,000 megawatts - might seem like a step too far. This is what Jorge Samek took on 11 years ago, when, at the invitation of former President Lula, he took over as general director of the largest energy producing dam in the world, Itaipu, located in his home city of Foz do Iguaçu (Paraná).

Spanning two countries, generating over 19% of Brazil’s energy and with hundreds of staff employed across the sprawling complex, it is no surprise that catching up with Samek for an interview was somewhat of a challenge in itself. He did find the time to speak to Brasil Observer, on the drive from the international airport Afonso Pena, in Curitiba. Samek was returning from meetings in Brasília, the political and economic centre of Brasil, which also explains why he had to put me on hold midway through our conversation when the Minister of Mines and Energy, Edson Lobão called him. After all, besides the full schedule of responsibilities attached to the position he occupies, Brazil is experiencing an onerous moment in power generation due to the low level of water reservoirs.

This fact was the starting point of our discussion, though Samek seemed unfazed. “They said the same things in November and December 2012, warning of power outages and rationing. Panicking that the energy we were producing in Brazil was not enough to meet demand, stirring up a series of catastrophic analyses that were not confirmed later.”

Samek went on to highlight the practical solutions Itaipu has taken in order to get through such periods, “We installed a series of power plants that act as steps, to serve in drier times and also made a massive investment over the last ten years in improving transmission lines, today we are have 140,000 kilometres of transmission lines conducting at least 220 Kilo Volts, in fact, most of them carry 500 or 750 KV.” While discussing the investments that Brazil has made in the energy sector over the last 10 years, I asked Samek what he thinks about the controversial construction of the Belo Monte dam in Altamira, Pará. “If we do not take advantage of this potential power, it would be a disservice to our country, and [would] maintain a process of ‘social apartheid’, i.e, ensuring that those people who already have access to power and a good quality of life are ok while the other millions and millions of Brazilians live without.

“We consider hydropower clean, renewable energy. You use water, harnessing the natural fall and generating multiple uses. Besides the considerable energy produced, the water goes on to serve agriculture, supplies homes, provides irrigation, and can be a platform for transport, before going back into the water cycle. In the case of Itaipu, the water which passes through the dam has already passed through 10 times before. There are times that 96% of Brazil’s energy production comes only from hydroelectricity. When water is abundant and no region is experiencing water, all thermal power stations are switched off, so we do not issue any CO2, and do not contaminate the environment.”

It should be noted that environmentalists and some experts differ from this assertion. When asked about these contrasting points of view, specifically about an article recently published in the Guardian saying that the focus on hydropower is doing more harm than good for emerging economies, Samek disagrees. “If you researched all the cities in Brazil that have been served by a hydroelectric dam and asked the whole population around these dams whether life had improved or worsened since, I think the resounding answers would be positive. This is clearly illustrated in the region served by Itaipu: where people now enjoy the best HDI (Human Development Index), the best schools and the best medical care in the country.”

Within this perspective, Samek discusses some of the ways that Itaipu creates social development. Since the plants completion the company has turned a great deal of its resources to local sustainability and improvements.

One of the recipients of these investments has been the University of Latin American Integration (Unila), an institution that has received support from Itaipu since its incarnation. “In my view, the best integration, one that is more enduring, will be made in the cultural and educational areas. Universities have this scope and that is why we actively support Unila, which brings together students and staff from all countries of Latin America and Central America, while also being a Brazilian federal university, maintained by the country’s government. I think we’re taking rapid strides towards building a better, more just, less violent and more peaceful region.

“We’re sure that supporting this unique institution will bear great fruits of success and that within a few decades, it will be an icon in itself, matching the impressive region it sits in with

the wonders of the Iguaçu Falls, the three boundaries and Itaipu dam. Unila is a clear demonstration of environmental preservation, social tolerance, integration and the educational and cultural influence it will generate is the icing on the cake.”

Samek also highlights the Itaipu-led initiative ‘Cultivating Good Water’, which promotes an extensive process of awareness, information and training in order to enable a sustainable future for the surrounding communities.

Thanks to this programme, today, local farmers produce their own energy using animal waste; just one positive impact of the scheme. Samek considers this to be “the union of the largest hydroelectric power plant in the production of energy on the planet with the lowest form of energy production.”

“Knowing how to producing your own energy for your needs and being able to sell surplus to the network makes a huge improvement for these farmers. There are extraordinary developments taking place and each day makes me more sure that it is possible to reconcile development with environmental protection.”

Samek’s enthusiasm for Itaipu and the possibilities that the company brings to the region is not just duty-bound.

Samek was born in Foz, and followed the construction of Itaipu from the start.

Leaving the city to study Agronomy, Samek remained in the same state, relocating to Curitiba but always keeping any eye on the development: “I am an eyewitness to this process”, he added.

Affiliated to the Workers Party (PT) since 1990, Samek was alderman four times, and has always maintained a strong professional link with his home region, including being a candidate for governor of Paraná in 1994.

“A company with the magnitude of Itaipu should not be restricted only to energy production, it should serve as a generator of local development.”

Samek said this and made similar statements to its effect several times during our interview.

It looks as though Samek has many reasons to feel enthusiastic. “Foz thrives on tourism, 2013 was the best year for tourism to the city. The rest of the region is agricultural and it was also the best period for this sector.

The city also has the highest Human Development Index in Paraná state.

Of course our central role is producing energy, and it was also the best year of energy production in our history. I think we are firmly on track in providing development with sustainability for Brazil” he concluded.

We consider hydropower clean, renewable energy. You use water, harnessing the natural fall and generating multiple uses

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FRONT PAGE

PHOTO: DIVULGATION/UK IN BRAZIL

Elyr Teixeira, CEO of Senfio, is one of the Brazilian entrepreneurs coming to the UK after winning the UKTI competition

UK OPEN FOR

BRAZILIAN BUSINESS

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The British Consulate in Sao Paulo brings ten Brazilian companies to UK with the goal of supporting those who want to globalise their business

By Guilherme Reis

From January to March this year, the British Consulate in Sao Paulo held the second edition of the Information Technology and Innovation Competition to help give start ups a boost. The scheme is offered by UK Trade & Investment, the government body that helps UK-based companies succeed in the growing and fast globalised economy.

Of the ten companies that are coming to the UK this May, three were selected in Rio de Janeiro last year during an innovation event. The other seven companies were selected in regional competitions. (You can read more about these exciting new Brazilian businesses in the info box.)

Between 12 and 16 May, the winning companies will have the opportunity to visit the major technology centres in the UK, including Tech City, the technological centre of London that is currently home to 1400 companies, from start-ups to industry giants, like Google, Facebook, Intel and Twitter. The group will also travel to Manchester and Liverpool.

One of the most important events on the agenda will take place at the

Embassy of Brazil in London on 15 May. Here the UKTI will release their report The Brazilian Corporate Landscape in the UK, which highlights the presence and experiences of Brazilian businesses in Britain.

A representative of each of the competition winning companies received airline tickets and accommodation sponsored by the GREAT Britain campaign, the most ambitious global marketing initiative of the British government.

The competition was open to IT companies of any size, from start-ups to large enterprises. “The goal of this competition was to select Brazilian entrepreneurs interested in globalising their businesses,” explained Raquel Kibrit, investment manager of UK Trade & Investment in Sao Paulo, who oversaw the competition.

With help from UKTI, participants will have the opportunity to learn about how the tax system and labour laws operate in the UK, as well as discovering the facilities and opportunities available for companies in the technology sector. “The UK is

the Silicon Valley of Europe. Brazilian companies can grow rapidly with the opening of new operations in the country,” Kibrit added.

Kibrit talked to the team of Brasil Observer late last year in São Paulo, when the UKTI launched the Sirius program in Brazil. At the time, she cited some advantages of building a business in UK, such as the speed for opening a business (about two hours), more flexible labour laws, lower tax fees than in Brazil, the central position of the country and the fact that 70% of companies choose London as their European base, which expands business opportunities.

