GUIDE: pgs.15/16
CULTURE: pgs.02/08
Singer and songwriter Maria Gadú comes to London, bringing her Brazilian contemporary music style
Stone Crabs debuts The Decorator and TBP interviews the Brazilian director, Franko Figueiredo
June 18th – July 01st 2013 LONDON EDITION
www.brazilianpost.co.uk • Issue n. 89
BRAZIL WAKES UP
Large and passionate demonstrations in several cities across Brazil started as a rejection of public transport fare increases, but are now much deeper than that. The World Cup’s next host has social demands that are about to explode. Photo by Rômulo Seitenfus
Read more on pages 3, 4 and 12 >>
02 |
June 18th – July 01st 2013
Culture THEATRE
StoneCrabs debuts The Decorator
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By Romulus Seitenfus n June 25, the StoneCrabs Theater Company, based in London, debuts a 60-minute comedy play titled ‘The Decorator’. From the words of Donald Churchill and direction of Franko Figueiredo, the narrative takes place in an apartment in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro. Marcia, an upper middle-class woman, is married to Reggie, who is an executive, but she is also having an affair. When her husband travels, she receives a visit from the wife of her lover, Jane, who has come with the purpose of taking her revenge by telling Marcia’s husband of his wife’s infidelity. Marcia is at her wits end, but has a brilliant idea. It seems that her house decorator is a part-time actor and so Marcia hires him to impersonate her husband when the wronged wife plans to spill the beans. Acted by Marcio Mello, Tereza Araujo and Maria Alencar, the play will also be presented in Brazil with adaptation to Portuguese. Assisted by the direction of Fergal Crowley, the first performance in London will also be helped by Lu Firth, who works with costume and scenario creation. The sound design is made by Jed Dawson. According to the Brazilian director of the play, Franko Figueiredo – who will celebrate 25 years of residence in London on the same day as the premier (read more on page 8) - the story is set in the 1960s, and the entire production is being created with a sixties theme. “The play is set in the 60s, thus
T
he Confederations Cup, FIFA’s test event before the World Cup in 2014, was declared open on Saturday, June 15. Despite the excellent debut of the Brazilian team and the 3-0 victory against Japan, the match started with boos for President Dilma Rousseff, which only increased with the improper interruption of Joseph Blatter, president of FIFA. Meanwhile, outside the Mane Garrincha stadium, there were protests against the use of public resources in the Confederations Cup. The ceremony was organised by the Popular Committee of the World Cup, which exists in all
Marcia (Tereza Araujo), Reggie (Marcio Mello) and Jane (Maria Alencar) / Photo by Rômulo Seitenfus
having a vintage tone of the time and the sound is a mix of music, a bit of Carmen Miranda, a new version of Italian Mambo and a bit of Daft Punk. The lighting will also be faithful to the era in terms of colour and texture,” Franko said in an interview with The Brazilian Post. Brazilian actor Marcio Mello, who plays the decorator, told TBP about his preparations for his part in the play. “I have attended many British comedies and thought much on the characters act out the English stereotypes. As it is a comedy, the pace is also very important.” When asked about the script’s concept, Marcio Mello cited the differences between cultures - British
and Brazilian. “The first time I read it, there were good moments of comedy without anything too deep. In the rehearsal room I found another text, fully forged in technical, cultural nuances. Words are very important to British audiences and Donald Churchill was careful about this for The Decorator, especially in relation to social class differences, and what the characters are not saying about what they think of others in a very subtle way. It is an English form of relating, totally different from the way we are in Brazil,” he compared. The actor also spoke about the connection between Brazil and England,
uniting the differences in stage. “We want to play to an audience who will understand our type of humour and will love the details that the director added about life in Brazil, names, and places, but in English. I think it will be like watching a ‘miniseries’ in Brazil, but in the English language, showing some of our Brazilian ways of doing comedy, but using elements of everyday English.”
The Decorator When: 25-29 June from 7.30pm Where: The Space - 269 Westferry Road, E14 3RS Tickets: £ 14 / £ 10 Info: www.space.co.uk
EDITORIAL host cities. The lack of local public consultation is one of the complaints raised by the organisation, which shows that the Federal Government so far has followed the requirements of FIFA and ended up leaving aside the democratic participation of the population in directing investments to sporting events (read more on page 12). Of course, at this time, Brazil has to invest in structures such as stadiums and tourism. However, this should not be treated as a priority over others that directly affect the lives of Brazilians. An example is the topic covered in the demonstrations in São Paulo, urban
mobility, which gained national and international prominence (check on pages 3 and 4 of this issue). In all the demonstrations taking place in Brazil, the question at issue is what benefits the population will receive from the large investment of public money for the preparation of mega sporting events. Also, what is the benefit to users of public transport with the fare increase? The money paid should be reinvested in transportation improvements, increased wages of the drivers. Is it seen only as “profit” for companies that operates the public transport in
São Paulo? Read on page 18 the view of Shaun Cumming. It is with various forms of reflection on what is happening in Brazil that we present this edition. There is also a look at some Brazilian cultural events in London, with the new show of StoneCrabs (pages 2 and 8), the “Festa Junina” (page 5) and the Maria Gadú concert (page 15 and 16). Keep in touch! Ana Toledo ana@brazilianpost.co.uk Editor in Chief
Brazil | 03
FREE PASS
São Paulo shouts against public transport fare What is the Free Pass Movement? “Free Pass Movement (MPL, in Portuguese) is an autonomous social movement, nonpartisan, horizontal and independent that struggle for a real public transport, free for the whole population and out of private initiative. We believe in changing society through the change in the logic of urban mobility,” says the description on the website of MPL São Paulo.
