My tribute to the birthplace of two of the great names in Brazilian music and

poetry: Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.

Rio de Janeiro

Rio de Janeiro

My tribute to the birthplace of two of the great names in Brazilian music and

poetry: Tom Jobim and Vinicius de Moraes.

Copacabana, one of Brazil’s most famous beaches, is considered the cradle of “bossa nova”, as reported by Ruy Castro in his book "Chega de Saudade " (Enough of Longing)

Cristo Redentor - Christ the Redeemer - one of the New 7 Wonders of the World announced during the official declaration ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal, on July 07, 2007.

By day or at night, Copacabana is known as Little Princess of the Sea for its poetic aura in the 30s, 40s and 50s, that gave origin to many songs, books, paintings and photographs.

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Our Lady of Copacabana Avenue and its parallel beachfront Atlantica Avenue, are so famous that some say that here one hears the romantic heartbeat of Rio de Janeiro...

The famous Copacabana Palace remains one of the most important hotels in town and of Brazil, constantly elected the best of South America by World Travel Award.

In the sand or at sea in Copacabana Beach, proofs galore that not only the girls from Ipanema have golden sun-tanned bodies...

The Cipriani Restaurant, which follows the pattern of the homonymous matrix in Venice, Italy, remains one of most sophisticated of the City.

To crown all its luxury, the external view is the legendary pool ofCopacabana Palace Hotel.

Port of Rio de Janeiro - one of the busiest in the country. Iron ore, manganese, coal, wheat, oil and gas are its main shipped products.

Moorisch Palace – or Fiocruz Castle – a beautiful piece in neoislamic architecture style, is the headquarters of the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation, dedicated to research in public health.

The Catete Palace, while the seat of the Presidency until 1960, was scenery of remarkable events, culminating with President Getulio Vargas’ dramatic suicide in 1954.

 

Rio-Niterói Bridge – officially President Costa e Silva Bridge – had the beginning of its construction celebrated with the presence of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip.

It has a total length of 13.29 km, of which 8.83 km over water, and maximum height of 72 m.

Museum of Modern Art has a privileged look of Burle Marx gardens integrating the Flamengo Park - all by the seashore of Guanabara Bay.

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...and it's exactly to these gardens of the Flamengo Park that the MAM's ones are integrated in ...

Besides the headquarters of the largest Brazilian corporations, Rio’s Downtown also houses the most important cultural institutions of the Country.

National Library of Rio de Janeiro - considered by UNESCO as the 8th national library of the world and is the largest library in Latin America.

Brazilian Academy of Literature – at the inaugural session Machado de Assis was acclaimed its first President. A replica of the Versailles’ Petit Trianon houses its headquarters.

The old and famous Carioca Aqueduct – known as the Arcos da Lapa - opened in 1750 to supply water to the city. It is 64 meters high and 270 long on 42 arches. Since 1896, the Arcos da

Lapa serves as support to Santa Teresa streetcar way.

. National Museum of Fine Arts - Its collection includes approximately 16,000 pieces of

Brazilian and foreign artists.

Cathedral of Saint Sebastian of Rio de Janeiro, designed by vanguard architect Oscar Niemeyer.

Pedro Ernesto Palace, seat of Rio Municipality’s Legislative, houses works of internationally recognized great painters. The triptych by Eliseu Visconti, in the lobby of the Noble Salon, is the

most glamorous work.

Confectionery Columbus, with 116 years of tradition, located in the historic city center, is one of the main touristic points of Rio de Janeiro’s Central Region.

Tiradentes Palace - housed the Brazilian National Congress between 1926 and 1960.At present is the place of the Legislative Assembly of the State of Rio de Janeiro.

Royal Portuguese Reading Cabinet – the largest library of works of Portuguese authors outside Portugal and the only library outside the Portuguese territory that receives a copy of all

works printed in Portugal.

In this church Our Lady of Lampadosa Machado de Assis helped at Sunday mass; and on April 21, 1792 Tiradentes asked to commune before he was hanged 50 meters ahead.

With design inspired by the Paris Opera, the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro displays works by renowned Brazilian artists at the time of its construction,

with predominance of Eliseu Visconti’s paintings.

Fiscal Island – became famous for having housed a famous ball - the last big party of the Empire, six days before the proclamation of the Republic.

Sambadrome of Marquês de Sapucaí St. - is the area where the Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro parade and compete during the Carnival, attracting thousands of tourists from around the world.

Allegorical wagon of a Samba School parading in Rio de Janeiro's Sambadrome

Luiza Brunet, an internationally famous Brazilian model, each year gives her prestige to the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro – she will never lose her majesty as Queen of Samba School Battery.

View encompassing the Corcovado, the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon with Gavea Hippodrome at right and Ipanema beach in the background.

The Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon is connected to the sea through the channel of the Garden of Allah, which separates Leblon from Ipanema.

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By Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, the Gavea Hippodrome, in Louis XV style, housing up to 80,000 people and has 3,000 seats.

Dusk at Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, that shows the largest floating Christmas tree in the World.

