Brasil Observer #21 - English Version

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LONDON EDITION OCTOBER

ISSN 2055-4826

Brazil’s Oscar submitted film debuts in the UK >> Pages 16 & 17

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DIVULGATION

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DIVULGATION

FOR THE FOURTH TIME IN A ROW SINCE 2002, BRAZIL’S PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION GOES TO A RUN-OFF BETWEEN THE CENTRE-LEFT WORKERS PARTY AND CENTRE-RIGHT SOCIAL DEMOCRATS >> Pages 4 & 5 BRAZILIANS MAKE THEIR VOTES COUNT IN LONDON

>> Pages 6 & 7

ANALYSIS OF STATE AND CONGRESS ELECTIONS

>> Pages 8 & 9

E D I T O R I A L

CHANGE IS HERE

By Ana Toledo – ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

LONDON EDITION

EDITOR IN CHIEF Ana Toledo ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

EDITORS Many thought that in the first election after the demonstrations, whose main theme was renewal rocked Brazil in June 2013, would result in change. That was the theory, because the hard facts show another perspective.

The political conditions in Brazil and the results of the polls on 5 October show a turn in another direction: a tougher fight between the two main parties of our young democracy.

Even though the campaign seemed different, with a break from the old historical polarisation between the Workers Party (PT) under Dilma Rousseff and Aécio Neves for the Social Democrats (PSDB) . Now they have until 26 October to appeal to the 37 million Brazilians who, did not vote them in the first round. For analysis of the results and news, read pages 4 and 5. Of course, more than the presidency was decided in these elections and you can read about the dispute for state governments, the new composition of Congress and how Brazilians abroad voted in our election special from page 6 to 9.

Speaking of change, the Brasil Observer takes this opportunity to announce: in November, when we will celebrate our first birthday and will also change our frequency to monthly. The idea of improving the analysis, range and scope of our journalism and provide quality information for our readers were the main reasons that guided this decision.

So, starting in November, on every first Monday of the month, you will have a product that aims to show Brazil from a global perspective, available with international perspectives on a range of topics including business, politics, tourism, culture and much more.

This change, as others we have already implemented, follow the same path in our journalistic focus to improve and increase the capacity of information we provide to our growing readership.

To make this a reality, we have also launched our new website: www.brasilobserver. co.uk and are also strengthening our Conectando project, working with the next generation of engaging writers and commentators to maintain our presence in Brazil and expand its reach.

Like many others, we are also already looking forward to 2016, when Brazil will once again be at the centre of the world’s attention, with the Rio Olympic Games. And if the experience we had to host the 2014 World Cup is enhanced, the legacy will certainly have a more positive balance.

Given this scenario, we consider a good time to announce that changes are coming.

Stay tuned because we will be again on the streets of London on 3 November!

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

PUBLIC RELATIONS Roberta Schwambach roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS Alec Herron, Antonio Veiga, Bianca Dalla, Gabriela Lobianco, Marielle Machado, Michael Landon, Nathália Braga, Ricardo Somera, Rômulo Seitenfus, Rosa Bittencourt, Shaun Cumming, Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

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IN FOCUS

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LATIN AMERICA: INTEGRATING OR DIVERGING? The fourth edition of the annual conference organised by Canning House in London brings together experts to discuss the political, economic and social changes in the region

By Guilherme Reis “Whatever you say about Latin America, the opposite is also true.” This statement, made by Mario López-Roldán, head of the Intelligence Outreach for the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), during the annual conference at Canning House, seems at odds with the goals of the forum. It does however successfully illustrate how much of Latin America can be contradictory both in the eyes of Latinos themselves and Europeans who seek to understand the region.

Deciphering these contradictions and pointing out the ways for greater Latin American integration was at the centre of the debate that beyond López-Roldán, included the American diplomat Arturo Valenzuela, the chairman of the Arup Group, Gregory Hodkinson, Director of Strategic Affairs of the CAF (Development Bank of Latin America) Germán Ríos, Colombia’s former Finance Minister Jose Antonio Ocampo and the senior global economist at HSBC, Karen Ward.

For the discussion, they started with the understanding that today there are two prevailing economic models in Latin America. One is guided by the increased presence of the state and the other, by the market. The first model is being put in place by countries like Brazil, Argentina and Venezuela, which are part of the Mercosur bloc along with Paraguay and Uruguay. The second is favoured by Mexico, Peru, Chile and Colombia, which are parts of the Pacific Alliance with Costa Rica. In the opinion of Arturo Valenzuela, “Mercosur is more a customs union, while the Pacific Alliance is based on the market, the reduction of tariffs and free trade agreements with the United States.”

According to data offered by Canning House, the Pacific Alliance represents half of the exports from the region today, despite having a combined GDP totalling less than two thirds that of the Mercosur. In 2013, member countries of the Pacific Alliance had a combined economic growth of 5%, with trade between them growing 1.3% over the previous year. Mercosur had a combined GDP increase of 2.9%, with a reduction of trade among its member countries in the order of 9.4%. For 2014, according to research from the American investment bank Morgan Stanley, the prediction is that the growth of the Pacific Alliance GDP to be around 4.25%; for Mercosur, up to 1.9%.

Regardless of practices and different incomes presented by these two blocks, all experts at the conference recognised that Latin America as a whole has performed well so far in the 21st century, especially when facing the financial crisis. The reduction of social inequality and the consolidation of a middle class with greater purchasing power, in addition to the consolidation of democratic institutions and monetary stabilisation after decades of dictatorial regimes, are factors that have repositioned the region on the map of international interests. But of course, there is still a long way to go.

That’s mainly because, with this rising and more demanding new middle class, Latin American countries need to pave the access to a new development cycle, less vulnerable to volatile commodity prices and better able to add value to production, with advances particularly in the areas of technology and logistics infrastructure. For Latin American countries to work together in pursuit of that goal, “we need to create

physical connections between countries,” said Germán Ríos. According to him, it would be necessary that Latin America doubled the investment to infrastructure from 3% to at least 6% of GDP. Gregory Hodkinson and Karen Ward stressed the importance of the private sector in this process. Hodkinson recalled how just ten years ago London-based Arup, had no business in Latin America, yet now has projects in Brazil, Colombia and Central America.

According to him, however, “Brazil is the most difficult country to enter,” because of its bureaucracy, high costs and poor infrastructure. “The international community wants to see Brazil fully integrated,” he said.

For Karen Ward, with “the flow of trade still not back to normal” after the collapse of the financial crisis, “emerging markets must convince foreign investors that growth will be sustainable.” She gave the example of Asia, which “is attracting more investment than Latin America.” She outlined low inflation, reduction of bureaucracy, controlled government spending, fighting corruption, stability of democratic institutions, and higher investment in education, technology as key issues in attracting such capital.

In this sense, Karen Ward made her position on the current Brazilian government clear. She believes that Dilma Rousseff has failed to meet the expectations of the national and international market, which would explain the low yield of Brazil’s GDP in 2014 (the last prediction of the Central Bank is growth of only 0.7%). This does not come as a surprise, since Rousseff’s Workers Party has never had a good relationship with the business. There was an improvement, it is true, during

the years of the Lula government, but the current president could not keep the same dialog going, often being accused of implementing an interventionist economic policy.

Still, Jose Antonio Ocampo defended Brazil during the conference, especially citing the progress made after the start of the PT government in 2002. For him, “the growth of the middle class is the biggest opportunity for the domestic market in Latin America.” Ocampo also stressed the work of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa) as an example of technological investment that is made in Brazil today, as well as the Science Without Borders program as an effort towards the internationalisation of knowledge.

In this apparent dilemma between state and market oriented economies resides the main divergences in Latin America, as well as within the countries of the region. Initiatives such as Unasur, formed by the twelve countries of South America, and CELAC, which includes the Caribbean countries have been extremely important in the formalisation of intentions. However the formation of an independent regional identity, including the possibility of creation of a development bank, the largest division to be overcome in the region, as suggested by Jose Antonio Ocampo, should be led by Brazil and Mexico, the two largest Latin American economies.

Overcoming this dichotomy between the Pacific Alliance and Mercosur also seems essential in the process of Latin American integration. The two blocks must work together, because the distance between them can only serve the interests that are not from Latin-Americans.

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SECOND ROUND OF ANTITHESES For the fourth consecutive presidential election, the centre-left Workers Party (PT) and centre-right Social Democrats (PSDB) will face each other in the runoff for Brazil’s presidency.

From now until 26 October, the candidates should explore the comparisons between the two sides, and are challenged with winning the support of at least 37 million Brazilians who didn’t vote for them in the first round

By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

Since 2002 it has been this way and despite some hopes and predictions, things will not be different in 2014. Right up until the final moments of the first round there was the possibility of an unprecedented scenario, but once again the centre-left Workers Party (PT) and centre-right Social Democrats (PSDB) will battle for the presidency in the second round. On 26 October, 142.8 million Brazilian voters will return to the polls to choose between Dilma Rousseff and Aécio Neves.

Both sides should now explore the characteristics that differentiate the two political groups. Rousseff’s campaign should focus on comparisons between the eight years of the PSDB (1995-2002, with Fernando Henrique Cardoso) and the developments of last 12 years of under the administrations of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (2003-2010) and the current president herself. Social Democrats tend to compare the efforts in states they rule, like São Paulo, with the Workers Party administrations in federal government.