Protesters make an intervention above the bridge: ‘If the price doesn’t fall, the city will stop’
Demonstrations expose old and new demands of society
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By Guilherme Reis
ife is not easy in São Paulo. Chaotic traffic jams, glaring social inequality and the increasingly expensive cost of living are just some of the reasons why residents have a love-hate relationship with the city the heart of Brazilian capitalism. While the intolerable situation of poor healthcare, education and safety in the hidden corners of the country exists, the struggle for free public transportation seems to have connected an unimaginable number of people around the cause, and not only in São Paulo. Two months ago, in April, protests against increased bus fares in Porto Alegre made the authorities think again: the court granted an injunction revoking the readjustment in the city. Shortly after, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Goiânia announced increases in their public transportation tickets. In São Paulo, the bus fare increased by 20 cents, which triggered a series of demonstrations organised by the “Movimento Passe Livre de São Paulo”, or Free Pass Movement of São Paulo (see timeline). Other cities in the country that go through a similar situation also had protests, such as Rio de Janeiro, Fortaleza, Natal, Aracaju, Teresina and Goiânia, plus solidarity actions in 27 cities abroad (read more in the box below). In São Paulo, where the demonstrations have so far been the biggest, the Mayor, Fernando Haddad (Workers Party), invited bids for the renovation of public transport services in
the city, which is made up of 15,000 buses and 7,000 vans. It will be the biggest contract made in the history of the City: the two public consultations (for buses and vans) totalled R$46.3 billion (around £15 billion), more than the entire city budget for 2013 of R$42 billion. These high values invested, with the lack of transparency and discussions with the society led to the successive increase of the rate since 1994 - in which were above inflation in most cases. As there appears to be little improvements in quality, even more in a city that historically privileges individuals with cars, patience has reached the limit. The protests, however, make it evident that the anger goes beyond the 20 cents increase. The chaos of public transport - considered poor or very poor by 55% of the population of São Paulo is just the tip of the iceberg, as argued many people throughout Brazil on social networks. It is important to note that these protesters seek to get rid of Brazil’s political elite. The young people who are protesting are mobile on social networks
(read on page 4 about the use of social networks) and reject hypocrisy of the conservative media - which explains why cases of corruption did not make it to the streets in the past, despite the huge big media campaign. The world recognises improvements in Brazil made under the governance of the Worker’s Party, but here’s a crucial issue in these protests: it is not a groups that has always rejected the presidents Lula and Dilma; they are a group that recognise the achievements of recent years (poverty and inequality reduction). However, Brazil’s population has a new demand. The de-muzzling of the media is perhaps the most obvious - the biased coverage of major media outlets has never been so visible (read on page 4 about violence). But it is still worth mentioning the human and ethnic minority’s rights, the protection of indigenous communities and preserving the environment. The shout of São Paulo is much greater than 20 cents; it brings a number of grievances that are now about to explode.
Free public transport already exists The “rate zero” is already a reality in Brazil. The municipalities of Porto Real, Ivaiporã and Agudos offer gratuity transportation. In the United States, there are 32 cities with zero rated transport. The Estonian capital, Tallinn, and the city of Sydney, Australia, also offer free lines. Public transportation is funded by taxes, in most of the cases.
After protests, Goiânia suspends new fare After five demonstrations and harsh police repression, increasing the rate of public transport in Goiânia was suspended. The value returns to R$ 2.70 previously charged, and not R$ 3. The Justice considered improper the adjustment of 11%. The Metropolitan Public Transport
Timeline of protests in São Paulo June 2 – The new bus fare in the city of São Paulo starts to be charged, from R$ 3 to R$ 3.20 (£0.90 to £0.96). June 6 – The first act is accomplished against the fare increase, organised by “Movimento Passe Livre” (MPL). June 7 – With great media attention, MPL held the second protest, which drew thousands and resulted in the stoppage of the Marginal Pinheiros, one of the most important roads of the city. June 11 – It was the third major act that really showed the strength of the protests. More than five thousand protesters marched from “Avenida Paulista” to the city centre, where there was a clash with police in what
was called the “bloodiest day of the demonstrations.” June 13 – The fourth protest transformed the city of São Paulo, which probably saw the biggest protest of a young generation. An estimated ten thousand protesters gathered in front of the Municipal Theatre and went toward to the “Avenida Paulista”. The police action was truculent: More than 50 people were injured and 150 were arrested. June 17 – Fifth great act occurred after the time of writing. More information on TBP website: www. brazilianpost.co.uk.
Company must submit a new spreadsheet with calculations.
Protests are marked in 27 cities abroad Dozens of demonstrations were organised in other countries in support of the protests in Brazil. There are events in Facebook in at least 27 cities in Europe, the United States and Latin America. The acts were scheduled for June 18. More than 3,000 people had confirmed their presence at the protest in London: http://goo.gl/bEFt0.
Brazil | 04 |
June 18th – July 01st 2013
CONNECTED
Social networks are the meting point On the internet, protesters organise demonstrations, exchange suggestions, ask for support and denounce abuses
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By Rose Bittencourt* ocial networks such as Facebook and Twitter are boiling with excitement, anger and passion after a demonstration in Rio de Janeiro, where approximately 10,000 people (2,000, according to the Military Police) took to the main streets of the city on Thursday, 13 June, in a protest against the increase in the transport tickets. The event began peaceful and ended in confrontation, similar to protests in São Paulo.
An event on Facebook called for action on Monday 17 June, in Rio de Janeiro; there were more than 50,000 confirmed
Photos and videos of the protest on the 13th June in Rio were shown and shared thousands of times on Facebook and Twitter. And now more demonstrations are being organised on Facebook. How to go, what to bring, how to behave, how
to stay safe, how to act and not react to provocations, especially for acts that incite vandalism. Everything is organised through the internet. Many of the guidelines are shared by MPL São Paulo, which have the support of doctors, lawyers and teachers.
