Brazil Travel Blog

This is an entirely personal list with Brazilian musicians that feature often on my playlists. I have deliberatedly omitted from the list the big names of Brazilian music. I love the music of Marisa Monte and Chico Buarque, I enjoy very much the music of so many Brazilian artists of worldwide fame. But with this list I want to talk about other artists, most of them very popular in Brazil, but hardly known outside the borders of this country. The list is by no means restrictive. No list could do justice to the seemingly inexhaustible source of musical talent Brazil harbours. The artists featured in this top-10 are listed in alphabetical order.

ANTONIO NÓBREGA (website). From Pernambuco, Antonio Nóbrega is a unique artist: singer, dancer, circus performer, an authority on Brazilian folklore. His records contain wonderful compilations of Brazilian musical folk traditions nearly extinguished. He’s based in São Paulo and his shows are a must. A record: Madeira que cupim não roi. Three songs: Lição de namoro, Olodumaré, Coco da lagartixa.

CHICO CÉSAR (website). Singer and songwriter from Paraíba, like so many others, based in São Paulo. One of the most important songwriters in contemporary Brazilian popular music. A record: Respeitem meus cabelos, brancos. Three songs: 4h15 ou 10 P/3, Quando eu fecho os olhos, Flor de mandacaru.

DAVI MORAES (website). Son of Moraes Moreira, and former musician of Marisa Monte, Caetano, Carlinhos Brown and many others, Davi Moraes is an extraordinary guitar player. A record: Papo Macaco. Three songs: Dentro da minha cabeça, Pretoriana, Na massa.

GABRIEL O PENSADOR (website). Clever rapper from Rio de Janeiro, Gabriel is the author os some of the most forceful lyrics of the last decades. On a 2001 poll by Rio newspaper O Dia Gabriel was chosen as the person that symbolized Rio better. A record: Seja você mesmo, mas não seja sempre o mesmo. Three songs: Até quando?, Cantão, Brasa.

LENINE (website). From Pernambuco, Lenine is one of the heavy weights of contemporary Brazilian popular music, both as a result of his own records and his contributions to the work of other artists. He’s quite popular in France. A record: Na Pressão. Three songs: Lavadeira do rio, Rosebud (o verbo e a verba), Paciência.

MARINA DE LA RIVA (website). The Spanish language enters this list through the captivating voice of Cuban-Brazilian artist Marina de la Riva. Her first album, with Cuban songs tinged with bossa-nova and other Brazilian rhythms, and a few Brazilian classics, heralds a spectacular career. A record: Marina de la Riva. Three songs: Central constancia, Ta-hi!, Adeus, Maria Fulô - La Mulata Chancletera.

O RAPPA (website). Rio band that plays a blend of rap and reggae. A record: LadoB Lado A. Three songs: Pescador de Ilusões, Minha alma (a paz que eu não quero), O que sobrou do céu.

SKANK (website). Veteran pop-rock-reggae band founded in Belo Horizonte in 1991. Some of their songs have become real anthems (see Garota Nacional). A record: O Samba Poconé. Three songs: Garota Nacional, Vamos fugir, Vou deixar.

VANESSA DA MATA (website). Singer from Mato Grosso. A record: Essa boneca tem manual. Three songs: Zé, Ai, Ai, Ai, Joaõzinho.

ZECA BALEIRO (website). Artist from São Luís de Maranhão who settled a long time ago in São Paulo. In spite of his young age, he has composed songs for lots of Brazilian artists. A record: Vô Imbolá. Three songs: Mamãe Oxum, Meu amor meu bem me ame, Nega tu dá no couro.

Which are the countries sending the most tourists to Brazil? Here’s the top ten (data from 2005):

1. Argentina. 992.000 tourists. For 87% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Rio de Janeiro, Búzios, São Paulo, Florianópolis y Porto Alegre.
2. United States. 794.000 tourists. For 61% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Salvador, Búzios.
3. Portugal. 358.000 tourists. For 67% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Recife, Fortaleza, Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Natal.
4. Uruguay. 342.000 tourists. For 90% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Porto Alegre, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis, Balneário Camboriú.
5. Germany. 309.000 tourists. For 58% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Foz do Iguaçu, São Paulo, Recife.
6. Italy. 304.000 tourists. For 64% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Recife, Foz do Iguaçu.
7. France. 252.000 tourists. For 50% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, São Paulo, Foz do Iguaçu, Fortaleza.
8. Paraguay. 249.000 tourists. For 70% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Balneário Camboriú, Florianópolis, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Bombinhas.
9. Spain. 173.000 tourists. For 55% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: Salvador, Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, Recife, Fortaleza.
10. Chile. 170.000 tourists. For 66% it’s not their first visit to Brazil. Main destinations: São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Búzios, Florianópolis, Porto Alegre.

