Happy 450th Birthday Rio!

Posted on February 27, 2015 by Critical Divide

On 1 March 2015 the city of Rio de Janeiro celebrated the 450th anniversary of its founding. The date relates to the first time the Portuguese really made an effort to set up a colony in Rio after driving out the French.

The Portuguese Government had first ordered the Governor General of Brazil, Mem de Sá, then resident in Bahia, to expel the French colony in 1560. His fleet entered the harbour of Rio on 21 February 1560, and in just two days he had taken control of the settlement. His job done, Mem de Sá returned to Bahia but without taking the precaution of establishing his own garrison. With Mem de Sá’s departure, the French returned, this time to set up camp on the mainland close to what is today Catete.

It would not be until 1565 that the Portuguese returned to Rio under the command of the Governor General’s nephew, Estácio de Sá, who landed on 1 March of that year (the date of the 450th anniversary) just west of Sugar Loaf. A bitter two-year struggle then ensued with the French defeated by the arrival of Mem de Sá himself on 18 January 1567. Two days later, on 20 January, Estácio de Sá was mortally wounded by an Indian arrow while in combat with the French settlers and their native allies. With the death of his nephew, Mem de Sá moved the site of the new town to Morro do Castelo, an area in front of what is today Santos Dumont Airport.

For a full history of Rio de Janeiro CLICK HERE

Beija-Flor wins carnival 2015

Posted on February 18, 2015 by Critical Divide

Beija-Flor (the humming bird) is the champion samba school of Rio’s 2015 carnival with a samba that was based on the historic links between Equatorial Guinea and Brazil. It was one of three schools to choose Brazil’s relationship with Africa as its theme. Viradouro, which also chose Africa, came last and was relegated.

It is Beija-Flor’s 13^th carnival title, the first since 2011.

Salgueiro was runner up with a theme that looked at the tastes and customs of the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais, while in third came Grande Rio who had as its theme cards.

Grande Rio tied on points with Portela, which looked at 450 years of Rio surreal, and last year’s champion, Unidos da Tijuca, that had a theme based around Switzerland and one of the great characters of carnival, Clovis Bornay.

In a closely fought contest the full results were:

Beija-Flor (269.9 points out of 270)
Salgueiro (269.5)
Grande Rio (269.0)
Portela (269.0)
Unidos da Tijuca (269.0)
Imperatriz Leopoldinense (268.9)
Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel (268.5)
São Clemente (268.4)
União da Ilha do Governador (267.2)
Mangueira (267.1)
Unidos de Vila Isabel (266.2)
Viradouro (263.7)

Brazilian Embassy in London launches a new book club

Posted on December 20, 2014 by Critical Divide

The Brazilian Embassy in London’s new book club will be meeting for the first time in January 2015. The idea is that participants should read some of the best-loved classics of Brazilian literature, in Portuguese or English, and then come to monthly meetings at the Embassy to share their thoughts – in English – with fellow readers in a friendly, informal setting.

On the Cultural Section of the Embassy’s website can be found a short biography of the author of the month, a short history of the book and its translation, details of publication formats, and a set of questions to stimulate thinking about the books.

Dates:

Launch Evening: 15 January 2015 | ‘Quincas Borba’ (1891), by Machado de Assis (image)

19 February 2015 | ‘The Passion According to G.H.’ (1964), by Clarice Lispector

19 March 2015 | ‘Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon’ (1958), by Jorge Amado

16 April 2015 | ‘Iracema, the Honey-lips’ (1886), by José de Alencar

14 May 2015 | ‘Macunaima’ (1928), by Mário de Andrade

18 June 2015 | (‘Os Sertões’) ‘Rebellion in the Backlands’ or ‘Backlands: The Canudos Campaign’ (1902), by Euclides da Cunha

All meetings from 6.30 to 9pm.

Athletics timetable for Rio 2016 is published

Posted on December 16, 2014 by Critical Divide

The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has released the athletics’ timetable for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and it features finals during the morning sessions of the athletics programme.

“Staging finals in the morning was done at the request of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the Olympic Broadcasting Service, supported by the International Olympic Committee,” said IAAF competitions director Paul Hardy. “Having finals in the morning will also ensure that we receive maximum visibility for athletics at the Olympic Games across all time zones.”