On Facebook, the 5th event “Stop increasing fares - I support” scheduled for Monday, the 17th, the Candelaria Church, had increased on Sunday morning to more than 30,000 people ‘confirmed’ as going. In this forum, you can learn more about the use of vinegar, for example. The product, a salad dressing, is used to neutralise the sting of tear gas in the eyes and throat. And many young people have been arrested since the PM declared it as a ‘suspect’ product. Another common act of the protestors is to bring homemade placards with slogans against the increase. In a social network forum there was even a discussion about the most suitable slogans that would be written on the posters. It was also proposed that people should sing ‘The International’ - traditional hymn of communists, anarchists and social democrats, but the majority were against the idea. How to make a mask to protect against tear gas or how to film in cases of violence are also explained in many forums created for the protesters to learn the best ways to behave. The key theme in all of these forums is to always remain united, to follow the march in peace or in confrontation. *The Brazilian Post correspondent in Rio de Janeiro
MANIFESTATION
Violence: a mistaken concept
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By Ana Toledo hen the same concept is used to define different situations, analysis is necessary to understand that, regardless of what the facts are, the action is the same. This confusion is common when we use the word ‘violence’. But after all, what we characterise as violence? Last week, the most talked-about issue by Brazilian media and social networking were the demonstrations against the increase of public transport fare in São Paulo (SP), which was organised by the Movement Free Pass MPL. At the time of closing this issue, in the city of São Paulo four events had taken place (last week simultaneously in RJ and SP), but the one that received repercussions in Brazil and abroad was on the 14th in São Paulo. On the same day, at least 7 other capital cities saw protests. In this scenario, we can analyse various situations that were classified as ‘violent’. Only in the first event in São Paulo on Thursday 6th of June, more than five thousand people were in the streets,
What is more violent, the protest or the transport fare?
singing, shouting slogans, dancing and walking peacefully. Plenty of journalists were covering the demonstration, which is a democratic right of freedom of expression. With so many people on the streets, congestion was inevitable and caused 226km of slow traffic. In between, the military police - legacy of the military dictatorship in Brazil –
confronted protesters with tear gas and rubber bullets to “contain” them. What is obvious to many, may not be for others, and this is a consequence of the misrepresentation of concepts that we gain throughout our lives. And as they are formed by some “reminiscent” facts of the story we live, the attitude of the military police of São Paulo was not
an act unusual and surprising. As some protesters drew grafitti on buses, set fire to public rubbish bins and broke glass windows, it was these acts that became the focus of attention for the conservative Brazilian media. São Paulo - the largest city in Brazil and Latin America - was the stage for many discussions and debates that were started by the increase of 20 centavos more than the government first thought would be the fare increase of public transport: from R$3.00 to R$3.20. The attitude of the Government that has no visible marks of violence as most are accustomed to associate, but becomes violent from the moment they are faced with a headline like “the increase of R$0.20 in the transport forces low-income families to skip meals”. The above examples were used to demonstrate situations that often are automatically classified as violent and others not so much. The violence of the police during the protests represents the violence of the State. And this was what thousands of Brazilians, getting out of their comfort zone, were demonstrating: that their concepts of violence are less confusing than the one of the State and old conservative media.
05
Community BRAZILIAN CELEBRATION
Brazilian ‘Festa Junina’ comes to London Festivals throughout the city in June bring typical food, music and Brazilian culture to British capital
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By Nathália Braga
he months of June and July are favourites of many Brazilians. In the streets, schools and churches nationwide there are celebrations in honour of St. John, St. Anthony and St. Peter, with lots of good food, music and games for the whole family. As there is a huge Brazilian community here in London, it could not be different. With different dates, times and attractions, the June festivals (or ‘Festa Junina’, in Portuguese) that come to the city are an opportunity for those who want to feel closer to Brazilian culture and to reconnect with Brazilian roots. With this in mind, the BrEACC (Brazilian Educational and Cultural Centre) carries another edition of its ‘Festa Junina’, which has been held for six years. Being a Portuguese school also focused on the teaching of Brazilian culture, the BrEACC, which now has 75 students, will focus its party on family. “The idea was to give school students a bit of our culture. We have several activities for children to take them closer to the Brazilian culture,” explains the director general of BrEACC, Carla Silveira. The event will take place on Saturday June 22nd, from 12.30pm to 4.30pm, at All Hallows Church Hall in Twickenham. Admission is free for children up to 10 years and adults pay £2. With a variety of refreshments and food, such as ‘feijoada’, salted popcorn, hot dogs, sweet rice, hominy, cakes and pastries, plus ‘guaraná’ and ‘caipirinha’, the organizers expect to have more than 400 attending the party. “To entertain the guests, the band Pé de Jurema will perform typical Brazilian songs”, says the educational coordinator of BrEACC, Katia Fonseca. Among the games are ‘tomba-lata’, fishing, bag race, recycling, workshops, and face painting. But what promises to be the main attraction are the students
with their presentations with string literature, and traditional country music gang.
CALENDAR 20/06 - Forró do Galpão
Celebrate in London Besides this, there are other parties that promise to bring together Brazilians and foreigners during this time of year. One is on Thursday, June 20th - Forró do Galpão - which is in the Corbet Place Bar and Lounge, near Brick Lane. There will be a presentation by Caramuela band and dance classes with Gladys and Douglas. Admission is free before 8pm. Those arriving later pay £5 and are entitled to a drink. During all the weekends of June and also on July 6th, there will be parties promoted by Capelania Brasileira Nossa Senhora Aparecida. The celebrations will be held in different areas of London. The next will be on 22nd and 23rd June, in Whitechapel. In addition to typical food and drinks, one of the main attractions is bingo. Among the prizes are a Corsa, an iPad mini and a laptop. The tickets cost £10 and can be purchased from pastoral communities. The bingo party will be held at the Whitechapel. On June 29th,
Time: from 18h to 23h30 Address: Old Truman Brewery, 15 Hanbury Street, E1 6QR Info: 0207 770 6028 Admission: free before 20h, £ 5 after with the right to a drink 21/06 - Tia Maria Restaurant The ‘Festa Junina’ says much about Brazilian identity; celebration with many colours, flavours and feelings
there a party in Brixton and on July 6th, closing the celebrations, there will be ‘Festa Junina’ at Manor House. The traditional Brazilian bar and restaurant, Guanabara in Covent Garden, will also have its June Festival on Sunday, 23rd. From 8pm, there will be forró classes and live music with the band Forrobamba. And there will be many other events around town. With so many options, there are no reasons not to take the time and make a real Brazilian party!
