Abdias do Nascimento

Abdias Nascimento, Brazilian Civil Rights Leader, Actor, Painter, and Nobel Peace Prize Nominee passed away last night. He was 98 years old. An Activist since the 1930s, Abdias founded the Experimental Theater of the Negro (TEN) in 1944 and created the Institute for Research and Studies Afro Brazilian (Ipeafro) in 1981 to continue his fight for the rights of black people, especially in the areas of education and the cultura.Abdias was also a congressman, senator and secretary of Defense and Promotion of Afro-Brazilian Populations of the State of Rio de Janeiro, 1991-1994.

He performed in Orfeu da Conceiçao, a play by Vinicius de Moraes which was later adapted into the motion picture Black Orpheus. He became a leader in Brazil’s black movement, and was forced into exile by the military regime in 1968 when he moved to Buffalo, New York U.S.A.  Nascimento held positions as a Visiting Professor at several universities in the United States including the Yale School of Drama (1969–1971), and University at Buffalo, The State University of New York, where he founded the chair in African Cultures in the New World, Puerto Rican Studies Program in 1971.

Nascimento returned to Brazil in 1983 was elected to the federal Chamber of Deputies. There his focus was supporting legislation to address racial problems. In 1994 he was elected to the Senete and served until 1999. In 2004 he was nominated for the Nobel Prize for Peace.

Selection of publicatons by Abdias Nascimento

• “Africans in Brazil: a Pan-African perspective” (1997)
• “Orixás: os deuses vivos da Africa” (Orishas: the living gods of Africa in Brazil) (1995)
• “Race and ethnicity in Latin America – African culture in Brazilian art” (1994)
• “Brazil, mixture or massacre? essays in the genocide of a Black people” (1989)
• “Sortilege” (black mystery) (1978)
• “Racial Democracy in Brazil, Myth or Reality?: A Dossier of Brazilian Racism” (1977)

Abdias is survived by his wife Elisa Larkin Nascimento and son Osiris Nascimento who was a co-host and cameraman on the Brazil Show and also by ex-wife, Brazilian actress Lea Garcia who played Serafina in the film Black Orpheus and  with whom he has two sons.

Our heart felt condolences to the Nascimento family.

Brazil Travel on theBrazilShow.com

Abdias Nascimento morre

Abdias Nascimento dead at 97

Another tragedy hits Rio de Janeiro with citizens in disbelief, anguish and sadness.

Cidade do Samba, the location which houses the factories for all Samba schools in Rio de Janeiro went up in a spectacular fire which the plumes could be seen from all over Rio de Janeiro. Grande Rio, one of Rio’s biggest and most popular schools is at a complete loss with all of their floats and costumes destroyed. Major damage was also sustained by Portela and Uniao de Ilha. The President of Portela arrived, but was not allowed to enter, thus ensued a confrontation with Military Police. At least two were arrested. Fortunately, there are no reported injuries or loss of life. Arson is suspected.

Rio de Janeiro Mayor, Eduardo Paes promises reconstruction to begin immediately.

Questions arising why the automatic fire prevention systems did not work have still not been answered. Arson is suspected.

Photo credits:

Gabriel de Paiva, O Globo

Marcos Estrella / Eu Reporter

Marcelo Schuback / Eu Reporter

Paula Ribeiro Eu Reporter

Fernando Noguchi / Eu Reporter

Mano Menezes New Brazilian National Team Coach

Menezes immediately began the rebuilding of the New Brazilian National team with players that average only 23 years old. Most will be unknown to those accustomed to hearing Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Kaka, Julio Cesar and others. The most famous player that will continue is Robinho, world ranked #1 goalie Julio Cesar did not make the cut, nor did Kaka or Ronaldinho who’s best days are probably behind them. A couple of new players and favorites of Brazilian fans who wished they had been on this year’s World Cup team are Neymar da Silva Santos, and Paulo Ganso who are expected to do big things on the national team.

The new Brazil National Team will take on the United States in their first match on August 10, 2010, so if you’re in New Jersey, check it out and send us some footage.

Brazil Travel – on theBrazilShow

An Air France passenger plane flying from Rio to Paris made an emergency landing in northeastern Brazil Saturday night after a hoax bomb alert.

All 405 passengers and 18 crew members were safely evacuated from AF Flight 443, said Jorge Andrade, a spokesman for airport authority Infraero in the Brazilian city of Recife.

“Air France confirms that the crew was informed in-flight of a threat of a possible presence of an explosive device on board,” said an Air France spokesman.

The pilot was requested to land in Recife for an inspection, Air France said.

Solange Argenta, a spokeswoman at the Recife airport, said authorities had not found any explosives after a five-hour search, and the jet was expected to be cleared to resume its flight to Paris. The airport was closed for about 30 minutes.

Flight 443 was on the same route as an Air France airliner that crashed last June off Brazil’s northeastern coast, killing all 228 people aboard. It was the worst crash in Air France’s 75-year history.

Credit: English.news.cn
Xiong Tong

Christ the Redeemer, Rio de Janeiro’s iconic symbol and one of the Seven Wonders of the World was vandalized with graffiti. The statue which sits atop Corcovado mountain and overlooks all of Rio de Janeiro has been under renovation and is covered with scaffolding which the vandals used to climb the 130 foot statue and write graffiti on the head and face of the Christ statue. The graffiti translates to “When the cat’s away, the rats will play“. Rio de Janeiro’s mayor, Eduardo Paes, promises the “criminals will pay for what they’ve done. They will go to jail. Rio de Janeiro and Brazil do not deserve this”.

The route to Christ the Redeemer or Cristo Redentor atop Corcovado mountain has been closed due to the recent heavy rain and mudslides and renovation on the statue is scheduled to continue for the next few months.

The company renovating the statue has already removed the graffiti.

Brazil travel information on theBrazilShow.com

Survivor Producer arrested for death of Brazilian wife Monica Burgos

Bruce Beresford-Redman, a former television producer for CBS’ hit show “Survivor” has been arrested in the death of his Brazilian wife, Monica Burgos, whose body was found in a sewer at the swanky Moon Palace resort in Cancun where the family was staying on vacation.

According to media reports, a witness at the hotel saw the couple arguing Sunday, and Beresford-Redman was reportedly seen with scratches on his body. The local prosecutor said while the cause of death has not yet been determined, Beresford-Redman is under investigation for allegedly strangling his wife.

Monica Burgos was owner of a popular Brazilian restaurant, “Zabumba” in the Palms district of Los Angeles.