PT and PSDB have until 26 October to fight for the vote of at least 37 million Brazilians who did not vote for Rousseff or Neves in the first round, preferring other candidates or who spooled or left their ballot blank. Another 27 million Brazilians (almost 20% of the electorate) abstained on the initial election and this group represents an important group where potential votes could be won.

cialist Party (PSB), the presidential race changed drastically when his running mate and former Senator, Marina Silva was named as candidate. This brought an atmosphere of excitement, and prospect of a “new politics” that was opposed to the polarisation between the PT and PSDB, Marina Silva seemed to represent the third way with promising possibilities of electoral victory.

The feeling of exhaustion with the PT government, in general, increased with the rise of Silva. This apathy, which until then had gone unaddressed as no one saw better option (since changing PT to the PSDB, only for exchange, did not seem sufficient reason), now weighs more. Criticism of the PT government came not only from an opposition that had been in government before and, therefore, had lost some credibility. It started to come from someone purporting to represent the “new”, a more authentic novelty.

However, as the race heated up, Dilma Rousseff and Aécio Neves began to expose the contradictions of the PSB candidate. Silva’s hesitant speeches and her inability to explain what she was really proposing took away from the initial enchantment and public opinion started turning. Rousseff edged ahead in the polls and Neves, who a week before the first round seemed definitely defeated, recovered his position as he regained anti-PT voters. The final count confirmed this.

BALANCE

COMPARISONS

The clash this year between PT and PSDB is expected to be the most balanced of the series of second rounds between the two parties.

Rousseff is leading the voter intentions polls but her popularity is far from being at the height of her predecessor Lula who fought against José Serra in 2002, and Geraldo Alckmin in 2006, and even her own ratings when she took on Serra in 2010. It does not mean Aécio Neves is a stronger and more captivating name.

The circumstances of Rousseff’s first term and the current political situation benefit the Social Democrats this time.

One of these factors is clearly the natural ennui from over 12 years of PT government.

When Lula won in 2002, he beat, José Serra, who represented the continuity of an exhausted administration, with Fernando Henrique Cardoso at the helm. Lula’s re-election in 2006 was helped by the commonly held view that four years had been an insufficient time for the PT administration to address and implement the necessary changes. Then the election of Rousseff in 2010 occurred at the height of the Lula’s popularity and was helped hugely by his involvement and endorsement.

In 2014, the natural wear of continuity was compounded by the effects of the international economic crisis that have affected Brazil’s export economy and, of course, the protests of 2013 had an effect. However, at no point in the campaign was there a candidate offering radical change.

The main alternative, Aécio Neves, had not embodied the desire for change in the electorate.

After the fatal air crash that killed Eduardo Campos, the presidential candidate of the So-

Rousseff’s greatest weapon in her fight for reelection and to stop halt Neves’ recover is to compare the achievements of her party’s 12 years in governance the eight years under the PSDB. The antithesis between the two modes of governing will certainly be exploited by the ruling party, like Lula did in 2006 against Alckmin and like Rousseff did against Serra in 2010. These comparisons, based on statistics, indicators, international recognition and popular support, have been widely advantageous to PT for years.

The income transfer programs, social policies on education and health, infrastructure works and investments in housing, among other actions, represent a considerable asset of Lula and Rousseff. And even in an unfavourable moment for the economy, the indicators in the area are better than the PSDB can show from its past government.

The option for Social Democrats to fight these comparisons is the thorny issue of corruption. As a rule, the cases of misconduct involving governments and political figures of the PSDB are quite softened by the media, while similar cases found in the PT administrations are extraordinarily leveraged, so the candidacy of Aécio Neves hopes to convince the Brazilian electorate to be a morale-boosting option.

The candidate Rousseff has a clear disadvantage in this regard. If she decide to go for the counterattack (and there are facts to it), she must know that the accusations will resonate less on public opinion than the accusations coming from PSDB against PT. If she chooses to not enter the harvest, she may convey the

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2014 ELECTIONS impression of consenting.

On the other hand, the debate on the privatisation of public assets could see this unfavourable situation reversed. In 2006 PSDB candidate Alckmin and again in 2010 Serra sought to avoid the topic at all costs to try and rid themselves of the taint of privatisation. In the first round campaign this year, in at least two television debates Dilma Rousseff asked Neves about his intentions in regard to Petrobras. She recalled a statement he had made 18 years ago, in which he suggested the possibility of selling the state-owned oil company.

Rousseff should pursue the matter, questioning Neves about what he thinks about the oil exploration of pre-salt layer. When reserves were discovered, the Lula government changed the rules of under concession, implemented by the government of Fernando Henrique Cardoso, to sharing. In this, the extracted oil is assured as public wealth. Would Neves be back to the old model now that oil royalties were guaranteed by Rousseff government to fund education and health? It is the position that the president tends to require the opponent.

Dilma Rousseff Workers Party (PT)

41.59% of the valid votes (43,267,668) Number of states where she won: 15 of 27

Southern region: 35.5%

Southeast region: 34.5%

West Central region: 33%

Northeast region: 59.4%

Northern region: 44.6% g

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ALLIANCES

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PERFORMANCE IN THE 1ST ROUND

Aécio Neves

Social Democrats (PSDB) 33.55% of the valid votes (34,897,211) Number of states where he won: 10 of 27

South region: 48%

Southeast region: 36.5%

Central-West region: 40.09%

Northeast region: 17%

Northern region: 31.1% g

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O DR AN LE ITO BR DE

The PSB of Marina Silva, third in the first round with 21.32% of the votes, will be coveted by PT and PSDB coalitions in the final stretch. Historically, the PSB has always been close to the PT, in fact until last year, it was part of the Rousseff government, after integrating the Lula government. This year, the PSB alliances with the PSDB in São Paulo and the candidacy for president raked own relations with PT. At the time of writing, Marina Silva had yet to make her stance known. She was the target in the first round both of Rousseff and Neves, although the strongest criticism she faced in the race had come from the PT candidate.

The apparent personal animosity Silva has with Rousseff also makes it difficult to see how the former Environment Minister will support the current president. In contrast, giving support to Neves would undermine the third way position that Silva had claimed throughout her campaign. If Silva wants to establish her new party and make new bid in 2018, it would be advisable that she repeats her “neutrality” in the runoff between Dilma Rousseff and Serra in 2010, but it seems unlikely that she will be able to do that.

On Monday after the election, Marina Silva signalled she would support Aécio Neves in the second round. However she wants the PSDB candidate to include the causes she championed for in the areas of education and the environment to be included in its program.

Four years ago, voters who chose Silva in the first round mostly migrated to Dilma Rousseff, which was decisive for her election for the PT. The question is whether the trend will be the same on 26 October.

Brazil witnesses the fiercest campaign since democratisation. Whoever wins, the first action of the new president should be reconciliation after an electoral process that has divided the nation.

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brasilobserver.co.uk ANA TOLEDO

BRAZILIAN VOTERS ABROAD UP 63% Aécio Neves won the most votes cast away from Brazil. Marina Silva came second and president Dilma Rousseff ranked third

On Sunday 5 October, 141,501 Brazilians living in 89 countries voted to choose the next Brazilian president. This figure was 63% higher than that recorded in the first round of the 2010 elections. However the level of abstentions also rose from 55.5 to 59.9%.

Once all votes were counted from the 954 ballots used in 135 cities across all continents, the overall results were: Aécio Neves (for the Brazilian Social Democracy Party - PSDB), was the most voted, with 49.51%. Marina Silva, running under the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), came second with 26.01%, and the current president Dilma Rousseff, of the Workers’ Party (PT), ranked third with 18.35%.

A similar ranking order was replicated in the UK, Italy, and Germany, whereas in Portugal, the European nation with the largest number of Brazilian voters, Rousseff came second.

In lusophone Guinea-Bissau, Africa, Marina Silva won the most votes, with 46.34%, followed by Rousseff, who obtained 36.59%, and Neves, with 9.76%. The same occurred in Mozambique, where Silva was chosen by

37.23% of voters, narrowly ahead of Rousseff, who garnered 33.33% support and Neves won 23.40%.

IN LONDON The British capital was the second European city that saw a rise in the number of Brazilians registered to vote in 2014, with approximately 17,000 going to the polls. This figure is 145% higher than in 2010, but still only represents less than 10% of the estimated 200,000 Brazilians living in the UK. On Sunday 5 October, in addition to the Consulate General of Brazil close to Oxford Street, another polling station was set up at the Embassy of Brazil, close to Trafalgar Square. The mass of Brazilians caught the attention of tourists who passed by. On the pavement, diversity was evident as families, seniors and young people queued to exercise their right to vote.

One of those young people was Kelvin Felicio Cordeiro, 18, who had just voted for the first time when he stopped to talk with the Brasil Observer team. Born in Londrina, Parana, Kelvin has been living in London for

three years and is a student at Bsix Sixth form College. “I decided to participate in the elections because it is time for change,” he said confidently. Like many young people, Kelvin voted for Marina Silva, of the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB). “We are tired of so much corruption in both the Workers Party (PT) and the Social Democrats (PSDB),” he said.

Priscila Silva, 21, was also voting for the first time. Born in Manaus, Amazonas, she has lived in London since she was ten years old but said she seeks to know everything that happens in Brazil. “My first choice would be to vote null, because none of the three major candidates really interests me.

But I hope there is some change, so I voted for Aécio Neves (PSDB)”, she said.