There is at least one final in all of the morning sessions. All five road events – the two marathons and the three race walk events – will be held in the morning sessions, although both 20km race walks will be in the early afternoon. Other morning finals include the women’s 10,000m, men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase, men’s 400m hurdles, men’s triple jump, men’s and women’s discus, and the women’s hammer.

For the full calendar – as of 15 December 2014 – click on the photo below, then click again to enlarge the size of the image…

FIFA Women’s World Cup 2015

Posted on December 6, 2014 by Critical Divide

The draw has been made for the 2015 FIFA’s Women’s World Cup that will be played in Canada between 6 June and 5 July.

The championship, like the men’s version, has been played every four years since the inaugural tournament held in China in 1991. The United States beat Norway 2-1 in the final, to become winners of the first ever FIFA Women’s World Cup. The current title holder is Japan.

The United States and Germany have won the championship twice, and Norway and Japan once each. Brazil made the final in 2007, losing to Germany, and were third in 1999. Brazil’s Marta is the tournament’s top scorer of all time, along with Germany’s Brigit Prinz. Both have scored 14 goals.

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is recognized as the most important international competition in women’s football and is played amongst women’s national football teams of the member states of FIFA, the sport’s global governing body.

Brazil is drawn in Group E in 2015 with Korea, Spain and Costa Rica.

The full draw for 2015 is:

Group A
CANADA
CHINA
NEW ZEALAND
NETHERLANDS

Group B
GERMANY
IVORY COAST
NORWAY
THAILAND

Group C
JAPAN
SWITZERLAND
CAMEROON
ECUADOR

Group D
UNITED STATES
NIGERIA
SWEDEN
AUSTRALIA

Group E
BRAZIL
SOUTH KOREA
SPAIN
COSTA RICA

Group F
FRANCE
ENGLAND
MEXICO
COLOMBIA

Capoeira added to UN cultural heritage list

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Critical Divide

Brazil’s martial art and dance, Capoeira, has been added to the United Nation’s list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. The program aims to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, which has been identified by UNESCO as an essential component and a repository of cultural diversity and creative expression.

It is Brazil’s sixth listed intangible cultural heritage. Others on the list include Frevo and Samba da Roda.

Minas Gerais is the champion of Brazilian football

Posted on November 27, 2014 by Critical Divide

The city of Belo Horizonte, that hosted 6 games during the FIFA World Cup, and the state of Minas Gerais, are the new power house of Brazilian football with local teams Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG winning respectively the Brazilian championship and Copa do Brasil for 2014. The final of the cup was actually played between Cruzeiro and Atlético-MG.

Both Cruzeiro (1976 and 1997) and Atlético-MG (2013) have previously won the Copa Libertadores, the top club tournament in South America.

Copa America 2015 draw

Posted on November 25, 2014 by Critical Divide

The Copa America will take place in Chile from 11 June to 4 July 2015. Host Chile and existing champions Uruguay will face eight other South American countries along with invited guests Mexico and Jamaica.

The three groups are:

GROUP A: Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia

GROUP B: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Jamaica

GROUP C: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela

Top two from each group go through to the quarter finals plus the best two third place teams.

First held in 1916, current champions Uruguay have won the cup 15 times, followed by Argentina with 14, Brazil with 8, Paraguay and Peru with 2, and Colombia and Bolivia with one title each. Brazil last one the cup in 2007 and 2004. It is the oldest international continental football competition.

The tournament schedule is:

Date / Time (local) / Teams
June 11 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Ecuador
June 12 8:30 p.m. Mexico vs. Bolivia
June 13 4 p.m. Uruguay vs. Jamaica
June 13 6:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Paraguay
June 14 4 p.m. Colombia vs. Venezuela
June 14 6:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Peru
June 15 6 p.m. Ecuador vs. Bolivia
June 15 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Mexico
June 16 6 p.m. Paraguay vs. Jamaica
June 16 8:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Uruguay
June 17 8:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Colombia
June 18 8:30 p.m. Peru vs. Venezuela
June 19 6 p.m. Mexico vs. Ecuador
June 19 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Bolivia
June 20 4 p.m. Uruguay vs. Paraguay
June 20 6:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Jamaica
June 21 4 p.m. Colombia vs. Peru
June 21 6:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Venezuela
June 24 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 25 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 26 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 27 6:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 29 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Semi-Final
June 30 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Semi-Final
July 3 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD 3rd Place
July 4 7 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Final

Brazil’s 50 top restaurants

Posted on November 19, 2014 by Critical Divide

To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Brazil Guide in the Guia Quadro Rodas series, the publisher, Abril, has come up with a list of what it considers to be the 50 top restaurants in Brazil for 2015.