Time: from 18h Address: 126, South Lambeth Road, SW8 1RB Info: 020 7622 3602 Admission: free 22 & 23/06 - My Little Jesus Address: St Annes Church, Underwood Road, E1 5AW Info: 07761774584 22/06 - BrEACC Time: 12h30 to 16h30 Address: All Hallows Church Hall, Erncroft Way, Twickenham, TW1 1EW Info: info@breacc.com Entry: £ 2 adults and free for children under 10 years 23/06 - Guanabara Time: band from 20h Address: Parker Street, London WC2B 5PW Info: 020 7242 8600 Entrance: free before 20h, £ 5 after
Chaplaincy Brazilian Nossa Senhora Aparecida Pé de Jurema band will liven up the BrEACC party
‘FESTA JUNINA’: E FROM? WHERE DOES IT COM June is a festive time in Brazil, mainly in the Northeast. Bonfires, dances are accompanied by hot drinks and sweets and dishes made with corn, cassava starch and sweet potato. The June festivals honour St. Anthony (June 13th), St John (June 24th) and St. Peter (June 29th). In Brazil, the festivities in June arrived with the Portuguese and were adapted to the beginning of our winter, when the ground is prepared for cultivation.
Products removed for winter crops, burning up the ground to scare off ‘evil spirits’. This is possibly one of the origins of the fire of St. John. The other legend that involves the fire of St. John comes from the Bible and says that Elizabeth, cousin of the Virgin Mary, who was expecting a child, promised that the day of birth, if a was boy, she would light a big fire. She kept her promise, was June 24th and the boy was called John Baptist.
22:23 / 06 - Whitechapel Address: Church Saint Annes Church Underwood Road Whitechapel E1 5AW Time: 19h to 23h (day 22) and 11h to 19h (day 23) 29/06 - Brixton Address: Church of the Redeemer - 20 Brixton Rd SW9 6BU Time: 14h to 20h 06/07 - Manor House Address: Church St Thomas More - 9 Henry Road Manor house N4 2LH Time: 19:30 to 22:30 Info: http://ccblondres.com
Community | 06 |
June 18th – July 01st 2013
. http://hilarious-consequences.blogspot.co.uk http://www.steaknightcomics.com/ steaknightcomics.com/RRR_BOOKS.html
OMBUDSMAN This is your chance to let the Brazilian Post’s team know what you think. Send your feedback and get involved! Send your emails to contato@brazilianpost.co.uk
““The article “Fans aprove new Maracanã, but Brazil only draw with England”, by Rose Bittencourt, has fulfilled the requirements of a good story – showed what happened in and off the pitch. But some comments about the Brazilian team and concerns by the spectators had no clear characters, making the critics just mere anonymous speculations. The other flaw in the story was the spread of aspects along the text (the game itself, the characters in the stands, details about the costs and performance of the Maracanã rebuild), that were arranged in a complex way, making the reader “coming and going”, and not in a linear reading. Just a little misdemeanor, that does not compromise the journalistic text”.
- André Diniz, Jacareí - SP
Community| 07
PROFILE
Gui Boratto: ‘I come from the mathematic line of thinking’
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By Rômulo Seitenfus
ui Boratto is a DJ, producer, and architect. Born in São Paulo, he began his career in advertising in 1993. He worked with several producers of national and international music, and in 2005 began to devote himself to his own productions and compositions. Gui signed for several European labels such as Kompakt, K2, Audiomatique, Harthouse, Plastic City, among others, and his work is regularly featured on playlists of DJs and producers around the world. His return to London is scheduled for July 12. Gui is one of a few selected artists who are part of German label Kompakt, alongside big international names such as Troy Pierce, Richie Hawtin and Guido Schneider. The list has prestige and has helped to make Gui one of the most active Brazilian DJs at festivals and clubs abroad.
‘Chromophobia’ is a different album of electronic music, which you leave playing and do not feel He did not start his music career recently, and has now been a producer for ten years. He’s made music for some big names such as Desireé, Manu Chao, Pato Banton. He began to explore new sounds and gravitated towards electronic. Eclectic mixes and minimal techno, neo-trance, synth-pop and ambient form “Chromophobia”, a unique electronic album that you leave playing and do not feel. Gui comes from a family of musicians and engineers; musicians from the side of his maternal grandfather. His father’s side were the engineers. “Mathematics and music are the same, are they not? I am just that. There is good music and bad music. Depends on the moment,” he says. Asked about his inspirations before being discovered as an artist, the DJ says, “Artist? I come from the mathematic line of thinking. There is nothing of inspiration, but hard work. But of course, everyone has inspirations; probably
mines come from master Jobim, Piazzolla, Michel Legrand”. On new projects, Gui says he plans a “new seal, still ‘semi’ secret; heart music, and other sides also.”
Gui Boratto comes to London to perform on 12th of July, in the Fire club. Promoted by entail Records, the festival will feature three tracks that besides Boratto also pass through
the underpass underground: Tobias Thomas, Elekfantz, Daniel Kuhnen, Dadub, Darling Farah and Michael L Penman. More information in http:// goo.gl/OSbp9.
08 |
June 18th – July 01st 2013
25 YEARS IN LONDON
Franko Figueiredo: ‘Theatre is humanity’
The Brazilian community in the UK...
