Beija-Flor wins carnival 2015
Beija-Flor (the humming bird) is the champion samba school of Rio’s 2015 carnival with a samba that was based on the historic links between Equatorial Guinea and Brazil. It was one of three schools to choose Brazil’s relationship with Africa as its theme. Viradouro, which also chose Africa, came last and was relegated.
It is Beija-Flor’s 13th carnival title, the first since 2011.
Salgueiro was runner up with a theme that looked at the tastes and customs of the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais, while in third came Grande Rio who had as its theme cards.
Grande Rio tied on points with Portela, which looked at 450 years of Rio surreal, and last year’s champion, Unidos da Tijuca, that had a theme based around Switzerland and one of the great characters of carnival, Clovis Bornay.
In a closely fought contest the full results were:
- Beija-Flor (269.9 points out of 270)
- Salgueiro (269.5)
- Grande Rio (269.0)
- Portela (269.0)
- Unidos da Tijuca (269.0)
- Imperatriz Leopoldinense (268.9)
- Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel (268.5)
- São Clemente (268.4)
- União da Ilha do Governador (267.2)
- Mangueira (267.1)
- Unidos de Vila Isabel (266.2)
- Viradouro (263.7)
Athletics timetable for Rio 2016 is published
The IAAF (International Association of Athletics Federations) has released the athletics’ timetable for the Rio Olympic Games in 2016 and it features finals during the morning sessions of the athletics programme.
“Staging finals in the morning was done at the request of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee and the Olympic Broadcasting Service, supported by the International Olympic Committee,” said IAAF competitions director Paul Hardy. “Having finals in the morning will also ensure that we receive maximum visibility for athletics at the Olympic Games across all time zones.”
There is at least one final in all of the morning sessions. All five road events – the two marathons and the three race walk events – will be held in the morning sessions, although both 20km race walks will be in the early afternoon. Other morning finals include the women’s 10,000m, men’s and women’s 3000m steeplechase, men’s 400m hurdles, men’s triple jump, men’s and women’s discus, and the women’s hammer.
For the full calendar – as of 15 December 2014 – click on the photo below, then click again to increase the size…
Vinicius and Tom are the names chosen for Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic mascots
The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots have been named. The Olympic mascot will be called Vinicius and the Paralympic mascot will be called Tom. The names were chosen by a public vote with 323, 327 votes cast.
The names, which received 44 per cent of valid votes, pay tribute to the great Brazilian musicians and composers Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. The duo were a key part of the group that created Bossa Nova. Together, Vinicius and Tom wrote The Girl from Ipanema, one of the most-played songs of all time, and many other bossa nova classics..
Vinicius and Tom were chosen ahead of the other two shortlisted pairs of names: Oba and Eba, and Tiba Tuque and Esquindim.
Rio 2016 President Carlos Nuzman said the public had chosen names that reflect the character of the Rio 2016 Games. “The names of Vinicius and Tom are recognised worldwide as a synonym for excellence, which is in line with what we want to achieve with the Rio 2016 Games,” he said. “In addition to representing the Brazilian fauna and flora, our mascots also connect to the best of our music. We are certain that they will be an inspiration to the youth.”
The origin of the Rio 2016 mascots blends fiction and reality. According to the “legend”, on 2 October 2009, when Rio de Janeiro was elected to host the Games, the great explosion of joy amongst Brazilians was felt by nature and from this energy the mascots were born.
Vinicius, the Rio 2016 Olympic Games mascot, represents all of the different animals in Brazil. He combines the agility of cats, the sway of monkeys and the grace of birds. He can stretch his arms and legs as much as he wants and has a very acute sense of smell and amazing powers of hearing.
Tom, the Paralympic mascot, is a fusion of plants found in Brazilian forests. He is energised by photosynthesis and can pull any object from his head of leaves. He is always growing and overcoming obstacles, and believes there is no challenge that cannot be solved.
Capoeira added to UN cultural heritage list
Brazil’s martial art and dance, Capoeira, has been added to the United Nation’s list of the world’s intangible cultural heritage. The program aims to draw attention to the importance of safeguarding intangible heritage, which has been identified by UNESCO as an essential component and a repository of cultural diversity and creative expression.
