Revel in Brazil’s joy for life as part of your next trip
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It’s said that Brazilians will find ways to express their joy for life and their passion for celebration within everything they do – via music, dance and food, and even through sport – and visitors to Brazil cannot help but be caught up in this infectious party spirit.
Brazil is a spectacular ethnic mix of 208 million people is a place of diversity joined in one national identity and when you think of Brazil, you can’t help but to start to hum a tune. Influenced by African, European and Amerindian forms, original Brazilian musical styles such as samba and bossa nova continue their prominent cultural relevance not only in Brazil, but internationally. Every weekend, local samba schools meet, with young and old dancing to the resonating beat of samba drums. You can even find some spas in Brazil that offer a massage to the hypnotic rhythm of bossa nova.
Arguably no other country has had a similar impact on the world of dance than Brazil – the samba, lambada, lundu, forro, frevo, maracatu and capoeira – the popular dances of Brazil continue to be enjoyed here and across the planet. Capoeira is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that originated in the Bahia region. It combines elements of dance, acrobatics and music, and is known for its quick and complex manoeuvres. It is still very widely practised in even the most remote parts of Brazil and you can observe and take part easily in Trancoso, Salvador and Itacaré. Many luxury hotels and resorts retain the services of a capoeira expert, who can talk guests through the basics of the moves, or help them improve their practice. A great skill to learn and take home with you to continue!
The famous Juninas Festival takes place throughout June. Originating in the northeast of Brazil, which is a largely arid area, the festival is celebrated to coincide with the end of the rainy season and give thanks to St. John for the quenching rains. A big feature of the festival is the quadrilha dance – much like a square dance – and fandangos, more popular in festivals to the south. Juninas Festivals take place all over Brazil and visitors are more than welcome to join a quadrilha!
Football is Brazil’s most popular sport (Brazil has won more World Cups than any other country – five!) and the renowned ‘Brazilian style’ of play is exuberant and creative. Football matches in Brazil are vibrant, loud and exciting events that happen most weeks of the year, so be sure to catch the local team at the stadium closest to where you are staying. If you are lucky, you can catch the Rio teams Flamengo and Fluminense, play at the world-famous Maracanã stadium.
Naturally, all that dancing and singing makes us hungry, and every meal is a celebration in Brazil. With its spectacular heritage and rich biodiversity, Brazil is positioned perfectly to meet 21st century food trends of regional cooking and organic, local sourcing. Take a cooking class while you are here and impress friends back home with a family-style celebratory dish like the Brazilian feijoada – a decadent symphony of black beans, or feijão, boiled with pork bits and comforting spices, as well as rice, greens and a piquant salsa.
Simone Scorsato is Executive Director of Did you enjoy this article?
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Completely agree! Many people envy the Brazilians their ability to live in the moment, often it as if their life is one large carnival. It is such a colourful and vibrant country. There’s a lot that many cool and repressed peoples could learn from the joyous Brazilians who definitely make the most of their lives.
There is no doubt life in Brazil is outdoors, here and now!
You have to question whether Brazil gets it right with football and whether other countries take if too seriously. When you see kids happily kicking a ball around on the streets you begin to ask whether it has just become an industry in Britain. Remember that this week the English league has just had the world’s match with the most at stake, the £170m play off game to get into the Premiership. With lower stakes Brazilians play for the love of the game.
You have to question whether Brazil gets it right with football and whether other countries take if too seriously. When you see kids happily kicking a ball around on the streets you begin to ask whether it has just become an industry in Britain. Remember that this week the English league has just had the world’s match with the most at stake, the £170m play off game to get into the Premiership
It’s great to be reminded about the joy that the local people can bring to travelling. I know far too many people – and sadly I have traveled with some of them – who just want to travel in a bubble – where every thing goes right to their plans and they hardly see the beauty of the local people.
If you travel to Brazil then surely you’ve got to go with the flow and enjoy the people’s spontaneous love of life.
How nice to hear that! We are happy to know that it was a joy that marked your memory on Brazil!
Brazil is not only Samba football and Rio de Janeiro you really should really come or come back to Brazil to go deeper in Brazilian culture have you ever heard about ‘bumba meu boi’ its as famous as Rio de Janeiro carnival specially in the north of Brazil, Its Folklore Festival here is more detlais: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bumba_Meu_Boi
Have you ever been to the Lencois Maranhenses national parc a unique place on earth where you can see a desert with blue lagoons,
Feel free to contact me if you have question or need information
Best regards from Sao luis
Amine
Perfect Amine! We have a rich cultural scene, from north to south it is possible to have different experiences! Thanks for your comment!