Zira Melo, 45, born in Belo Horizonte, was voting for the second time in London, where she has been living for 13 years and works as an interpreter. “Even though I live here in England, Brazil is still my country. I must vote because I believe that if you vote consciously, you vote for a better Brazil,” she said.

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1. The queue in front of the Embassy of Brazil in London; 2.

Kelvin Felicio Cordeiro shows his voter registration; 3. woman registers her vote in the ballot

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FIRST ROUND ENDS THE DISPUTE IN 13 STATES The Brazilian Democratic Movement Party had the best performance, winning in four states, while the Workers Party won three and the Social Democrats, two

By Rosa Bittencourt

Of Brazil’s 26 states plus the Federal District, 13 chose their governors in the first round of the general elections. The best performance was made by the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB), which won four states: Paulo Hartung in Espírito Santo, Marcelo Miranda in Tocantis, Jacson Barreto in Sergipe and Renan Filho in Alagoas.

In the second round of 26 October, the PMDB still have the chance to win in the eight other states: Amazonas, Ceará, Goiás, Pará, Rio de Janeiro, Rio Grande do Norte, Rio Grande do Sul and Rondônia. With this perspective, the legend is likely to finish the elections with the largest number of state governments. It stands to reach an unprecedented 12 states, a huge raise when you consider they only won five in the last elections in 2010.

The Workers Party (PT), in turn, came out victorious in three states in the first round: Bahia with Rui Costa, Minas Gerais with Fernando Pimentel and Piauí with Wellington Dias. The victory in Minas Gerais is quite significant because it is the state that has been governed by the Social Democrats (PSDB) presidential candidate, Aécio Neves.

Rousseff should question Neves during the campaign about the fact that the population in his own back yard of Minas did not chose his party.

In the second round, the party of the president still faces a fight to win in four other states: Acre, Ceara, Mato Grosso do Sul and Rio Grande do Sul. If PT wins these that are still in dispute, it can expand its domains compared to four years ago. In 2010, PT elected five governors, and may terminate the 2014 elections with up to seven.

PSDB won the first round with Geraldo Alckmin in São Paulo and Beto Richa in Paraná. In São Paulo, the re-election of Alckmin leads to his fourth term as governor, maintaining the impressive hegemony of PSDB in the state. Not since the governorship of the PMDB Luiz Antonio Fleury Filho (1991-1995), has another party been elected in the state. It didn’t come to much surprise then that in this state, Rousseff suffered one of her worst showings of support - 25.8%, compared to 44.2% of Neves.

Despite having the worst performance among the major parties of the country in the first round of state elections, the PSDB will contest more six governments in the second round: Paraíba, Pará, Acre, Rondônia, Goiás and Mato Grosso do Sul. Thus, the party could achieve the same number of states won in the elections of 2010: eight.

The Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB) of Marina Silva won only in Pernambuco, where Paulo Câmara was elected in the first round. In the second race they will fight for four more states: Amapá, Federal District, Paraíba and Roraima. Though even if they manage to win in all of these regions, this will represent a decline at state level from five state governments under their lead, as opposed to six four years ago.

Among the small parties, the Communist Party of Brazil (PCdoB), Democratic Labour Party (PDT) and Social Democratic Party (PSD) each had a governor elected a governor each in the first round. Flávio Dino won

by PCdoB in Maranhão, Pedro Taques (PDT) won in Mato Grosso and in Santa Catarina, Raimundo Colombo was elected by PSD.

PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES The current president and candidate for re-election Dilma Rousseff (PT) got better results in 15 of the 26 Brazilian states plus the Federal District. Aécio Neves (PSDB) was second in this ranking and grabbed most of the voters in 10 states. Out of contention in the second round, Marina Silva (PSB) won only in Acre and Pernambuco.

The results show that the North and Northeast regions are strongholds of Rousseff.

She also won in Minas Gerais and Rio de Janeiro, the second and third largest constituencies in the country, as well as Rio Grande do Sul. Neves has strength in the Midwest and South.

The territory where Rousseff had the most significant state-wide vote was Piaui, where she obtained the preference of 70.61% of voters. Neves, in turn, enjoyed his best results in Santa Catarina, with 52%. Silva’s largest win came in Pernambuco with 48% of the vote.

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FEW CHANGES IN THE SENATE BUT RENEWAL IN THE CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES The Workers Party and the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party continue to hold the largest delegations in Congress, but the new composition of the Chamber of Deputies may hinder the construction of alliances between the Executive and Legislative Por Claudia Ribeiro

Even though the presidential race attracts more attention from voters, legislators who will occupy the 513 seats at the Chamber of Deputies and 27 at the Senate, play a fundamental role in the governance of Brazil.

After all, the chief of Executive can only govern with the consent of the Second Power, as the Legislative is known as the more parties aggregate, the easier it is for the president to push through their goals.

The new Congress elected in on 5 October will be crucial to the political success of Dilma Rousseff (Workers Party – PT) or Aécio Neves (Social Democrats – PSDB) who will be selected later this month.

If re-elected, the current president will have a range of allied parties in Congress and in theory will be able to control the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. In the first, for example, the nine parties that support the candidacy of Rousseff elected to all 294 federal deputies, while PSDB of Neves was consolidated as the third force in National Congress.

If Neves and the PSDB comes to the presidency, the governance alliance that the PT and the Brazilian Democratic Movement Party (PMDB) have held sinc the first administration of President Lula could be challenged. But, despite shrinking, the PT and PMDB continue with the highest benches in the Chamber of Deputies and Senate.

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES

*With information from Brazil Agency

Voters ended up choosing to renew more than 40% of their federal deputies. A total of 198 deputies were elected for the first time. This meant that six new parties were added to the House. From January 2015, the current 22 parties represented will rise to 28.

“There was a party spray and governance will become more difficult,” said Antonio Augusto de Queiroz, head of Documentation Department of the Inter Parliamentary Advisory (Diap). “The major parties have shrunk, especially the PT and PMDB, while there was growth of small and medium ones. This will force the next president to

negotiate with them, which are not guided by programmatic or ideological issues”.

The PT continues to have the largest bloc in the House, with 70 representatives, but it did lost seats. In the current legislature, the party has 88 deputies. The PMDB also had the bench reduced, from 71 to 66 deputies, however, it remains the second most represented in the House. The PSDB increased its representation from 44 to 54.

In the opinion of Queiroz, another aspect that can be evaluated as bad news is the profile of most of the new members.

“Some are evangelical pastors, television presenters,, or relatives of famous politicians [more than 70 deputies]. This will make the next Congress more conservative,” he said.

He recalled the election of names such as Celso Russomanno, most voted congressman in Brazil, with more than 1.5 million votes, and Jair Bolsonaro, defender of the military dictatorship, who won 461,000 votes and was the most voted federal deputy from Rio.

SENATE This year Brazilian voters chose only one of three representatives of each state in the Senate, and there was no significant change in the current correlation of forces. A total of 27 new senators were elected and will take office in February 2015.

Although PMDB and PT have decreased lost seats, the two acronyms are still the largest. The PMDB dropped from 19 to 18 senators. PT ’s 13 will drop to 12 and the PSDB will hold onto it’s ten.

The gains were made by the Brazilian Socialist Party (PSB), which went from 4 to 6 elected senators, including former football player and former Congressman Romario from Rio de Janeiro, with 63.43% of the valid votes.

Even if the PT has lost only one seat in the Senate, this came at an important loss as Eduardo Suplicy, Senator for 24 years, was defeated in Sao Paulo by José Serra, from the PSDB, who was elected with 11 million and 105 thousand votes.

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UK IN BRAZIL DIVULGATION

Meeting at the São Paulo government palace

Balmoral will create up to 100 local jobs in Vitoria

BALMORAL OFFSHORE ENGINEERING TO START BRAZILIAN PRODUCTION IN 2015 Company’s division in Brazil will service the South American market from a brand new facility in Vitoria Speaking at the Rio Oil and Gas show in Brazil in late September, the Aberdeen-based deepwater buoyancy, insulation and elastomer product specialist, Balmoral Offshore Engineering, announced that its new Brazilian manufacturing facility will be up and running in the third quarter of 2015.

Alex Ellis, the British Ambassador to Brazil, helped the company make the announcement at the exhibition and commented: “The Brazilian market needs the support of companies such as Balmoral Offshore Engineering.”

Balmoral’s Aberdeen HQ exports more than 95% of its manufactured goods worldwide but now the company’s Brazilian division, Balmoral Offshore Industria de Plasticos Ltda, will service the South American market from a brand new facility in Vitoria, Espirito Santo.

It’s expected that the multi-million pound investment will create up to 100 local jobs with senior management from the UK operation being drafted in to

provide on-site expertise, training and procedural implementation. Senior personnel from the Brazilian operation will also travel to Aberdeen for in-depth corporate, product and process training.

The new facility will manufacture the company’s broad portfolio of products from the largest deepwater drill riser and distributed buoyancy modules to a comprehensive range of elastomer mouldings including bend stiffeners, restrictors and cable protection.

Jim Milne CBE, chairman and managing director of Balmoral, said: “Having successfully provided deepwater buoyancy and elastomer products for a number of offshore projects in Brazil, the time is now right to commit to local production.

“The plant, which is strategically located to service the South American sector, will replicate our multi-purpose facility in Aberdeen which has proved to be such an operational success in terms of flexibility and capacity. We

anticipate the new facility being in full production by summer 2015.