It is Brazil’s sixth listed intangible cultural heritage. Others on the list include Frevo and Samba da Roda.
Copa America 2015 draw
After all the excitement of the FIFA World Cup in Brazil in 2014, the Copa America will take place in neighbouring Chile from 11 June to 4 July 2015. Host Chile and existing champions Uruguay will face eight other South American countries, including Brazil, along with invited guests Mexico and Jamaica.
The three groups are:
GROUP A: Chile, Mexico, Ecuador, Bolivia
GROUP B: Argentina, Uruguay, Paraguay, Jamaica
GROUP C: Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Venezuela
Top two from each group go through to the quarter finals plus the best two third place teams.
First held in 1916, current champions Uruguay have won the cup 15 times, followed by Argentina with 14, Brazil with 8, Paraguay and Peru with 2, and Colombia and Bolivia with one title each. Brazil last one the cup in 2007 and 2004. It is the oldest international continental football competition.
The tournament schedule is:
Date / Time (local) / Teams
June 11 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Ecuador
June 12 8:30 p.m. Mexico vs. Bolivia
June 13 4 p.m. Uruguay vs. Jamaica
June 13 6:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Paraguay
June 14 4 p.m. Colombia vs. Venezuela
June 14 6:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Peru
June 15 6 p.m. Ecuador vs. Bolivia
June 15 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Mexico
June 16 6 p.m. Paraguay vs. Jamaica
June 16 8:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Uruguay
June 17 8:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Colombia
June 18 8:30 p.m. Peru vs. Venezuela
June 19 6 p.m. Mexico vs. Ecuador
June 19 8:30 p.m. Chile vs. Bolivia
June 20 4 p.m. Uruguay vs. Paraguay
June 20 6:30 p.m. Argentina vs. Jamaica
June 21 4 p.m. Colombia vs. Peru
June 21 6:30 p.m. Brazil vs. Venezuela
June 24 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 25 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 26 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 27 6:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Quarter-Final
June 29 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Semi-Final
June 30 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Semi-Final
July 3 8:30 p.m. TBD vs. TBD 3rd Place
July 4 7 p.m. TBD vs. TBD Final
2016 Olympic and Paralympic mascots unveiled in Rio
The Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots have been unveiled. Inspired by Brazil’s fauna and flora, the duo feature various pop culture influences, along with elements of animation and computer game characters.
“The Rio 2016 mascots represent the diversity of our culture, of our people,” said Beth Lula, the Rio 2016 brand director. “They represent our joy, our way of being. Both of them are magical creatures with super powers and relate naturally with the young audience, who we want to engage with our event so much.”
The Olympic mascot represents all of the different animals in Brazil. He combines the agility of cats, the sway of monkeys and the grace of birds. He can stretch his arms and legs as much as he wants. The Paralympic mascot is a fusion of plants found in Brazilian forests. He is energised by photosynthesis and can pull any object from his head of leaves. He is always growing and overcoming obstacles.
Both mascots have their own Facebook and Twitter profiles and share a special website with fun activities for kids.
“The mascots are one of the most important symbols of the Games because they create an emotional link with the public, especially children, and are genuine ambassadors for the event,” added Lula.
What is not known yet, is their names. A poll is already open and the public can vote for their choice from a shortlist of three pairs of names: one for the Olympic mascot, the other for the Paralympic mascot, respectively. The choices are Oba and Eba, Tiba Tuque and Esquindim, and Vinicius and Tom. You can find out more about these names, and vote for your choice by Clicking Here The winning names will be announced on 14 December 2014.
The mascots were created by Birdo Produções, a São Paulo-based design and animation company that has won numerous international awards.
Olympic mascots visit Rio de Janeiro
Ahead of Rio hosting the Olympic and Paralympic games in 2016 a group of mascots from previous games dropped in on the city to show their support. They included Misha (Moscow 1980), Athena (Athens 2004), Fu Niu Lele (Beijing 2008), Wenlock and Mandeville (London 2012).
The Olympic games will take place 5-21 August 2016 and the Paralympic 7-18 September 2016.
