Pornochanchada - Brazilian Sexploitation Movies Of The 70's - Round 3

Digging through my many unused saved folders I came across these great pornochanchada posters that I never got to post here. I had done two very cool posts last year ( Round 1 and Round 2 ) on these nostalgic soft-porn movies but for whatever reason failed to publish the rest of my "research". I think they are grand!

Brazilian Carnaval Follies

It's been a little over a week since the end of carnaval - or Mardi Gras for the Northerners - but still I couldn't pass up to post some great images I got in my e-mail box yesterday. If you've never had the opportunity to experience Brazilian carnaval in person you don't know what you are missing! The joy and party fever is contagious and people of all ages, races and walks of life join in on the festivities. These images are of a street group in Rio de Janeiro, called banda, where revelers sing and dance to traditional samba tunes, usually accompanied by a small marching band. These bandas can gather anywhere from a dozen to a few thousand people following them on the streets.

I wish I had been there!!

French Baguettes & Japanese Sushi

Only in Brazil! My sister sent me this funny picture of a bakery in Rio Bonito, outside of Rio de Janeiro. Besides your everyday freshly baked bread, milk, ice cream and cigarettes they also offer "Japanese sushi"! C'mom, would you EVER get sushi from a place like this? This would definitely not be my first choice of "restaurant" if I got the urge to eat raw fish in Brazil...

Too funny!

Theme & Variation - More Rua da Alfandega

On my previous post about Rua da Alfandega, I might have missed to mention the chaotic foot traffic that, together with the narrow streets and on-the-sidewalk discount bins, can make anyone scream and run home. If that does not discourage you, that's the place to find good bargains in Rio, specially if you are in the market for a new carnaval costume. It's already October and the cariocas are already planning what they are going to wear comes February. There are a good dozen shops that cater to beads, rhinestones, materials, feathers and all things carnaval-related. If you are the lazy/uncreative type there are also places that will sell you the head-to-toe ensembles, just like they do on Halloween in North America. The best known shop is called Casa Turuna, that occupies a large chunk of the corner of Rua da Alfandega and Rua Senhor dos Passos. Casa Turuna, founded in 1915, is the paradise (or the claustrophobic's nightmare) for carnaval paraphernalia and accessories. Just simply ask for "it" and they sell it there. In such an eclectic place you may also purchase your maid's uniform, no not a costume, an actual uniform for "the help" so your cleaning lady or butler can look sharp when you have guests over. Among the mix you will even find Candomble's religious iconography, clothing and what-nots, that seems like an odd place to carry that stuff, but what the heck - that's Brazil to you.

Theme & Variation - Rua da Alfandega

I keep noticing a certain pattern to the things that appeal to me in the photographs I've been taking recently. I am very attracted to images of clusters of repeat objects or things. I love neat store shelves and supermarket aisles, specially when I see rows of a repeat products perfectly aligned in a pattern. I find beauty also in everyday things that have been casually grouped, without prior thought. I guess I just like visual repetition of a theme or color. It could be a row of chairs, a discount bin, a stack of plastic bowls or a stylized shop window. I don't have any aspirations or claim to be a good photographer, nor do I use professional equipment, so pardon my lack of technique. My little Sony camera is serving me very well so far. I decided to name this new series "Theme & Variation" to paraphrase Piero Fornasetti, one of my favorite designers of all times.

All these images here were taken at Rua da Alfandega, in downtown Rio, that is a popular (read low-end) shopping area. There are about 6 or 7 rows of long narrow streets, chock full of "stuff" for sale, spreading out of the stores into the side walks. They call this area SAARA, the name of it's commercial association, and it's well known as a bargain hunter's paradise. There you can buy carnaval costumes, boot-leg DVDs, budget kid's toys, clothing, house goods and anything else you can imagine. Nowadays there is a new wave of Korean and Chinese merchants flooding the streets with Made in Asia discount merchandise, from electronics to cheap plastic stuff. It's definitely worth the visit, if not to shop just for the Brazilian cultural experience.

Miscellaneous Images - Volume One

I've been amassing way too many interesting images lately, as I always have my little Sonny camera on me when I am out & about. I have to say that I've been "rediscovering" Rio de Janeiro - and Brazilian culture in general - after so many years living abroad. Maybe I see the city with a tourist's perspective now or simply just am photo obsessed, not sure. These pictures here are a few (of many) that I keep around looking for the right post to use it in. As the "right post" may not show up anytime soon I decided to group them in "miscellaneous" and publish them anyway. All of these were shot here in Rio, mainly downtown and in Ipanema, and they illustrate a bit of my current experience here.