The investment manager also took the opportunity to give some examples of young Brazilian entrepreneurs who have already come to the UK with funding from UKTI, and starting to get their companies known in the here. These include Flavia Portella, from Rio, who is CEO of Brazilian design platform Bossa Lab, and Yuri Zaidan, from Recife, CEO of Fisiohub a unique health focussed digital company.

innovation programmes, representing more than 1 million reais worth of investment.”

So what is Teixeira looking forward to about the upcoming trip to the UK? “Expectations are high. We did not have plans to start our internationalisation this year but, after reading the UKTI reports on the advantages in the UK, this plan is very promising. We are interested in establishing a Senfio foothold in a location with excellent infrastructure and internationally competitiveness.

“The trip will be a great opportunity to see how other companies like ours are being developed. We are aware of how this happens in Brazil but not in the UK so the trip is very timely,” he added.

When asked what makes a start-up succeed, Teixeira has some words of advice: “There are several paths, it depends on the business. In ours, I would say it took knowledge and persistence. The company has experts and doctors and this makes a difference in the development of cutting edge technologies. You also

have to be persistent with leads so you don’t get forgotten. There is a saying: those who aren’t seen are not remembered. Each of us needs to count on being remembered in an extremely competitive world.”

The success of Teixeira’s company shows that there are good technological solutions to many of the everyday problems in Brazil. It also reflects the advances that have been made in the country’s Information Technology market. The Brazilian market should create 78,000 jobs in 2014, according to the Brazilian Association of Information Technology.

This is an important consideration.

Job creation, after all, is among the main objective for the UK government in conducting actions like Information Technology and Innovation Competition in partnership with UKTI. In times of slow financial recovery and high levels of unemployment, especially among young people in Europe, investing in technological advancement has emerged as a promising choice in an increasingly globalised environment.

PROMISING PLAN A project by Elyr Teixeira’s company Senfio, was one of the winners of this round of the competition. Among the other nine finalists, the judging panel considered this project to be the most innovative with the highest chance of success in the UK. The distinctive solution consists of a system for hospitals that monitors hand hygiene of visitors and professionals who come into contact with vulnerable patients.

“Our best project so far is an automatic hand hygiene system for hospitals. Around the world millions of people die because of hospital infections and reducing this figure is our product’s goal. The UK would be a great place to start because of the country’s culture alignment of health sciences with mathematics and between medicine and engineering. Senfio shares this mix of approaches and goals”, explained Teixeira.

During the interview, Teixeira said that Senfio was born to develop wireless technology. The company began in 2011, and got off to a good start winning two innovation programmes.

Today, the company has “won five

COMPANIES SELECTED FOR THE TRIP Meu Peludo Start-up that created a system of geo location tagging for pets, enabling people to locate lost or stolen animals.

CrowdMobi Community that gives users the opportunity to test the services provided by mobile operators. With CrowdMobi you know if the operator is fulfilling what was promised.

System Haus Founded in 1988, System Haus offers solutions for the leather industry. The company’s new offering, ANTARA is a high-tech product made exclusively to meet the needs of this sector. ANTARA is a piece management software ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) developed for small, medium and large tanneries around the world, with appropriate tools for their business.

I.Systems This company have created software called Leaf that optimises industrial processes. By using logic and generating control rules, Leaf increases the stability of automated processes, reducing costs and improving productivity.

Cliever Tecnologia Founded in April 2012, this company entered the market to revolutionise the industry of threedimensional printing in Brazil, offering innovative solutions to this emerging sector.

4 Security Tecnologia da Informação Provides IT expertise applied to the area of information security, intelligence and education.

Exclaim Tecnologia Company operating in the IT market, producing commercial software for desktop and online.

LivoBooks Company that produces interactive digital applications and great interfaces to tell a story.

Joy Street Specialises in the design, development and operation of virtual environments based on social interaction and collaborative digital games.

Senfio Company established to meet Brazilian needs related to health and to address the country’s lack of technological solutions in Radio Frequency Identification.

WORLD CUP 2014

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2014 WORLD CUP Porto Alegre and Curitiba will represent the southern region of Brazil during the World Cup that starts in just over a month. Together, the two cities, capitals of the states of Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná, respectively, will host nine games in the tournament.

Arriving at these destinations, foreign tourists may be surprised: in Brazil it can get cold! Anyone who travels from the north or north-east down towards the south will certainly feel the difference, especially during the winter.

And it’s not just the weather. The southern region has certain peculiarities compared to other regions of Brazil. The most striking, perhaps, is the strong legacy of German and Polish colonization, which manifests itself both in cooking and in the traditional festivals. The Argentine influence is also strong due to the proximity of the South American country, and this influence can be seen in the meat and mate (beverage) on offer locally.

All of this will no doubt be a full plate for the tourist who, during the World Cup in Brazil, can witness up close the country’s diversity.

A MORE EUROPEAN SOUTH

By Nathália Braga

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With different architecture and customs of other capital cities in Brazil, Porto Alegre is known as Europe in Brazil. Its story is one of diversity since, in addition to receiving many Portuguese immigrants, also has a strong influence of settlers from Poland and Germany. Close to South America countries such as Argentina, the ‘gauchos’ (the term applied to Rio Grande Sul natives) adhere to the habit of drinking ‘chimarrão’, a drink of mate rich in caffeine.

It is a city where visitors can marvel at the contrasts of Brazilian culture. Not to mention that the climate of Porto Alegre is milder, with annual averages no more than 20ºC and snow during the winter months.

Comparing a city in the north and one from the south of Brazil reflects the vastness of the country and its traditions that go far beyond football and the Carnival. Football, however, is the centre of attention in Brazil this year more than ever. And Porto Alegre and its 1.4 million residents are as eager consumers of the sport as any. Football DF

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fanatics, fans in the city are divided between the clubs Gremio and Internacional. Both teams were responsible for bringing to the scene great Brazilian football names such as Ronaldinho, Falcao and Taffarel. In addition, the coach of Brazil, Luis Felipe Scolari is a Rio Grande do Sul native.

The international stadium, Beira Rio Arena, was chosen to host the World Cup matches. There will be five matches, and one of the eliminators. In the first phase, the clashes are: France v Honduras (June 15), Netherlands v Australia (June 18), Algeria v South Korea (June 22), and Argentina v Nigeria (June 25).

Opened in 1969, the stadium was completely renovated for the event.

A metal roof was installed to reduce heat exposure and the current capacity of the stadium is just over 50 thousand. A reopening event, after the two-year process of modernization, was held on April 5 and was attended by the English DJ Fatboy Slim. The stadium, however, has not been fully finalized and is in a race against time to be ready before June.

One of the cities with the best quality of life indexes in Brazil, Curitiba will receive four World Cup matches. There are 1.8 million inhabitants who form the most populous metropolis in the south and the seventh largest in the country.

In the historic centre, there are places that narrate the growth trajectory of Curitiba, which was a small country town that over the years turned into a sprawling metropolis.

But it is the Arena da Baixada, or Curitiba Arena, that should draw the attention of tourists. A traditional stadium of the Atlético Paranaense club, it was built in 1914, reopened in 1999 and is now being renovated to welcome the World Cup. The construction phase was expected to end in December 2012, initially. However, the preparedness of Curitiba is adjudged as

SERGIPE BAHIA

one of the latest according to a FIFA commitee. Visiting the Arena earlier this year, the secretary general of FIFA, Jerome Valcke, claimed that the situation was critical. The city feared expulsion from the tournament hosts’ list. At the time, about 90% of the work was completed.

Valcke visited the stadium again in April and the progress of the works had improved. The stadium will host a test event by the end of May, according to Valcke. The Arena has received more than R$ 260 million in funding for its completion.

The capacity of the arena should be increased to 40 thousand people, and will stage four first round matches of the World Cup. On 16 June, Iran and Nigeria make their debut in the Arena da Baixada. On June 20, Honduras and Ecuador will play, followed by Australia and Spain on June 23, and Algeria and Russia face off on June 26.