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By Guilherme Reis hen the actors take to the stage for the debut of The Decorator, a new StoneCrabs play (read more on page 2), the Brazilian artistic director of the company, Franko Figueiredo, will be completing 25 years in London. During this period, Franko worked in several British theatre companies, where he worked as an assistant, actor, directed and produced, until starting his own company, with which he has directed over 20 plays. Two weeks before the premiere of the new show, Franko met The Brazilian Post for an interview in the cosy café at The Albany. With the background and experience of more than two decades working with the theatre in London, he spoke about the differences between Brazil and England, the mixture of cultures and the challenges of living in the British capital.
Our next project is called “Brazilians” and will address just that - the life of the Brazilian community in the UK. It will be a ‘rescue’ of cultural heritage of Brazil, which has come here in the last 20 years. Most of those we call ‘passers by’. There are few that stay here for a long time, although it is increasing. And there are more people coming and doing cultural exchanges - there are more connections going on. Apart from economic migrants, there are many people who search more culture.
Presenting a Brazilian play in English...
For plays of Nelson Rodrigues, the most difficult are the tragedies, due to the use of peculiar region language. And the cast contained Brazilian, Polish, English, and Australians... but being a global company, even with the changes, it was very well accepted. The problem in these cases is that sometimes the authors do not give access to translations, which needs to be overcome. It should take more investment in publishing theatrical texts. It’s always a huge research work to find new theatrical texts in libraries in Brazil, very few pieces are published, let alone translations of them. And even parts of Nelson Rodrigues, translated by his son, were not so good.
Making theatre in Brazil and the UK...
I do not know if it’s harder here or there, the difficulties are different. I got out of Brazil in 1988, and always come back to there as a guest, so I cannot say much about how to run a company there. In England, it might be easier to work as director than actor. Unfortunately here the theatre is behind compared to other European countries. It is not so open. The English theatre is very focused on the text, the language, so the nuances of the language that the actors sometimes doe not fully get. You have to adopt another language on stage to incorporate foreigners. And only now in recent years we have seen more of this in England. When I arrived in the 1980s, you did not hear another accent on the BBC. So as a director it was easier. And Brazil always has its moments; we are now back on focus again. So I have always been called to direct projects that involved Brazil. But it was difficult to show that a Brazilian is more than their roots. There is a more human side, and after all this is theatre, where humanity goes beyond the text.
What have you preserved and changed in your the transition from Brazil to England?
What I try to preserve is the theatre of Augusto Boal, which comes from when I lived in Salvador. The ethics of Boal theatre was what made me survive here in London. Since the beginning of my career I followed his methods. And that led me to study more, to develop technical issues. I sought to further
Photo By Rômulo Seintenfus
expand my knowledge and meet other authors and works that inspire me much, as Thaddeus Morozowicz. When working with various actors’ backgrounds, which do not always follow the same line, we need to better understand other techniques to get the best of them.
Do you like the responsibility of being an ambassador of Brazilian culture ?
For me it has two sides. There is the cultural ambassador of Brazilian culture and cultural ambassador of what is being Brazilian. For me there is a difference. One is what you want to display from Brazil across the stage, and the other is to show the performance of the Brazilian on stage. The Decorator, for example, is a piece that goes on in Brazil, but it is a text in English with Brazilians playing with English text. So for me it is about showig the Brazilians on stage, not just Brazil. Another case is to bring texts back and forth, as we have sometimes. The important thing is to be free, to mix. And Brazil is an example of how important it is to bring the differences together.
Mortimer, Marketing & Media LTD CEO Marcelo Mortimer marcelo@brazilianpost.co.uk
EDITOR IN CHIEF Ana Toledo ana@brazilianpost.co.uk
Editors Guilherme Reis Shaun Cumming
PUBLIC RELATIONS Roberta Schwambach contato@brazilianpost.co.uk
COMMERCIAL DEPARTAMENT 074 6692 6782
GRAPHIC DESIGN Roman Atamanczuk
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Works in Brazil...
My connection is greater with Bahia, so I always go back there. In recent years I have discovered working with children. I really like it and have written children’s plays, here and in Brazil. So I worked with a children’s festival in Bahia.
A striking piece that directed...
“Valsa No. 6” is very significantly. It was the 25th anniversary of the death of Nelson Rodrigues and it had a major critical success, received two awards with performance. After the scenario was exhibited at the V&A Museum. And the first one, Stone Crabs, which resulted in the company.
You are completing 25 years in London. What is your greatest satisfaction? It is working with the theatre. I am very grateful to the universe to be working with theatre, which is what I like and have always liked to do. Because when we come here is very difficult. I worked with the theatre, but did not earn money. So I had to have another job. I have overcome this and put 100% of my time at the theatre. For me, this is the greatest satisfaction.
CONTRIBUTORS Carolina Beal Christiano Holanda Cibele Porto Daniela Barone Jamie Jubon Nathália Braga Rafael Cabral Ricardo Somera Rômulo Seitenfus Saulo Caliari Shaun Cumming Tico Silvério Zazá Oliva
PUBLISHED BY Mortimer, Marketing & Media LTD 14 Widgeon Close, London – E16 3EF Company number: 8043939
09
Latin America DEVELOPMENT
Bank of the South sets the bases to be an alternative
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By Guilherme Reis
ember countries of the Banco del Sur (Bank of the South) this month began to lay the foundations of the organisation in Caracas, Venezuela, to become an alternative to multilateral lending institutions to finance the development, not only in South America but across Latin America. Ministers and representatives from six of the seven member countries held the first Council of Ministers meeting to discuss the operational details of the institution, highlighting the financial work on projects in the region. The meeting was opened at the headquarters of the Central Bank of Venezuela by the country’s foreign minister, Elias Jaua, who pointed out that the Bank of South is “a dream of the giants”, in reference to the region’s leaders, like the late President Hugo Chavez, who drove its creation.
