Tropicalia (1968) helped start a revolution.

This year, not only does Bossa Nova celebrate its 50th anniversary, but Tropicália celebrates its 40th. Some might question that date, considering many believe it started in 1967 when Caetano Veloso introduced the electric guitar to MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) at the III Festival de Música da TV Record (3rd Music Festival of TV Record). However, others take the position that it officially began the following year, in 1968, when Caetano Veloso released his first solo LP containing the song titled "Tropicália." 1968 also marked the release of the first and only collective album of Tropicália musicians, also titled Tropicália.

During the dark years of the Brazilian Dictatorship, the public's musical tastes became divided among: Bossa Nova with its soft touch didn't fit those heavy years; MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) with its protest songs; and Jovem Guarda (The Youth Generation) with its alienated rock'n'roll. The main purpose of Tropicália was not to go against any single cultural stream, but to unite Brazil's fractured musical directions into one musical collage. Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso conceptualized a more universal music that could reach the masses—from there, the influences of Andy Warhol's pop art, along with the contributions of other artists and pop musicians, gave rise to the birth of pop culture in Brazil.

The media immediately gave the name "Tropicália" to this new musical and cultural form—a name which came from the art exhibition of the artist Hélio Oiticica of 1968. The Tropicália musical revolution grew so big that, by the end of 1968, it was already perceived as a threat to the dictatorship. Soon thereafter, the government decided to put an end to the movement by arresting Veloso and Gil and exiling the pair to London. Afterwards, Brazil was never the same.

Tropicália taught people that music didn't need to be black or white, or Bossa Nova or MPB, or Jovem Guarda, but instead a great colorful palette including everything even the Beatles and Psychedelia. When Veloso and Gil came out of exile in 1972, they found a totally different Brazil, a Brazil more accepting of musical differences. By then, MPB had incorporated electric guitar and other electric instruments. The newly emerging cultural environment of Brazil had wider influences, which clearly included the pop cultural aesthetics of other countries, all coming together but reinvented with a Brazilian flavor.

The Tropicália movement still inspires many artists, musicians and people today. A new exhibition called "Neotropicália - When Lives Become Form" is on exhibition at the MOT (Museum of Modern Art of Tokyo). If you'd like to take a look at what's going on there, go to http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/event/2008/E293.en; click here for an article in Portuguese.

If you want to lean more about Brazilian music, we are offering the Música Brasil class again in January. Write Info@BrazilStation.com for more information.

Written by Bruno G. Tavares.

A view of Vitória's waterfront; Brazil's tallest bridge connects islands in the distance.

Vitória (Victory) is the cozy capital of Espírito Santo (Holy Spirit), one of the smallest states in Brazil. It is the largest island of an archipelago of 34 islets, which are joined by landfills and bridges. Vitória is an important port city strategically located close to the big urban centers of the country. It is an hour by plane from the most important cities in Brazil: Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte. Most of the city's neighborhoods are surrounded by parks and forests.

Vitória is well-loved by both residents and tourists, many of whom come from neighboring states rather than foreign countries. The city's tourist attractions include colonial churches, ecological parks, historic landmarks and beautiful beaches. Vitória is famous for its moqueca capixaba—a delicious fish dish with a unique fish sauce called Pirão. "Capixaba" is an expression to designate all people from Espírito Santo, but is often used to refer to Vitória.

While tourism is an important part of Vitória economy, its industrial base has diversified a lot in recent years, including a large and well-established iron ore processing and steel making industry park. Oil is also giving a major boost to the economy, as Espírito Santo state has become one of the largest oil producers in Brazil. An increase in business tourism and real estate are effects of recent oil-related activities.

In 1998, the United Nations rated Vitória the fourth best state capital in Brazil to live. Ratings considered health, education, and social improvement projects.

To learn more about Vitória, visit http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vit%C3%B3ria.
See Vitória at Google maps. Click here for a moqueca capixaba recipe. 

Continuing our series on Brazilian folklore, we share the Boto legend.

The Boto legend is a traditional Amazon River myth. At night, a dolphin becomes a handsome young man who seduces girls. He is always wearing a hat, because his transformation is not complete: his breathing hole is still at the top of his head!

Like a gentleman, he enchants and flatters the first pretty young woman he sees and leads her down to the river. He impregnates her, then returns to the river in the morning to become a dolphin again. When a woman gets pregnant from an unknowing man, people say that the child is the boto's.

In 1987 the Boto's legend became the movie Ele, o boto, directed by Walter Lima, Jr.