The information on this entry is extracted from the Anuário Turismo 2007-2008 published by the Brazilian magazine Exame, a comprehensive source on anything related to tourism in Brazil.

On the section of the magazine dedicated to foreign visitors, you can read about the aspects of Brazil that get the best and the worst marks by the visitors that came to the country.

Among the aspects that get the best marks, there is near unanimity: hospitality, accommodation and food.

Among the aspects that get the worst marks coincidences abound as well: safety, cleanliness, tourist information and airports (and to think this information dates before the beginning of the current crisis at the airports!).

I am presenting my very own personal list of 10 moments lived in Brazil filled with emotion. They do not follow any particular order.

1. a huge turtle (up until then you had never stopped to think how large turtles can be) swimming placidly next to you, in complete silence; suddenly a shoal of fish swims by right in front of you while you approach a sunken ship where thousands of colourful fish rejoice. Diving in Noronha has to be one of the most intense experiences you can live in Brazil.
   
2. up to four or five dolphins jumping out of the water simultatenously, while dozens of them follow the small boat from where you contemplate the amazing display. Encountering dolphins in Noronha is joy at its purest.
3. in spite of the pushing and shoving; of the endless queue of tourists all waiting to take exactly the same snapshot in front of the statue, arms opened; in spite of the awful mood of the professional photographers; in spite of the street vendors; when you reach the balcony of the Corcovado mountain and the whole of Rio unfolds in front of your very own eyes, your heart and mind are transported somewhere else.
   
4. the ceaseless rhythm of the percussion, the tune you will not stop humming even after you’ve gone to sleep, the festival of colours and dazzling costumes, the bumba-meu-boi festival in São Luís is pure magic.
   
5. from the top of the sunset dune in Jericoacoara there is a terrific panoramic view of the sea and the dunes. When the moon is full, it will appear right at the same time as the sun goes down, turning the experience into an unforgettable moment.
   
6. think of the wildest rollercoaster your mind can imagine and then take all safety devices out of the picture. That’s what a buggy ride on the Genipabu dunes feels like. Your stomach will turn, you will bid farewell to friends an family endless times, you will swallow tons of sand, and your heart will be tested to the limit.
   
7. everything in the village is special, but watching the sun go down behind the Serra do Mar from the harbour in Paraty is an unforgettable moment that can open the door to never-ending passions.
   
8. an endless succession of dunes and green lagoons, absolutely no one around, the merciless sun being your only companion. A walk through the Lençóis Maranhenses is intense to the extreme.
   
9. there is something unreal about that intense red colour. Because of that, contemplating the scarlet ibises near the Baronesa beach in Alcântara is an activity where the notion of time quickly vanishes.
   
10. the roaring of the waters and its spray are felt from afar, but the real power of the place is only truly manifested when you reach the mighty Devil’s Throat at the Iguazu Falls. Don’t be surprised should you find yourself leaning dangerously towards, such is the power of the enchanment [the observation deck for the Devil's Throat is actually in Argentina, but most of what you see from there it's on Brazil].
    

I want to close my list with a very special emotion, that can be experienced anywhere on Brasil, but only once in a long while. In terms of strong emotions, few things can compare to the explosion of joy that follows the conquest by Brazil of a soccer World Cup. The last time it happened I was lucky to be here to witness it, it was 2002.

Here are all the Top 10 lists published in the blog so far.

This is a list of my top 10 favourite places in Brazil. It only includes places I have visited - for that reason you will not find on the list potential jewels such as Ilha Grande. Click on the names of the places to find out more about them.

1. Fernando de Noronha (Pernambuco)

Noronha is where you will find the most beautiful beaches in the whole of Brazil, and crystal-clear waters of unparalleled beauty. A place like no other in Brazil.

2. Paraty (Río de Janeiro)

Atlantic rainforest, desert beaches and the best preserved colonial architecture in the country come together to make of Paraty a very special destination. On top of that, Paraty is close to Rio and São Paulo.

3. Lençóis Maranhenses (Maranhão)

While it’s not easy to get to the Lençóis, the reward more than makes up for the long journey. A unique landscape of dunes and lagoons where mass tourism hasn’t left its mark yet.