At the meeting were representatives from Brazil, Venezuela, Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador and Uruguay. The only member country that has not sent an official was Paraguay, suspended from participation in regional committees after the impeachment of President Fernando Lugo by a political trial in 2012. The charter for the entity establishes that the bank will have funds amounting to US$20 billion and capital signed $10 billion, with an initial contribution of its members of $7billion. The Foreign Minister of Ecuador, Ricardo Patiño, told the press that “the primary purpose of funding the development of the organisation is productivity, social, infrastructure, and overcoming asymmetries between countries.” To him, the creation of the Bank of the South will allow Latin American governments “get a definitive development enabling the consolidation of the independence of our countries.”
As many other actions that grew up in past decade in South America, such as the creation of Unasur and the consolidation of Mercosur, the Bank of the South is a key figure to the region governments on the aim to act independent of the developed countries and the neo-liberal logic. It can pave the way to a more connected Latin America, setting down the barriers that avoid it, as the differences in the infrastructure and thus the loss of market for countries overseas. The idea, however, faces some challenges. What kind of bank do we need here? What kind of projects will it finance? Which are the private companies that would be involved and how will public money will be used to fund it? We should remember the role of BNDES in Brazil. The bank that finances the biggest infrastructure projects in the country is not a ‘good’ model at all. Have a look at what is being done in
the construction of the big dam of Belo Monte: the state authorities have not been discussing the process with the local communities and have changed laws to “adequate” the project. It is also responsible for being behind schedule and has also raised the budget from time to time. The same concerns are relevant to the development bank planned by the BRICS nations. It is necessary to create alternatives, but does anyone need a new financial institute such as World Bank and specially IMF, that in “name of the development” gives privileges to big corporations who exploit developing countries. Beyond that, it is essential introduce the role of public representation and social movements in the question of what kind of bank we are looking for. We need an institution guided not by the financial elite’s interests, but also connected with the people’s aims to construct a new kind of development.
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June 18th – July 01st 2013
Technology THEY ARE SPYING YOU
Technology giants struggle to maintain credibility over NSA Prism surveillance
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By The Brazilian Post*
echnology giants battled to maintain their credibility on privacy issues over the weekend as further details emerged of their co-operation with US spy agencies. Apple, Facebook and Google issued strongly-worded denials that they had knowingly participated in Prism, a topsecret system at the National Security Agency that collects emails, documents, photos and other material for agents to review. All said that they did not allow the government direct access to their systems and had never heard of the Prism programme. Facebook’s founder, Mark Zuckerberg, called press reports about Prism “outrageous”. But after the publication by the Guardian of another slide from a topsecret NSA presentation and reports in the Washington Post and the New York
Feeling is that the truth have not been said at all
Times, it was becoming clear that some major technology companies have, at the very least, taken steps to make it easier for intelligence agencies to access the information they want.
Tech companies are legally required to share information under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (Fisa). Those requests have to be made via a Fisa court and almost none are rejected. The companies are not obliged to make the process easier for the NSA. The New York Times said the companies named in the Prism documents had co-operated to some degree with the US authorities. Twitter was a notable exception to the list and has reportedly declined to co-operate. Amazon, which offers back office services to a huge number of web companies, is also missing. The tech companies’ denials have concentrated on suggestions that they had given the NSA “direct access” to their servers. The phrase comes from a Prism presentation slide that states: “Collection directly from the servers of these US service providers: Microsoft, Yahoo, Google, Facebook, PalTalk, AOL, Skype, YouTube, Apple.” According to the New York Times, some companies, including Google and Facebook, discussed setting up secure online “rooms” where requested information could be sent and accessed by the NSA. Such systems would allow them to dispute the idea of direct access. According to a report in the Washington Post on Sunday, Prism was created after extensive negotiations between the tech companies and federal authorities “who had pressed for easier access to data they were entitled to under previous orders granted by the secret Fisa court”. On Saturday, the director of national intelligence, James Clapper, acknowledged the existence of Prism but insisted it was only used under court supervision. He said: “The United
States government does not unilaterally obtain information from the servers of US electronic communication service providers. All such information is obtained with Fisa court approval and with the knowledge of the provider based upon a written directive from the attorney general and the director of national intelligence.” But the Washington Post reported that the secret court orders, made under section 702 of Fisa, served as “one-time blanket approvals for data acquisition and surveillance on selected foreign targets for periods of as long as a year”. The Prism system allows agents at the NSA to send queries “directly to equipment installed at companycontrolled locations”, rather than directly to company servers. Sources told the Washington Post that companies cannot see the queries sent from the NSA to the systems installed on their premises. Holmes Wilson, the co-founder of the online rights group Fight for the Future said it was clear that the systems set up with the tech companies presented huge privacy issues. “These companies are denying that they give direct access to their servers, but what they have created is a complex legal and technological mechanism that amounts to the same thing. God knows what other government agencies have access to this information. “This makes it too easy for the government agencies. There is tremendous potential for abuse here. We are still only seeing glimpses of what is going on. It is only a matter of time before some employee goes rogue here,” he said. Wilson called for a congressional investigation. “Things can not go on like this,” he said. The disclosure of Prism followed the Guardian’s revelation that Verizon was giving the NSA access to the metadata of millions of its US customers. On Sunday senator Mark Udall, a Senate intelligence committee member, told ABC’s This Week: “My main concern is that Americans don’t know the extent to which they are being surveilled.” He said: “We here this term metadata which has to do with where you make calls, when you make calls, who you are talking to. I think that’s private information.” Udall called for greater transparency: “Let’s have the debate, let’s be transparent. Let’s open this up.” *With information from the The Guardian
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Economy FUTURE
What kind of banking system will we have in 2020?