MINAS GERAIS

MATO GROSSO DO SUL

ESPÍRITO SANTO

SÃO PAULO

RIO DE JANEIRO

PARANÁ

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RIO GRANDE DO SUL

WORLD CUP 2014 PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

Beira Rio Arena (1), Mario Quintana Culture House (2) and ‘Brique da Redenção’ (3)

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PORTO ALEGRE’S TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Guaíba River The edge of the Guaiba River is the main city landscape. At 72 km long, it attracts visitors for the recreation area or the beach promenade of Ipanema in outdoor trips.

Gasometro Factory With its striking chimney, this building is 117 meters tall and has a cultural events centre that serves as a space also for a library.

Redemption Park Popular park frequented by locals, this site houses a cultural and gastronomic fair that has been held since 1978 - the ‘Brique da Redenção’, every Sunday.

Art Museum of Rio Grande do Sul The building was constructed in 1913 to be a tax police centre. In 1978, it was transformed into a museum and today has a collection of works by renowned Brazilian artists, such as Portinari and Di Cavalcanti.

Mario Quintana House of Culture Tribute to famous poet Mario Quintana , who lived in the old Hotel Majestic, this building has been restored to serve as a house of culture.

CURITIBA’S TOURIST ATTRACTIONS Flowers Street This was the first pedestrian mall in the country, and was opened in 1972 in downtown Curitiba. There are shops, cafes and restaurants, plus siècle buildings and, as the name suggests, flowerbeds throughout its length.

Botanical Garden One of the most popular in the country, the Botanical Garden is a reference in national and international research. It is also one of the postcards of Curitiba.

German Grove As the name suggests, the forest has elements of German culture, such as German musician Bach’s oratorio. It also has a gazebo where one can see the Serra do Mar.

Curitiba Arena (1), Botanic Garden (2) and Oscar Niemayer Museum (3)(3)

Oscar Niemeyer Museum With over three thousand pieces of famous Brazilian art from the likes of Candido Portinari and Tarsila do Amaral, this cultural hotspot is a very popular destination for young and old.

Memorial of Polish Immigration Another country that influenced Curitiba, the memorial landscape is designed by Burle Marx.

It is the centre of Polish influence in the city.

Foz do Iguaçu One of the most famous places in Brazil, with an unforgettable view that attracts over a million tourists a year. It is located a few hours from Curitiba. Learn more about this natural paradise on page 19 of the Brasil Observer Guide.

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CONECTANDO

MAKING GAMES IS A CHALLENGE IN ITSELF The idea of creating a game was in my head since the end of 2012, after I watched Indie Game: The Movie. The film helped me realise that making games could be an experience of authentic expression, something that I had always sought since my days at college, when I used to create comics, drawings and illustrations.

The film tells the story of the independent developers behind the games Fez, Braid and Super Meat Boy. The games are made by one or two people, over a few years, and with a very personal touch, something totally different to the usual products that dominate the game industry.

At the time I had distanced myself from the world of games because I didn’t like the way that the industry had focused all its attention on big budget productions, while repeating the same formulas with complex games that require many hours of dedication. Then, slowly, I began looking for some more authentic experiences and started exploring independent games as a form of expression.

I have always worked with the union of journalism and design, I spent the last five years making info graphics for Folha de S.Paulo newspaper. Although it is a very different area, many of the tools and concepts cross over when making games. In one way or another, I’ve always been telling stories through images.

In the case of games, the

exciting element is the interaction, the reaction to each player action, and how to keep people entertained. When it came to creating my own game, that was the biggest challenge, and one I’m still trying to understand. Also, I didn’t have any experience or knowledge of how to create the game’s soundtrack.

Luckily I formed a partnership with the music producer Isaac Varzim, who did a great job.

As I was new to programming, I made the decision to make Bamba a game with a less complex programming behind it. It was a choice I made because I knew my limitations. I wanted to create a game with a simple gameplay format, but great visual impact. Throughout 2013 I studied Unity, a platform to make games and before Bamba, I tested out my skills with other projects and ideas to acquire some experience. I came to realise that learning to program was not an insurmountable challenge. When I felt ready, I formatted the project and began to work on it during any spare time.

As the process went on, I became aware that this was not a simple task and that I’d need a longer time to finish it. I knew that if the project dragged on too much, the chances that I would get discouraged and never finish it would increase. I decided to talk to my editors at Folha S.Paulo and explained I needed more time to complete this personal project. Thankfully they were very understanding

and we managed to reach an agreement in which I would use all my time owed, accumulated vacation and a period of paid leave to finish the game. They showed great support and I will always be grateful to them for this. This gave me three months to complete the project and this period was great.

The experience of creating and releasing Bamba into the world has been awesome. The main difference with respect to the years I was creating info graphics is that I feel much more exposed.

While working for the paper, my work was always diluted within a story, or in the middle of lots of other material. My role as a designer was to take a story to the reader. With Bamba it is totally different, it’s my story and I alone have to answer for it.

The audience for games is very intense and they have strong reactions, for good or for bad. To have people from all around the world talking about what you have made is very rewarding, but you must be also prepared to receive any kind of reaction.

The market for games on phones and tablets is very competitive, with thousands of options out there. It’s hard to stand in the middle of it all as an independent developer. Depending on the financial return of Bamba, I will think about creating other games.

I don’t want much, if Bamba makes enough for me to take another three months off work making a game, I’ll probably throw myself into a new project.

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

For graphic designer Simon, making the game Bamba was is the result of his renewed interest in independent games and gave him a new means of creative expression

By Simon Ducroquet, from Sao Paulo

PHOTO: REPRODUCTION

A still from Bamba, the addictive one-touch control game with precise physics to ride unicycle obstacles

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Bamba is available now from the App Store and Google Play

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Brasil Observer

GUIDE

PHOTO: DIVULGATION

In a celebration of Brazilian literature, at the Brighton Festival, a leading poet and two translators will lead a lively discussion to promote the country’s writing talents. >> Read on pages 16 and 17

Em celebração à literatura brasileira, uma poetisa e dois tradutores fazem um vívido debate sobre linguagem no Festival de Brigthon. >> Leia nas páginas 16 e 17

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BRAZILIAN POETRY

By Gabriela Lobianco

The spring edition of Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT) magazine – a quarterly publication on poetry and translations of poems from various languages into English idiom - focuses on bold and experimental poetry in Brazil and will be one of the highlights of the 48th Festival of Brighton this year.

The event is an annual celebration that takes place over three weeks in May in Brighton and Hove, with space for music, theatre, dance, circus, cinema, literature, debates and outdoor events. In this concentration of the arts scene the launch of the magazine that contains a vast work of Brazilian contemporary poets and poetry selections by Adriana Lisboa, Ana Martins Marques, Nicolas Behr and the great Carlos Drummond de Andrade will be held.

At the festival, the poet Angélica Freitas, Daniel Hahn (National Director of the British Centre for Literary Translation program) and translator Hilary Kaplan will participate in a discussion about publishing and Brazilian literature. “I’ve translated some books, like the novels ‘How I became a nun’ and ‘The Seamstress and the Wind’, by César Aira [assembled in one vol-

Modern Poetry in Translation magazine (1); Angélica Freitas (2); and Nowhere People (3)

POESIA BRASILEIRA Por Gabriela Lobianco

PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

O exemplar de primavera da revista Modern Poetry in Translation (MPT) – publicação trimestral sobre poesias e traduções de poemas de vários idiomas para a língua inglesa – concentra-se na poesia ousada e experimental do Brasil. E a publicação será um dos destaques do 48º Festival de Brighton (Brighton Festival, em inglês).

O evento é uma celebração anual que ocorre durante três semanas no mês de maio em Brighton e Hove, com espaço para música, teatro, dança, circo, cinema, literatura, debates e eventos ao ar livre. Nesse cenário de contemplação das artes ocorrerá o lançamento da revista que contém uma vasta obra de poetas contemporâneos brasileiros e seleções de poesias por Adriana Lisboa, Ana Martins Marques, Nicolas Behr e do grande Carlos Drummond de Andrade.

