The celebration of the Carnival first began in Italy before the first day of the Lent season and was later brought to Brazil by Catholic Portuguese settlers in the 18th century. The origin of Carnivals may not be Brazilian, yet even today Brazil most embodies the Carnival celebrations and spirit. There are many small festivals held throughout the year, but few claim to compare to the annual “Carnaval” in Rio de Janeiro. The celebration is only a small part of the year, but its influence on the community remains for the whole year. Carnaval is considered a time when socio-economic status disappears and communities come together. However, Carnaval also strongly impacts Brazil by providing space for individuality and celebrating individual characteristics. Indeed, Carnaval has become an opportunity for small revolts and protests by the people usually against the government. Brazilians who aren’t satisfied with social standards or laws will speak up and use Carnaval as their platform for protest. The celebration creates an atmosphere of trust and community in which people feel comfortable voicing their opinions. It has been used for feminist movements, gay right movements, as well as others. Not only is it beneficial to marginalized groups who find the opportunity to voice their frustration, Carnaval is used as an opportunity to forget and move past the brutality of life. Whether it’s death or unemployment, Carnaval activities focus on the positive aspects of life and don’t tend to dwell on the past. Brazil has become one of the happiest emerging nations because of the Carnaval. Although Carnaval appears to consist of mainly outrageous parties, it represents much more than that. Carnaval provides a public forum to ce...
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...the world upside down, creating happiness, abundance, freedom, and above all equality of everyone within society.” This elaborate and extensive celebration brings all classes together for a period of time when issues and rights are embraced to improve on. Women use this time as a gateway towards equality while homosexuals use the opportunity to gain more acceptance. Even those mourning over loss or poverty can come together and celebrate their misfortunes in a way that makes them feel acknowledged and appreciated. Lent is a period of time when people choose to give something up, the Carnaval starts off this period but making people appreciate what they have and by bringing them together. Brazilians who participate have fond memories of the sense of togetherness the Carnaval brought them. Brazil is known for Carnaval and the spirit associated with the event.
In Samba, Alma Guillermoprieto describes the Carnival celebrated every year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and explores the black cultural roots from which it takes its traditions as well as its social, economic, and political context in the 1980s. From her firsthand experience and investigation into favela life and the role of samba schools, specifically of Manguiera, Guillermoprieto illustrates a complex image of race relations in Brazil. The hegemonic character of samba culture in Brazil stands as a prevalent theme in numerous facets of favela life, samba schools, and racial interactions like the increasing involvement of white Brazilians in Carnival preparation and the popularity of mulatas with white Brazilians and tourists. Rio de Janeiro’s early development as a city was largely segregated after the practice of slavery ended. The centralization of Afro-Brazilians in favelas in the hills of the city strengthened their ties to black
Brazil is bound to host in a two-year span the largest sport events in the World, The 2014 Soccer World Cup and The Olympic games in 2016. The country will attract a lot of investors looking for some brand exposure since the whole world will have their eyes turned to this tropical country. These events present opportunities for Brazil to benefit from tourism and prove to the world that it is ready to take its place as an important piece of global governance. Although Brazil has a flourishing economy, it still has many characteristics of a third world country. Social issues remain present in the country’s politics. There are several concerns regarding the capability of an emerging country to host events with that stature.
Larry Rohter was a journalist in Brazil for 14 years and from his experiences he offers in this book some unique insights into Brazilian history, politics, culture and more. In 10 topical chapters Rohter’s easy-to-read book provides a look at Brazilian history and the extraordinary changes the country has undergone -- and is still undergoing. Rother covers many significant issues, but several stand out more than others. Namely: the country’s history, culture, politics, and finally its economy/natural wealth.
The purpose of this paper is to recognize, study and analyze the race relations in Brazil. Race relations are relations between two groups of different races; it is how these two different races connect to each other in their environment. Since Brazil is racially diverse, this study is focused on how Brazilians relate to each other. Throughout the essay, it will become clear that there exists a conflict between two race groups. Afro-Brazilians and White-Brazilians are not connected and though these two groups converse with each other, discrimination still lies within the society. This discrimination has created inequality within the society for Afro-Brazilians. Thus, this paper will not only focus on racism and discrimination that Afro-Brazilians experience because of White-Brazilian, but also on the history of Brazil, the types if discrimination that Afro-Brazilian must endure today and how the media creates discrimination.
