Rio is and always has been a highly cultured city. The high population density and rich ethnic mix has given shape to all forms of artistic expression, which is evident in the music, dance and lifestyle of the
Cariocas (Rio’s residents) - especially during Carnival. There are many cultural centers, art galleries and performance venues in Rio, hosting an ever-changing series of events. The
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Rua Primeiro de Março 66, Centro (tel: (21) 3808 2020; website:
www.bb.com.br/cultura), is one of the
city’s prime venues for music, plays, exhibitions and films.
The
Rio Show magazine in the Friday edition of the
O Globo newspaper (website:
www.globo.com) has weekly cultural listings. Tickets are available from the venue box offices and, for some events, through
Ticketmaster (tel: (11) 6846 6000
or 0300 789 6846 (Brazil only); website:
www.ticketmaster.com.br).
Music: The
Brazilian Symphony Orchestra (tel: (21) 2142 5800; website:
www.osb.com.br) is based in Rio, performing at various venues in the city. The
Theatro Municipal, Praça Floriano, Centro (tel: (21) 2299 1711; website:
www.theatromunicipal.rj.gov.br), which has its own resident orchestra, is the main venue for classical concerts and operas.
Theater: Rio has over 60 theaters, cultural centers, museums and cafes designated as spaces for the performing arts. Venues include the 200-seater
Museu Nacional de Belas Artes, Avenida Rio Branco 199, Centro (tel: (21) 2240 0068; website:
www.mnba.gov.br), which stages classic performances, the
Maison de France, Avenida Carlos 58, Centro (tel: (21) 2544 2533; website:
www.teatromaisondefrance.com.br), offering contemporary shows; and the
Theatro Municipal (see
Music above), staging both contemporary and classic fare. Theater is generally staged in Portuguese, with very little in English.
Dance: Rio’s ballet company,
Ballet do Theatro Municipal, is based at the
Theatro Municipal (see
Music above). Samba is prevalent in the city. An elaborate Carnival-style samba show is performed daily from 2200 at
Plataforma 1, Rua Adalberto Ferreira 32, Leblon (tel: (21) 2274 4022; website:
www.plataforma1.com.br).
Film: Cariocas are ardent cinemagoers, whether they are watching Brazilian or foreign films. American and European films are released quickly and are screened in the original language with Portuguese subtitles. Mainstream cinemas are situated throughout the city, including
Cinemark (website:
www.cinemark.com.br), which has branches at Carioca Shopping (tel: (21) 3688 2340), Botafogo (tel: (21) 2237 9484) and Barra da Tijuca (tel: (21) 2494 5004). The arthouse cinema chain
Estação (tel: (21) 2537 1112; website:
www.estacaovirtual.com) shows an up-to-date selection of international films and has branches all over the city, including the Botafogo, Centro and Leme districts.
The most famous film set in Rio is probably the Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers classic,
Flying Down to Rio (1933), filmed in the Copacabana Palace Hotel.
Bossa Nova (1999), with Antonio Fagundes, was set in Rio. Carlos Diegues’
Orfeu (1999) and the 1959 Marcel Camus classic and award-winning
Black Orpheus are both celluloid renderings of Vinicius De Moraes’ play, which retells the Greek myth of Orpheus, set in the delirium of Rio’s Carnival. More recently, a number of movies have explored the gritty reality of Rio’s poorer districts, including the internationally acclaimed 2002 film
Cidade de Deus (
City of God)
. Rio-born director Walter Salles, who shot to fame with his beautiful film
Central do Brasil (
Brazil Central - 1998), had a worldwide hit in 2004 with
The Motorcycle Diaries, recreating Che Guevara’s South American journey.
Literary Notes: Brazilian literature remains largely untranslated into English. Two notable novelists who have enjoyed worldwide success are Jorge Amado and Rio-born Paulo Coelho. Coelho’s
The Alchemist (1988) is considered a modern classic. Works set in Rio include
Blues For A Lost Childhood (1989) by Antonio Torres, which depicts the life of a journalist who makes it to the big city but discovers life there to be more akin to a living hell than heaven. Other Brazilian writers include Carlos Drummond, Luis Fernando, Verissimo and Ziraldo.
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The Columbus World Travel Guide has been published for 26 years and is sold in over 90 countries worldwide.
Word Travels is a comprehensive travel guide covering hundreds of cities and holiday resorts in more than 125 countries.
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