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By Steve Tolley & Tony Greenham
ut yourself in the shoes of a bank’s Chief Executive. Consider what your industry has been through since 2007: the panic of the initial crisis; the embarrassment of bailouts to prevent collapse; being the target of the public’s anger at having to foot the bill; and (presumably) the guilt over the part played by banks in Europe’s continuing economic crisis. After going through all that, as Chief Executive, you would expect changes. Under current plans, by 2019 banks will have ring-fenced their retail arms and will be operating under new prudential requirements. A slew of rules, mostly from Europe, but also from the now defunct Financial Services Authority will have changed the way banks do business. And, of course, this new banking landscape will be watched over by the new UK regulators and the European supervisory authorities
(ESAs). But is all this change in the right direction, and is it enough? Whatever the outcome of current proposals, they are not – according to the contributors to our new book – the end of the matter. In nef’s new book, Banking 2020, we present 12 politicians and regulators’ contrasting visions of what banking should look like in 2020. As the boss, you might take from the collection the lesson that the appetite for deeper-reaching change amongst citizens and their representatives continues to grow; reform ain’t over yet. Beyond familiar calls for greater competition, diversity, consumer choice and culture change, there are three areas, touched on by some of our contributors, that we feel have not been adequately debated during the course of current reforms. First, the fundamental question of what the banking system is actually for, including the social and environmental outcomes we might expect it to support. This is currently
inaudible in the reform debate which seems to consider only what banking does. Second, there seems to be a lack of appreciation of the implications of fractional reserve banking. Though banks’ ability to create new bank deposits when they make loans is clearly stated by central bankers, it is not well understood amongst policymakers or the public. As a result its significance has been lost: if banks create the money supply, can we really consider banking reform in isolation of monetary reform? Finally, many of our contributors, to varying degrees, show a willingness to question what was, until the recent banking crisis in Cyprus, a holy cow of modern banking: the sanctity of the general public’s bank deposits. Where does this leave our vision of banking in 2020? We have some ideas for the future. But, as several contributors point out, delivering change might not be easy. Banks have so far firmly resisted
uai
the reform agenda. In the interests of political point-scoring and swelling the competitive advantage of their countries over others, politicians prone to gameplaying undermine the integrity of serious international work towards getting the rules right. Bank executives, policymakers, and the public alike would be forgiven for being weary of the subject of banking reform and for yearning to talk about something else. But we must resist the temptation to relax when good economic times return. It is not enough to merely patch up the banking system so it poses less of a danger to itself and the public than it did in 2008. The UK wants and deserves the best possible banking system, and this might be a journey rather than a destination. We hope that this collection of essays helps point us a little further down the road to a better banking future, because if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it is that a better future for Britain depends on it.
©
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June 18th – July 01st 2013
Sport ON THE ROAD TO WORLD CUP
Overshadowed by protests, Confederations Cup starts with Brazilian victory
Neymar opened the scoring for Brazil after three minutes; before the match against Japan, protesters gathered around the Mane Garrincha stadium
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By The Brazilian Post t’s said that sport and politics should not be mixed, but in the opening of the Confederations Cup in Brazil this was impossible. Beyond the natural excitement to welcome the competition, with fans taking the opportunity to see the Brazilian team closely and enjoy the new structure of the Mane Garrincha stadium, the city of Brasilia also staged clashes between protesters and police around the arena. Meanwhile, a loud boo welcomed President Dilma Rousseff and FIFA president Sepp Blatter at the opening ceremony as they made their opening remarks. The day before the game, on Friday June 14, demonstrators had burned tires on one of the roads leading to the stadium. The protest was organised by the Popular Committee of the World Cup
in Brasilia, which is part of a network of mobilisations in the host cities, resulting from the initiative of organised social movements, universities and civil society organisations. Their work in overseeing the government’s actions to meet FIFA requirements and perform the World Cup has exposed company abuses – there are more than 250 thousand people who were either removed or threatened with removal - plus exorbitant spending, while little will be returned with added lack of transparency. Protests in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro (read more on pages 3 and 4) certainly served as a incentive, and on Saturday around 11am thousands of people gathered around the Mane Garrincha stadium where Brazil was set to play the first match in the Confederations Cup, against Japan, at 4pm.
Protesters were revolting mainly against federal spending on the realization of the Confederations Cup. Police arrived at the scene, and the mood was tense at times. The military police used tear gas, pepper sprays and cavalry in response. Eight people were arrested, 27 were seriously injured and received medical care. According Juca Kfouri on his blog, the noise of bombs was noticed even with loud music inside the stadium. Rousseff and Blatter were booed while opening the Confederations Cup. FIFA president called for Fair Play and more respect from the fans, as if they were doing something wrong. In this case, wrong would be the mismanagement of the country to meet Blatter’s desires with the World Cup.
Brazil 3 X 0 Japan
On the pitch, the Brazilian team played
a very good game. The great goal of Neymar after only three minutes paved the way to a calmer victory against Japan. Neymar seemed free in the field, more confident, and Oscar once again very commanding the midfield, especially in the second half. Fred had some chances but failed to score, and Paulinho, more active in attack, scored the second at the beginning of the end step. At the last minute, Jo closed the account. In the first stage of the Confederations Cup, in addition to Japan, the Brazilian team faces Mexico (19/6 - Fortaleza - 8pm) and Italy (22/6 - Salvador - 8pm). For more information about the Confederations Cup visit the website of The Brazilian Post (www. brazilianpost.co.uk).