“As a company we are well known for providing cost effective technology-led solutions to the deepwater oil and gas sector. I am delighted that we are bringing this expertise to Brazil and look forward to working even more closely with our client base in the region.”

The British Ambassador, Alex Ellis, added: “Setting up here in Brazil demonstrates the company’s long term commitment to the region. The consulate here in Rio de Janeiro will do all it can to help the team make the most of the significant opportunities here, drawing on what will be their considerable presence in the country.”

Balmoral’s international business development director, Jim Hamilton, concluded: “This is a major step forward in the development of Balmoral’s international capability. We will build on our core values of providing market-leading products and enhanced customer service to this important market.”

São Paulo and the UK sign agreement on science and technology The State Secretary of Economic Development, Science, Technology and Innovation, Nelson Baeta Neves Filho and the UK ambassador in Brazil, Alex Ellis, have signed an agreement for mutual cooperation in the areas of science, technology and innovation.

The partnership aims to encourage an exchange of experiences, internationalisation and promote good practice in the management of technology parks.

In addition to promoting the installation of innovative British companies in Brazil. The same work will be done in the UK, for Brazilian technology-based companies.

The agreement will also evaluate the implementation of a laboratory for smart cities, focussed on the development of solutions for better integrated urban systems, with the involvement of six main pillars: energy, water, waste, transport, health and sustainable building for social housing.

Among the activities planned are the exchange and training of members and employees of the State of São Paulo and the UK, the promotion of technical visits among participants, companies and universities and seminars to present project outcomes.

brasilobserver.co.uk 11

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PROFILE

Daniel Goldman Artistic director of CASA Latin American Theatre Festival talks to Brasil Observer about the ideas behind the event that celebrates its seventh edition this month, outlines plans for the future and discusses his passion for theatre

By Guilherme Reis

In a large office on the third floor of a commercial building in Canary Wharf, Daniel Goldman welcomes the team of Brasil Observer but looks surprised to see us. “Five minutes ago I remembered that you were coming today for the interview, but then I forgot again and now I am surprised.” With an assertive and excited voice even though it’s first thing in the morning, Daniel asks for my help to share a post on Facebook. “Look here, do you understand these things? If I do like that will the photo be big?” I answer yes, hoping that nothing goes wrong to keep the friendly atmosphere that is being established.

“A-ha”, exclaims pleased with the photo size.

“It does not take much to make me happy,” he says before offering me a coffee.

This kind of frenetic energy is understandable given his packed schedule and on the day of this meeting, there was a clear reason for anxiety. With just seven days to go until the seventh edition of the CASA Latin American Theatre Festival, which takes place in London between 10-19 of October (more info on page 20), the artistic director of the festival was still adding things to the program - “It is always terrifying, but we know that is just the way things work,” he revealed as we eventually sat around an enormous table to chat.

I check if the recorder is working, take the last sip of coffee and try to restart the interview from the beginning. I want to know, how this long standing liaison between Daniel and Latin America was born, especially with the theatre, to better understand what is behind his festival that’s “ultimate goal is to bring people together, build bridges between different cultures and create dialogue opportunities”. It is worth to say that CASA, in Portuguese and Spanish, means HOME. “I grew up speaking French and English,” begins Daniel, who was born in Paris with a French mother and English father. “At 13, I fell in love with the Spanish language, mainly through literature. Later I decided to go to university and I ended up getting a place at Cambridge to study Portuguese and Spanish. In the third year of the course, I had to choose a country that speaks one of those languages in which to study for 12 months.

The majority of people chose Spain, but I had just started getting interested in theatre and wanted something more challenging, so I ended up going to Buenos Aires”.

Daniel’s trip to the south of the world could not have been done in a more turbulent time for Argentina. It was 2001 and the country was about to witness major demonstrations as a financial crisis that directly affected private bank accounts erupted. “I

got there five months before the crisis and stayed seven after it started. It was a crucial moment in the modern history of Argentina and there was a very clear response to what happened from the theatre and the arts in general. I saw a very social and politically engaged theatre, It was a theatre that actually means something”.

The effervescent Argentina in that time certainly influenced Daniel’s vision of Latin America and its theatre. He demonstrates clear knowledge about the years of military dictatorship in several countries in the region and understands how theatre, along with other arts, was essential to the process of resistance, in addition to being fundamental to the preservation of the collective memory of those years. The reflection of this can be seen in the CASA program, which always presents pieces that carry strong social connotations.

During that period, the student Daniel attended Andamio 90 theatre school on top of his university studies. He took more than 70 hours of classes per week and used to go to the theatre every night, becoming obsessed with the stage and everything involving the theatrical production. This was also the same period in which he visited Brazil for the very first time. Daniel spent the 2002 Carnival in Olinda, Pernambuco, and then travelled to the cities of Recife, Fortaleza, Natal, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro and Foz do Iguaçu. He would return to the country again last year, for a short stay with friends in São Paulo.

Flash forward back to the large room on the third floor of the office building in Canary Wharf, where skyscrapers are seen through a panoramic window, I ask him about his present connection to Latin America and the seventh edition of the festival he founded.

“When I came from Latin America, 13 years ago, there was nothing of Latin American theatre here”. This year, CASA brings four Latin American companies: two from Chile, one from Ecuador and one from Argentina.

Each one will present two plays – all in Spanish, but with English subtitles. There are also theatre workshops and debates featured in the program, plus the Nuestra CASA Scratch Night, an artist residency to support up to six artists each year with orientation, space for testing and a grant to develop a new theatre project.

But, after it couldn’t go without mention, where is Brazil? This year’s program does not bring any Brazilian company, but Daniel says he is already talking to groups from Brazil for the festival next year. “I just cannot reveal the details yet”.

opens his home We went on to talk about the social side of the festival and its capacity of bringing together different cultures together.

“Everything we are trying to do is to make the festival as accessible as possible, we have the website in three languages (Portuguese, English and Spanish), the plays are subtitled and the prices are low. You can see two shows for nine pound.

“For me, theatre is alive. It’s history goes right back to the first techniques used by man to tell a story. And the artist always has something to say, so we make the program: what does this artist want to share?”

Though Daniel seems just as interested in the actions and motivations off stage: “One interesting thing to observe is the behaviour of the Latin American community here.

Are Brazilians interested in seeing a piece from Argentina? Do Colombians want to see shows from Ecuador? We want to see everyone interested in everything. We want to bring the Latin American community into the same picture”.

I ask him to reflect on the differences between theatre in the UK and Latin America.

What can they learn from the each other?

“There are different ways of working. It’s hard to make money with theatre in Latin America. Here things are more rapid and intense, in weeks everything is tested and goes onstage, they pay wages and everyone knows what will happen. In Latin America the trend is to work the entire year, or up to two years to develop a piece. Latin America has a greatest artistic and human depth to the work, as it is being developed with more time. Perhaps what we can learn is how Latin American companies work with everyone’s involvement, how these companies last longer and with the same people. The Latin American form delights me more, but here I am in England... We all have our share of contradiction”.

Finally I ask about the future, Daniel reveals that, from next year, the festival will focus more on a single country, even though it will include attractions from new inclusions, beginning with Mexico – Brazil’s turn will be in 2016. He surprises me saying that he would like to find someone to assume the artistic direction of CASA at some point, even if it would be difficult to give away something that he created. “It would be brilliant if the festival was directed by someone from Latin America,” he says. This would also give him greater scope to develop his artistic side, writing and directing plays.

To finish, I ask him to summarise in few words his greatest achievement, to which he replies: “We created a home where different cultures can meet.”

brasilobserver.co.uk 13

RÔMULO SEITENFUS

For me, theatre is alive. It’s history goes right back to the first techniques used by man to tell a story

g

For more information visit www.casafestival.org.uk

14 brasilobserver.co.uk

CONECTANDO

HONG KONG’S STRUGGLE Occupy Central isn’t so much a fight for democracy as a fight for social justice

By Ming Chun Tang g

half of that even in the United States. There are no collective bargaining rights, no unemployment benefits and no pension. The average workweek is 49 hours (and you thought 40 was rough). Housing prices are among the highest in the world. Even the neoliberal Economist placed Hong Kong top of its crony capitalism index by some distance.

The list of people who have spoken out against Occupy Central is particularly revealing – oligarch Li Ka-shing, HSBC, the world’s four largest accounting firms, among others in business circles. The main issue with CY Leung’s administration isn’t the fact that it wasn’t democratically elected, but that it serves two main groups: Beijing on one hand, and local elites on the other – in other words, far from democratic in its representation. It’s not hard to see why big business and the oligarchs are terrified of Occupy Central: any movement towards real democracy would see them losing power and losing their grip over the territory. The status quo, on the other hand, serves them well.

The Hong Kongese are not an ideological bunch. We’ve never had a vote – not under 17 years of Chinese colonial rule, nor under a century of British colonial rule before that – yet we were good colonial subjects and we stayed quiet because we were making a living just fine. But as the middle and working classes start to feel the crunch, the ruling class is starting to realise that it cannot simply let them eat cake.

The battle for democracy isn’t a battle for the vote, but a battle for real democracy: for the right of the people to govern themselves. The vote is merely the starting point to a long process of reform that takes the power out of the hands of Hong Kong and Chinese elites and, for the first time, into those of ordinary people.

COMO PARTICIPAR? Conectando é um projeto desenvolvido pelo Brasil Observer que visa colocar em prática o conceito de comunicação ‘glocal’, ou seja, uma história local pode se tornar global, ser ouvida e lida em diferentes partes do mundo. Mande sua história para nós!

