Brazil is known for its samba and bossa nova, but after reading about this country's regional culture, one could easily understand the different development each region has had, according to their local events in History, including immigration and interaction with native indigenous people.
The Rock Music is a well known genre that became popular around the globe and Brazil produced until the early 00's many rock bands with a myriad of sub-genres (pop rock, punk rock, heavy metal, etc). The intention of this compilation is to gather songs of rock bands which are also influenced by their local folk culture or vice-versa: Folk bands which decided to experiment a little with noisy guitars and drums.
After going through my music library and also after some research, I present my study and the final playlist here below.
Methodology Of Song Choices:
When researching about music in Brazil from the 60's and 70's on, when the rock music became popular in Brazil, it's possible to find some experiences of mixing rock and folk music but my criteria was actually stricter:
- I only considered music groups which are really representatives of their region and folk culture. They were raised with that culture and later on they brought the rock music into it.
- I'm only considering Brazilian folk music, or music styles which came from abroad but evolved uniquely in Brazil. I'm not considering, for instance, Brazilian bands with Celtic songs, although one could argue that there are Brazilian styles with Celtic roots, the Celtic music itself is not Brazilian, so I'm not considering it to the compilation.
- The sequence goes from the South to the North, and not "North-South" as usual.
- Some states of Brazil are not included. I had to narrow the research or it would have had a too long playlist and would have taken way longer time. It's important to say that I'm not based on administrative and geographic divisions, yet, I'm considering the culture the music group belongs to, for example, some states of North-East Brazil share the same culture, so it's of less important the exact State the music groups are from.
Cover Art: Photo taken at Museu da Revolução de 1932 in São Bento do Sapucaí, by Emerson Olaf
Track 01: Chiquito e Bordoneio - Enforquilhado (4:57)
Track 02: Hardneja Sertacore - Reconheço Que Sou Grosso (1:50)
Represented Culture: Gaúcho Culture
Group's Brazilian State: Rio Grande do Sul (both music groups) (Southern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Música Nativista
Chiquito & Bordoneio - Francisco Alves Corrêa (Chiquito) was part of the popular Gaúcho band Os Monarcas, then later in 1995 he formed Chiquinho & Bordoneio and has recorded many albums and live DVDs.
When researching about music in Brazil from the 60's and 70's on, when the rock music became popular in Brazil, it's possible to find some experiences of mixing rock and folk music but my criteria was actually stricter:
- I only considered music groups which are really representatives of their region and folk culture. They were raised with that culture and later on they brought the rock music into it.
- I'm only considering Brazilian folk music, or music styles which came from abroad but evolved uniquely in Brazil. I'm not considering, for instance, Brazilian bands with Celtic songs, although one could argue that there are Brazilian styles with Celtic roots, the Celtic music itself is not Brazilian, so I'm not considering it to the compilation.
- The sequence goes from the South to the North, and not "North-South" as usual.
- Some states of Brazil are not included. I had to narrow the research or it would have had a too long playlist and would have taken way longer time. It's important to say that I'm not based on administrative and geographic divisions, yet, I'm considering the culture the music group belongs to, for example, some states of North-East Brazil share the same culture, so it's of less important the exact State the music groups are from.
Cover Art: Photo taken at Museu da Revolução de 1932 in São Bento do Sapucaí, by Emerson Olaf
Track 02: Hardneja Sertacore - Reconheço Que Sou Grosso (1:50)
Represented Culture: Gaúcho Culture
Group's Brazilian State: Rio Grande do Sul (both music groups) (Southern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Música Nativista
Chiquito & Bordoneio - Francisco Alves Corrêa (Chiquito) was part of the popular Gaúcho band Os Monarcas, then later in 1995 he formed Chiquinho & Bordoneio and has recorded many albums and live DVDs.
