Brazil: '...And Always Will Be' Isn't So Funny Anymore
The cynical joke of ‘country of the future’ is no longer. Brazil is now a worthy economic and political juggernaut, with a GDP growth rate in line with the predictions. In pop culture it's a different story. Brazil is already competitive, if not superior, to the other three BRICs and much of the rest of the world. No country belongs in BRIC Pop more than this one, with tremendous creativity across all social strata, balance among the 7+7 cultural categories, richness and diversity of content, and global excellence. If it weren’t for their geographic and linguistic isolation and relative newness to the global power scene, I think more of us would understand just how good the Brazilians are.
An Oscar Niemeyer Winner: New Urban Legends
Combining Gehry’s sensuality and Disney’s showmanship, the architecture legend is just the most visible of a deep and progressive legacy of architecture and urban planning innovations.
Spanning the Globo: Old Media that Looks Young
The genius that is Globo, a cultural glue for the nation that knows how to make mass media intimate and interactive. It's much more than telenovelas, and could be showing up on your TV soon.
The Madonna/Whore Complex: Working Hard for the Money
Daslu, a luxury store, and Daspu, a clothing line started by prostitutes, come into trademark conflict, as Brazil looks to expand their global fashion credentials beyond supermodels.
Brasil Rock Cidade: Riding the Mudflaps of Success
Rock music in Brazil is more current and has depth equal to samba, bossa nova, and MPB, yet is less visible. It’s the women of BRock who are now breaking it out of its niche and taking it global.
Graffiti Bridge: The Best (Street) Art on Earth
Street art in Brazil goes beyond anything we’ve ever even thought about, and is becoming internationally influential on the gallery and museum circuit.
Walks Like A Pato: The Duck Migrates to Milan
The next of the ‘next Pelés,’ Alexandre Pato, 18-year-old football wunderkind, is also following the path of lucrative European opportunity. What happens when they can afford to stay home?
Brazil may not have China and India’s population, Russia’s size and resources, or the history and growth rates of any of them just yet, but in the BRIC Pop cultural universe there’s a reason it starts with a B.