Saiba como participar entrando em contato pelo conectando@brasilobserver.co.uk

REPRODUCTION

As protesters flood the streets of Hong Kong demanding free elections in 2017, the international media puts on its usual spin, characterising the struggle as one between an authoritarian state and citizens who want to be free.

Commentators on the left, meanwhile, has remained notably silent on the issue. It’s not immediately clear if that goes down to an inability to understand the situation, to an unwillingness to stand for supposedly liberal values, or to a reluctance to criticise China.

As stories on Occupy Central flood the front pages of the mainstream news media, both the BBC and CNN have published handy ‘explanations’ that confuse more than they explain, making no real effort to dig into the economic roots of discontent. The ‘Beeb’ went as far as to ask whether “Hong Kong’s future as a financial centre” was “threatened” – giving us some insight into where the global establishment’s priorities lie.

But regardless of what the BBC wants the world to believe, Occupy Central isn’t so much a fight for democracy as a fight for social justice. It’s true that Hongkongers are angry over Beijing’s interference in domestic affairs, whether these are immigration from China, encroachments on the freedom of the press, or the nationalistic-propagandistic “moral and national education” program. These issues, while serious, pale in comparison to the increasingly difficult realities of everyday life in Hong Kong.

As City University of Hong Kong professor Toby Carroll points out, one in five Hongkongers live below the poverty line, while inequality has risen to levels among the highest in the world. Wages haven’t increased in line with inflation – meaning they’ve fallen in real terms.

The minimum wage, only introduced in 2010, is set at HK$28 (US$3.60) an hour – less than

g

Ming Chun Tang is a Hong Kong-born writer and a student at Hamilton College (New York), currently at the London School of Economics.

He blogs at www.clearingtherubble.wordpress.com

brasilobserver.co.uk 15

Brasil Observer

GUIDE

THE WAY HE LOOKS

DIVULGATION

The Film chosen to represent Brazil at the Oscars 2015 debuts in the UK and director Daniel Ribeiro speaks to Brasil Observer. >> Read on pages 16 and 17

Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho, filme escolhido para representar o Brasil no Oscar 2015, estreia no Reino Unido e Daniel Ribeiro, diretor do longa-metragem, dรก entrevista exclusiva ao Brasil Observer. >> Leia nas pรกginas 16 e 17

16 brasilobserver.co.uk

BRAZIL’S OSCAR SUBMITTED FILM DEBUTS IN THE UK The Way He Looks tells the story of Leo, a blind teenager who discovers he is gay when a new boy joins his school. “I hope the film can contribute to the debate on homophobia”, says director Daniel Ribeiro

By Gabriela Lobianco

In a competition between 18 Brazilian films, The Way He Looks, directed by Daniel Ribeiro, was chosen

by Brazil to compete at the Academy Awards for best foreign film in 2015.

The announcement was made in September and put other critically-acclaimed films, including Futuro Beach (Karim Aïnouz), Bald Mountain (Heitor Dhalia), and Tattoo (Hilton Lacerda) out of the running for one of the industry’s highest accolades.

Daniel Ribeiro, who also produced and wrote the screenplay for The Way He Looks, gave an interview with the Brasil Observer and said that the announcement by Selection Committee of the Brazil’s Culture Ministry had surprised him. He confirmed that the emphasis now will be to secure a place among the five finalists. “The competition was very good, with several very interesting films and representing the great diversity of Brazilian cinema. Now let’s fight for a spot,” he said. The final list of nominations will be released in January next year.

The good news for the UK audience is that Ribeiro’s first feature film is released in British cinemas on 24 October (see more details in our info box). People will also have the opportunity to watch the drama on 9 and 10 October at the annual BFI London Film Festival. The Festival also includes other Brazilian films: Casa Grande, by Fellipe Barbosa, August Winds, by Gabriel Mascaro, Sunday Ball, by Eryk Rocha, and the short film Tennis Girl, by Daniel Barosa.

PROMISING CAREER Starring Guilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi and Tess Amorim, The Way He Looks is based on Daniel Ribeiro short film Hoje Eu Não Quero Voltar Sozinho, which was screened at over 70 festivals around the world.

The feature film deepens the debate proposed by the first. But, despite being a different narrative to the same story, it is not a sequel.

Both films were born together, on the construction of Leo, a blind teenager who discovers himself gay when he falls in love for a new boy that joins his school. “I made a short before to try out some issues, such as working with a young actor playing a blind role, I also saw the short as a portfolio to attract funding for a

developed feature,” said Ribeiro.

Having fulfilled his goal and completed his first film independently, Ribeiro’s dedication and talent have been rewarded and The Way He Looks won several awards at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, this included taking second prize in the public choice award, best film of the International Federation of Film Critics and the Teddy Award, that showcases films that explore LGBT topics.

Ribeiro believes that the awards in Berlin were fundamental to the commercial success of the film. “It’s an independent film without great resources, so the impact of the German festival helped a lot in marketing the film and helped us sell the release rights to many countries.”

LGBT DEBATE Upon hearing the news of the announcement, Antonio Carlos Fonseca, coordinator of the Centre for Sexual Diversity in Sao Paulo, said he happy that the film was chosen to compete for a spot at the Academy Awards.

For him, The Way He Looks shows that there is no difference between the feelings of homosexuals and heterosexuals. “Passion and love are the same regardless of sexual orientation or gender,” he said.

When announcing the choice, Brazil’s Minister of Culture, Marta Suplicy, said it was “an original story, with a well-developed script, undertaken by a competent cast. It is a work of high sensitivity that approaches adolescence experienced by the blind protagonist and his discovery of love and sexuality. It is a production that opened understanding of different universal language to the public.”

After the news of recent homophobic statements made by one of Brazil’s presidential candidates, Levy Fidelix, the success of this film may help promote a meaningful debate on homophobia in the country. “Although homosexuality has become visible, raising the level of tolerance, homophobia has grown too.

It seems that the visibility around the issue has increased the backlash.

Statistics show that an LGBT person is killed every 28 hours in Brazil. It is unacceptable. I hope the film can contribute to the debate on homophobia and bring a bit more tolerance,” concluded Ribeiro.

Daniel Ribeiro’s first film stars Fabio Audi, Tess Amorim and Guilherme Lobo (photo 2 from left to right)

brasilobserver.co.uk 17

FILME ESCOLHIDO PARA REPRESENTAR O BRASIL NO OSCAR ESTREIA NO REINO UNIDO DIVULGATION

T H E WAY H E L OOKS In cinemas 24 October 9-10 October: BFI London Film Festival 11 October: Iris Film Festival, Cineworld Cardiff 13 October: Cornerhouse, Manchester 14 October: Clapham Picturehouse 15 October: Dukes Komedia, Brighton For more information visit www.peccapics.com

Em uma disputa entre 18 filmes nacionais, o longa-metragem Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho, dirigido por Daniel Ribeiro, foi o escolhido pelo Brasil para disputar uma vaga ao Oscar 2015 de melhor filme estrangeiro. O anúncio foi feito em setembro. Ficaram de fora títulos como Praia do Futuro, de Karim Aïnouz, Serra Pelada, de Heitor Dhalia, e Tatuagem, de Hilton Lacerda – este último vencedor no Festival de Gramado 2014, principal prêmio do cinema brasileiro.

Daniel Ribeiro, que também é produtor e roteirista de Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho, afirmou em entrevista ao Brasil Observer que não imaginava que o filme seria eleito pela comissão selecionadora. Ele garante que agora a ênfase será garantir um lugar entre os cinco finalistas. “A concorrência era muito boa, com vários filmes muito interessantes e representando a grande diversidade do cinema brasileiro. Agora vamos brigar por uma vaga”, disse.

A lista completa dos concorrentes será divulgada em janeiro do ano que vem.

A boa notícia para o público do Reino Unido é que o primeiro longa-metragem de Ribeiro entra em cartaz nos cinemas britânicos dia 24 de outubro (confira outras exibições no box). Os espectadores têm ainda a oportunidade de conferir o drama em primeira mão nos dias 9 e 10 de outubro, no BFI - London Film Festival.

O evento londrino também apresenta outros filmes brasileiros: Casa Grande, de Fellipe Barbosa, Ventos de Agosto, de Gabriel Mascaro, Campo de Jogo, de Eryk Rocha, e o curta-metragem A tenista, de Daniel Barosa.

CARREIRA PROMISSORA Estrelado por Guilherme Lobo, Fabio Audi e Tess Amorim, o filme de Daniel Ribeiro é baseado no curta-metragem Hoje eu não quero voltar sozinho, que rodou por mais de 70 festivais pelo mundo desde sua estreia, em 2010. O longa-metragem se aprofunda no debate proposto pelo primeiro filme. Mas, apesar de ser uma narrativa diferente para a mesma história, não se trata de uma continuação.

Os projetos de ambas as películas nasceram juntos, da construção do personagem Leo, um adolescente cego que se descobre gay ao se apaixonar por um colega recém-chegado à escola.

“Fiz um curta antes para experimentar algumas questões, como trabalhar com um ator jovem interpretando um cego, além de utilizar o curta como portfólio para atrair o financiamento para o

longa”, explicou Ribeiro.

A surpresa foi que a produção independente ganhou alguns prêmios importantes na Berlinale, Festival de Cinema de Berlim, no início de 2014: segundo lugar na escolha do público, prêmio de melhor filme da Fipresci (Federação Internacional de Críticos de Cinema) e o Teddy Bear, premiação voltada a filmes com a temática homossexual.