Hardneja Sertacore is a scramble of the words Hardcore and Sertaneja (which is the "country music" from Brazil). It's a cover band and the song included here is a folk hardcore cover of the singer Gildo de Freitas, who was one of main names regarding the Gaúcho Traditionalism. Hardneja Sertacore, by using the name "Sertaneja" is not only restricted to the Gaúcho culture, once Música Sertaneja represents the country-side music of Center-Western, South-Eastern and Southern Brazil (The states of São Paulo, Minas Gerais, Goiás, Mato Grosso do Sul, Paraná, Santa Catarina and Rio Grande do Sul).
Two Gaúchos and the flag of Rio Grande do Sul (left). The Gaúcho culture is totally related to a region called Pampas. On the right a photo at a CTG (Gaúcha Traditions Centre)
My Comment On The Gaúcho Culture:
Although at a first look the Gaúcho Culture might look very European, the Gaúchos were actually formed by the mix of Spanish (and later Portuguese) people with Native indigenous People (the latter mostly maternal) in an area comprising what is today Extreme Southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina (the Pampas region). What is interesting is that Southern Brazil received great numbers of immigrants from Germany and Italy, but as they didn't go exactly to the Pampas region, according to Darcy Ribeiro, the typical Gaúcho remained intact, while the "new" Gaúchos from Italy and Germany formed a new ethnic line. Despite the previous notes, I would say that the majority of the inhabitants of Rio Grande do Sul nowadays are very proud of their Gaúcho identity, even those who come from entirely European ancestry. In the last decades the Gaúcho culture has been adopted as a contrast (and an alternative) to the Brazilian identity, as political problems of corruption and crime rates raise and that is often attributed to the "Brazilian way" of managing matters. This scenario opened again way to separatist movements such as O Sul É O Meu País.
Although at a first look the Gaúcho Culture might look very European, the Gaúchos were actually formed by the mix of Spanish (and later Portuguese) people with Native indigenous People (the latter mostly maternal) in an area comprising what is today Extreme Southern Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina (the Pampas region). What is interesting is that Southern Brazil received great numbers of immigrants from Germany and Italy, but as they didn't go exactly to the Pampas region, according to Darcy Ribeiro, the typical Gaúcho remained intact, while the "new" Gaúchos from Italy and Germany formed a new ethnic line. Despite the previous notes, I would say that the majority of the inhabitants of Rio Grande do Sul nowadays are very proud of their Gaúcho identity, even those who come from entirely European ancestry. In the last decades the Gaúcho culture has been adopted as a contrast (and an alternative) to the Brazilian identity, as political problems of corruption and crime rates raise and that is often attributed to the "Brazilian way" of managing matters. This scenario opened again way to separatist movements such as O Sul É O Meu País.
Track 03: Die Roeder's - Sou de Pomerode (4:06)
Represented Culture: German Brazilians / Pomeranians
Group's Brazilian State: Santa Catarina (Southern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Volksmusik / Hillbilly
Represented Culture: German Brazilians / Pomeranians
Group's Brazilian State: Santa Catarina (Southern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Volksmusik / Hillbilly
Die Roeder's is a local band from Pomerode, the town which claims to be the most German in Brazil. The name of the song means "I'm From Pomerode" and although it's sang in Portuguese, there are references to the local German / Pomeranian culture from the beginning to the end of it. The other songs of the group are actually in German.
On the left those are three girls of German descent at the Oktoberfest in Blumenau and on the right it's Festa Pomerana (Pommerfest) in Pomerode
My Comment On The German Brazilian Culture:
The German Brazilian culture had to reborn after a quite dark period. The Germans started to come to Brazil (when Germany wasn't even Germany yet) and had to start their towns from the scratch, mostly with very few or no support from the government. This isolation gave them the chance do the things their way and very organised towns emerged but then World War II came along. The South was home for some Nazi supporters, even though just a minority inside the colonies. The Brazilian dictator at that time Getúlio Vargas (an admirer of Adolf Hitler) ended up going to the Allies' side and persecuted harshly the Germans, Italians, Japanese and even the few Finnish people in Penedo. Only decades after the end of the war the German ex-colonies (now towns) in Brazil could start finding their identity again and this process is still going on. People like my German great-grandmother used to say she had forgotten how to speak German (such was the trauma inflicted by the government and even Brazilian people) but at funerals among Germans her German language would work out just fine.