Street Vendor in Rio - Flower Guy in Ipanema

I had seen this flower vendor above around Nossa Senhora da Paz Square in Ipanema, here in Rio, a couple of times before. The cart always seems to be by itself, as he stands away from it, making it a very poetic tableau of flowers left alone in a city square. But as soon as I pulled out my camera he showed up yelling "Two dollars for pictures". I just laughed it off saying in Portuguese that I was not a gringo and complimented him on his Brazilian flag patriotic touch. He then proceeded to straighten it out to make it look better for the pictures and didn't even mind being in the picture too.

Antonia's US Movie Debut

This week marks the US distribution debut of the Brazilian movie "Antonia" and it also coincides with the start, this Friday, of the second season of the TV show that inspired the flick.

The movie by director Tata Amaral offers a poetic look at such difficult issues of violence, racism, and sexism in contemporary Brazil with this vibrant and uplifting tale of fourfemale rappers straining to make a name for themselves while performing on the outskirts of São Paolo. Preta (Negra Li), Mayah (Quelynah), Barbarah (Leilah Moreno) and Lena (Cindy) provide back-up vocals for a popular rap act, yet despite their success with the group, the talented female singers know well that they have what it takes to strike out on their own. Since we're not talking Hollywood here but rather the "Third World" and "our" far more ideologically candid approach to cinema, all sorts of female-specific messy real life issues run interference on their creative aspirations, including pregnancy, single motherhood, abortion and compulsive machista womanizing. Also of interest, is that these Brazilian females are actual aspiring performers, which lends additional grit, energy and authenticity to the story.

Nude Barbie Dolls & Girlie Magazines

Just a few weeks ago I had mentioned about the Barbie doll display at "A Cena Muda" vintage magazine stand in Ipanema. As I walked by the other day and had my camera on me, I took some snap shots to share here at Little-Pumpkins. Another interesting detail is that the nude model on the mags on display is Xuxa, a very famous TV personality in Brazil. These publications date from the early 80's when Xuxa was still fairly unknown and mostly famous for being soccer player Pele's girlfriend. Nowadays she's a very successful and influential media person, having built her career as a kid's TV show hostess, and she shuns her shady past. By the way, this display is right on the sidewalk for everyone to see as female nudity is not a big taboo in Brazil.

Brazilian Fashion Matures @ IHT

Great article about the coming-of-age of Brazilian fashion posted at the International Herald Tribune site - written by Robb Young. It states that in the past 10 years Brazilian fashion has matured from splashy visuals to a more subdued approach, such restraint influenced by a changing, less ostentatious consumer. The need to be commercial, appealing to the foreign market and a recent focus on brand-building are also main reasons for the toned-down looks from most fashion houses in past season's runway presentations. The article contains many blurbs by local fashion editors and designers , such as Erika Palomino and Dudu Bertholini of brand Neon.

"Long gone are the days when fashion insiders tried to evoke a Brazilian aesthetic from trite references like Carnival plumage or bikinis on a Copacabana beach. It has taken designers here 10 long years to convince the outside world that there is as much diversity in their native fashion panorama as in the natural one.
But no matter what distinctive quality that might be - piercing prints, primitive handicrafts, strong colors or futuristic silhouettes - the Brazilian design kaleidoscope has often had a wild edge, at least by Paris or New York standards. So why is the one place we could rely on for a fix of exotica falling prey to subtle and even bashful design this season?

Not long ago, critics dismissed much of Brazilian fashion as highly derivative of European brands. No more. A decade since the inception of São Paulo Fashion Week, some Brazilian labels are now confident enough in their own identities to even parody fashion itself. Wild theatrics have given way to tongue-in-cheek flourishes."

Check out the whole article at International Herald Tribune

Carioca Street Vendors

A few images of street vendors I captured this past weekend in a public park in Rio. I love all the colorful packaging, some familiar like Cheetos and Fandangos, and others that I never heard of like "Fofura" (cuteness, chubbiness) or "Torcida" (fans in a sports event). The sign sells hot-dogs and burgers, and the "X-tudo" is a burger with everything on top (cheese, egg, bacon, etc). The X stands for cheese, because in Portuguese the word sounds like the letter X, as we pronounce it "sheez". Cute, huh?