The night falling over the Lagoon and Christ the Redeemer, lit on Corcovado’s top

Laranjeiras Palace - has hosted distinguished visitors such as Charles de Gaulle from France, and Harry Truman from the United States

Guanabara Palace - belonged to Princess Isabel and her husband Count D'Eu until the proclamation of the Republic. In 1922 it hosted King Albert of Belgium and from 1960 onwards

became the seat of the State Government of Rio de Janeiro.

After extensive reforms in 1999, the Maracanã stadium has reduced its capacity to 103,022 people, loosing its position as the largest stadium in the world,

Yacht Club’s Marina - in the background Praia de Botafogo, and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill.

Dusk – Botafogo beach in the background, the Yacht Club’s Marina and Christ the Redeemer on Corcovado Hill .

From Marina da Glória sets off Pink Fleet, Eike Batista’s yacht, for a sightseeing tour with lunch in a ravishing sea cruise that reveals, from sea, the most beautiful landscapes of Rio de Janeiro’s coast.

Between the Fort of Copacabana and Ipanema beach, the Arpoador beach is an ideal place to enjoy the beautiful spectacle of the Sun setting behind the hill of the Two Brothers.

Ipanema – noble district that, all year along, remains crowded with national and foreign tourists. Its luxury commerce encompasses the headquarters of major jewelry networks and stores of famous

international brands.

A small palace built in the early 20th century in Flamengo serves as scenario for an exquisite temple of flavors: the House of Art and Culture Julieta de Serpa, inaugurated in 2003 to be a center of art, culture and cuisine. With an acclimatized wine cellar, with over three thousand bottles, the refinement of the space is up to the highest Brazilian and international society, including heads of state - royalist or not - in any of its halls: the Blason French restaurant, the BS Bistro, the Salon D'Or or Tea Salon or the J Club piano-bar.

Salon d’Or - Where tea is served on nineteenth century silverware in vermeil, Limoges china and refined crystals.

Richly decorated with mirrors, artwork, chandeliers and Baccarat crystal appliqués,

Versailles style, the Blason Restaurant can be compared in style, to the world's best

restaurants, serving sophisticated French cuisine accompanied by fine wines.

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With a concentration of hotels less dense than in Copacabana - that has more than eighty - Ipanema is also a neighborhood with a good hotel network, where stands out the Fasano Hotel.

In it sits the elegant and popular restaurant Fasano al Mare.

Niemeyer Avenue, the nicest way to get to the beaches of Sao Conrado and Barra.

Joatinga Channel – here begins the Barra, in a total area of 165.59 km² - slightly larger than the size of Miami City.

The proximity of the luxury of Saint Conrado district and the Rocinha Slum’s poverty marks a sharp contrast in the urban landscape.

View from the Intercontinental Hotel in Saint Conrado - in the background, the Rocinha slum, with an estimated population of about 120, 000 residents; commercial establishments totaled 6,500.

Barra da Tijuca – large companies have migrated their headquarters or subsidiaries to Barra, including Shell, Esso, Vale do Rio Doce, Vivo, Michelin, Nokia, Tim and Unimed.

 

The Chopin Monument by sculptor Zamoiski, donated to Brazil by the Polish is located in the romantic Red Beach, Urca - perfect frame for the master of romanticism.

Panoramic view from the top of Sugarloaf shows the side of the Guanabara Bay where stands out the Rio-Niteroi bridge; Santos Dumont domestic flights airport; Flamengo Beach; on this side Urca district and beach; afterwards Botafogo Beach and Yacht Club’s Marina; Red Beach and, behind the cable car,

the view brings us, again, Copacabana.

........................................You, CopacabanaMore than any the arenaWhere the poet fought the invisibleAnd there at last found his poetry

Maybe little, sufficedTo justify an existence

Her without incomprehensible

Vinicius de Moraes – EUA Los Angeles, 1948

Creation, research, compilation and formatting : Delza Dias Ferreira delzadfer@hotmail.com

English version: Flavio Musa de Freitas GuimarãesPoetry of Vinicius de Moraes – Poetical version by Flavio M. F. Guimarães Collaborator: Claudia Ricci

Brasil – São Paulo, I - 2011

www.culturesandart.com

Photo imagery : from Internet, with credits to authors Music: “Samba do Avião” by Tom Jobim – (edited) with Danilo Caymmi, Banda Nova and Tom Jobim at piano and choir

Samba do avião – sing Tony Bennett

How my heart is singingI see Rio de Janeiro

My longing, lonely days are endingRio, my love, there by the seaRio, my love, waiting for me

See the cable cars that sway aboveThe bay of Guanabara

Tiny sailboats far belowDance the samba as they goShining Rio, there you lieCity of sun, of sea, and sky

Mountains of green rising so highFour minutes more we’ll be there

At the airport of Galeão

Rio de Janeiro (4x)

Statue of the SaviorWith open arms above the yellow sea shore

Sugar loaf in majestyClimbing from a silver sea

Dark eyed girls who smile at meCity of love and mysteries

Fasten seatbelts, no smoking pleaseNow we’re descending and everything’s rushing

And now the wheels touch the ground