February/March 2019 FORUM

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February/March2019 TurnYourLivingRoomintoaSambódromo ByJasonBermingham,Member Although Carnaval is a nationwide festival here in Brazil, no place conveys the spirit of revelry as well as Rio de Janeiro’s Sambodrómo. This enormous, concrete runway is the epicenter of Brazil’s Carnaval quake. Globo TV, the country’s largest media group, broadcasts the Sunday and Monday evening parades nationwide. The Sambódromo, however, is a tough partytocrash.Ticketsaresold-outwellin advance,andmosttouristsareobligedto buy from tour operators or, worse, scalpers. Fortunately, the essence of Carnaval is spirit, not geography—so if youcan’tgettoRio,whynotbringRioto you? This article offers a step-by-step guidethatwillhelptransformyourliving roomintoado-it-yourselfSambódromo. Step1:CreateaFacebookevent(orsend out an e-mail invite if you’re old-school) that offers your guests a bit of history—tracing the evolution of Carnaval back to the Middle Ages. Carna Vale, remember, is Latin for“farewell to meat,”one last blowout before the forty days of Lent beginning on Ash Wednesday. Mention also that Rio de Janeiro’sSambódromowascompletedin 1984 and designed by renowned BrazilianarchitectOscarNiemeyer. Step 2: Settle on a theme. Remember, each of the samba schools in Rio’s Carnaval parade follows its own enredo. This is the unifying motif behind the samba, costumes, and floats. To make yourSambódromocometolife,choosea theme as well, and ask your guests to dress accordingly. Go crazy—feathers, body paint, and glitter. Load up on the confetti. And keep the drinks coming! Beer is the drink of choice at the Rio Sambódromo, but for a slightly more tantalizing festa, make some caipirinhas. Simple, sweet, and deceptive, this mixtureoflemon,sugar,andcanealcohol istheperfectfuelforanightofsambaand amorningofregrets. Step 3: Now, the music. Carnaval is a loud affair, and at the core of the commotion is samba. First performed at Rio Carnaval in 1917, samba’s origins go back much further. Old African rhythms, notably the Angolan tam-tam, provided the basis for its music and distinctive dancesteps.Withtheadventofradioand records, samba caught on quickly and hassincebecomeanationalsymbol.Itis the music of the masses. The beating heart of Brazil. If you don’t know a few hundred drummers to invite to your party, here’s the next best thing: tune intoSpotify(orsomesimilarsubscription service)andchooseasambatheme. Step 4: The hardest part—the art of dancing samba. Even after 20 years in Brazil,Istillhavenoideahowitisdone.It lookslikeaperson’sattempttoshakefire antsoffherlegswhilekeepingherupper bodystill,tomusic.Moretechnically,itis a 2/4 dance that incorporates the Latin hipswingwithacontinuouskneeflexing called the “samba bounce”. Brazilian children learn the samba bounce momentsaftertheystopcrawling.Forus gringos, or for me at least, it’s a different story. But I’ve been told that samba dancing, like Portuguese-speaking, improvesinproportiontothenumberof caipirinhasconsumed. Caipirinhaper-glassrecipe Youwilneed:1lime,1shotofcachaça, 1tablespoonofsugar,andacupofice Preparation: Wash the lime, then loosen up the juices by rolling it in your hand. Cut into quarters and place the pieces in a glass. Add sugar and crush lime (pulp side up) with a wooden spoon. Finally, pour the cachaça into the glass, add ice and stir. The drink can be decorated with slices of lime. No pinga? No problem. With vodka, the drink is called a caipiroska. With white rum, it becomesacaipiríssima. And that’s that!The rest is up to you.You won’thavetheseabreezeorfourhundred drums pounding out a two-four beat. Fiery mulattas won’t spin in impossible circles on two-story papier-mâché floats. Young men wearing nothing but sequinedG-stringswon’tflaunttheiroiled bodies in Freddy-Mercury style. And sixty thousand people won’t roar from the bleachers. But as you and your friends danceinyourlivingroom,withthebiteof lemon, sugar, and cane alcohol on your tongues, you’ll see the beauty of celebrating Brazil’s biggest festival right hereontheTropicofCapricornandinthe comfortofyourownhome.§ Thisarticlewasoriginallypublishedin its entirety in the February 2017 issue of the FORUM. Jason Bermingham is an AmSoc Member and voiceover actor. For more on his work, visit jasonbermingham.com. 4 TheAmericanSocietyofSãoPauloFORUMNewsletter
February/March2019 NewYear,NewNominee continuedfrompage1 the Eric Poliak Award winner. We recognize their selfless contribution, to AmSoc and the greater São Paulo community, and give them a special thanks for their time and service by presenting them with a beautiful bronze statue, engraved with their name. Their name is also engraved on the AmSoc plaque permanently displayedintheoffice. “...theEricPoliakAward recognizesindividuals whohavegiventheirtime andenergiestothe greatercommunity.” There are many around us whose dedication to the community deserves recognition, and the Eric Poliak Award is given to only one nominee. We ask you now to send in your nominations, with a brief description of the person and their dedicated volunteer activities, to Marlene Rubiez at marlenerubeiz@gmail.com.We keep all submissions private, but they must be received no later than March 15 th ! Ifyouhavesubmittedinpastyears,and your nominee was not chosen as the winner, their name will remain on the listforfutureconsideration.§ TheEricPoliakAward NominateaHero! Do you know someone who has unselfishly contributed his or her timeandeffortforthegoodofthe entire community? Submit your nominationforthenextwinnerof theEricPoliakAward!Submissions should be sent to Marlene Rubiez at marlenerubeiz@gmail.com and mustbereceivedbyMarch15 th . To find out more about the Eric Poliak Award for Community Service, visit amsoc.com.br/ericpoliak-award. PreviousAwardWinners StillLivinginSãoPaulo 2017 RichardWegman 2016 JudyZanchi 2015 KellyMaurice 2014 T.DavidWarren 2012 MarleneRubeiz 2010 SisterAngelaMary 2006 SusanBanmanSileci 2005 AlanBlau 2000 MarilynMangels 1998 JoAnnIvy 1997 EricStreet 1996 JoseM.Arana 1994 LynneS.Couri 1992 R.ChristopherLund 1991 AlonzoB.Shattuck 1990 JohnE.Burns 1986 DavidE.Ivy For the full list of previous Eric Poliak Award winners, visit amsoc.com.br/ericpoliak-award. TheAmericanSocietyofSãoPauloFORUMNewsletter 5
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February/March 2019 FORUM

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