Track 04: Charme Chulo - Brasil Sacanagem (2:35)
Track 05: Guerreiros Paulistas - Saudades de Iguape (1:46)Represented Culture: Caipira Culture / Tropeiros
Group's Brazilian State: Paraná (Charme Chulo) (Southern Brazil)
Group's Brazilian State: São Paulo (Guerreiros Paulistas) (Southeastern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Caipira Music / Sertaneja Music
Charme Chulo is post punk with a touch of indie/alternative, but most importantly, they take the caipira music to their songs. This song has an introduction that is entirely caipira, a well done intro. The lyrics are about the corruption in Brazil that is somehow already infiltrated in the culture, showing its face in small things of the daily life.
Guerreiros Paulistas has its roots deep in the History of São Paulo State. The music project has songs in styles as rock, industrial and neo folk and this song is actually a version for Saudades de Iguape, by João Batista do Nascimento and lyrics by Bruno Zwarg and Ernesto Zwarg. The song became the unofficial anthem of Iguape, the fifth oldest settlement in Brazil.
On the left there is a man wearing the Tropeiro costume riding the horse with the flag of São Paulo State, same on the photo of the left but in Paraná with its flag. The Tropeiro Culture originated in São Paulo and spread to other states as Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul, Southern Minas Gerais, Mato Grosso do Sul, Mato Grosso, Goiás...
My Comment On The Caipira Culture:
The Bandeirantes from São paulo were very important and influencial in the History of São Paulo and other states of Brazil. The caipira culture comes from them, passing first through the Tropeiros and then coming to the horse riders of the last century. São Paulo has its own History which happened in parallel and in some cases very independently of the Portuguese and then Brazilian Empire. What today are other state's territories was already part of São Paulo, being under its cultural influences. With this intro I want to mean that I expected that São Paulo (with all its dominance) would keep its culture more alive, active and consciously present in the daily life of people, but São Paulo paid the price of the progress. Its capital São Paulo City is the richest and more influential in Brazil but the urbanisation quickly eclipsed the traditional culture, which was for many years seen as outdated. The countryside (and by that I mean all other towns but the capital) kept their traditional culture, some more and some less, but it was still there sometimes more automatically than really conscious and proud. Luckily the last two decades have seen a São Paulo searching for its origins, identity and pride. Paulista events such as the celebration of the Revolution of 1932 has been more crowded each year and two decades ago it was unthinkable a culture and identity page called Paulista Pride (Orgulho De Ser Paulista) having almost 100k supporters. Maybe the puissant capital is finally restoring its unity with the countryside and the countryside, on the other hand, is getting conscious about its rich tradition, as I see more and more events regarding the Paulista tradition happening around the state.
Track 06: Los Hermanos - Vassourinhas & Pierrot (2:59)
Track 07: Los Hermanos - Máscara Negra (1:48)
Represented Culture: Carioca Culture
Group's Brazilian City: Rio de Janeiro (Southeastern Brazil)
Folk Music Style: Marchinha
In its beginning the band Los Hermanos already brought together the rock music and the carnival mood of the marchinhas. It was a unique mix of energy and drama.The first song has actually an intro which is "Marcha Nº1 do Clube Vassourinhas" a frevo song that became very famous in Rio's carnival and then comes Pierrot a very dramatic hardcore / rock song with lots of brass. The second song follows the same mood as the first, but it's not a hardcore song, although it's heavy, dramatic and melancholic. Both songs have Commedia dell'arte's Pierrot, Columbine and Harlequin as characters in the lyrics.
On the left there is a Carioca boy playing futevôlei at the beach, a variation of football that was created in Rio. On the right there are some girls during the street carnival of Rio.