No festival, a poeta Angélica Freitas, Daniel Hahn - Diretor Nacional do programa British Centre for Literary Translation – e a tradutora Hilary Kaplan participam de um debate sobre a publicação e sobre a literatura brasileira. “Já traduzi alguns livros, como as novelas ‘Como me tornei freira’ e ‘A costureira e o vento’, do César Aira [foram reunidas num volume que saiu pela editora Rocco no ano passado], e a ‘Autobiografia de Johnny Cash’”, disse Angélica Freitas, que também trabalha com traduções, ao Brasil Observer.

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IN THE SPOTLIGHT ume left by the publisher Rocco last year], and ‘Autobiography of Johnny Cash’”, said Freitas, who also works with translations, to Brasil Observer.

Angelica has works published in the spring edition of MPT and will do a reading at the soiree. For her, this kind of experience is critical as it becomes a writing exercise. Freitas also believes that, despite being a dif-

When I was born, one of those twisted angels who live in the shadows said: ‘Carlos, get ready to be a misfit in life!’

ficult job, it is uplifting: “I tend to accept the proposals that seem most interesting to me for my own work; it is with poetry, with the language,” she added.

The title of this new edition of MPT with emphasis on Brazil is Twisted Angels – which is a passage in the Seven-sided poem by Carlos Drummond de Andrade. Perhaps the most influential poet of the 20th century, Drummond’s work has been translated into over 20 languages.

This particular poem of the poet has been an inspiration for other artists, including Brazilian musician Chico Buarque.

Elizabeth Bishop was one of the first translators of Drummond’s work for the English language. And this is not an easy task, since the English language is much more restrained than the Portuguese. “The first thing that catches my attention in a translation from English to Portuguese is that the English is a much more economical language. Words are shorter, the sentences are simpler,” said Freitas.

At the event, Daniel Hahn will give a reading of a part of his next translation to be released, Nowhere People, by the writer Paulo Scott, published by MPT and Other Stories.

WORKSHOPS The translator Kaplan has worked on numerous translations and this know-how will be the basis of a master class which is also part of the festival. Exploring the different possibilities of writing in English and Portuguese, Kaplan discusses the different types of interpretations of poems and poetry.

Freitas said that the work of her colleague is excellent.

“Hilary Kaplan is ace, she has found perfect solutions to the poems, even the most difficult to translate into American English. We need to remember that some things only work in the country or the language in which they were written.

You need to find equivalents, and this is perhaps the most interesting part but also makes the work harder,” she said.

When asked if the year of the World Cup is the reason for so much attention to Brazil from the UK, Freitas was categorical: “In the case of MPT and the Brighton Festival, I think it has nothing to do with the World Cup, but with a movement that began a few years ago by offering translation grants from Brazil’s National Library. There are a lot of people translating Brazilian literature.”

TWISTED ANGELS Presented by Modern Poetry in Translation & And Other Stories When: Thu 22 May, 8pm Where: Brighton Dome Studio Theatre Tickets: £10 Info: http://brightonfestival.org

EM FOCO Angélica tem trabalhos publicados na edição de primavera da MPT e fará uma leitura no sarau. Para ela, esse tipo de experiência é fundamental, pois acaba por ser um exercício de escrita. Freitas também acredita que, apesar de ser um trabalho difícil, acaba por ser edificante: “minha tendência é aceitar as propostas que me pareçam mais interessantes para o meu próprio trabalho, que é com a poesia, com a linguagem”, completou.

Quando nasci, um anjo torto desses que vivem na sombra disse: Vai Carlos! ser gauche na vida.

O título do caderno dessa nova edição da MPT com destaque para o Brasil é ‘Twisted Angels’ – que é a tradução do trecho ‘um anjo torto’ do ‘Poema de sete faces’, de Carlos Drummond de Andrade.

Drummond, se estivesse vivo, completaria 112 anos em 2014. O poeta já foi traduzido para mais de 20 línguas. O surgimento do poeta gauche, ‘torto’ ou ‘twisted’, deu-se no livro ‘Alguma Poesia’ - um poeta inadaptado ao mundo em que vive.

Esse poema particular de Drummond já foi inspiração para outros artistas, inclusive, Chico Buarque, que outrora cantou “quando nasci veio um anjo safado, um chato de um querubim”.

Elizabeth Bishop foi uma das primeiras tradutoras de Drummond para o idioma inglês. Não se trata de uma tarefa fácil, já que a língua inglesa é muito mais contida que a portuguesa. “A primeira coisa que me chama a atenção numa tradução de inglês pra português é que o inglês é uma língua muito mais econômica. As palavras são mais curtas, as frases são mais simples”, explicou Freitas.

No evento, Daniel Hahn fará uma leitura de parte da sua próxima tradução a ser lançada, ‘Nowhere People’, do escritor Paulo Scott, publicado pelos apresentadores da MPT e editora Other Stories.

WORSHOP A tradutora Hilary Kaplan já trabalhou em inúmeras traduções e esse know-how será base de uma “masterclass” que também acontece durante o festival de Brighton. Explorando as diversas possibilidades da escrita em inglês e português, num jogo de palavras Kaplan discute os diferentes tipos de interpretações de poemas e poesias. Ideal para pessoas que têm um nível avançado da língua inglesa.

Freitas comentou que o trabalho da colega é excelente.

“A Hilary Kaplan é craque, achou soluções perfeitas para os poemas, mesmo os mais difíceis de traduzir para o inglês americano. A gente precisa lembrar que algumas coisas só funcionam no país ou na língua em que foram escritas. É preciso encontrar equivalentes, e essa talvez seja a parte mais interessante e mais difícil do trabalho”, afirmou.

Quando perguntada se o ano da Copa do Mundo é o motivo de tanta atenção ao país tupiniquim no Reino Unido, Freitas é categórica: “No caso da MPT e do Festival de Brighton, acho que não tem a ver com a Copa, mas com um movimento que começou há alguns anos, com o oferecimento de bolsas de tradução por parte da Biblioteca Nacional. Há bastante gente traduzindo literatura brasileira”.

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NINETEEN EIGHT-FOUR

THE MANY FACES OF CAETANO VELOSO PHOTO: DIVULGATION

Abraçaço: Caetano’s new album

By Ricardo Somera

During his lifetime, 72-year old, Caetano Veloso has been many things. His musical presence channels a bit of David Bowie with Carlos Gardel. He could also be described as being half like Jorge Drexler, half Morrissey. He represents Carnival as well as Bossa Nova while also rejecting the two. Amid this confusion of great references, and with give me the pleasure of trying to introduce some faces of Caetano as he released a new album in March and is heading to London’s Barbican this month.

Caetano was one of the founders of “Tropicália”, a musical, social and artistic movement born of two main sources: “Brazilianness” and rock’n roll. The movement went far beyond the music of Os Mutantes, Tom Zé and Caetano, influencing the movies of Glauber Rocha and Helio Oiticica’s art.

Caetano was part of one of the greatest quartets of world music: Doces Bárbaros (Sweet Barbarians). Together with Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa and his sister Maria Bethania, the group left Bahia and started touring, their hippy sound in the mid ‘70s and shocking Brazilian society during the dictatorship. The group made a double album featuring classics like Fé Cega, Faca Amolada (their version of the Milton Nascimento track), and were the subjects of two incredible documentaries.

Their actions and views did not go unnoticed.

Caetano was hated by the military dictatorship who labelled him a “communist” and a “revolutionary” two things that were banned under the regime. In 1969 he was exiled to London.

Thousands of miles from home, in his loneliness in English territory, Caetano started recording songs almost entirely in English in 1971 inclu-

Por Ricardo Somera

AN EVENING WITH CAETANO VELOSO Pushing Brazilian traditions into exciting new realms with his new album, Abraçaço When: 27 May 2014 Where: Barbican Info: www.barbican.org.uk

NUNCA É TARDE PARA CONHECER ‘CAETANOS’

Caetano Veloso é mistura. É um pouco de David Bowie com Carlos Gardel. Meio Jorge Drexler, meio Morrissey. É Carnaval e ao mesmo tempo Bossa Nova. Em meio a essa confusão de ótimas referências, me dou ao prazer de tentar mostrar algumas caras de Caetano, já que ele se apresenta aqui por Londres no final de maio.

Caetano foi um dos criadores da Tropicália.

