Major Nations in a Global World: Brazil

Masters of capoeira demonstrate tricks of this Brazilian martial art to local fans in the USA.

roots in the traditions of the Roman Catholic Church in which people would indulge themselves in food and fun just before the start of Lent— the period before Easter, which is marked by forty days of fasting and abstinence from worldly pleasures.

The most famous Carnival celebration is in Rio de Janeiro, where thousands of revelers flock to the Sambodrome stadium wearing masks and colorful costumes. They parade in the stadium to the beat of the drums and the rhythm of the samba. In addition to Carnival, Brazilians observe a number of religious holidays, most notably St. John’s Night, held in June on the eve of the Feast of St. John the Baptist, who according to the Gospel of Luke was born six months before Jesus. The feast day was brought to Brazil by the early Portuguese settlers who were devoted to the holiday. Brazilians love music and dance, which, like the country itself, blend Euro- pean, African, and native traditions. The rattlers, shakers, and panpipes used in many Brazilian melodies are Native American in origin. In the 1600s, African slaves brought with them drums, while the Portuguese brought the cavaquinho , a ukulele-like instrument; the bandolim (mandolin); and the guitar. MUSIC STYLES The samba has influenced other types of Brazilian music. These include sertanejo , which had its origins in the Brazilian countryside in the 1920s, axé , a combination of samba and reggae, and pagôde , which is popular in the cities.

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MAJOR NATIONS IN A GLOBAL WORLD: BRAZIL