Christmas and New Year in Rio de Janeiro

In December, the city of Rio de Janeiro is filled with lights and Christmas decorations. The Cariocas – the Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro – enjoy their shopping and the colorful lights along the beaches and the unique decorations on the shopping malls attract not only children but also tourists from all over the world…. Also, for most Brazilians, Christmas time means family time. A time to get together and celebrate this special holiday. So don’t expect the biggest and loudest parties here in the “cidade maravilhosa”. But don’t worry, Rio is still a very special place to stay for Christmas. Where else would you find a floating Christmas tree?? In fact, a Christmas tree, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, that is the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, at 85-metres high and with over 3million electric bulbs?? Definitely only here in Rio de Janeiro.

On the other hand New Year (known as “Reveillon”) , isn’t quiet at all. New Year is the second largest event in Rio de Janeiro after the famous Carnival. The biggest New Year celebrations take place at the famous Copacabana beach where millions of people celebrate together and watch the amazing fireworks show that welcomes in the New Year. Be prepared for crowds of people ready for the biggest party of the year…cariocas and tourists…all together waiting for 2012…an experience you should experience at least once in a lifetime. Oh and the best thing about it is…it’s completely free! There are many stages set up along the beach, each with different acts with the biggest and best being in front of the Hotel Copacabana Palace. Acts already confirmed for this year are: Beth Carvalho, Seu Jorge and Latino with plenty more to come! The next big question is what to wear? It has always been tradition to dress in white but these days people wear other colours too and the meaning of the colour you wear that night means much more than you might think. It’s what you are wishing for the coming year… Gold brings wealth and luck… Green is for trust and hope… Pink of course for ladies…it brings you hope and true love… Orange will bring you happiness… Red for love, romance and elegance Blue is the color of calm and trust Yellow for creativity, intelligence and a lot a lot a lot of happiness… And last but not least…white…the color of prosperity and harmony

For those who prefer to see in 2012 a bit more exclusively….Here just some of the special parties going on:

Sugar Loaf Mountain: http://www.reveillonpaodeacucar.com.br

Hotel Intercontinental: http://www.reveilloncarioca.com.br

Jockey Club: http://www.reveillondocostabrava.com.br

Wherever you will celebrate the last day of the old year and the first of the new...Casa 579 already wishes you a good one and all the best for the year to come!

Miles Davis in RJ

You might have seen him live a few decades ago, or you might be the owner of the complete collections of his records, or you might just have heard the name Miles Davis, it doesn’t matter, it’s worth spending a couple of hours to take a look at his life: a musician finding his way through the world holding a trumpet down, a black man fighting for the rights of his race, a man trying to express himself using the most honest language there is: music. The exposition “Queremos Miles” brings together a big collection of photographs, videos, documentaries, instruments, clothes and music sheets that belonged to the artist and gives you a review of his life since the days he arrived on the scene until the latest stages of his career, when he was exploring both with the sound and the colour of his outfits.

The exposition is being held at the Centro Cultural do Branco do Brasil (CCBB), in the heart of the city, 25 minutes away from Casa 579, and makes a great stop on your way to visit the Teatro Munucipal, the Museo de Belas Artes, the Candelaria Church and other pieces of Rio’s architectonic richness .The CCBB is open from Tuesday to Sunday, from 9am to 9pm, there is no cost to the expositions and you can even catch a concert for free if you take a look at the schedule once you are there (you can also find a brochure with the CCBB’s monthly activities here in casa 579).

Cow Parade 2011

The cow parade returns to Rio this year, with 60 cows having been selected to be exhibited all over the city from the 28^th September until the 27^th November.

The cow parade is one of the largest and most successful public art events in the world. Life-size fibreglass cows are decorated by local artists and those selected are distributed in public places throughout the city such as subway stations and parks. After being exposed for many months they are auctioned, and the money given to charity. Since 1999 the cow parade has been staged in many cities throughout the world, including London, New York and Tokyo. More than 5000 artists have participated in the Cow parade, and over $22 million raised for charity. The average event has between 75 and 150 cows.

The cow has been chosen as it is a universally loved animal, representing different things to different people around the world. For the purpose of art, the cow has been chosen as the representative animal because of its range and flexibility. The three forms; standing, grazing and lying, provide angles and curves to produce unique works of art. Artists have included both amateurs and professionals. Famous artists who have created cows have included Oliviero Toscani and designer Vivienne Westwood.

Prince cancels concert

Prince has cancelled his appearance at the Back2Black festival this weekend. Jorge Ben Jor will be playing instead.

Rio’s Back2Black music festival August 26-28

Rio’s Back2Black music festival takes place on the 26^th, 27^th and 28^th August, with headlining acts Macy Gray, Prince, and Seu Jorge. The African music and cultural festival aims to show how African influences have affected contemporary Brazilian culture, with one of the four stages being dedicated entirely to Afro-Brazilian artists. The festival will combine concerts, debates and exhibitions across three days, taking place at the old train station Leopoldina. Tickets for the event are on sale now and start from R$100 for the 26^th and 28^th, and R$250 to see Prince on the 27^th. A ticket for all three days costs R$450.