O diretor acredita que os prêmios recebidos em Berlim foram fundamentais para a carreira comercial do filme.

“Trata-se de um filme independente, sem grandes recursos para divulgação, então a repercussão que houve por conta do festival alemão ajudou muito em tornar o filme conhecido. Além disso, a participação no festival fez com que o filme fosse vendido para diversos países”, argumentou.

Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho (The Way He Looks, em inglês) gira em torno do personagem Leo, um adolescente cego que se descobre gay.

‘Espero que o filme possa contribuir com o debate sobre homofobia’, diz o diretor Daniel Ribeiro

DEBATE LGBT

Por Gabriela Lobianco

Antonio Carlos Fonseca, coordenador do Centro de Diversidade Sexual em São Paulo, comemorou o fato de o filme ser o escolhido para concorrer uma vaga ao Oscar. Para ele, Hoje eu quero voltar sozinho mostra que não existe diferença entre os sentimentos dos homossexuais e dos heterossexuais. “Paixão e amor são iguais para quem sente independente de opção sexual ou gênero”, defendeu.

Ao anunciar a escolha do filme parar representar o Brasil na disputa pelo Oscar, a Ministra da Cultura, Marta Suplicy, disse ser “uma história original, com roteiro bem desenvolvido, empreendido por um elenco competente. Trata-se de uma obra de alta sensibilidade que aborda a adolescência vivenciada pelo protagonista frente à cegueira e sua descoberta do amor e da sexualidade. Uma produção de linguagem universal aberta à compreensão de diferentes públicos”.

Após as recentes declarações homofóbicas do candidato à presidência do Brasil Levy Fidelix, essa indicação pode ajudar muito no debate sobre homofobia no país. “Apesar de a homossexualidade ter se tornado visível, elevando o nível de tolerância, a homofobia tem crescido também. Parece que a visibilidade em torno do tema fez crescer a reação contrária.

Estatísticas apontam que um LGBT é morto a cada 28 horas no Brasil. É inaceitável. Espero que o filme possa contribuir com o debate sobre homofobia e trazer um pouco mais de tolerância aos homossexuais”, concluiu Daniel Ribeiro.

18 brasilobserver.co.uk

NINETEEN EIGHT-FOUR

IN LINE FOR THE CASTLE

By Ricardo Somera

Almost all Brazilians who grew up in the 1990s shared the dream of one day travelling around the Ra-Tim-Bum Castle and now, until November this can become a reality, if you pay a visit to the city of São Paulo.

For those of you unlucky enough to not know about the Castelo Ra-Tim-Bum, it is a children’s TV program, created in 1994 that became a national phenomenon when every night millions would watch to see their inseparable friends Nino, Biba, Pedro and Zequinha.

The program was so successful that decades later, it is still draws the largest audience on TV Cultura, the

public television channel for the State of São Paulo.

At its height, the show reached up to 12 points in Ibope polls, on some nights, beating the novellas on TV Globo.

Now, twenty years after its debut, the Museum of Image and Sound of São Paulo has mounted an exhibition that recreates some of the sets of Castelo Ra-Tim-Bum. It is expected that 150,000 people will visit the exhibition, beating the figures for the retrospectives of David Bowie and Stanley Kubrick that were held at the museum and drew an audience of 80,000 people each.

Online ticket sold out in minutes and the queues in front of the museum are the same, if not longer than

the big exhibitions like the recent Chromeo show at Converse Rubber Tracks of São Paulo.

I made sure I got in early and even though I’m almost 30, as I entered and enjoyed the show I felt ten again.

One thing I found funny was the parents who had takes their young children, but who were having more fun that kids who no doubt prefer the shows of Pepa or Galinha Pintadinha.

The exhibition and the queues will run until 16 November, and even though it has been a great success, unfortunately this will not be extended. What else do I have to say? This is a must see!

DIVULGATION

It is expected 150,000 people will visit the Ra-Tim-Bum Castle exhibition

NA FILA DO CASTELO Por Ricardo Somera

Quase todo brasileiro que viveu sua infância nos anos 1990 teve a ilusão de um dia conhecer o Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum. Até novembro isso pode se tornar realidade se você estiver na cidade de São Paulo.

Para quem não sabe do que se trata o Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum é um programa de TV infantil criado em 1994 e que até hoje é um fenômeno nacional. Nino, Biba, Pedro e Zequinha eram nossos amigos inseparáveis de todas as noites. O programa fez tanto sucesso na década retrasada que ainda hoje é a atração com a maior audiência da TV Cultura, a TV pública do

Estado de São Paulo.

Naquela época, o programa alcançava até 12 pontos no Ibope e, em algumas noites, batia a novela das sete da TV Globo. Vinte anos após sua estreia, o Museu da Imagem e Som de São Paulo montou uma exposição recriando os cenários de Castelo Rá-Tim-Bum. A expectativa é de que 150 mil pessoas passem pelo museu até o final da mostra, batendo as retrospectivas de David Bowie e Stanley Kubrick, no mesmo local, com um público de 80 mil pessoas cada.

Os ingressos vendidos pela internet se esgotam em minutos e as filas em frente ao museu são dignas de shows badaladíssimos como o último do Chromeo, no

Converse Rubber Tracks de São Paulo.

Eu já tenho quase trinta anos, mas me senti com dez em frente ao porteiro de lata, dentro do lustre e até mesmo no quarto do Nino – que era interpretado pelo ator Cássio Scapin já adulto, mas eu achava que era uma criança, a mesma certeza quando via Chaves.

Uma coisa que achei engraçado são os pais que levam os filhos pequenos, mas se divertem mais que as crianças que prefeririam estar no show da Pepa ou da Galinha Pintadinha. A exposição e as filas vão até 16 de novembro e, mesmo com o grande sucesso, infelizmente não será prorrogada. O que tenho a dizer?

IMPERDÍVEL!

brasilobserver.co.uk 19 ‘In a highly comical, breakneck fashion, Philipp Löhle illuminates the mechanisms of our globalised, technologised, rapidly changing world.’

Deutsches Theater, Berlin

stonecrabs

StoneCrabs Theatre Company in co-production with Tanja Pagnuco present

le’s Löh p lip Phi

UK Premiere

A globetrotting comedy of globalised connections.

iere rem P UK

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Philipp Löhle’s

When the African Siwa is talked into using sustainable methods of cotton cultivation by a Swiss aid worker, it helps two young Chinese businesspeople to make a success of their first start-up. But when their trade in soya beans begins to falter, this has an impact on Romanian pig-breeders, which in turn has direct consequences for the marriage of Europeans Katrin and Thomas. Meanwhile, ‘the thing’, a cotton boll, journeys over oceans and through cities amazed by the wheelings and dealings of humanity.

Directed by Tanja Pagnuco Designed by Martina Trottmann Translated by Birgit Schreyer Duarte

Tue 14 Oct - Sat 1 Nov, 7.30pm Saturday Matinees, 3.30pm.

No shows Sundays & Mondays

stonecrabs

£14.50 / £12.50 (conc)

Box Office 020 7383 9034 www.newdiorama.com

Tue 14 Oct - Sat 1 Nov, 7.30pm New Diorama Theatre, 15 - 16 Triton Street, London, NW1 3BF

WHAT ABOUT

New Diorama Theatre, 15 - 16 Triton Street, London, NW1 3BF Das Ding is translated by Birgit Schreyer Duarte, sponsored by the Goethe Institute.

This production is supported by the New Diorama Emerging Companies Fund.

The set/costume design has been produced by the Swiss Costume Designer Martina Trottmann.

receiving the Brazil Observer in your doorstep for 6 editions for only £10?

Contact us for more details: contato@brasilobserver.co.uk

20 brasilobserver.co.uk

GOING OUT

FABIANA COZZA

MÔNICA VASCONCELOS

RED LIKE EMBERS

15 October (7pm)

18 October (10pm)

28 October – 1 November

Where The JazzCafe Camden Tickets £18 >> www.mamacolive.com/thejazzcafe

Where Kings Place Tickets £16.50 >> www.kingsplace.co.uk

Where Theatre503 Tickets £10 - £8 >> www.theatre503.com

A first class samba singer from Sao Paulo, Fabiana Cozza celebrates 17 years of a solid, vibrant career. She has shared the stage with several stars of the Brazilian Popular Music such as João Bosco and Elza Soares, as well as played in a great number of festivals around the world.

Award Winner of Brazilian Music 2012 as Best Female Singer of Samba, she is definitely an artist that you should be looking forward to seeing live.

Brazilian jazz star Mônica Vasconcelos returns to Kings Place with the show Rise Up and Dance: Brazilian Freedom Songs. The military dictatorship in Brazil, which begun in 1964 and lasted until 1985, coincided with one of the most creative periods in Brazilian music. Mônica Vasoncelos has been searching for the stories behind these songs and has reworked them with a team of top musicians from Brazil and Britain.

Brazil: the home of the carnival and a hot-bed of political protest, a land of natural beauty with a history of brutality. Theatre503 and CAL Arts present a festival of plays, talks and performance from the sensual heartland of Latin America. These vibrant and often violent stories, a blend of religion, sexuality and politics will showcase the work of a many playwrights that have never been seen outside of their homeland.

CASA FESTIVAL

Parlamento! / Parliament!

