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People and Society
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Street entertainer |
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Photo: Mike Goldwater/Oxfam |
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Brazilian society is made up of descendants of migrants from Europe,
Africa, and Asia. The smallest ethnic group is the 320,000 Indigenous
Indians, the original Brazilians. Poor people in rural Brazil do
not have enough land. Many lose their homes and incomes and have
to move to the large cities along the coast. São Paulo is the world’s
second largest city with over 14 million residents. There are shortages
of houses and jobs, sanitation is poor, and extreme poverty is widespread.
Many children live as street kids. The
climate makes it possible for Brazilians to spend a lot of time
outside, among lots of people. Perhaps this is why Brazilians are
known for their sociable, outdoor way of life. In the cities, offers
of tea and coffee, and lots of ‘papo’, (chit-chat),
are a regular occurrence.
Sport
Football is by far the most popular sport, and the national football
team has won the World Cup five times. Famous footballers of the
past and present include; Pelé, Romário, Ronaldo, and Bebeto. Athletics
and other ball games are also popular. ‘Capoeira’,
a martial arts form developed by slaves, was disguised as a dance
to African music in colonial times, and is still practised today.
Arts and Crafts
Bahia, in the north east, is renowned for retaining historic and
folkloric traditions, and many craft workers settle there. Salvador,
the regional capital, has the ‘Mercado Modelo’
a famous market where gems such as emeralds, silver jewellery and
antiques are sold. Belém, an Amazon City, is a centre for crafts
that use materials from the local jungle environment.
Music
The world famous carnivals that take place each year in Brazil
are thought to have originated from honouring the god Osiris in
ancient Egyptian times. The name carnival (carne vale,
now carnaval in Portuguese), came later, and refers to
the feasting which took place before the fast of Lent. During ‘carnaval’
-- which takes place in the week before ‘Ash Wednesday’,
in the Spring, – music, parades, dancing, singing, and partying
on a grand scale, take place up and down the Brazilian coast. ‘Samba’
was brought to Rio de Janeiro by women from the Bahia area in the
nineteenth century. The rhythm and dance are still popular today.
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