Meet new people who share a passion for Portuguese this month at Brazil Station.

Happy Hour - Friday, December 5 at 6:30pm

Let's celebrate the holidays in a special happy hour at Brazil Brazil Restaurant. It is an opportunity for people to practice Portuguese and meet new people in a nice and calm environment.

Brazil Brazil Restaurant is offering us a discount on caipirinhas—they will be just $4.00 each until 8pm. The restaurant also offers a variety of authentic Brazilian food.

For more information, contact us at Event@BrazilStation.com or call 646-319-5391. All levels welcome!

Brazil Brazil Restaurant
330 West 46th Street (at 8th Avenue)
New York, NY 10036
212-957-4300

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Networking Luncheon - Wednesday, December 10 from 1 - 2pm

Brazil Station's Professional Networking luncheon is a monthly event designed to allow students to practive Portuguese while making new connections and sharing ideas with others interested in Brazil. The next luncheon will be at Via Brasil Restaurant on Wednesday, December 10. Via Brasil offers fine Brazilian cuisine and is located on Little Brazil Street.

The price is $40 per person, which includes appetizer, lunch and dessert. Lunch begins at 1pm and will run until 2pm. A cash bar will be available.

This event will be limited to 20 people. Please RSVP for this event by Tuesday, December 9. For more information, contact us at Event@BrazilStation.com or call 646-319-5391.

Via Brasil Restaurant
34 West 46th Street (Little Brazil Street) between 5th and 6th Avenues
New York, NY 10036

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Brazilian Movie Night - Tuesday, December 16 from 7 - 9pm

Brazilian Movie Night at Brazil Station is back! We plan to show a Brazilian movie once a month, free popcorn included. After the movie we will have a group discussion—we hope you can make it!

This month we will show the movie Tropa de Elite (Elite Squad). Set in 1997, Tropa de Elite follows the lives of Nascimento, a BOPE captain (Batalhão de Operações Policiais Especiais, the Special Police Operations Battalion of the Rio de Janeiro Military Police), and two potential BOPE officers and childhood friends, Neto Gouveia and André Matias. The men's experiences revolve around everyday life Rio de Janeiro's favelas. Due to high levels of corruption, drug trafficking militias have virtual control within the favelas, while the police run their own criminal enterprises outside. Amidst this disfunction, Captain Nascimento attempts to find a replacement and prepare for the birth of his child. While Gouveia is quick on the trigger to maintain order, Matias refuses to compromise his ideals, leading him to make some tough choices.

The movie is in Portuguese with English subtitles. Tickets are $7 per person and are available to the first 10 registrants.

For more information or to register, contact us at Event@BrazilStation.com or call 646-319-5391. Please RSVP by Sunday, December 14.

Brazil Station
304 Park Ave South, 11th floor (at 23rd St)
New York, NY 10010
646-319-5391

left: Bebel Gilberto rocks Joe's Pub on Dec. 9; right: Drum with Dendê this Carnaval!

Bebel Gilberto at Joe's Pub - Tuesday, December 9 at 9:30pm

Bebel Gilberto is a Grammy Award-nominated Brazilian singer. She is the daughter of João Gilberto and singer Miúcha, and her uncle is singer/composer Chico Buarque. Miúcha taught her to sing at a young age, and she has been performing since her youth in Rio de Janeiro.

Although Bebel Gilberto has an impressive genealogy, she never intended to follow in her parent's footsteps. She developed her own unique style after moving to New York City and working with artists as varied as David Byrne, Caetano Veloso, Towa Tei (Deee Lite) and Thievery Corporation. Her first album fused Brazilian Pop, European sophistication, and cutting edge Electronica with her unique silky vocal style, which continues to entrance audiences worldwide.

She will perform at Joe's Pub on Tuesday, December 9 at 9:30pm. For more information, see the concert information on the Joe's Pub website.

Joe's Pub
425 Lafayette Street (between East 4th and Astor Place)
New York, NY
212-254-1263

Portuguese classes in Salvador da Bahia - January & February, 2009

Carnaval (as it's spelled in Portuguese) 2009 officially starts on Saturday, February 21, and it runs through Tuesday, February 24. In case you are planning to visit Brazil for Carnaval, you can start learning Portuguese at our New York office and improve it with classes in Salvador da Bahia in January and February. You'll have the chance to come back to New York City and continue your lessons with the same curriculum.

Packages of 3-class, 5-class and 10-class Basic Portuguese group courses will be offered in Brazil, as well as private and semi-private lessons for all levels. Take a class, then step out and apply everything you've learned. Come back the next day with all your questions.