O Tropicalismo foi um movimento artístico que bebeu de duas principais fontes: a brasilidade e o rock’n roll. O movimento foi além das músicas de Mutantes, Tom Zé e Caetano, passando pelo cinema novo de Glauber Rocha e os parangolés do artista plástico Hélio Oiticica.

Caetano fez parte de um dos quartetos mais fantásticos da música mundial: Os Doces Bárbaros. Caetano, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa e Maria Bethânia – sua irmã – saíram em turnê no meio da década de 70, numa fase bem hiponga, chocando a sociedade brasileira em plena ditadura.

Desse grupo, além de um álbum duplo que têm clássicos como “Os Mais Doces Bárbaros” e “Fé Cega, Faca Amolada” (de Milton Nascimento), nasceram dois incríveis documentários.

Caetano não é unanimidade. Os militares o odiavam com aquele discurso “comunista” e “revolucionário” de que era proibido proibir.

ding the famous song London, London. Shortly after he released his most important ‘gringo album’ Transa in 1972.

Theres much more to Caetano than his influential music though. It’s fair to say that Caetano likes to argue. He has an opinion about everything and everyone and will change it just frequently. He loved and fought with all the MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) members.

He agreed with Lobao but then retracted this.

Once said that his song Um Sonho was inspired

by Luana Piovani but later rejected this claim.

Following the back and forth of his opinions creates a rich biography of Caetano, but perhaps not an authorised one.

Just as we become used to his new sound and style he, he decides to change. Throughout personal difficulties like divorce he has continued to move forward as an artist, dressed in denim and with his guitar in hand. He recorded the album Cê in 2006 and instantly returned as an interesting name, appearing at indie festivals around the world. Only unlike other musicians of his age and credence, the audiences at his shows are not ageing hippies and those over 50 but university students and people in their 20s and 30s.

Today Caetano continues creating new classics like Tarado Ni Você, and his new album Abraçaço, (which means “big hug”) has gone down well with fans and hipsters everywhere.

This septuagenarian still invites more than his fair share of controversy, his latest news: this June, as Brazil hosts the world for the Copa do Mundo, he will be leaving the country to travel in Europe, including his appearance at the Barbican. Tickets are selling out fast, but even if you don’t score one, make sure you start getting to know Caetano Veloso for yourself.

Em 1969 foi exilado em Londres pelo regime ditatorial e, na sua solidão em território inglês, gravou um álbum quase todo em inglês em 1971, com a famosa canção “London, London”.

Logo em seguida lançou seu mais importante “álbum gringo”, que foi “Transa” (1972).

Caetano tem razão. Nem todas as vezes. Mas o que ele gosta é de polemizar. Tem opinião sobre tudo e todos e sempre está disposto a mudá-las. Brigou e amou com toda a MPB. Disse que Lobão tinha razão. E voltou atrás. Luana Piovani disse que ele tinha feito uma música (“Um Sonho”) inspirada nela. Ele negou. Depois voltou atrás. Deve ter se esquecido entre um ~cigarro~ e outro. As idas e voltas das opiniões de Caetano dá uma biografia, não autorizada.

Após décadas acostumado ao som e ao estilo de Caetano, eis que ele resolve mudar. Divorciou-se, botou um jeans, pegou sua guitarra e foi atrás do hype. Gravou “Cê” (2006) e voltou a ser um nome interessante nas rodas indies dos festivais do mundo. O público dos shows não era mais de cinquentões, mas da galera da faculdade.

Hoje Caetano continua fazendo novos clássicos como “Tarado Ni Você”, sendo ovacionado pelo mundo indie-hype-fashionista dos festivais do mundo e lançando polêmica: Vai trocar o Brasil pela Europa em plena Copa do Mundo. Ou não.

Foz do Iguaçu Special Spanning the border between Brazil and Argentina, the Iguaçu Falls are one of the most visually and acoustically stunning natural wonders of the world. Taller and twice as wide as Niagara Falls, the waterfalls are created as the almost three kilometre wide Iguaçu (Spanish: Iguazú) River drops vertically some 80 meters in a series of spectacular cataracts, producing vast sprays of water.

The river, aptly named after the indigenous term for “great water”, forms a large bend in the shape of a horseshoe that is shared between the Brazilian Iguaçu National Park and its Argentinean sister, the Iguazú National Park, before flowing into the mighty Parana River less than 25 kilometres downriver.

For an unforgettable experience, visitors can either witness the awesome power of the falls up close at the Devil’s Throat (Garganta do Diabo), or enjoy a more panoramic view of a series of cataracts and the surrounding subtropical rainforest on a hike across the breadth of the natural wonder.

brasilobserver.co.uk 19

Memories to last for a lifetime

By Kate Rintoul and Michael Landon*

Abrangendo a fronteira entre Brasil e Argentina, as Cataratas do Iguaçu são uma das maravilhas naturais mais deslumbrantes do mundo, tanto visual quanto acusticamente.

Mais altas e duas vezes maiores do que as Cataratas do Niágara, as cachoeiras surgem quando as águas do Rio Iguaçu, com quase três quilômetros de largura, caem verticalmente cerca de 80 metros em uma série de cataratas, produzindo uma vasta fumaça aquática.

O curso do rio, cujo nome na língua indígena tupi-guarani significa “água grande”, forma uma grande curva no formato de ferradura – compartilhada entre o Parque Nacional do Iguaçu e seu irmão argentino, o Parque Nacional Iguazú – e depois de 25 quilômetros deságua no poderoso Rio Paraná.

Para ter essa experiência inesquecível, os visitantes podem testemunhar o incrível poder das cataratas perto da Garganta do Diabo, ou aproveitar uma visão mais panorâmica das cachoeiras e da floresta subtropical que rodeia toda a região em caminhadas pelas plataformas posicionadas estrategicamente no parque.

PHOTO: DIVULGATION

*The journalists travelled as guests of Itaipu.

20 brasilobserver.co.uk Design Concept Hostel

Where to stay

Things to do

Even though the Design Concept Hostel has only been open for six months, this exceptionally designed residence is already gaining fans from all corners of the world. The considered interior design, variety of room configurations and slick furnishings make this no ordinary hostel. Add to that a high spec modern kitchen, plunge swimming pool and well stocked bar (with some fantastic world and Argentine beers and wines) this really is a wonderful place to stay that will keep your spirits high after you return from the waterfalls.

The incredible Iguaçu National Park offers many ways of seeing and experiencing the falls, here’s our top choices.

Onde ficar

Buffalo Branco, the best in town

Bike Ride With limited car access to the park, the only means of entry are by one of the lovely custom-designed electric buses or bicycles with the Iguassu by Bike company. The latter gives a great first impression to the expansive park undulating hills and quiet paths mean you can really connect with the joy of riding and arrive at the falls full of energy.

Ainda que o Design Concept Hostel tenha aberto suas portas há apenas seis meses, já está ganhando fãs de vários cantos do mundo. O design interior, com quartos variados quanto à configuração e móveis lisos, dá ao local uma originalidade ímpar.

Acrescente ainda uma cozinha altamente moderna, uma atraente piscina e um bem equipado bar (com excelentes cervejas e vinhos argentinos). É, sem dúvida, um ótimo lugar para se hospedar e descansar depois de passar o dia ao redor das cataratas.

Trails

Where to eat

Macuco Safari

There are several trails throughout the park, all with different lengths, intensities and vantage points. The trail beginning at Cataratas Hotel is the most popular as it isn’t too taxing and has the most impressive views. With paths that take you right into the falls, the platforms are perfect for capturing selfies against the stunning backdrop of the falling water.

The border city of Foz do Iguaçu is a melting pot of different cultures and influences and there are some great ways to experience this through food. With a Lebanese population of over 20,000, Foz has some lovely Middle Eastern restaurants, with Castelo Libanês one of the best. Highlights include the flatbreads, kibes and mini lamb esfihas. Truly authentic in its style and menu, the restaurant abides by Fiqh (Islamic jurisprudence) and does not serve alcohol. In its place are delicious fresh juices, with Turkish coffee and tea.