My Comment On The Carioca Culture:
I find it very complicated to define a unified Carioca Culture and probably others do so, as there is a lack of studies and even lack of consensus about it. Of course many people write articles about the Carioca lifestyle, but it's often superficial, not academical and biased (frequently extolling their relaxed character). So I will not dare to define it, I'm just writing here some historical facts that may help explain aspects of this culture. When the Portuguese Royal Family came to Rio, the town was transformed in the capital of the Empire, but Rio, despite its undeniable natural beauty, wasn't really the best choice in therms of structure to be the capital. As time passed, Rio presented two very distant cultures which were actually living together: The modern(ish) and civilised elite and the poor and slaves. Now Brasil becomes a republic and the elite who had been used to imports from France and the UK (products and ideas) is now bothered by the so near presence of the poor and former slaves, those were later systematically gotten rid of, going to live in the hills of Rio, forming or increasing the favelas (slums). This distance didn't last long as the idea of Rio being the Tropical Paris (Rio's Belle Époque) started to fade also because of the unstable republic and its revolutions. Nowadays this favela culture is praised by Cariocas in general, once those in the slums have developed their own lifestyle, clothing, music... But at the same time this happens, Rio can also present the most extreme of the conservative and aristocratic thinking, the elite who hasn't sold their souls, as presented in a news report in the late 80's where beach goers of the elite were complaining about the presence and alleged uncivilised behaviour of the favela ones. This elite attitude can be deemed still very well alive in Rio if we consider them as responsible for the parcel of votes far-right politicians has always had in Rio.
In sum: Carioca culture is the core of attributes that have been forcibly tried to be given to the rest of Brazilian. They are relaxed, friendly, almost never on time, the masters of the "Brazilian way" (for good and bad), one could argue that this is the profile of the low-class people of Rio, but Brazilians know it's far from the truth, this profile transcends social classes. In the last decade or two, it's very popular and spread the interest of the elite to be part of funk parties in Rio's favela, thus connecting a little the two worlds. But can we say that's it? Can we just ignore and skip the relatively numerous and historical Rio's elite who hasn't sold their souls to the popular culture?
Los Hermanos, (a band with middle-high class citizens) chosen for this compilation, is in the grey zone of the afore mentioned. They are far from being the aristocratic elite with conservative thinking at the same time they would hardly go to a funk party either, but out of their millions followers, the Cariocas probably would.
Track 08: Cangaço - Bombardeio no Ceará (4:31)
Track 09: Baião d'Doido - Be-a-bá do Sertão (2:59)
Track 10: Chico Science - Lixo do Mangue & Enquanto O Mundo Explode (3:48)
Represented Culture: Nordestina Culture
Track 09: Baião d'Doido - Be-a-bá do Sertão (2:59)
Track 10: Chico Science - Lixo do Mangue & Enquanto O Mundo Explode (3:48)
Represented Culture: Nordestina Culture
Group's Brazilian State: Pernambuco (Cangaço) (Northeastern Brazil)
Group's Brazilian State: Paraíba (Baião d'Doido) (Northeastern Brazil)
Group's Brazilian State: Pernambuco (Chico Science) (Northeastern Brazil)
Group's Brazilian State: Paraíba (Baião d'Doido) (Northeastern Brazil)
Group's Brazilian State: Pernambuco (Chico Science) (Northeastern Brazil)
Cangaço started off very well, firstly by not copying others (although not being the first to mix rock and northeast culture) and secondly by being chosen to play at Wacken Open Air. The song "Bombardeio no Ceará" (Bombing Ceará) is about the sad story of a religious community (Caldeirão da Santa Cruz do Deserto) which was devastated by the dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas.
Baião d'Doido (ex- Baião de Doido) has its name out of Baião de Dois, a typical Northeastern food. The word "Baião" is actually a local music style and the idea of the band is exactly the mix of rock / hardcore with that. They started to play in 2003 and have been playing cover songs of popular local musicians and also authorial songs. Be-a-bá do Sertão is about the difficulties of life in the arid areas of the region.
Chico Science was one of the masterminds behind the Manguebeat movement. Out of all folk-rock acts analysed here, this is the only one which got a proper movement, that is, a name and manifest for the new folk music which was emerging blending traditional music and rock. The Manguebeat movement was no accident, it was discussed, planned and put on practice, the artists involved in the scene were constantly thinking about their place in the Northeastern society and about a proper attitude for them as organised musicians.