Sport | 13
FOOTBALL
Brazilian Championship in stand by
Atlético Mineiro, best team in the country in the first six months of 2013, did not have a good start in the Brazilian Championship, but seeks its first title of the Copa Libertadores
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By Renato Brandao ith all attention directed at the Confederations Cup, the Brazilian Championship 2013 will be adjourned and resumed on 6th of July. So far, after five rounds played, Coritiba leads the competition with 11 points, closely followed by Victoria and Botafogo, with 10 points each. The team from Paraná State has as its main focus the veteran playmaker Alex (who had spells at Palmeiras, Cruzeiro and Fenerbahce, Turkey). The two top favourites of the season, Corinthians and Atlético Mineiro, did not have a good start. Although it has recently won the regional title in Sao Paulo, Corinthians still seems to feel the effects of early elimination in the Copa Libertadores. The current world champions appear only in 13th place with six points. Atlético Mineiro, the biggest highlight of Brazilian football in the first six month of 2013, have just four points and are in the relegation zone. But
Atletico are focused on the final phase of the Libertadores and should only return to the national spotlight after defining its luck in the South American tournament (read more throughout the text). However, it is worth remembering that the first rounds of competition hardly point out future candidates for the title, and the twists and unpredictability are characteristics of the balanced Brazilian Championship. Following the Confederations Cup, the national competition will start in full swing, and the clubs who dream of lifting the cup or pinching one of four positions for the Copa Libertadores-2014 will need to add many points in the following rounds and win the trust of their fans.
Libertadores reaches final stretch Shortly after the end of the Confederations Cup, the most important international tournament of the Americas, Copa Libertadores, will return, with the semi-final round matches. In
the fight for the coveted trophy, surviving Atlético Mineiro (Brazil), Newell’s Old Boys (Argentina), Independiente Santa Fe (Colombia) and Olimpia (Paraguay). It will be the first time since 1999 that the semi-finals have three teams that have never won the competition - the four candidates, only the Paraguayans have experienced the taste of winning the Libertadores (in 1979, 1990 and 2002). Moreover, six clubs raised the South America cup for the first time in 15 years: Vasco, Palmeiras, Once Caldas (Colombia), International, LDU Quito (Ecuador) and Corinthians. In comparison, the UEFA Champions League spent only a beginner in the same period - Chelsea in 2012. In search of its seventh Libertadores final, the traditional Olimpia faces Independiente, far the biggest surprise of the tournament. The first leg takes place on July 2nd, in Asuncion, while the return leg takes place on the 9th, in Santa Fe. In the other semi-final, Atletico Mineiro faces Newell’s Old Boys. The match promises to be fairly balanced, as both teams had the best football in the
Libertadores so far. Clashes are scheduled for the 2nd and 10th of July, respectively in Rosario (Argentina) and Belo Horizonte (Brazil). While the Argentines were runners-up twice, in 1988 and 1992, the best interest of Atletico was in 1978, when he reached the semi-finals.
South American Recopa Quite fierce since the 1990s, the rivalry between Corinthians and Sao Paulo adds another chapter with the dispute of the 21st edition of Recopa Sudamericana. Organized by CONMEBOL, the tournament pits the champions ahead of the 2012 Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. The first leg will be in Morumbi, day 3, and the return match in Pacaembu, 17th of July. It will be the second time that rivals São Paulo and Corinthians will face an international competition. In 1994, the semi-finals of the Copa Conmebol, São Paulo won the duel by going 4-3, and the second was won by Corinthians for 3-2. In the decision to penalties, São Paulo won 5-4.
Sport | 14 |
June 18th – July 01st 2013
RACE
First Ferrari winner, Jose Froilan Gonzalez, dies at 90 By Formula 1 (www.formula1.com)
J
ose Froilan Gonzalez, the first man to win a round of the Formula One world championship for Ferrari, has passed away in Buenos Aires aged 90, reports in his native Argentina confirmed on Saturday. Having made his world championship debut for Maserati in 1951, Gonzalez beat friend and compatriot Juan Manuel Fangio to victory in the 1951 British Grand Prix to give the Scuderia their maiden F1 win. It was to be the first of Gonzalez’s two victories in a Formula One career that spanned 26 Grands Prix, the
Gonzalez had two victories in a Formula One career that spanned 26 Grands Prix
other - also for Ferrari at Silverstone - coming in 1954 en route to his career-best second place in the driver standings. Nicknamed the ‘Pampas Bull’, the stocky Gonzalez’s driving talents extended beyond Formula One racing - he famously won the Le Mans 24-hour sportscar race for Ferrari in 1954 alongside Frenchman Maurice Trintignant. Gonzalez’s final F1 outing was for Ferrari at his home Grand Prix in 1960. His death means that three-time world champion Sir Jack Brabham, 87, becomes the oldest living F1 race winner.
BEST OF THE WORLD
Who is ‘the man’, Neymar or Bale?
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By Tico Silvério
n recent years the competition for the title of best player in the world was restricted to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. But everything leads us to believe that now the competition will be a little tougher. Two names appear strong to this dispute, Neymar and Gareth Bale. Neymar, after years of speculation, finally hit his transfer to Barcelona, as Gareth Bale still has its indefinite future and is the target of the top clubs in Europe. But who is the “man”, the skilled Neymar or the efficient Bale? Analyzing football as a big business, I would say that Bale would currently be a better investment than Neymar. And to confirm my thesis, it is speculated that offers for the player can reach 85 million pounds, exceeding the record transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid (80 million pounds) and far from the 48 million pounds spent by Barcelona in Neymar.
Bale would currently be a better investment than Neymar
Now leaving aside the financial and analyzing the two players on the pitch, again I would say that Bale would be better than Neymar. The Welsh, who recently turned 24, is presenting an impressive tactical evolution. Bale is one of the rare players who can efficiently combine speed, strength, skill and precision, which explains the impressive 52 goals in 31 matches last season. Neymar is now living in a time quite complicated and unusual in his career. The player has been the target of many criticisms, especially in relation to its performance in the Brazilian national team. But the move to Barcelona, despite all expectations, can help the player to overcome troubled times. With the spotlight on Messi, Neymar will theoretically have less pressure and more space on the pitch. Gareth Bale has in his favour more time having played the Premier League and Champions League. But we cannot forget that Neymar is in Barcelona, alongside great players, and Bale, despite all tradition and quality of Tottenham, has not players like Messi, Iniesta and Xavi on his side. So I cheer for the Welshman to transfer to Real Madrid, otherwise it will be much harder to answer who is the best.
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