If you are a traveller that abides by the ‘When in Rome philosophy’ then you need to head to the best Brazilian churrascaria in town - Buffalo Branco. With a steady supply of different meats and cuts (with some creative cooking techniques on display), this is a great place to enjoy what Brazil is known for. Far from being a sideshow, the extensive salad bar is a cabinet of beauty, with amazing locally inspired dishes including tabbouleh, sushi and regional vegetables.

This is the most high-octane way to experience the spectacle of the falls at close range.

The three-part trip starts off with a woodland safari via jeep, followed by a short trail down to the waterside, and then climaxes with a bumpy journey upstream and directly into one of the cataracts - incredible fun but not one for the faint hearted!

Onde comer

Helicopter Ride

A cidade fronteiriça de Foz do Iguaçu é um caldeirão de diferentes culturas e influências. Uma das melhores formas de experimentar essa diversidade é pelas comidas. Com uma população de mais de 20.000 libaneses, Foz tem alguns encantadores restaurantes que servem comida árabe, sendo o Castelo Libanês um dos melhores. Entre os destaques estão os pães árabes, kibes e mini esfihas de cordeiro. Verdadeiramente autêntico em seu cardápio, o restaurante cumpre a jurisprudência islâmica e não serve bebidas alcoólicas. Em vez disso, servem deliciosos sucos frescos, café turco e chá.

Mas, se você é daqueles que preferem a tradição local, então precisa ir para a melhor churrascaria brasileira da cidade: Buffalo Branco. Com um rodízio de diferentes carnes e cortes, é um ótimo lugar para desfrutar aquilo pelo o qual o Brasil é mundialmente conhecido. Longe de ser um espetáculo à parte, o extenso buffet de saladas é um gabinete de beleza única, com incríveis pratos de inspiração local, incluindo tabule, sushi e legumes regionais.

This is the best means of fully appreciating the great expanse of forest in the national park and seeing the full expanse of the waterfalls in all their glory. Delivered by Hellisul - (the same company that provides great tours of Rio de Janeiro) the excellent pilots make the 20 minute flight an exhilarating experience as they angle the chopper specially so you can get some jaw-dropping birds-eye views from above.

Have a meal to remember With more of us cooking at home, we demand more drama and theatre from dining out and Porto do Canoas certainly delivers on this. The panoramic balcony and dining room overlooking the falls without doubt offer one of the best dining views in the world. The plentiful buffet means that everyone can eat what they love - great if you are travelling with family and the service is warm, fast and unobtrusive, allowing you to pay full attention to enjoying the experience.

Bird Park The forests of the national park are so dense that they are pretty impenetrable, so you can only imagine the variety of bird species that live there. Luckily, just across the road, Parque das Aves gives you the chance to get up close and personal with an amazing variety of tropical birds including flamingos, parrots and three species of very confident Toucan.

brasilobserver.co.uk 21 PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

Trail to the waterfalls

Coisas para fazer

Other attractions

O incrível Parque Nacional do Iguaçu oferece muitas maneiras de ver e experimentar as cataratas; aqui estão nossas melhores escolhas

As it is home to so many cultures, Foz do Iguaçu has an impressive Mosque for the Islamic population and also a Buddhist Temple with an astonishing collection of gigantic religious statues in its impressive manicured garden overlooking Ciudad del Este in Paraguay.

In addition to seeing one of the greatest natural wonders in the world, a visit to Foz also means you can experience one of the seven modern man made wonders - the Itaipu Dam. The mind-boggling construction harnesses the power of the Parana River that divides Brazil and Paraguay. Taking over 30 years to complete, this is one of the largest man-made structures on earth and produces enough energy to meet 17% of Brazil’s needs and 90% of Paraguay’s.

Even if you haven’t previously given much thought to hydroelectricity, the sheer scale and ambition of this human project is very interesting to learn about on a tour of the dam.

While the dam has drawn some controversy, chiefly because of the destruction of the Guaíra Falls, Itaipu actively seeks to make social improvements to the region and holds itself as now being focused on social responsibility for the surrounding area. The technology centre created in the old worker’s barracks gives free space to student start-ups and the Oscar Niemeyer designed Federal University of Latin American Integration (or UNILA) is being built on the site, making Itaipu a beacon of the soft power Brazil is so renowned for.

Passeio de bicicleta Com acesso limitado de carro, o único meio de entrada ao parque é um dos encantadores ônibus elétricos de design personalizado ou bicicletas que podem ser alugadas no local.

Ao entrar pedalando, se tem uma ótima primeira impressão – as ondulantes colinas e os caminhos tranquilos fazem você realmente se conectar com o local e chegar às cataratas com muita energia.

Trilhas Existem várias trilhas ao longo do parque, todas com distâncias, intensidades e vistas diferentes. A trilha com início no Cataratas Hotel é a mais popular, pois não é muito desgastante e tem uma das vistas mais impressionantes. Com caminhos que levam você direto para as quedas, as plataformas são perfeitas para tirar fotos estilo “selfie” com o cenário deslumbrante da água caindo ao fundo.

Macuco Safari

Parque das Aves

Esta é a forma mais extraordinária de experimentar o espetáculo das quedas de perto. A viagem de três partes começa com um safari pela floresta via jipe, seguido por uma trilha curta até a beira da água e termina com uma viagem diretamente para uma das cataratas - incrível diversão, mas não um para os tímidos!

Ter uma refeição para relembrar

Outras atrações

Com a maioria de nós acostumados a cozinhar em casa, às vezes exigimos mais de um jantar fora. O restaurante Porto do Canoas certamente proporciona uma atmosfera cinematográfica. A varanda e a sala de jantar com vista panorâmica das cataratas, sem dúvida, oferecem uma das melhores vistas de restaurantes do mundo. O buffet abundante significa que todos podem comer o que gostam – ótimo se você estiver viajando com a família e o serviço é rápido e discreto.

Como é lar de tantas culturas, Foz do Iguaçu tem uma impressionante mesquita para a população islâmica e também um templo budista com uma coleção de estátuas gigantescas em seu jardim - bem cuidado e com vista para Ciudad del Este, no Paraguai.

Além de ver uma das maiores maravilhas naturais do mundo, uma visita a Foz também significa que você pode experimentar uma das sete maravilhas modernas feitas pelo homem: a Usina de Itaipu.

A construção aproveita o poder do Rio Paraná, que divide o Brasil e o Paraguai.

Levando mais de 30 anos para ser concluída, é uma das maiores estruturas feitas pelo homem na terra e produz energia suficiente para atender 17% das necessidades do Brasil e 90% do Paraguai. Mesmo que você não dê muita atenção à hidroeletricidade, a escala e a ambição deste projeto humano são tão impressionantes que vale a pena aprender sobre em um passeio pelo local.

Enquanto a barragem tem gerado algumas controvérsias, principalmente por causa da destruição das quedas do Guaíra, a Usina de Itaipu busca ativamente fazer melhorias sociais para a região e mantém-se focada na responsabilidade social para com a área circundante. O centro de tecnologia criado no espaço da usina dá acesso livre aos estudantes e a Universidade Federal da Integração Latino-Americana (ou UNILA), projetada por Oscar Niemayer, faz da Itaipu um farol do “softpower” brasileiro.

Passeio de helicóptero Esta é a melhor forma de apreciar plenamente a dimensão da floresta do parque nacional e ver a extensão completa das cachoeiras. Oferecido pela Hellisul (a mesma empresa que oferece passeios de helicóptero no Rio de Janeiro), os voos de 20 minutos são uma experiência emocionante, pois os pilotos muito bem treinados posicionam o helicóptero de modo que você possa obter alguns pontos de vista de cair o queixo.

Parque das Aves As florestas do parque nacional são tão densas que são impenetrável, então você pode imaginar a variedade de espécies de aves que vivem por lá. Felizmente, o Parque das Aves lhe dá a chance de ver de perto uma incrível variedade de pássaros tropicais, incluindo flamingos, papagaios e três espécies de tucanos.

22 brasilobserver.co.uk

Around Foz The city is bordered by two South American countries so you can take three holidays in one with day trips to the adjoining Argentinean and Paraguayan cities.

