About Lundu, Brazil’s First National Dance (VIDEO)
Video: gugupiratas1 The Lundu also known as landú or landu, is a sensua dance-song with African Bantu and Portuguese origins. The dance first originated in Portuguese colonies in central Africa, like Cape Verde and Angola and became more popular after it was brought to Brazil by African slaves during the 18th century. In Brazil it [...]
About The Money of Brazil
The Real (pronounced rey-al) is Brazil’s modern currency which has been in existence since 1994. The word real means both “royal” and “real” in Portuguese. The real comes in 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100 bills. There is also a 1 real coin and 5, 10, 25, and 50 cent pieces called centavos. When [...]
History of Brazilian Samba Schools
Unlike the name suggest Samba schools or Escola de samba as they are called in Portuguese are not really schools where students are taught Samba they are Brazilian social clubs that are dedicated to the practice and performance of samba, an Afro-Brazilian dance style. The schools are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood, often shanty [...]
Rio de Janeiro’s Main Zones
The city of Rio is pretty much broken up into 4 main zones. You have Norte (North), Centro (Central), Sul (South), and Oeste (West). Zona Norte is a residential and industrial suburb where Rio International Airport (GIG) is located. Centro is the downtown, business, and historic section of the city and also contains the neighborhoods [...]
The Caipirinha: Brazil’s National Cocktail
Caipirinha (pronounced kai-pur-een-ya) is Brazil’s national cocktail and is made with cachaça (pronounced ka-shah-sa), Brazil’s most common distilled alcoholic beverage. While both rum and cachaça are made from sugarcane-derived products, most rum is made from molasses while cachaça is made by the fermentation of sugarcane juice that is distilled. Limes, sugarcane, cachaça and crushed ice [...]
The Weather & Seasons of Brazil
Brazil’s seasons are pretty much the opposite of the seasons in the United States. Spring is September 22nd to December 21rst. Summer or “High Season” is from December 22nd to March 21rst. Autumn is March 22nd to June 21rst. Winter “Low Season” is June 22nd till September 21rst. The weather and climate in Brazil really [...]
History of Favelas in Brazil
A favela (Brazilian Portuguese for slum) is the generally used term for a shanty town in Brazil. In the late 18th century, the first settlements were called bairros africanos (African neighborhoods), and they were the place where former slaves with no land ownership and no options for work lived. Over the years, many freed black [...]
Salvador Brazil’s Axé Music (VIDEO)
Axé music is a popular music genre originating in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil approximately in 1986, fusing different Afro-Caribbean genres, such as Marcha, Reggae, and Calypso. It also includes influences of Afro-Brazilian music such as Frevo, Forró and Carixada. The most important creator of this music style was Alfredo Moura, Carlinhos Brown, Luiz Caldas, Sarajane and [...]
Brazilian Soccer Legend Pele
Edison Arantes do Nascimento, (born October 23, 1940), best known by his nickname Pelé is a retired Brazilian football player. He is widely regarded by polls among football experts, former players and fans as the greatest footballer of all time. In Brazil, Pelé is hailed as a national hero. He is known for his accomplishments and contributions [...]