Nearly half, or 24 in total, are located in São Paulo, and eight are in Rio, but the list does cover the country from north to south.

1 – D.O.M. / São Paulo – SP

Rua Barão de Capanema, 549 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3088-0761

2 – MANÍ / São Paulo – SP

Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210 – Jardim Paulistano

(11) 3085-4148

3 –  FASANO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Vitório Fasano, 88 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3062-4000

4 – ROBERTA SUDBRACK / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, 916 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 3874-0139

5 - DUE CUOCHI CUCINA ITAIM / São Paulo – SP

Rua Manuel Guedes, 93 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3078-8092

6 – TRE BICCHIERI / São Paulo – SP

Rua General Mena Barreto, 765 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3885-4004

7 – MAHALO / Cuiabá – MT

Rua Pres. Castello Branco, 359 – Quilombo

(65) 3028-7700

8 –  FASANO AL MARE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Vieira Souto, 80 – Ipanema

(21) 3202-4030

9 – FLORIANO SPIESS COZINHA DE AUTOR / Porto Alegre – RS

Praça do Japão, 155 – Bela Vista

(51) 3237-7601

10 – EPICE / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 1002 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3062-0866

11 –  SKYE / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, 4700 – Jardim Paulista

(11) 3055-4702

12 – A BELA SINTRA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Bela Cintra, 2325 – Jardim Paulista

(11) 3891-1090

13 – ORO / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Frei Leandro, 20 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 2266-7591

14 – OLYMPE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Custódio Serrão, 62 – Jardim Botânico

(21) 2539-4542

15 –  TRATTORIA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Iguatemi, s/n – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3167-3322

16 – DUE CUOCHI CUCINA SHOPPING CIDADE JARDIM / São Paulo – SP

Shopping Cidade Jardim – Avenida Magalhães de Castro, 12000 – Cidade Jardim

(11) 3758-2731

17 –  DUE CUOCHI CUCINA MORUMBI / São Paulo – SP

Morumbi Corporate – Henri Dunant, 1383, – Sto. Amaro

(11) 3957-9580

18 – GERO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 1629 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3064-0005

19 – AMADEUS / São Paulo – SP

Rua Haddock Lobo, 807 – Cerqueira César

(11) 3061-2859

20 – ATTIMO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Diogo Jácome, 341 – Vila Nova Conceição

(11) 5054-9999

21 –  LE BATEAU IVRE / Porto Alegre – RS

Rua Tito Lívio Zambecari, 805 – Mont Serrat

(51) 3330-7351

22 – KINOSHITA / São Paulo – SP

Rua Jacques Félix, 405 – Vila Nova Conceição

(11) 3849-6940

23 –  JUN SAKAMOTO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Lisboa, 55 – Pinheiros

(11) 3088-6019

24 – VECCHIO TORINO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Tavares Cabral, 119 – Pinheiros

(11) 3816-0592

25 – VECCHIO SOGNO / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Martim de Carvalho, 75 – Santo Agostinho

(31) 3292-5251

26 –  ICI BISTRÔ / São Paulo – SP

Rua Pará, 36 – Higienópolis

(11) 3259-6896

27 – GIRARROSTO / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Cidade Jardim, 56 – Jardim Europa

(11) 3062-6000

28 – DONA IRENE / Teresópolis – RJ

Rua Ten. Luís Meireles, 1800 – Bom Retiro

(21) 2742-2901

29 – PARIGI / São Paulo – SP

Rua Amauri, 275 – Itaim Bibi

(11) 3167-1575

30 – ANTIQUARIUS / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Aristides Espínola, 19 – Leblon