4. Jericoacoara (Ceará)

Another destination with a nearly-mythical status among travellers. Captivating sand dunes in a remote setting.

5. Iguazu falls (Paraná and Argentina)

The breathtaking beauty of the falls will captive you the moment you set your eyes on them.

6. Arraial d’Ajuda (Bahia)

Hard to believe you would find a charming place like Arraial d’Ajuda so close to Porto Seguro.

7. Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro)

Rio is a city like no other, not just in Brazil, but throught the world. Its serious problems do not allow for a higher place on the list.

8. Bonito (Mato Grosso do Sul)

In the southernmost point of the Pantanal lies Bonito, a mecca for ecotourism and fun in close contact with nature.

9. Trancoso (Bahia)

Trancoso is near Arraial d’Ajuda and shares with its neighbour a series of wonderful beaches and a relaxed atmosphere.

10. Ouro Preto (Minas Gerais)

In spite of the sorry state of conservation of its World Heritage, Ouro Preto makes it to the top 10 because of the truly mesmerizing historical riches found in its churches.

MyMaps!: mash-up that will allow you to locate of all the places listed above at GoogleMaps!

I have been to scores of places in Brazil where I’ve been able to see and photograph wildlife. These are the top 10 places (in no particular order).

1. scarlet ibis in Alcântara, Maranhão [chances of spotting them: high - at the Praia da Baronesa and a nearby wetland. The scarlet ibis go to the shore to feed when the tide is out]
2. dolphins in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco [chances of spotting them: high - on the boat trip around the island or from the Baia dos Golfinhos viewpoint]
3. turtles in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco [chances of spotting them: medium - snorkelling at the Santo Antônio harbour and at the baia do Sueste]
4. fish in Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco [chances of spotting them: high - snorkelling in most of the island beaches and definitely diving]
5. fish in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul [chances of spotting them: high - snorkelling in the Sucuri river and the Rio da Prata]
6. dolphins in Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte [chances of spotting them: medium - at the aptly named Baia dos Golfinhos in the morning]
7. toucans in Foz de Iguazú, Paraná [chances of spotting them: 100% - at the Parque das Aves]
8. monkeys in Vassouras, Maranhão [chances of spotting them: high - there is a forty-odd colony of monkeys living near the huts, ask the locals]
9. scarlet ibis in Caburé, Maranhão [chances of spotting them: medium - near then mangrove in Caburé when the tide is out]
10. macaws in Bonito, Mato Grosso do Sul [chances of spotting them: medium - at the Buraco das Araras]

N.B.: in actual fact, the toucans at the Parque das Aves in Foz do Iguaçu are not in the wild, they are kept within giant cages.

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1. Praia do SANCHO (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
2. Praia dos PORCOS (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
3. Praia da ILHA DO CAMPECHE (Florianópolis, Santa Catarina)
4. Praia do Forno (Arraial do Cabo, Rio de Janeiro)
5. Praia do CACHADAÇO (Trindade, Rio de Janeiro)
6. Praia da Conceição (Fernando de Noronha, Pernambuco)
7. Praia de Domingas Dias (Ubatuba, São Paulo)
8. Baía dos Golfinhos (Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte)
9. Praia de Paraty-Mirim (Paraty, Rio de Janeiro)
10. Barra do Sahy (São Paulo)

Honourable mentions:

• praia de Pitinga (Arraial d’Ajuda, Bahia)
• Caçimba do Padre (Fernando de Noronha)
• praia dos Coqueiros (Trancoso, Bahia)
• praia do Félix (Ubatuba)
• praia de Copacabana (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia de Ipanema (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia de São Conrado (Rio de Janeiro)
• praia Azeda (Búzios, Rio de Janeiro)
• praia Azedinha (Búzios, Rio de Janeiro)
• praia do Amor (Pipa, Rio Grande do Norte)

Special mentions from my Brazilian other half (places I haven’t been to yet):

• praia de Lopes Mendes (Ilha Grande, Rio de Janeiro)
• Bombinhas (Santa Catarina)
• fourth beach at Morro de São Paulo (Bahia)
• praia dos Dois Rios (Ilha Grande)

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I begin today a series of top 10 lists which I hope to expand during the coming months. These lists are, without any kind of doubt, totally personal and based exclusively on my own experiences in Brazil. There are wonderful places in Brazil I haven’t visited yet which arguably would deserve to feature on the lists – they will not do so until I visit them.

The basic principle is: if it’s on the list, it’s worth it; if it’s not on the list, might still be worth it.

I’ll leave you now with the first of the Top 10 lists: beaches

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