Classes will be held in the quaint residential neighborhood of Santo Antônio, (3-minute walk from Pelourinho,) just a few doors down from the historic Igreja do Carmo and the Convento do Carmo (a convent-turned-5-star-hotel) in the historic center of the city.

For more information, please email Info@BrazilStation.com with "Salvador 2009" in the subject title or call us at 646-318-5391.

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Drum classes in Salvador da Bahia - February 12-26

If you need help with your trip to Salvador da Bahia or Carnaval arrangements, the Master Afro-Brazilian Percussionist Dendê can help you. And you can also learn how to play the drums!

You can take intensive classes in the weekend before Carnaval at the Office of Musical Investigation in Pelourinho, the historic center of Bahia. Then spend the week of Carnaval playing in bloco Kizumba and parading with bands like Ile Aiye, Timbalada, Olodum, and Muzenza. Travelling with Dendê will give you access to a side of Carnaval that most tourists never see. If you love to drum or want to learn how, this is the way to experience Carnaval in Bahia.

A former member of Timbalada, Dendê has been performing professionally since the age of 14. With Timbalada he toured all over Brazil, Europe and Asia, and has performed and recorded with such artists as Marisa Monte, Gilberto Gil, Carlinhos Brown, Yvette Sangalo, and Sepultura. Having left Brazil in 2001, Dendê now lives in the US and performs with his groups Hãhãhães, Arrastão, Ologundê, and Samba de Tres. Dendê also teaches Afro-Brazilian percussion classes in New York City to both children and adults.

Packages includes:

• Daily Percussion Classes with Dendê
• Rehearsals with Bloco-Afro Kizumba
• Performances in Carnaval with Bloco-Afro Kizumba
• Tons of fun events and additional classes

A private tutoring session at Brazil Station.

We will have several new Group classes starting in the coming weeks. Other groups may also be formed based on demand.

1. Our new Travel Class will be held for one night on Monday, December 15 at 6:30pm. Brazil is an amazing country and we know you will enjoy your time there. We can help you maximize your trip with a two-hour group class designed to help you understand what to expect. We created this Travel Class as an affordable way to make Brazil more accessible. In this group, you will learn the essentials about the culture and language including:

• What to expect when you arrive in Brazil
• How to travel inside Brazil 
• Where to shop and find good entertainment 
• When, where and how much to tip
• How to say important words and phrases 

2. Just as in English, business in Brazil has a vocabulary and style of speech all its own. From board meetings and client presentations, to networking lunches and dinner parties, the way you relate to associates and customers can influence the success of your interaction.We recommend our Business Portuguese course for anyone interested in learning more about how to do business in Brazil. The course requires at least an intermediate level of Portuguese. It will be held on Tuesdays at 8pm starting January 27.

3. N1B - Beginner Level 1 group class will start on Thursday, December 11 at 8:15pm. It is for people with little or no knowledge of Portuguese.

4. N1BS - Beginner Level 1 group class for Spanish Speakers will start on Monday, December 8 at 8:15pm. It is for people fluent in Spanish and/or Italian with little or no knowledge of Portuguese.

5. N2B - Beginner Level 2 group class will start on Saturday, December 6 at 11am. It is for people who have some knowledge of Portuguese.

6. N2BS - Beginner Level 2 group class for Spanish Speakers will start on Saturday, December 6 at 1pm. It is for people fluent in Spanish and/or Italian with some knowledge of Portuguese.

7. N3B - Beginner Level 3 group class will start on Wednesday, December 10 at 6:15pm. It is for people who have a decent knowledge of Portuguese.

Contact us to assess your current level and to discuss your goals for learning at 646-287-6645 or Newsletter@BrazilStation.com.

We offer Private and Semi-private classes from Monday to Saturday. You can start taking classes with us at any day, any time. In addition to our traditional Portuguese classes, Brazil Stationalso offers Portuguese for Spanish and Italian Speakers, Business Portuguese, and Travel Classes. We teach off-site classes and Corporate Language Education as well.

The last month of the year has arrived! Let's learn some holiday words:

Boas Festas - Happy Holidays
Feliz Natal - Happy Christmas
Feriado - holiday
Férias - vacation
Árvore de natal - Christmas tree
Papai Noel - Santa Claus
Menorá - Menorah 
Feliz Chanucá (Hanucá) - Happy Hanukah
Próspero Ano Novo - Prosperous New Year
Resoluções para o ano novo - New Year's resolution