On the left a crab in Recife representing Manguebeat. On the right the Xaxado group Cabras de Lampião, dressed as the Northeastern outlaws Cangaçeiros.
The Northeast was the first Brazilian piece of land to be touched by the Europeans, only native indigenous people lived there at that time. From that moment on a process of interaction (not often peaceful) started.The coastal area of the region is beautiful and rich but the country-side presents a very arid space and this reality helped shape the Nordestina identity. Another fact connected to their identity is the constant invasions, revolutions and internal conflicts (still nowadays) in the region, producing the popular outlaws Cangaceiros, who ended up being inherent part of the local culture. This constant instability and some other reasons prevented the Northeast to develop as a whole and the humble but work-experienced character is also present in their identity, often trying to keep a kind of conservative (not politically) stance in the middle of so many difficulties. Regarding food, traditions, music and customs in general, the Northeast is rich and it's impressive how such a large region, composed by different states with different ecoregions keep the same identity, they raise the same flag of Nordestina Identity. It doesn't happen anywhere else in Brazil, not even the South with the Gaúchos could reach such unity. I can't deny the fact that under the radar and maybe in their real lives there are light conflicts and differences between the states and their local variations of the culture but to know this well would require me a huge amount of time to study and research so I will save it for later. Regarding the mix of the rock music and the local folk music, the Northeastern culture has some unique points that must be mentioned here. While the rock music or influences of rock in the folk music ended up being relatively accepted (e.g. Zé Ramalho, Alceu Valença) when made from around mid-70's early 80's, the Rock music itself didn't reach the achievement of being part of the local culture, as done in São Paulo and Brasília. The Northeastearners in general preferred to keep what they called theirs, the Nordestina Music. Only Manguebeat movement in the early 90's reached higher and also deeper, now being really part of the Nordestina Culture with its rock music and beats. I must also mention specifically the Heavy Metal, the headbanger attitude and lifestyle ended up clashing with the local culture, in a negative way. Many metalheads and fans of black metal in the Northeast state that they dislike the local culture and don't want to part of it, they stand against it by having a metal lifestyle. The two bands of this compilation Cangaço and Baião d'Doido came to light inside the context mentioned, but recently, and by that I mean the last one or two decades, bands like those (which mix folk and rock/metal) have been reporting better acceptance, culminating in the creation of the Levante do Metal Nativo, a group of bands with typically Brazilian topics or music styles inside their music (which apparently seems not so active as of 2020). Lastly, I want to note still another observation that surprised me a little: The bands which mix folk with metal/hardcore in the Northeast region have presented more aggressive music and often dense topics and lyrics, in this sense differing from the local traditional music which is often quite "festive".
Track 11: Arandu Arakuaa - Gûyrá (3:49)
Track 12: Arandu Arakuaa - Padi (4:13)
Track 12: Arandu Arakuaa - Padi (4:13)
Represented Culture: Indigenous Peoples of Brazil
Group's Brazilian State: Tocantins (Northern Brazil)
My Comment On The Brazilian Indigenous Culture:
The indigenous people of Brazil are known by all Brazilians, but only (very) superficially known, the rest of the world is now almost totally indifferent to their existence, being only recently brought to light again by the discussion on the fires in the Amazon forest in 2019. Some natives (mostly Tupinambá) were of European (mostly France) interest in the past, sometimes for cultural studies and sometimes only for entertainment. In the Southeast, in the future São Paulo, we have the story of the Tupiniquim cacique Tibiriçá, who received the European João Ramalho after a possible shipwreck and from that a friendship started, having the Portuguese man even marrying his daughter Bartira. From this couple it is considered the beginning of the Paulista People. In the extreme South, the Gaúcho people, as aforementioned, is a mix of Spanish (and Portuguese) with the Charruas (among other indigenous ethnicities). Although we can point in History this race mixing, the relationship was often complex. The indigenous people were used to the concept of slavery, having slaves from other tribes who would live among the victorious tribe after losing wars but now a new player comes to the game: The Portuguese. It's impossible here to mention all indigenous peoples in Brazilian soil, but the list once comprised an estimante of 2000 tribes. Back to Northern Brazil, I must say it is a quite an obscure region for the people of other states, who never hear of any folk music or even traditions from the deep Amazon forests, so having a band that mix a very unknown-folk music with rock/metal is actually double innovation. There is a recently revived discussion about the level of autonomy should indigenous people have in the Amazon area, but regardless opinions about this matter, this mystery that still remains about the indigenous people of Brazil and their many different tribes and traditions must be revealed.