Brazil’s 50 top restaurants
To mark the 50th anniversary of the publication of the Brazil Guide in the Guia Quadro Rodas series, the publisher, Abril, has come up with a list of what it considers to be the 50 top restaurants in Brazil for 2015.
Nearly half, or 24 in total, are located in São Paulo, but eight are to be found in Rio de Janeiro, nine if you count Dona Irene in Teresópolis.
The Top 50 are:
1 – D.O.M. / São Paulo – SP
Rua Barão de Capanema, 549 – Cerqueira César
(11) 3088-0761
2 – MANÍ / São Paulo – SP
Rua Joaquim Antunes, 210 – Jardim Paulistano
(11) 3085-4148
3 – FASANO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Vitório Fasano, 88 – Cerqueira César
(11) 3062-4000
4 – ROBERTA SUDBRACK / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Avenida Lineu de Paula Machado, 916 – Jardim Botânico
(21) 3874-0139
5 - DUE CUOCHI CUCINA ITAIM / São Paulo – SP
Rua Manuel Guedes, 93 – Itaim Bibi
(11) 3078-8092
6 – TRE BICCHIERI / São Paulo – SP
Rua General Mena Barreto, 765 – Itaim Bibi
(11) 3885-4004
7 – MAHALO / Cuiabá – MT
Rua Pres. Castello Branco, 359 – Quilombo
(65) 3028-7700
8 – FASANO AL MARE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Avenida Vieira Souto, 80 – Ipanema
(21) 3202-4030
9 – FLORIANO SPIESS COZINHA DE AUTOR / Porto Alegre – RS
Praça do Japão, 155 – Bela Vista
(51) 3237-7601
10 – EPICE / São Paulo – SP
Rua Haddock Lobo, 1002 – Cerqueira César
(11) 3062-0866
11 – SKYE / São Paulo – SP
Avenida Brigadeiro Luís Antônio, 4700 – Jardim Paulista
(11) 3055-4702
12 – A BELA SINTRA / São Paulo – SP
Rua Bela Cintra, 2325 – Jardim Paulista
(11) 3891-1090
13 – ORO / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Rua Frei Leandro, 20 – Jardim Botânico
(21) 2266-7591
14 – OLYMPE / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Rua Custódio Serrão, 62 – Jardim Botânico
(21) 2539-4542
15 – TRATTORIA / São Paulo – SP
Rua Iguatemi, s/n – Itaim Bibi
(11) 3167-3322
16 – DUE CUOCHI CUCINA SHOPPING CIDADE JARDIM / São Paulo – SP
Shopping Cidade Jardim – Avenida Magalhães de Castro, 12000 – Cidade Jardim
(11) 3758-2731
17 – DUE CUOCHI CUCINA MORUMBI / São Paulo – SP
Morumbi Corporate – Henri Dunant, 1383, – Sto. Amaro
(11) 3957-9580
18 – GERO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Haddock Lobo, 1629 – Cerqueira César
(11) 3064-0005
19 – AMADEUS / São Paulo – SP
Rua Haddock Lobo, 807 – Cerqueira César
(11) 3061-2859
20 – ATTIMO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Diogo Jácome, 341 – Vila Nova Conceição
(11) 5054-9999
21 – LE BATEAU IVRE / Porto Alegre – RS
Rua Tito Lívio Zambecari, 805 – Mont Serrat
(51) 3330-7351
22 – KINOSHITA / São Paulo – SP
Rua Jacques Félix, 405 – Vila Nova Conceição
(11) 3849-6940
23 – JUN SAKAMOTO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Lisboa, 55 – Pinheiros
(11) 3088-6019
24 – VECCHIO TORINO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Tavares Cabral, 119 – Pinheiros
(11) 3816-0592
25 – VECCHIO SOGNO / Belo Horizonte – MG
Rua Martim de Carvalho, 75 – Santo Agostinho
(31) 3292-5251
26 – ICI BISTRÔ / São Paulo – SP
Rua Pará, 36 – Higienópolis
(11) 3259-6896
27 – GIRARROSTO / São Paulo – SP
Avenida Cidade Jardim, 56 – Jardim Europa
(11) 3062-6000
