THE ORIGIN OF THE NAME "BRASIL"

Caesalpinia echinata is a species of Brazilian timber tree in the pea family, Fabaceae. Common names include Brazilwood, Pau-Brasil, Pau de Pernambuco and Ibirapitanga (Tupi). This plant has a dense, orange-red heartwood that takes a high shine, and it is the premier wood used for making bows for stringed instruments. When Portuguese explorers found these trees on the coast of South America, they used the name pau-brasil to describe them. Pau is Portuguese for "stick" (or, by metonymy, "wood" in general), and brasil is said to have come from brasa, Portuguese for "ember", meaning "emberlike".

The wood of this tree has a deep red hue, which may be why it received this name. Pau-brasil had been earlier used to describe a different species of tree found in Asia and other places, called Sappanwood which also produced red dye; but the South American trees soon became the better source of red dye. Brazilwood trees were such a large part of the exports and economy of the land that the country which sprang up in that part of the world took its name from them and is now called Brazil.

 In the 15th and 16th centuries, brazilwood was highly valued in Europe and quite difficult to get. Coming from Asia, it was traded in powder form and used as a red dye in the manufacture of luxury textiles, such as velvet, in high demand during the Renaissance. When Portuguese navigators discovered present-day Brazil, on April 22, 1500, they immediately saw that brazilwood was extremely abundant along the coast and in its hinterland, along the rivers. In a few years, a hectic and very profitable operation for felling and shipping all the brazilwood logs they could get was established, as a crown-granted Portuguese monopoly.

 The flower stalk, or inflorescence, is also branched and contains between 15 and 40 yellow, strongly perfumed flowers, which may be pollinated by bees. The petals are usually yellow with a blood-red blotch. The fruits are oval-shaped woody seedpods, measuring up to 7.3 cm long and 2.6 cm across; they hang off the branches and after the seeds are expelled, the pods become twisted in shape. The branches, leaves and fruit are covered with small thorns.

COME SURF IN THE ISLAND OF MAGIC

Florianópolis (Portuguese pronunciation: [floɾi.aˈnɔpolis] or [floɾjɐˈnɔpʊliʃ]) is the capital city and second largest city of Santa Catarina state in the Southern region of Brazil. It is composed of one main island, the Island of Santa Catarina (Ilha de Santa Catarina), a continental part and the surrounding small islands. The city has 42 beaches and is a center of surfing activity. The Hercílio Luz International Airport serves the city. 

The island is connected to the Continent by three bridges. 

The Hercílio Luz Bridge was built over 70 years ago and is now closed to traffic; it is a symbol of the island and often appears on postcard images. The Colombo Sales Bridge and Pedro Ivo Bridge are the ones open to traffic.

Florianópolis is one of the locations for the ASP World Tour of the Association of Surfing Professionals, which classifies 50 competitors, among professionals and amateurs. The state of Santa Catarina is the only location in South America for this surfing event. 

Barra da Lagoa  is the world famous "Bunny Slope" of Surfing. It is home to world champion Jacqueline Silva and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) from Praia Mole which usually hosts the WCT Surfing Championships. 

Ingleses Beach (Praia dos Ingleses) Even though it is a beach preferred by tourists, Ingleses still keeps to the traditions of the Azorian colonizers. In the summer, it is one of the top beach destinations of Argentine tourists, second only to Canasvieras. 

Campeche Beach (Praia do Campeche) With 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) of white sands and turbulent waters, Campeche is considered the Jeffreys Bay of the Santa Catarina Island for the quality of its waves.

Joaquina Beach (Praia da Joaquina) became famous as of the 1970s, when surfers from around the world discovered its waves. Many surf cups began to emerge, and great Catarinense surfing personalities. It is one of the beaches that offers the best tourist facilities.

 

PALÁCIO DA ALVORADA, the Presidential House in Brasilia

 The Palácio da Alvorada (Portuguese pronunciation: [paˈlasju dɐ awvoˈɾadɐ]) is the official residence of the President of Brazil. It is located in the national capital of Brasília, on a peninsula at the margins of Paranoá Lake. The building was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and built between 1957 and 1958 in the modernist style. It has been the residence of every Brazilian president since Juscelino Kubitschek. The building is listed as a National Historic Heritage Site.
The building was initially referred to as the "Presidential Palace". The name "Palácio da Alvorada" ("Palace of Dawn") comes from a quote by Juscelino Kubitschek:

"Que é Brasília, senão a alvorada de um novo dia para o Brasil?"

          "What is Brasília, if not the dawn of a new day for Brazil?"