The indigenous people of Brazil are known by all Brazilians, but only (very) superficially known, the rest of the world is now almost totally indifferent to their existence, being only recently brought to light again by the discussion on the fires in the Amazon forest in 2019. Some natives (mostly Tupinambá) were of European (mostly France) interest in the past, sometimes for cultural studies and sometimes only for entertainment. In the Southeast, in the future São Paulo, we have the story of the Tupiniquim cacique Tibiriçá, who received the European João Ramalho after a possible shipwreck and from that a friendship started, having the Portuguese man even marrying his daughter Bartira. From this couple it is considered the beginning of the Paulista People. In the extreme South, the Gaúcho people, as aforementioned, is a mix of Spanish (and Portuguese) with the Charruas (among other indigenous ethnicities). Although we can point in History this race mixing, the relationship was often complex. The indigenous people were used to the concept of slavery, having slaves from other tribes who would live among the victorious tribe after losing wars but now a new player comes to the game: The Portuguese. It's impossible here to mention all indigenous peoples in Brazilian soil, but the list once comprised an estimante of 2000 tribes. Back to Northern Brazil, I must say it is a quite an obscure region for the people of other states, who never hear of any folk music or even traditions from the deep Amazon forests, so having a band that mix a very unknown-folk music with rock/metal is actually double innovation. There is a recently revived discussion about the level of autonomy should indigenous people have in the Amazon area, but regardless opinions about this matter, this mystery that still remains about the indigenous people of Brazil and their many different tribes and traditions must be revealed.
BONUS SONGS
The two songs included here don't follow the criteria I had for this compilation but they are worth mentioning and I below describe the reasons.
Track 13: Ira! - Fui no Itororó
"Fui no Itororó" is a Brazilian nursery rhyme. The style has the name "Cantigas de Roda" in Brazil. The name of the song refers to the Itororó River in Santos, São Paulo. This version is interpreted by IRA! (São Paulo) and actually the singer sings "fui no Tororó" removing the initial letter "I". This variation is very common throughout the country. The song was recorded for the album "Músicas Daqui Ritmos do Mundo" (Songs From Here Styles From the World).
IRA! (early 80's) was one of the few Brazilians bands that initially adopted the Mod culture. As years past the band got closer in style to the other Brazilian rock bands of middle 80's and 90's.
Track 14: Angra - Caça e Caçador
This melodic metal song was released in 2002 and it's included here because of some elements of it. It's sung in Portuguese, it has instruments and arrangements of the Nordestina Music (the one mentioned above) and its lyrics has elements that can be connected to the Brazilian lands (as the bird carcará and the mention of rivers and mountains). "Caça e Caçador" is sung by Edu Falaschi.
Angra is undoubtedly one of the greatest bands in Brazil. Already in its first release (Angels Cry) in 1993 the band blended elements of the Brazilian music and Heavy Metal (but with songs in English), as it had always been a wish of the amazing composer, vocalist, producer and piano player Andre Matos, who was also a polyglot.