28 – DONA IRENE / Teresópolis – RJ
Rua Ten. Luís Meireles, 1800 – Bom Retiro
(21) 2742-2901
29 – PARIGI / São Paulo – SP
Rua Amauri, 275 – Itaim Bibi
(11) 3167-1575
30 – ANTIQUARIUS / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Rua Aristides Espínola, 19 – Leblon
(21) 2294-1049
31 – MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP
Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1100 – Vila Medeiros
(11) 2951-3056
32 – GUARAMARE / Guarapari – ES
Avenida Meaípe, 716 – Enseada Azul) – 7 km
(27) 3272-1300
33 – REMANSO DO BOSQUE / Belém – PA
Avenida Rômulo Maiorana, 2350 – Marco
(91) 3347-2829
34 – ANGATU / Tiradentes – MG
Rua Santíssima Trindade, 81 – Santíssima Trindade
(32) 3355-1391
35 – FLOR DE SAL BISTRÔ / Ribeirão Preto – SP
Rua Floriano Peixoto, 1463 – Boulevard
(16) 3421-4963
36 – DALÍ CAMÕES / Brasília – DF
Setor Hoteleiro Sul, Qd. 6, Bl. B (Hotel Brasil 21 Convention)
(61) 3039-8156
37 – PROVENCE COTTAGE & BISTRÔ / Monte Verde – MG
Rua Cedrus Libani, 384 – Centro
(35) 3438-1467
38 – ESQUINA MOCOTÓ / São Paulo – SP
Avenida Nossa Senhora do Loreto, 1108 – Vila Medeiros
(11) 2949-7049
39 – TRINDADE / Belo Horizonte – MG
Rua Alvarenga Peixoto, 388 – Lourdes
(31) 2512-4479
40 – SUR / Maceió – AL
Rua Professora Maria Esther da Costa Barros, 306 – Stella Maris
(82) 9808-9090
41 – LASAI / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Rua Conde de Irajá, 191 – Botafogo
(21) 3449-1834
42 – WIELLA BISTRÔ / Recife – PE
Shopping da Decoração – Avenida Engenheiro Domingos Ferreira, 1274, – Boa Viagem
(81) 3463-3108
43 – KITANDA BRASIL / Tiradentes – MG
Rua Padroeiro Santo Antônio, 240 – Cascalho
(32) 3355-1560
44 – TAYPÁ / Brasília – DF
Setor de Habitações Individuais Sul, Quadra 17, Shopping Fashion Park – Lago Sul
(61) 3248-0403
45 – IRAJÁ / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Rua Comandante de Irajá, 109 – Botafogo
(21) 2246-1395
46 – LE PRÉ-CATELAN / Rio de Janeiro – RJ
Avenida Atlântica, 4240, Nível E – Copacabana
(21) 2525-1160
47 – GLOUTON / Belo Horizonte – MG
Rua Bárbara Heliodora, 59 – Lourdes
(31) 3292-4237
48 – ARTURITO / São Paulo – SP
Rua Artur de Azevedo, 542 – Pinheiros
(11) 3063-4951
49 – PONTE NOVA / Recife – PE
Rua do Cupim, 172 – Graças
(81) 3327-7226
50 – CHEF VIVI / São Paulo – SP
Rua Girassol, 833 – Vila Madalena
(11) 3031-0079
Rock in Rio 2015 card sells out in five hours
The first 100,000 tickets for Rock in Rio’s 30th anniversary shows in September 2015 sold out in just five hours when they were put on sale on 18 November 2014.
Fans will now have to wait until later in 2015 for the opportunity to by general tickets when they are released.
With few artists yet confirmed other than Katy Perry, John Legend and System of Down, fans that purchased the card will have first choice of days when the full schedule is confirmed.
Dates for the shows in 2015 are September 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, 26 and 27.
The concerts take place in the Olympic Park.
Prior to the Rio shows, Rock in Rio will take place in Las Vegas in May 2014. Artists confirmed include Taylor Swift, Ed Sheeran, Bruno Mars, Metallica, Linkin Park, No Doubt, Deftones, Joss Stone and John Legend.
Rio the Guide 