Even though the road movie ‘’Central Do Brasil’’ contains a vast amount of gender stereotypical references, the movie manages to counter these traditional narratives in a subtle but critical manner. In the initial scenes of the movie, one is under the impression that the women portrayed in the movie are not of importance to the narrative of the movie. The women who dictate their desperate letters at Dora’s desk at the Central Station of Rio de Janeiro are seen as weak, lost and in desperate need of a man to take care of them. The illiterate men who seek out Dora’s help are often drunks and unfaithful to their wives (Salles 1998). However, these stereotypical gender portrayals pave the way for the critical subversion and revision of these contested images. The fact that Dora, a middle aged and
As we all know, Brazilians like to party a lot. That’s why we have this holiday, and it’s very different around the world. First of all I will answer some of your questions, and the first one is: what is that famous holiday that all Brazilians talk about? The Brazilian Carnaval is the best holiday ever for us. We have four days of fun, starting at Friday night, and ending at Wednesday at 12pm. Every city in Brazil celebrates that. And what is so cool about it besides four days of partying? The greatest thing about the Carnaval is that we can choose how much we can spend, if we want a public party, a private one, or
In the favela of São Paulo, Brazil, 1958, Carolina Maria de Jesus rewrote the words of a famous poet, “In this era it is necessary to say: ‘Cry, child. Life is bitter,’” (de Jesus 27). Her sentiments reflected the cruel truth of the favelas, the location where the city’s impoverished inhabited small shacks. Because of housing developments, poor families were pushed to the outskirts of the city into shanty towns. Within the favelas, the infant mortality rate was high, there was no indoor plumbing or electricity, drug lords were governing forces, drug addiction was rampant, and people were starving to death. Child of the Dark, a diary written by Carolina Maria de Jesus from 1955 to 1960, provides a unique view from inside Brazil’s favelas, discussing the perceptions of good
The first festival was held in 2000, an early street parade with only a small number of participants, now however it has evidently grown- there must be around 3000 plus participants and thousands more spectators roaming around happily amongst one another. By means of their bodies, the participants demonstrate and highlight awareness about various campaigns that involve social and economic challenges such as poverty, homelessness, gender issues, HIV/ AIDS, refugees, xenophobia, human trafficking, greener more ecofriendly cities and children's rights in hopes of attaining social justice. All of this is done while ceremonially exhibiting and making use of local art as a tool for activism, celebrating diversity, and building cohesive bonds amongst the communities and residents of central Tshwane. With all of this in mind, I set off to study the participants and spectators of The Feast of the Clowns through interviews. Some interviewees were residents of the inner city of Tshwane, either as spectators or participants; while others were simply spectators from different districts surrounding Tshwane. The interviews were conducted using a standard questionnaire relating to the ‘Feast of the clowns’ and the interviewees understanding
The mass of almost one hundred thousand is edgy. The night is hot, humid, and alive with a feeling in the air so palpable you can almost trace it with your finger. The bleachers are filled to maximum capacity, along a mile-long stretch of paved roadway adjacent to an old brewery. People from all races, classes, and countries are celebrating together at the culmination of the orgiastic, pre-Lenten, hedonistic festival of Carnival. Soon, the first marchers proceed down the corridor to the booming cacophony of bass, snare, and friction drums. The rattling of tambourines, bells, and scrapers add flavor and accent. Like a bird set free, the singing cavaquinho (ukulele) emits its high pitched cries, adding to the frenzy. The marchers and dancers, with their quick, physical movements, undulating hips and heel steps, embody the living sound. It is time for the annual celebration once again in Brazil, time for Carnival, a time once again for the ultimate physical expression of joy: Samba.
In the end, it is evident that the Roman Catholic religion is an essential piece of Colombia history despite its recent decline. From the beginning Catholicism has been heavily involved in education, establishing some of the first collegiate institutions. Although their current constitution declares the country as having freedom of religion, the Catholic church still maintains an esteemed position in society and the government. Finally, while there has been a recent drop in the number of Catholics in Colombia, it is at a much smaller rate than the decline as Latin America as a whole. Colombia’s roots are deeply intertwined with Catholicism and the country
...elebration where it features a Mass with a rosary and a musical festival which includes food. Every year according to director of the Hispanic Ministry Office of the Catholic Diocese in New York, Sonia Casanova, the event gets bigger every year. The L.A. Fiesta Broadway event for Cinco de Mayo was expected to recognize Mexican American culture as well as bringing together the community. Also during Cinco de Mayo, there are speeches by elected officials and an education program. During the Feast of San Juan Bautista, the locals gather at the beach to cast off evil energies in Puerto Rico and in New York, the Puerto Ricans attend mass and have an award ceremony where a medallion is given to a community leader who has been outstanding overall. For National Puerto Rican Day, the parade thrown every year brings the community together to celebrate Puerto Rican culture.
Christmas is a holiday filled with tradition, family, and happiness, but what most people don’t know is that Christmas is celebrated all over the world, not just the United States. Latin American countries are especially passionate about Christmas. The way Hispanic people celebrate changes throughout each country. Each one has its own unique Christmas culture. In this essay I am going to write about some of these different countries, and tell how each one is similar and different in showing their Christmas spirit.
While there are many other components to culture on the island of Trinidad, these can be named as the most defining aspects. Carnival is a celebration and display of all aspects and diversities of culture on the island. Trinidad's culture is defined by a merging of many. The fact that this sort of integration in able to strive and be celebrated in such brilliance, is an example of how diversity can be celebrated and accepted.
Above all, Dilma Rousseff is the first female president of Brazil, so since her elections a gender issue plays a big role in the Brazilian patriarchal state, where “the rule of father” is prevalent (Kamla). According to Heidi Hartmann, patriarchy is ‘a set of social relations which has a material base and in which there are hierarchical relations between men, and solidarity among them, which enable them to control women’. Even from the early ages women were under the power of men, who were known to be authority figures. In comparison to men, women were less likely to hold a male gender-typed post and more likely to hold low-valued positions. Since then attitude to female has changed: there is less discrimination, women are able to do almost anything men can do and even capable to rule a country, but anyway, the women’s opinion in the society is not as important as the men’s. ‘Subordination of women to men is [still] prevalent in [some] parts of the world’. (Ray) Currently female heads of states continue to fight for women rights and Dilma Rousseff is one of them. She wants to prove people that men and women should be equal, and plans to improve women’s lives; therefore, it is believed that her voting ‘represented a victory for Brazilian women’ (Fernandes).
Retrieved March 22, 2014, from Marbella Guide: http://www.marbella-guide.com/semana-santa-spanish-easter/. Holy Week. n.d. - n.d. - n.d. Retrieved March 20, 2014, from Semana Santa: http://web.schc.sc.edu/Samantha_Ward_Senior_Thesis/SemanaSanta.html. Weaver, M. (2009, March 12). Semana Santa (Holy Week) in Seville, Spain.