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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL
roots in the traditions of the
Roman Catholic Church in
which people would indulge
themselves in food and fun
just before the start of Lent—
the period before Easter,
which is marked by forty days
of fasting and
abstinence
from worldly pleasures.
The most famous Carnival celebration is in Rio de Janeiro where thousands of
revelers flock to the Sambodrome stadium wearing masks and colorful costumes.
They parade in the stadium to the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the samba.
In addition to Carnival, Brazilians observe a number of religious holidays,
most notably St. John’s Night, held in June on the eve of the Feast of St. John
the Baptist, who according to the Gospel of Luke, was born six months before
Jesus. The feast day was brought to Brazil by the early Portuguese settlers who
were devoted to the holiday.
Brazilians love music and dance, which like the country itself, is a blend of
European, African, and native traditions. The rattlers, shakers, and panpipes used
in many Brazilian melodies are Native American in origin. In the 1600s, African
slaves brought with them drums, while the Portuguese brought the cavaquinho,
a ukulele-like instrument; the bandolim (mandolin), and the guitar.
MUSIC STYLES
The samba has influenced other types of Brazilian music. These
include
sertanejo
, which had its origins in the Brazilian countryside
in the 1920s,
axé
, a combination of samba and reggae, and
pagôde
, which is
popular in the cities.
Masters of Capoeira
demonstrate tricks of this
Brazilian martial art to local
fans in the USA.