Argentina To see the waterfalls from another perspective make sure you visit the Argentinean Iguazú National Park, in addition to a boat ride and trails there is also a delightful train and series of bridges that take you to the centerpiece Devils Throat trail.

Crossing the border is easy (there are several local tour operators who will take care of the paper-work and even public buses take the journey), so make the most of being in Argentina by taking in the local atmosphere. Even though it is not a wealthy town, Puerto Iguazu is welcoming, with a wonderful market.

A foodie delight, the stalls sell local produce such as succulent olives, sharp cheeses, cured meats and wonderful wines. Some of the delicatessens double up as bars where you can sample the fare and drinks like the excellent Patagonia wheat beer.

Of course no visit to Argentina would be complete without eating one of the nations world renowned steaks, so make sure you visit the local favourite El Quincho Del Tio Querido restaurant. This family-run institution manages to be both intimate and impressive at the same time. The steaks are to die for and the wine list is extensive. Truly authentic and friendly, the service is great and for added flavour there is a stage with musicians and tango dancers wooing the audience every night, with an authentic, irrepressible charm.

Paraguay Unlike other South American states, Paraguay’s government does not impose as high taxes on electrical and luxury goods so this city (Ciudad del Este) attracts shoppers from Argentina and Brazil looking for duty free deals. There are literally thousands of small shops which will delight shopaholics but may daunt others, and once again it is recommended to make this trip with an experienced travel guide who can help you find what you are looking for and to negotiate a good price. Some of the smaller shops do not sell genuine products so ask guides for advice and try the bigger stores selling a huge variety of quality imported goods with well-known luxury labels.

S.A.X. is the gigantic new kid on the block and one of the biggest department stores in South America. Created by the industrious Armando Nasser, himself the son of Lebanese immigrants to Paraguay, who was inspired by the likes of Harvey Nichols and Harrods, the store has attracted the crème of the crop of big name brands such as Hermes, Chanel, Stella McCartney and Roberto Cavalli.

If you are a label addict or simply love to window shop the stunning design of this luxury department store and the great brands stocked are impressive. Nasser has also lavished the department store with a magnificent restaurant, wine bar and smoking room which has a great view of the Parana river and the atmosphere of an old gentlemen’s club.

PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

Friendship Bridge between Brazil and Paraguay (1); Puerto Iguazu market (2); S.A.X. store in Ciudad Del Este (3)

Nas redondezas de Foz Foz do Iguaçu faz fronteira com dois países sul-americanos, então você pode fazer três viagens em uma com passeios de um dia para cidades argentinas e paraguaias.

Argentina Para ver as cachoeiras de outra perspectiva, não deixe de visitar o Parque Nacional Iguazú, na Argentina. Além de passeios de barco e trilhas, há também um passeio trem delicioso e uma série de pontes que levam o visitante até o centro da Garganta do Diabo.

Atravessar a fronteira é fácil: existem vários operadores turísticos locais que cuidam da papelada e até mesmo ônibus públicos fazem a viagem. Mesmo que não seja uma cidade rica, Puerto Iguazu é acolhedora, com um mercado maravilhoso: as barracas vendem produtos locais, tais como azeitonas suculentas, queijos afiados, carnes curadas e vinhos excelentes, além de cerveja de trigo.

Claro que nenhuma visita à Argentina estaria completa sem provar de sua deliciosa carne, por isso não deixe de visitar o restaurante El Quincho del Tio Querido.

Os bifes são deliciosos e a carta de vinhos é extensa. Verdadeiramente autêntico e amigável, o serviço é excelente e há um palco com músicos e dançarinos de tango.

Paraguai Diferentemente de outros estados da América do Sul, o governo do Paraguai não impõe altos impostos sobre bens elétricos e de luxo, por isso a Ciudad Del Este atrai compradores da Argentina e do Brasil à procura de bons negócios. Há, literalmente, milhares de pequenas lojas que irão encantar os compradores mais animados, mas pode assustar os outros, então se recomenda fazer esta viagem com um guia experiente que pode ajudá-lo a encontrar o que você está procurando e negociar um bom preço.

S.A.X. é uma das maiores lojas de departamento da América do Sul. Criada por Armando Nasser, filho de imigrantes libaneses, foi inspirada por nomes como Harvey Nichols e Harrods. A loja tem atraído grandes marcas como Hermes, Chanel, Stella McCartney e Roberto Cavalli.

Se você é um viciado em etiquetas ou simplesmente gosta de vitrines, esta loja de departamentos tem design luxuoso e grandes marcas estocadas. A loja tem ainda uma magnífica sala de restaurante com uma excelente vista sobre o rio Paraná.

USEFUL LINKS www.itaipu.gov.br/en www.fozdoiguacudestinodomundo.com.br/en www.conceptdesignhostel.com www.sax.com.py

brasilobserver.co.uk 23

GOING OUT PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

VALESKA SOARES: DOUBLE MARGIN Until May 24 Where Max Wigram Gallery – 106 New Bond Street (W1S 1DN) Tickets Free >> www.maxwigram.com

For her first solo show at Max Wigram Gallery, Valeska Soares presents a series of works that revolve around the dual condition of time, considering its nature and the shapes it can assume. Valeska Soares (born Belo Horizonte, Brazil) lives and works in New York.

Striking in the exhibition is the way in which the artist transforms the past history and use of objects, doting them with a whole new life. Soares’ work is traversed by the presence of old materials: books and other printed matter; pieces of furniture or of home decor, and diverse utilitarian items (such as glasses and watches in this specific

show) which she manipulates, transforms and adapts, extending their use possibilities and embedding them with new symbolic values.

The two-part installation Not All Who Wander Are Aimless (photo) further explores the concepts of motion and going adrift. The work is constituted through the dialogue between the materials hanged on the wall – a series of vernacular marine vistas of caravels, rhythmically alternated with old book pages whose texts evoke poetic sites – and a very long and narrow display structure – halfway between a cabinet, a table and a plinth – that holds an exhaustive series of glasses with boat drawings.

Where Rich Mix – 35-47 Bethanl Green Road (E1 6LA)

Where The Pheasantry – 152 Kings Road (SW3 4UT)

Where Queen Elizabeth Hall – Belvedere Road (SE1 8XX)

Tickets From £7 >> www.movimientos.org.uk

Tickets £20 >> www.pizzaexpresslive.com

Tickets From £10 >> www.southbankcentre.co.uk

S E LV A P R E S E N T S F E S T A N O R D E S T I N A L U I Z S I M A S

NELSON FREIRE

May 9

May 17

May 19

An evening celebrating the music, dance and culture of the North East of Brazil. Performance with Boi BumbaMeu-Boi is a folk theatrical tradition where the tale is told through costume, drumming and performance involving a bull which dies and is brought back to life. With live music from FORRO SINCOPADO, LET DRUM BEAT, with LAB and Movimientos DJs, interactive performance, visuals, costumes and much more.

Rio-born Brazilian jazz composer/singer/pianist Luiz Simas has led original groups in jazz festivals and clubs in the US, Europe and Brazil. His voice and music have warmed major venues including New York’s famous Birdland Jazz Club and the Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall. Luiz’s repertoire includes his own infectious original tunes as well as beloved Brazilian jazz standards by Jobim and other great Brazilian composers.

Brazilian pianist Nelson Freire presents works by three musical giants. The first half consists entirely of Beethoven. In the second half, Freire turns his attention to the Romantic repertoire. Two of Debussy’s Preludes are matched with two of Rachmaninov’s best-loved Preludes, short, atmospheric pieces rich in melody and expressiveness. The programme closes with a selection of Chopin classics.

“Desde 1992 servindo a Comunidade Brasileira”

Mudança segura e personalizada!

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

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Aniversário em 2012 – Vamos celebrar!

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Entre em contato conosco para mais detalhes.