By Tryo Teatro Banda (Chile)

10-19 October Where Barbican Centre, Rich Mix and Rose Lipman Building Tickets From £12 >> www.casafestival.org.uk

DIVULGATION

BADI ASSAD + GAIO DE LIMA

BRAZILIAN CINEMA

CASA Latin American Theatre Festival is the only UK event entirely dedicated to bringing the best of Latin American theatre. Founded in 2007, CASA has grown into a popular and acclaimed arts festival of national and international repute.

In 2012 and 2013, CASA won the prestigious LUKAS (Latin UK Awards) for Best Arts Festival in the UK. In 2014, CASA brings 10 days of Latin American Theatre to London, enriched with Latin American art, music and food. Moreover, the complementary programme includes talks, workshops, the Scratch Night – which is a way to support Latin American artists resident in the UK – and a community day that offers the chance to everyone to let their inner artist shine.

OBSERVATIONS IN BRAZIL

29 October (7:30pm)

15 and 29 October

Until 7 November

Where Kings Place Tickets £12.50 – £24.50 >> www.kingsplace.co.uk

Where Embassy of Brazil Tickets Free >> www.culturalbrazil.org

Where Embassy of Brazil Tickets Free >> www.culturalbrazil.org

Hailing from Brazil, singer-guitarist percussionist Badi Assad transcends traditional styles of her native music with a mixture of pop, jazz and world/ethnic sounds that de¬fies categorization – Assad’s trio is complete with Simone Sou (drums and percussion) and Oleg Fateev (button accordion).

Gaio de Lima is a professional musician from Rio de Janeiro, living in London since 2007. In the UK, he founded Clube do Choro UK.

The Embassy of Brazil in London screens two films in October. The first one is City of Men, which tells the story of Acerola and Laranjinha, who are struggling with the pressures of manhood in the midst of a bloody neighborhood gang war. The second is Drained, which tells the story of Lourenço, a lonely pawn shop owner who becomes insensitive to the suffering of those who seek to sell him their personal possessions.

The Embassy of Brazil and Lucid-ly Productions present a rare collection of 50 photographs by Sir Benjamin Stone. The photographs were taken during a Royal Astronomical Society expedition set out to observe a full solar eclipse in the Brazilian Amazon in 1893.

Stone also documented his journey by sea to Brazil, photographing the people and places he discovered upon arrival. Special event with talks occurs on October 22.

“Desde 1992 servindo a Comunidade Brasileira”

Mudança segura e personalizada!

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

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Mudança Doméstica e Internacional

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Serviço Aéreo, Marítimo e Rodoviário

Armazenagem e Empacotamento

Serviço Especializado para Antiguidades

Serviço Porta a Porta para qualquer lugar do Brasil

20 anos

Aniversário em 2012 – Vamos celebrar!

Garantia do melhor preço.

Entre em contato conosco para mais detalhes.

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

brasilobserver.co.uk 21

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22 brasilobserver.co.uk

NEW CANVAS OVER OLD

THE LADY IS A VAMP

By Kate Rintoul

In the days when smart casual is the dress code for pretty much everything, we tend go out straight after work and an evening’s entertainment usually consists of a TV box set, it’s easy to feel like we’ve lost any sense of glamour in our lives.

This was particularly on my mind in August with the news that Lauren Bacall, the last of the old fashioned glamazons had died at the ripe age of 89.

Even though I had never watched any of her films (a terrible admission, The Big Sleep has been on my ‘movies to watch’ list for years), her beauty, grace and signature husky voice were deeply rooted in the collective consciousness of style. Her death also symbolised sartorial milestone that all of the 16 icons of glamour Madonna listed in Vogue, including Marlon Brando, Greta Garbo and Katherine Hepburn were all now making whatever lies beyond a more beautiful place.

No comfort could be drawn from looking around today’s stars of the stage and screen. It seems like ever since the 1990s we’ve all been praising normality.

Even people who have had quite extraordinary lives like aristo model Cara Delevingne, are constantly finding ways to show they are just like us - with the odd Instagram of them in McDonalds thrown in for good measure. Even super princess Kate Middleton has tried hard to be average, wearing high street clothes rather than the likes of Versace. Of course then there are the hundreds of “reality stars” who really were just like us before they appeared on shows like Pop Idol. X Factor and Big Brother.

But I don’t want to worship in the secular community centre of ‘normal’ if I’m going to admire, look up to and love a star, I want a fully paid membership to the cathedral of fabulousness.

We all work hard to earn our money and if we want to spend it on music, a trip to the cinema or splurge on a night of live music than we should want more than ‘average’.

When I choose to invest in a famous person I want them to be extraordinary and this is why I loved every second of Bebel Gilberto’s recent concert at London’s Barbican Centre. Everything about the show, from the diamond-like backdrop, jewel shaded lighting, four-man multi instrument band and of cour-

se Bebel’s wonderful onstage persona made it an experience to remember.

From the moment she shimmied onto the stage in a slinky figure hugging black silk gown, Bebel delivered full throttle entertainment for the duration of the show and made this dress wearing, prosecco drinking, glamour starved Londoner very happy indeed.

With a voice like velvet and passionate delivery Bebel, proved that she is the vamp for the modern age. Between the perfectly pitched songs, that were the good mix of old favourites and some interesting new material from her latest album Tudo, Bebel made sure her audience were with her all the way and shared a lot of her personality with us.

Arriving on stage carioca late (20 minutes) and a little flustered with a wardrobe/ear piece malfunction, Bebel quickly charmed a technician into helping her and was so entertaining and funny that it was impossible for the largely punctual audience to be cross with her.

She purred apologies saying things like “I’m just so sensitive, that one small sound can put me off completely”. Later when she decided to lower her mic stand, another helpful technician scuttled on stage to attend to her and to whom she said, “Thank you so much, now get me a drink.”

From anyone else this diva behaviour could grate, but throughout it all Bebel connected with the audience and worked damned hard to put on a wonderful show, so it just added to her allure. She shared a little of herself with us and with such a big personality, good sense of humour and impressive musical back catalogue, a little went a long way.

In some ways it’s no surprise, the daughter of Bossa Nova great João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, Bebel was born into showbusiness, dividing her time between Rio and New York from a young age and having her first album credit aged just seven. While she has pushed the bossa genre in new directions, she has stayed true to it’s stylish past, born in an age of optimism and relative wealth of mid century Brazil.

Bebel and her music is a great antidote to the auto-tuned tinny sounding contemporary music that dominates our sound waves.

So having seen her perform live I can now say that Bebel has put herself at the top ranking and only member of my list of modern vixens. Viva la Vamp!

Bebel Gilberto on stage with guitarist Maza Shimizu

brasilobserver.co.uk 23

RÔMULO SEITENFUS

A DAMA É FATAL Por Kate Rintoul

Nos dias em que smart casual é o código de vestimenta para praticamente tudo, tendemos a “sair correndo direto do trabalho” quando uma noite de entretenimento não consiste em ficar de frente para a TV. Perdemos qualquer senso de glamour em nossas vidas.

Isso ficou em minha mente especialmente depois de agosto com a notícia de que Lauren Bacall, a última dos antigos e verdadeiros ícones da elegância, morreu aos 89 anos. Mesmo que eu nunca tenha visto nenhum de seus filmes (essa admissão é terrível, pois ‘The Big Sleep’ há anos está na minha lista de filmes para assistir), sua beleza, graça e voz rouca estavam profundamente enraizadas na consciência coletiva sobre o que é, ou era estilo. Sua morte também simboliza outro marco: todos os 16 ícones que Madonna listou na Vogue, incluindo Marlon Brando e Greta Garbo, agora estão mortos.

Nenhum conforto pode ser extraído ao olhar para as estrelas de hoje, tanto dos palcos quanto das telas. Parece que desde a década de 1990 temos valorizado a normalidade. Mesmo as pessoas que tiveram vidas até certo ponto extraordinárias, como a modelo Cara Delevingne, estão constantemente encontrando maneiras de mostrar que são como nós – com fotos bizarramente comuns no Instagram. Até a princesa Kate Middleton tenta ser média, vestindo roupas de rua em vez de nomes como Versace. Há também as centenas, talvez milhares de estrelas de reality shows que realmente eram como nós antes de aparecerem em programas como Big Brother.

Mas eu não quero adorar ou até mesmo virar fã de uma estrela que seja “normal”. Todos nós trabalhamos duro para ganhar nosso dinheiro e se queremos gastá-lo em uma ida ao cinema ou numa noite de música ao vivo, deveríamos querer mais do que “médio”.

Quando eu opto por investir em uma pessoa famosa eu quero que ela seja extraordinária e é exatamente por isso que eu amei cada segundo do show de Bebel Gilberto no Barbican Centre, em Londres. Tudo, desde

o cenário de diamante, a iluminação sombreada, a banda formada por quatro multi instrumentistas e, claro, a maravilhosa presença de palco de Bebel, foi dignamente memorável.

A partir do momento em que entrou dançando no palco, Bebel deu ao público de Londres um show animadíssimo. Com sua voz aveludada, provou que é uma verdadeira mulher fatal. Entre as músicas cantadas, uma boa mistura de antigas canções favoritas e outras do novo e interessante material do mais recente álbum, Tudo.

A cantora brasileira fez com que a plateia estivesse com ela durante todo o caminho e compartilhou muito de sua personalidade com a gente.