 The Palácio da Alvorada was the first government structure built in the new federal capital. Construction began on April 3, 1957 and was completed on June 30, 1958. Niemeyer's project was based on the principles of simplicity and modernity.
The building has an area of 7,000 square metres (75,000 sq ft) distributed along three floors: basement, landing and second floor. Located in adjacent buildings within palace grounds are the chapel and the heliport. The basement level houses the movie theater, game room, kitchen, laundry, medical center, and the building's administration.
 The ground floor houses the state rooms used by the presidency for official receptions. It is made up of the Entrance Hall, Waiting Room, State Room, Library, Mezzanine, Dining Room, Noble Room, Music Room and Banquet Room.
 The Entrance Hall is the main entrance area of the palace. Its main feature is a golden wall inscribed with a phrase by president Kubitschek: "From this central plateau, this vast loneliness that will soon become the center of national decisions, I look once more at the future of my country and foresee this dawn with an unshakeable faith in its great destiny - Juscelino Kubitschek, October 2, 1956".
 The second floor is the residential part of the palace, with the presidential apartment consisting of four suites, two guest apartments and other private rooms.
 There are 72 employees currently working at the Palace, including secretaries, assistants, waiters, cooks, doctors and security personnel. The palace complex is protected by the Presidential Guard Battalion.


 Take a virtual tour of the Palace from within:

http://noticias.r7.com/brasil/fotos/faca-um-tour-virtual-pelo-palacio-da-alvorada-20111112-10.html#fotos

Pinacoteca and MAM join Google Art

 The Pinacoteca do Estado and the MAM-SP (Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo) became part of the privileged list of international museums that comprises the Google Art Project along with other museums such as London's Tate and the Reina Sofia in Madrid.
So far 17 institutions worldwide comprised the list. The announcement of the second phase, which includes the Brazilian museums, will be made at an event in the Pinacoteca on Tuesday.
Google's initiative (googleartproject.com) was launched about a year ago and allows internet users to visit the museums' galleries online and see a selection of works in an amazing resolution of up to 7 billion pixels.
Google Street View's technology allows the visit to the galleries. The tool allows users to "walk" virtually by streets of hundreds of cities in the world.
Google says it did not participate in any curatorship process to select the galleries and works - the museums chose what works to exhibit.
As reported by Folha, it will be possible to see online the collection on the second floor of Pinacoteca's headquarters (downtown São Paulo), which was recently renewed.
MAM-SP, on the other hand, does not have a permanent place to hold its collection, and will allow visits to the 32nd Panorama of Brazilian Art, held between October and December 2011.
In both museums, the works also will be available in large format.

http://www.googleartproject.com/collection/museu-de-arte-moderna-de-sao-paulo/
http://www.googleartproject.com/collection/pinacoteca-do-estado-de-sao-paulo/

ARE YOU CRAZY ABOUT PERFUMS?

There is now in São Paulo a "Library of Smells" located at Rua Dr. Emílio Ribas, 110 (Perdizes).  – São Paulo (SP). There are over 500 pieces, including the one ordered by Napoleon, and, obviously, the #5 Channel. There are 20 showcases featuring ancient pieces up to nowadays, in a partnership with a fashion college and two multinationals. 

Wheelchairs are welcome, as well as visually impaired visitors, for the subcaptions are in Braille, so as to make an interaction possible with the multimidia resources. 

Right from the start visitors are told that the aromatic smells came from the burning of special kinds of wood, or sap, thus the latin origin of the word: per (through) and fumum (smoke). 

Apart from historical relics there is the story behind the manufacturing of the perfum bottles - a perfum is comprised of fragrance, the vial which holds it, and the packing.

Two objects outstand, though: a flask of Kölnisch Wasser, by perfumist Marie Farina (the first Cologne water in human history), and the collection of fragrances by Thierry Mugler, Le Parfum Coffrete, with 15 fragrances developed by Les Christophers,  inspired after the movie Perfum - Story of a Murderer, by Patrick Süskind.

IF MODERN, VIGOROUS BALLET IS YOUR THING....

Deborah Colker (born 1960 Rio de Janeiro) is a worldwide famous Brazilian writer dancer and choreographer. She received the Lawrence Oliver Award for Outstanding Achievement in Dance in 2001 for her choreography work on the show 'Mix'. In 2008 Deborah wrote, directed and choreographed Cirque du Soleil’s newest show, OVO, which premiered in 2009 in Quebec. She has the distinction of being the first woman to direct for Cirque du Soleil.
Deborah established her own company in 1994 following an invitation to participate in the Carlton Dance Festival and has since created ten full-length dance pieces: Vulcão, Velox, Mix, Rota, Casa, 4 por 4, Knot, Dynamo, Cruel and Tatyana. Her work has been recognized in various Brazilian awards ceremonies over the years.
 The embryo of what would be Companhia de Dança Deborah Colker was born in 1993, in the dance halls of Casa do Minho in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, where Deborah used to teach. A year later the company made its debut at the Globo em Movimento festival at Rio’s Municipal Theatre, in a double bill with Momix Dance Group.
As a result of its hard work and obvious talent, the company quickly earned an official sponsorship from the Brazilian State Oil Company, Petrobras, which has allowed it to invest in soaring flights of creation and establish a strong reputation in the world of dance.

EVER HEARD OF TAYNAH?

One of the true expressions of modern MPB (Brazilian Pop Music), she includes in her repertoire unedited songs and re-readings of outstanding musicians from throughout Brazil. Reviews consider her as the new diva of the MPB. Their show, MPB & TAL, explores new musical arrangements and therefore places her under the spotlights as a new revelation originating from Rio de Janeiro. A fine voice, indeed.



http://mpb.com/taynah
http://www.taynah.com/
http://taynah-blog.blogspot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/taynahmpbetal