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

24 brasilobserver.co.uk

NEW CANVAS OVER OLD

THEATRE HAS A NEW HOME: YOURS

By Kate Rintoul

PHOTOS: DIVULGATION

Keen readers might recall Brasil Observer’s coverage of the Home Theatre Festival in London last year - a unique event in which actors and directors bring the magic of the stage into people’s homes. The festival was the second of its kind, the first taking place in Rio in early 2013 and both were curated by Marcus Faustini.

Hosts selected by the festival are given the freedom to invite whoever they want to see the performance.

This makes it quite hard for journalists to get an invite to the festival, so I jumped at the chance to meet one of the companies involved in the second Rio edition which takes place this month.

I wasn’t sure what to expect of my first encounter with Brazilian thespians. It turns out they are a lot like their English counterparts: pretty serious but down to earth, who say a lot of interesting things about the darker side of human experience and the difficulty in securing state funding as they work their way through a fair number of cigarettes.

Cia Terceiro Mundo (Third World) are a company of six women who all grew up in Rio, have known each other since they were

children and have all spent time honing their art at Rio’s eponymous Teatro O Tablado school which specialises in improvisation. Having had various breaks to work and study, they came together last year to form a research group and their performance, Parei de ser Fôlego at the festival will be the first they ‘take to the world’.

Parei de ser Fôlego (roughly translated as ‘Breath be Stopped’) is not a play but a sensory Sci-Fi experience that takes place in 2052 and sees the well to do Leblon residence re-imagined as a museum. As you journey through the rooms, the actresses present the story of Ana, a woman who lived in the house until, on a day like any other, she decided to stop breathing. Ana’s ‘decision to stop’ took place in 2015 and sparked a global wave of copy-cat acts that in 2052 kill more people than any other cause of human death.

In each room you will see different scenes of Ana’s life and at the same time you can choose to listen to the audio commentary of psychoanalysts, biologists and the thoughts of those in other fields altogether as the performance g

Cia Terceiro Mundo presents ‘Parei de ser Fôlego’

O TEATRO TEM UMA NOVA CASA: A SUA

By Kate Rintoul

Os leitores mais atentos devem lembrar a cobertura que o Brasil Observer fez ano passado da edição de Londres do festival Home Theatre – um evento único no qual atores e diretores levam toda a mágica do palco para dentro da casa das pessoas. O festival foi o segundo desse tipo, sendo que o primeiro havia sido realizado no Rio no começo de 2013. Ambos tiveram curadoria de Marcus Faustini.

Os anfitriões têm a liberdade de escolher quem será convidado para assistir às apresentações. Isso faz com que seja um pouco difícil para jornalistas conseguir um convite, então agilizei meus contatos para conhecer uma das companhias envolvidas na segunda edição do festival no Rio, que acontece neste mês de maio.

Não sabia o que esperar do meu primeiro encontro com atores brasileiros. Mas ocorre que eles são bem parecidos com seus correspondentes ingleses: pessoas bastante sérias que dizem diversas coisas interessantes sobre o lado sombrio da experiência humana, assim como a dificuldade de conseguir fundos estatais, enquanto fumam uma justa quantia

de cigarros.

Cia. Terceiro Mundo é uma companhia de seis mulheres que cresceram no Rio e que se conhecem desde a infância, tendo aprendido as técnicas teatrais, principalmente de improviso, na escola de teatro O Tablado. Elas se juntaram no ano passado para formar um grupo de pesquisa que agora apresenta no festival a primeira peça: Parei de ser Fôlego.

A peça é na verdade uma experiência sensorial que se passa em 2052, na qual uma residência do Leblon é imaginada como um museu. Ao passo que você entra pelos quartos, as atrizes apresentam a história de Ana, uma mulher que viveu na casa até que, num dia como outro qualquer, decidiu parar de respirar. A decisão de Ana aconteceu em 2015 e levou a uma série de atitudes semelhantes que em 2052 mata mais pessoas do que qualquer outra causa de morte.

Em cada quarto é apresentada uma cena diferente da vida de Ana e, ao mesmo tempo, você pode escolher ouvir comentários de psicoanalistas, biologistas e os pensamentos daqueles de outras áreas, assim g

seeks to offer viewers different conclusions, feelings and themes based on what audio is chosen.

“The performance is like a game of layers, sensory layers but also layers of meaning. The inclusion of banal tasks like watching TV and going to sleep is to highlight that even though Ana changed the fate of human history, she was actually not special, she is just like us,” Terceiro Mundo member Laura Araujo explained.

The performance does not have a linear sequence. “Everyone will experience this differently, you can come and do the tour in half an hour and leave or spend two hours going over the theories and scenes”, said Emanuel Aragão, the director who was invited by the company to lead the production.

Intriguing, challenging and untested, this is experimental independent theatre at its best and it is fantastic that the Home Theatre Festival is providing a platform for refreshing ideas. Londoners can look out for the second edition of the festival taking place later this year and why not apply to be a host so you can transform your modest one bed into a theatre of possibilities for one night only?

More at www.festivalhometheatre.com.br cada espectador tem uma conclusão diferente.

“A performance é como um jogo de camadas, camadas sensoriais e também camadas de significado. A inclusão de tarefas banais, como ver TV e ir dormir, é para mostrar que, mesmo tendo mudado o mundo, Ana na verdade não é especial, ela é como nós”, explicou Laura Araujo, uma das seis atrizes da Cia. Terceiro Mundo.

A apresentação não tem uma sequencia linear. “Cada pessoa vai experimentar a peça de maneira diferente. Você pode vir e fazer o tour em meia hora ou passar duas horas passando pelas cenas e teorias”, disse Emanuel Aragão, diretor que foi convidado pela companhia para liderar a peça.

Intrigante, desafiadora e ‘não testada’, trata-se de uma peça de teatro independente e experimental. E é fantástico que o Festival Home Theatre esteja abrindo espaço para essas novas ideias. Quem estiver em Londres pode ficar esperto para a segunda edição do festival que vai acontecer no final do ano; e que tal aplicar para transformar sua casa num palco de possibilidades?

Mais informações em www.festivalhometheatre.com.br

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FOOD

PHOTO: REPRODUCTION

TASTE OF SUMMER ORANGE CAKE

By Luciane Sorrino

Instead of icing a cake, Brazilian cooks often make fruit-based syrup which infuses the cake with an amazing aroma. This is a lovely cake to eat in the sunshine and a delicious alternative to lemon drizzle.

I N G R E D I E N T S

P R E P A R A T I O N

For the Cake 3 eggs Juice of 2 oranges 1 cup sunflower or peanut oil 2 cups caster sugar 3 cups plain flour

Preheat the oven to 180c. Prepare a cake tin by greasing the sides with butter and lining the bottom with parchment paper.

Blend together the eggs, juice of two oranges, oil and sugar until light and fluffy then pour into a bowl. Sift the flour and baking powder then gradually add to the egg mixture, stirring constantly until completely combined.

Pour the mixture into the cake tin and bake for 35 minutes, or until cake has risen and springs back lightly to the touch.

While the cake is baking, prepare the glaze: Place the orange juice, sugar and butter in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for several minutes, until the sugar is well dissolved.

Use a skewer to poke small holes in the cake while it is still in the pan, and pour half of the glaze over the cake. Let the cake cool before removing from the in. Once the cake is removed from the reheat the remaining glaze briefly and drizzle it over the top of the cake.

1 tbsp baking powder Syrup Juice of 1 orange 3 tbsp caster sugar 1 tbsp butter

I N G R E D I E N T E S Massa 3 ovos Suco de 2 laranjas 1 xícara (chá) de óleo 2 xícaras (chá) de açúcar 3 xícaras (chá) de farinha

de trigo 1 colher (sp) de fermento em pó Calda Suco de 1 laranja 3 colheres (sopa) de açúcar

P R E P A R A Ç Ã O Bata no liquidificador os 4 primeiros ingredientes, despeje em uma tigela, acrescente a farinha de trigo aos poucos e, por último, o fermento.

Coloque em uma assadeira redonda de buraco no cen-

tro untada e enfarinhada.

Leve ao forno médio pré-aquecido por 35 minutos, ou até que esteja assado.

Calda: Leve o suco de laranja e o açúcar ao fogo, dando uma aquecida e despeje no bolo ainda quente.