Subindo ao palco com um atraso carioca de 20 minutos, um pouco perturbada com o mau funcionamento do fone de ouvido, Bebel rapidamente chamou um técnico para ajudá-la e foi tão divertida e engraçada que foi impossível para o público ficar zangado com ela. A cantora ronronou desculpas dizendo coisas como “Sou tão sensível que um pequeno som pode tirar-me do ar completamente”.

Quando ela decidiu reduzir o pedestal do microfone, outro técnico foi chamado e ela disse: “Muito obrigado, agora me traga um drinque”.

De mais ninguém esse comportamento de diva poderia agradar, mas ao longo do show Bebel se conectou intensamente com o público e trabalhou duro para fazer um show maravilhoso. Ela compartilhou um pouco de si mesma e mostrou grande personalidade, bom senso de humor e uma impressionante capacidade musical em sua voz.

Em alguns aspectos, não é nenhuma surpresa, já que é filha do grande nome da Bossa Nova, João Gilberto, e da cantora Miúcha. Bebel nasceu dentro showbusiness, dividindo seu tempo entre Rio e Nova York desde cedo. Além de levar a Bossa Nova para novas direções, manteve-se fiel ao passado elegante.

Bebel e sua música são um ótimo antídoto para o metálico da música contemporânea.

Então, depois de ter visto o seu desempenho ao vivo, agora posso dizer que Bebel colocou-se no topo do ranking, até agora única integrante da minha lista de damas fatais modernas. Viva la Vamp!

24 brasilobserver.co.uk

MUSIC TO WEAR

THE T-SHIRT OF THE DAY g

This conversation continues on www.musicaparavestir.co.uk

By Marielle Machado

I have always been a big fan of cool t-shirts. When I was a teenager and a bit of a rock chick, I had a huge tee collection of my favourite bands: Faith No More, Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie... Not to mention the ones I bought during my Nu Metal phase from bands like Slipknot and Linkin Park, which I wore with pride. Films and TV series were not off limits either, I still have my Donnie Darko t-shirt today! T-shirts were all that I used to wear, and always with jeans.

It was at that stage of my life that I found out that the coolest t-shirts were always in the men’s section of clothes

We all might already be tired of this high-low style, but I still think it’s cool and fun to wear two pieces that in theory should not be together.

I could go for a sequin or a tulle skirt, but that day I decided to revive my teenage rocker years - and now poser - and I ended up going out dressed all in black! The black pleated midi skirt did quite a good job as the more fancy part of my outfit, although it was even cheaper than the t-shirt.

So here is a tip for those who like t-shirts with some cool designs, prints or slogans: look for them on the menswear racks, if you’re in Brazil or in the UK... or even inside your boyfriend’s closet!

então peguei o hábito de procurar elas por lá. Agora que eu estou casada, esse é um dos principais motivos de eu gostar de ir fazer compras com o Shaun.

Sempre acabo levando pra casa alguma coisa pra mim também. Foi assim que eu encontrei essa camiseta que estou usando nas fotos!

Nunca deixei as camisetas de banda completamente de lado, mas hoje em dia procuro por estampas mais interessantes.

Compro números maiores e mais largos para usar com calça jeans ou leggings; mais justas para usar com saias e shorts de cintura alta.

Meu primeiro instinto é misturá-las com algo mais brilhoso, mais chamativo,

mais chique, e combinar com a casualidade da camiseta. Esse estilo high-low pode até já ter cansado, mas ainda acho legal e divertido usar duas peças que na teoria não deveriam estar juntas.

Pensei em uma saia de paetês ou tule, mas nesse dia da foto resolvi reviver a adolescência roqueira, toda vestida de preto! A saia preta plissada e midi até que fez bem à parte mais social da combinação, apesar de ter sido ainda mais barata do que a própria camiseta.

Então fica a dica pra quem curte camisetas com desenhos, frases e estampas legais: procure por elas nas araras de roupas masculinas, tanto no Brasil quanto no Reino Unido... Ou no armário do namorado!

PERSONAL ARQUIVE

shops, and since then I picked up the habit of looking for my t-shirts there.

Now that I’m married, this is one of the main reasons I like to go shopping with Shaun. I always end up taking home something for me too, and that’s how I came across this t-shirt I’m wearing in the photos!

I didn’t just stop wearing my favourite bands t-shirts, but nowadays I look for more interesting prints, and I buy them in bigger sizes to wear with jeans or leggings or a little bit tighter to wear with high-wasted skirts and shorts.

My first instinct was to wear this new t-shirt with something sparkly, more chic, to contrast with the design.

I didn’t stop wearing my favourite bands t-shirts, but nowadays I look for more interesting prints

A CAMISETA DO DIA g

Essa conversa continua lá no www.musicaparavestir.com.br

Por Marielle Machado

Sempre tive uma relação de amor com camisetas consideradas “cool”. Quando eu era adolescente e roqueira, tinha uma coleção grande de camisetas das minhas bandas favoritas: Faith No More, Interpol, Death Cab For Cutie... Sem contar as da fase new metal com camisas do Slipknot e Linkin Park, que eu usava com o maior orgulho, e de filmes e séries – a do Donnie Darko eu tenho até hoje! Era só o que eu costumava usar, sempre com uma calça jeans.

Foi nessa fase que eu descobri que as camisetas mais legais sempre ficavam na ala masculina das lojas de roupa; desde

brasilobserver.co.uk 25 FOR BOOKING OR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE VISIT: WWW.MADEINBRASILBOTECO.CO.UK OR CALL 020 7267 4868

Just as the Brits have their beloved Pubs, the Brazilians have Botecos. For any Brazilian or anyone who’s whiled away an afternoon in a bar in Brazil, a mere mention of a boteco automatically brings to mind the idea of fun and friends, with good conversation and beer on tap.

It’s fair to say Brazil’s botecos offer a little more than two pints of lager and a packet of crisps, as tasty bar snacks are provided and music is played, including some live acts. It’s with this in mind, that the Made in Brasil group have opened the doors of the Made in Brasil Boteco - another genuinely Brazilian establishment to add to the diversity of Camden Town.

With authentic flavours and numerous choices from Brazilian cuisine, the Made in Brasil Boteco offers a wide menu where you can go from traditional dishes including chicken hearts, feijoada, to seafood with a delicious moqueca, and to finish there is a nostalgic delicious dessert - the famous Brigadeiro. All of the dishes are expertly prepared and served with finesse and sophistication.

Great food isn’t the only thing on the agenda here as the new venue will also be hosting live Brazilian music every night.

Even if you think you already know your botecos, this one has a few tricks up its sleeve to delight any Brazilian or gringo, starting with their apple and spiced cinnamon caipirinha. For the caipirinha purists out there, perhaps this combination seems strange, but give it a go - the fantastic flavour combination will surely shake up opinions.

The Made in Brasil Boteco offers a perfect combination with all the right ingredients of a winning boteco: a great atmosphere, good music and tasty snacks all washed down with caipirinhas and excellent service.

For boteco lovers, a visit here is a must.

And for those on a budget, the owners have also ensured everything is at an affordable price as you can enjoy three Brazilian tapas (more than enough for for two people) for just £14.50 every day until 8pm and all day and night every Tuesdays. Bigger groups or hungrier people can enjoy five for £24.50.

Oh and for just £4.50 you can have the best caipirinhas in London.

PARA RESERVA OU MAIS INFORMAÇÕES ACESSE: WWW.MADEINBRASILBOTECO.CO.UK OU 020 7267 4868 DIVULGAÇÃO

VIBRANT BRAZILIAN BOTECO

MADE IN BRASIL BOTECO 48 CHALK FARM RD, LONDON NW1 8AJ

VIBRANTE BOTECO BRASILEIRO Assim como os PUB’s estão para os ingleses, os ‘botecos’ estão para os brasileiros. Isso pode ser considerado uma máxima de locais tradicionais para diversão nos diferentes países.

Já pensou em juntar as duas coisas?

Ou um PUB inglês no Brasil ou um boteco brasileiro em Londres? É com esta proposta em mente que o grupo Made in Brasil abriu as portas de mais um estabelecimento genuinamente brasileiro em meio a diversidade de Camden Town, o Made in Brasil Boteco.

Com o sabor e as inúmeras opções da culinária brasileira, o local oferece um vasto cardápio no qual você pode ir desde um tradicional coraçãozinho, picanha na chapa, feijoada, passar pelos frutos do mar com uma deliciosa moqueca, camarão, peixe e ir até a nostálgica e deliciosa sobremesa, o famoso brigadeiro. Tudo isso embalado por uma boa música brasileira ao vivo todas as noite.

E se você acha que já conhece tudo isso, a casa tem novidade que pode surpreender qualquer brasileiro e encantar os gringos: caipirinha de maçã com canela. Para os mais conservadores no que diz respeito a drink’s, talvez a combinação não tenha uma aprovação de primeira, mas fica a dica para uma degustação experimental que, com certeza, vai abalar opiniões já estabelecidas.

O local oferece uma perfeita combinação, com os ingredientes que não podem faltar no que diz respeito aos botecos brasileiros: boa música, saborosas porções, regadas com caipirinha e o execelente atendimento. Para os amantes de botecos, a parada é obrigatória. E ainda com um importante ponto para ressaltar, o preço acessível.

Todos os dias até 8pm e nas terças-feira durante todo o dia, por £14.50 você pode degustar três peticos brasileiros, bem servidos para duas pessoas. Ou cinco por £24.50. E por £4.50, você pode saborear a melhor caipirinha de Londres.