1. Chiquito e Bordoneio - Enforquilhado (4:57)
2. Hardneja Sertacore - Reconheço Que Sou Grosso (1:50)3. Die Roeder's - Sou de Pomerode (4:06)
4. Charme Chulo - Brasil Sacanagem (2:35)
5. Guerreiros Paulistas - Saudades de Iguape (1:46)
6. Los Hermanos - Vassourinhas & Pierrot (2:59)
7. Los Hermanos - Máscara Negra (1:48)
8. Cangaço - Bombardeio No Ceará (4:31)
9. Baião d'Doido - Be-a-bá Do Sertão (2:59)
10. Chico Science - Lixo do Mangue & Enquanto O Mundo Explode (live) (3:48)
11. Arandu Arakuaa - Gûyrá (3:49)
12. Arandu Arakuaa - Padi (4:13)
13. Ira! - Fui No Itororó (2:25)
14. Angra - Caça e Caçador (6:31)
Download Folk Rock Brazil
(low quality mp3 here, support the artist on streaming and/or buying their music)
(low quality mp3 here, support the artist on streaming and/or buying their music)
EXTRA MAP INFO WITH SOME VIDEO LINKS
Indigenous people in Brazil around 1500 A.D.
Dialects of the Brazilian Portuguese (I speak number 9)
The interesting and mysterious Peabiru track
Nieuw-Holland: The top right part of Northeast Brazil was Dutch for 24 years
A genetic research revealed the origin of the people living in the Caatinga region in Northeast Brazil: 56,8 % Europe (Portugal and Holland); 22,9% Kenya, Africa; 20,3% Bangladesh, Asia (which refers to the origin of the Brazilian indigenous population)
Salvador, a town full of History and traditions in Bahia is the one with the most Afro Brazilians in the country
Distribution of Afro-Brazilians throughout the country
Brazil was formed with Africans from different ethnicities and tribes. One of them was composed of Muslim Africans. Their conditions as slaves was unacceptable so they revolted against their masters in what became known as Malê Revolt
Muslim population in Brazil. It's clear their gathering in the region of São Paulo City and Foz do Iguaçú in Paraná
Distribution of population in Brazil
While South American ex-colonies became republics, Brazil became an Empire and could have been even greater.
If the Bandeirantes had respected the limit imposed by Tordesilhas' Treaty when doing their "bandeiras" (explorations), Brazil wouldn't be that huge nowadays
Jewish population in Brazil
Christians in Brazil: The orange represents the Catholics and the blue the Protestant / Evangelicals. The most Catholic town is União da Serra (99%), the less Catholic is also the most Protestant which is Arroio do Padre (86%) (which is very ironic, once the name of the town means "Priest's stream")
Christians in Brazil: Although the number of Roman Catholics are decreasing, while Evangelicals and non-religious are growing, Christians still represent almost 90% of the country!
Salvador, a town full of History and traditions in Bahia is the one with the most Afro Brazilians in the country
Distribution of Afro-Brazilians throughout the country
Brazil was formed with Africans from different ethnicities and tribes. One of them was composed of Muslim Africans. Their conditions as slaves was unacceptable so they revolted against their masters in what became known as Malê Revolt
Muslim population in Brazil. It's clear their gathering in the region of São Paulo City and Foz do Iguaçú in Paraná
Distribution of population in Brazil
While South American ex-colonies became republics, Brazil became an Empire and could have been even greater.
If the Bandeirantes had respected the limit imposed by Tordesilhas' Treaty when doing their "bandeiras" (explorations), Brazil wouldn't be that huge nowadays
Jewish population in Brazil
Christians in Brazil: The orange represents the Catholics and the blue the Protestant / Evangelicals. The most Catholic town is União da Serra (99%), the less Catholic is also the most Protestant which is Arroio do Padre (86%) (which is very ironic, once the name of the town means "Priest's stream")
Christians in Brazil: Although the number of Roman Catholics are decreasing, while Evangelicals and non-religious are growing, Christians still represent almost 90% of the country!
Map of cultures in Brazil (but I don't completely agree with those definitions)
The major ascendancy of the inhabitants of São Paulo
Italians, Portuguese and Spanish, Germans, Japanese, Slavic
Italians, Portuguese and Spanish, Germans, Japanese, Slavic
A closer look on the cultural manifestations in South Brazil
Some of the revolts, conflicts and separatists movements in the History of Brazil