(21) 2294-1049

31 – MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1100 – Vila Medeiros

(11) 2951-3056

32 – GUARAMARE / Guarapari – ES

Avenida Meaípe, 716 – Enseada Azul) – 7 km

(27) 3272-1300

33 – REMANSO DO BOSQUE / Belém – PA

Avenida Rômulo Maiorana, 2350 – Marco

(91) 3347-2829

34 – ANGATU / Tiradentes – MG

Rua Santíssima Trindade, 81 – Santíssima Trindade

(32) 3355-1391

35 –  FLOR DE SAL BISTRÔ / Ribeirão Preto – SP

Rua Floriano Peixoto, 1463 – Boulevard

(16) 3421-4963

36 –  DALÍ CAMÕES / Brasília – DF

Setor Hoteleiro Sul, Qd. 6, Bl. B (Hotel Brasil 21 Convention)

(61) 3039-8156

37 – PROVENCE COTTAGE & BISTRÔ / Monte Verde – MG

Rua Cedrus Libani, 384 – Centro

(35) 3438-1467

38 – ESQUINA MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP

Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1108 – Vila Medeiros

(11) 2949-7049

39 – TRINDADE / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Alvarenga Peixoto, 388 – Lourdes

(31) 2512-4479

40 – SUR / Maceió – AL

Rua Professora Maria Esther da Costa Barros, 306 – Stella Maris

(82) 9808-9090

41 –  LASAI / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Conde de Irajá, 191 – Botafogo

(21) 3449-1834

42 – WIELLA BISTRÔ / Recife – PE

Shopping da Decoração – Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 1274, – Boa Viagem

(81) 3463-3108

43 –  KITANDA BRASIL / Tiradentes – MG

Rua Padroeiro Santo Antônio, 240 – Cascalho

(32) 3355-1560

44 –  TAYPÁ / Brasília – DF

Setor de Habitações Individuais Sul, Quadra 17, Shopping Fashion Park – Lago Sul

(61) 3248-0403

45 –  IRAJÁ / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Rua Comandante de Irajá, 109 – Botafogo

(21) 2246-1395

46 – LE PRÉ-CATELAN / Rio de Janeiro – RJ

Avenida Atlântica, 4240, Nível E – Copacabana

(21) 2525-1160

47 – GLOUTON / Belo Horizonte – MG

Rua Bárbara Heliodora, 59 – Lourdes

(31) 3292-4237

48 –  ARTURITO / São Paulo – SP

Rua Artur de Azevedo, 542 – Pinheiros

(11) 3063-4951

49 – PONTE NOVA / Recife – PE

Rua do Cupim, 172 – Graças

(81) 3327-7226

50 – CHEF VIVI / São Paulo – SP

Rua Girassol, 833 – Vila Madalena

(11) 3031-0079

Brazilian wines introduced to the growing UK market

Posted on November 7, 2014 by Critical Divide

The Brazilian Embassy in London held a wine tasting on 6 November to introduce a number of Brazilian wines to around 100 UK buyers.

The tasting was conducted by world renowned expert, Charles Metcalfe, who also judges Cellars in the Sky, and among the wines he presented were:

Casa Valduga Arte Tradicional Brut
Campos de Cima Extra Brut
Sanjo Nubio Sauvignon Blanc
Don Guerino Varietal Mocato Giallo
Don Guerino Merlot Reserva
Aurora Varietal Merlot
Casa Valduga Raizes Cabarnet Franc
Monte Paschoal Virtus Tannat
Aurora Moscato Rosé Sparkling Wine
Monte Paschoal Moscatel Sparkling

Brazil is now the third largest wine producer in South America. Its six different wine producing regions include Serra Gaúcha, where Vale dos Vinhedos is located, Serra do Sudeste, the country’s newest winemaking area, and the São Francisco Valley, which has two harvests per year. The impressively wide range of Brazilian wines includes Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay, together with other grapes such as Ancellota, Touriga Nacional, Malvasia Bianca and Prosecco.

Many of the wines presented on the night already have UK distributors that include Berkmann Wines Cellars, Casa Leal, Go Brazil Wines, Oakley Wine, and Stevens Garnier.

For more information contact the commercial section of the Brazilian Embassy in London.

During the evening, and also at the World Travel Market, Brazilian chocolate was also being promoted as the award winning Aquim chocolate becomes more readily available in the UK through outlets such as Selfridges, Fortnum & Mason, etc.

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