It’s a big year on the world stage for Brazil, with the World Cup fast approaching, and our brand new radio show means that the spotlight is on Brazilian music as well as football. The first 'Brasil Music Exchange' show launched last week and showcases new music from each of the 12 host cities of this year’s FIFA World Cup. Each subsequent show will focus on the music and artists from the 12 host cities and beyond, starting with Recife and Rio de Janeiro in March, Salvador and Sao Paulo in April, and Manaus, Fortleza, Natal & Belem (Amazon/North) in May. Listen to it here.
Presented by Brazilian music expert Jody Gillett, 'Brasil Music Exchange' is produced in partnership with Brasil Música e Artes, a non-profit organization for the promotion of Brazilian music around the world and Apex-Brasil, the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency.
To celebrate we thought it was only right that the blog this week focuses on all things Brazilian. Below each member of the Folded Wing team has picked their favourite thing about the incredible country that is Brazil. Feel free to send us your favourites too and let us know what you think of our choices on Twitter at @FoldedWingUK.
Karen's Choice
Seu Jorge
"A really obvious choice I know, but I fell in love with Seu Jorge when Gilles Peterson introduced me to his album 'Cru' in 2004 and the amazing opening song 'Tive Razão" (I Was Right). I loved 'The Life Aquatic' too, with his Bowie covers, such a clever way of bringing music into a film... and his last album was lovely too, we recorded an amazing BBC Maida Vale session with him for the Jamie Cullum show on BBC Radio 2."
Jim's Choice
Frozen Açaí
“A few years ago I was lucky enough to spend 3 weeks in Brazil and whilst there I got massively addicted to frozen açaí. Açaí are small purpley brown berries from the Amazon region and not only do they taste really good (a bit like blueberry, raspberry and chocolate mixed together), they're really good for you too. You can buy them frozen everywhere in Brazil, like a healthy purple slush puppie, but you can also have them for breakfast with sliced banana and granola. Delicious.”
Pete's Choice
Brazilian Football!
“Football and Brazil are as synonymous as France and wine, Italy and pizza, England and, errr, rain. From Pele to Neymar, they have consistently produced some of the most exciting and best footballers in the world! They are always a joy to watch and will forever be the subject of the chant “It’s Just Like Watching Brazil” at many lower division clubs for decades to come.”
John's Choice
The Rainforest
"I spent a night sleeping in a rainforest in Laos and it was one of the most memorable experiences of my life... there's nothing like waking up at dawn to the sound of all the birds and animals. The rainforest we were in was minuscule compared to the enormous rainforests in Brazil, so visiting them is on my bucket list."
Andrea's Choice
City Of God
"A brilliant and intensely moving film about life in a favela in Rio. I remember loving this when it came out, I think I'm going to dig it out to watch again."
Ian's Choice
Ayrton Senna
"I was a big Formula One fan when I was younger, especially of the Brazilian drivers like Nelson Piquet and of course Ayrton Senna. They always seemed pretty cool in and out of the cars. I remember seeing Senna at Brands Hatch really early in his career - when he was racing little Formula Fords under the name Ayrton Da Silva, and he was just in a different league to everyone else on the track. It's really good that the recent film has brought his talent to a new generation of fans."
Lucy’s Choice
Oscar Niemeyer
“I’ve got a bit of a penchant for striking and slightly odd modernist architecture and the late Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer designed some of the world’s most fascinating buildings. I’ve always wanted to visit Brasilia, the city he co-planned and developed in the 1950s, it would be amazing to see these weird and wonderful structures in the flesh.”
