DRGNFLY =I= Libelle Married & a MamiBrasil- Carioca Rio de Janeiro BRASIL A LITTLE INFO ABOUT MEâ€Â¦ I am a business woman with a family. I set up the “my spaceâ€? site, so I can rekindle past relationships good or bad and maybe, by this experience, make some new friendships in the long run.I have traveled many parts of the world and I enjoy the different cultures. I also speak 5 languages, 3 fluently and 2 on good command. You may write to me in any of the languages that I know, I will respond in the language of choice: Well here it isâ€Â¦ Portuguese, German, Spanish, French and of course English. So, what do you think?..My Meez URL: http://www.meez.com/cfeldmMySpace URL: http://www.myspace.com/drag0nf14Welcome: To the Past, Present and Future FriendshipsHope you enjoy Brasil's History Info!Layout made by dragnflyqueen
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT...Brazilian music is as diverse as its culture. Music is a sophisticated combination of sounds stemming from native reed flutes; Portuguese viola playing and African thrilling rhythms. When the Jesuit priests arrived in Brazil in the 1500's they were introduced to the natives' rudimentary wind and percussion instruments.. The Jesuits made use of this music to teach their religion by replacing native words with religious ones using the native Tupi language. Soon these songs were played amongst the natives and in the Portuguese plaza for all to hear. These wind and percussion instruments were used by all.African music was introduced during the years of slavery when people from western Africa were brought to Brazil to work on plantations. Africans introduced two popular music forms; the "lundu" and the "modinha". By the end of the 18th century many schools of music developed and from these many famous composers such as: Carlos Gomes and Mario de Andrade. Brazil's popular music developed parallel to its classical music. Pop music united traditional European instruments; guitar, piano and flute with a whole rhythm of section sounds produced by frying pans, small barrels with a membrane and a stick inside ( cuicas) and tambourines. By 1930 Brazilian music was world acclaimed. Some popular music you may have heard is the Samba. Samba is a combination of traditional Portuguese folk songs with traditional African rhythms.Music is an important element in religious and other festivities. The Brazilian Carnival is one such activity. The Brazilian Carnival mixes both European and African traditions. The Carnival happens before Lent to celebrate fasting that happens before Easter. This Carnival lasts for five days. Beginning on Saturday before Ash Wednesday. People dress up in costumes and everyday life is transformed into something magical. There is music and dance on the streets coupled by parades and informal street parties or grand balls. Rich and poor, young and old, all participate in the carnival. Various dance schools perform in front of judges and compete for prizes. People sleep all over the beaches and city celebrating this magnificent event.
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT...Lifestyle refers to the consistent way of life or style of living that reflects the attitudes and values of an individual or a culture. Brazil has a multicultural population. The population of Brazil came originally from many different places and backgrounds. Many people living in Brazil are of mixed race because from the early Portuguese settlements people intermarried. The 1991 census recorded that 55% of people were of European origin, 39% of mixed race, 5% of African origin and .5% of Japanese origin.History has much to do with the population development of a country. Brazil belonged to the Portuguese Empire up until 1822. Portuguese settlers had a very important effect on modern day Brazil. In the past the Roman Catholic religion was the official religion. Now Brazil has religious freedom. However, the official language spoken in Brazil today is Portuguese. In the older towns of Brazil, especially near the Atlantic coast, you can see buildings that resemble those found in Portugal. Such places are Natal, Recife and Salvador. When the Potuguese settlers arrived in the early 1500's, the small Indian population was scattered throughout the country. Today, there are about 250 000 native Indians living in Brazil in remote areas of the country. These native groups speak about 180 different languages! When the Portuguese settlers arrived they began cultivating the land and needing people to help them. In those days slavery was accepted so many Portuguese land owners brought slaves from West Africa to work for them on their plantations and farms. These slaves brought with them diverse types of food, music and religion which helped shape the lifestyle of many Brazilians today. Later, as word spread to the rest of the world of Brazil's economic potential ( coffee and gold discovery) many other nationalities moved to Brazil, especially from Europe and Asia.
A LITTLE HISTORY ABOUT...In Brazil today, there is a diversity of religions. One may go as far as saying that Brazil is multi-religious! In the 18th century Brazil's official religion was the Roman Catholic Religion. This was due to the Portuguese people who were the first settlers and conquerors from Europe. Later as the Portuguese brought slaves from Africa to work on the plantations, the religion started to take on a different look. Even though the slaves were forbidden to practice their religions they managed to maintain their beliefs and doctrines. Since 1889 when the Brazilian Constitution was set forth, Brazil ceased to have an official religion. The Constitution guarantees absolute freedom of religion.Most of Brazil's population claims to be Roman Catholic, however, there are many other religious denominations in Brazil. Some of these churches are the: Protestant, Pentecostal, Episcopal, Methodist, Lutheran, and Baptist. There are over a million and a half Spiritists or Kardescists who follow the doctrines of Allan Kardec. These Spiritists believe in reincarnation. There are followers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; small minorities of Jews; Moslems, Buddhists and numerous followers of Candomble and Umbanda.Candomble is a religion that was brought to Brazil by slaves from Nigeria. Today, Catholicism and Candomble both are practiced by many people. In the early 18th century the slaves were seen as heathens to be assimilated by their Catholic masters into the Catholic religion. Slaves were forbidden to practice Candomble. To maintain their religion , slaves coupled their deities with important religious personalities in the Catholic religion. This way the slave masters were happy that their slaves were celebrating and honoring the same religious figures they were. For example Oxala, a male God of procreation and harvest was identified with Jesus. Throughout the year, the two religions had corresponding festivals. The masters were convinced that their slaves were being assimilated. The Catholic church had noticed minor discrepancies, but allowed the two religions to work side by side in hopes that one day Candomble would diminish totally. This however was not the case. Candomble is widely practiced throughout Brazil today. Umbanda, a religion derived from Candomble coupled with Christianity and Spiritist beliefs found in Kardecism is also widely practiced.
