RIO ROCKS

An Extra Day of Rock in Rio Added

July 19, 2011 | Filed underEntertainment | Posted by Patricia Maresch

By Patricia Maresch, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The organizers of Rock in Rio 2011 recently announced the line-up for the festival’s extra day, Thursday, September 29th. The additional day features the legendary Stevie Wonder, and the British acts Jamiroquai and Joss Stone – who will perform solo. Also the American urban artist Janelle Monáe, whose 2010 Grammy nomination song “Tightrope” will be on the ticket.

Stevie Wonder will perform on Rock in Rio's extra festival day, photo by cliff1066/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

The tickets for the first two weekends went on sale on May 7th and all 600,000 were sold out within four days, leaving scores of fans disappointed.

The decision to have an extra day was announced mid-June in response to a request from Rio’s mayor Eduardo Paes and the high volume of fans who were asking for tickets on Twitter and Facebook. It’s the first time in the 26 years of Rock in Rio’s existence that the organization decided to add a day to the festival.

Perhaps the biggest name on the new day is Stevie Wonder, a music icon who has sold over a 100 million records and won 25 Grammy Awards. He scored hits with “Isn’t She Lovely” and “Superstition.” Wonder has worked with artists like Michael Jackson, Paul McCartney and Prince and is said to be a major influence on artists who are performing at Rock in Rio as well, such as the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Alicia Keys.

“The line up for the extra day is fantastic, perhaps even the best of all,” says Dutch cultural exchange consultant Marlies van Exter, who has lived in Rio for eight years. “Finally, with festivals like this we see some great acts performing in Rio.”

Janelle Monáe will perform at Rock in Rio on September 29th, 2011, photo by Joe Mabel/Wikimedia Creative Commons License.

There are now some 200 confirmed performances of international and Brazilian artists. They will perform on four stages: World Stage, Sunset Stage, Electronic Stage and Rock Street.

Besides a run on tickets, there is also a high demand in hotels and hostels. Riotur (Rio’s Secretary of Tourism) expects that 315,000 tourists will attend the festival, which – according to the Brazilian Association of Hotels – will probably lead to a record hotel occupancy rate of 98 percent. Many Cariocas are considering offering lodging to outside visitors through sites such as Couchsurfing.

A Riotur study predicts that ten percent of the visitors will be foreign, 35 percent Brazilian tourists and 55 percent from Rio. Spending by tourists is estimated at R$365 million (US$233 million).

Following early indications of the events success, Roberta Medina, vice president of the festival, has already announced that there will be another edition of the festival in Barra da Tijuca in 2013.

The first Rock in Rio was held in January 1985, and by drawing 1.4 million people it is believed to be the largest rock festival in the world. The next editions were in 1991 and 2001, before the festival went overseas, with Rock in Rio concerts held in Lisbon and Madrid.

This year Rock in Rio takes place on September 23rd, 24th, 25th, 29th, and 30th, and on the 1st and 2nd of October at the Parque Olímpico Cidade do Rock in Barra da Tijuca. Among the headline acts: Guns N Roses, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Coldplay, Metallica, Elton John, Jay-Z, Lenny Kravitz, Shakira, Rihanna, Ivete Sangalo and Snow Patrol.

Official ticket sales for the extra day starts one minute after midnight on July 23rd, online only atwww.rockinrio.com.br at R$190 (US$120). There is a limit of four tickets per person (per CPF) and only one of those can be half-priced.

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS

BRAZILIAN AIR PASS:FOR MULTI-DESTINATION TRAVEL The Brazilian Air Pass is a cheap way of doing multi-destination trips in such a big country as Brazil. If you are planning some multi-destination travel, consider the Brazilian Air Pass, for internal flights. Without it, flying in Brazil can much more expensive. The Brazilian Air Pass is a product of the two major brazilian air carriers: the TAM and the Varig (both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance). You can buy the pass either via TAM or via Varig offices or their representations (see details below).  Brazilian Air Pass: Validity, formats 1 – Brazilian air passes are valid for stays between 3 days (minimum) and 21 days (including the day of departure) and are only available to foreigners and brazilians residing abroad. They are issued by the major brazilian air carriers: TAM, Varig and Transbrasil. 2 - The most common airpass format has four flight coupons (4 destinations) and costs US$ 490.00 (and small additional fees). Additional flight coupons (for visiting additional cities) may be purchased for US$100-$130 each. 3 – Air passes are valid for flights between the brazilian airports served by the carrier to whom you buy the pass, except for shuttle flights between Congonhas airport (São Paulo) and Santos Dumont airport (Rio de Janeiro).  Acquisition, rules, children, unused passes, pre-scheduling of the flights 4 - You have to buy the Brazil Airpass outside Brazil, in the country where you are resident. You can’t buy it in Brazil. Coupons must be purchased before international departure. 5 - You have to present the round-trip international tickets (or a copy, or a proof of purchasing) to buy the airpass. 6 - There is no airpass discount for children with more than three years old. Infants with less than three years old benefit from a 90% discount. Each person must have an airpass. 7 – Air passes are refundable if unused. Partially used air passes are non-refundable. 8 – You can’t buy the Brazilian Air Pass without scheduling the internal flights you want to do in Brazil. Flights must be booked and confirmed for the whole itinerary in the moment of the purchase of the Air Pass. So, plan well your travel, with all the destinations and the days involved, before contacting TAM or Varig (the main Brazilian air carriers) offices or their reservation centres.  TAM and Varig Air Passes 10 –Varig Airpass is more restrictive than TAM’s one: passengers must have an international ticket on a Star Alliance carrier (Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines, and Varig Airlines); otherwise, airpass prices are higher. 11 - The airpass is not valid on all Brazilian carriers: if you buy a TAM airpass, it allows you to flight in TAM brazilian flights; if you by a Varig Airpass, it allows you to flight in brazilian Varig Airlines and their affiliates (RioSul and Nordeste). The alternative Varig Airpass/TAM airpass isn’t an important issue. Both companies have a large brazilian territory covering and are comparable in importance.  Reservations 12 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through TAM:  TAM Airlines From USA, you can also call to: 1-888-235-9826 or 1-888-2FLY-TAM. For calls from other countries see phone numbers on  TAM Airlines 13 - For Brazilian Airpass information and reservations through Varig:  Varig Airlines From USA and Canada, you can also call to: 1800 468 2744 or 1800 GO VARIG; For calls from other countries, see phone numbers on  Varig Airlines You can also contact any of these carriers (for Varig Airpass):  Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Austrian Airlines, BMI British Midland, Lufthansa, Mexicana Airlines, Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines.    For more information about packages and multi-destination travel in Brazil, see: Planning your Brazilian tour …  Multi-destination travel in Brazil

PROTESTERS IN BRAZIL

Understanding Brazil: Protesting

By Ricky Skelton
June 21, 2011

A lot has been made of Brazil‘s strong economy, and complete avoidance of the 2008 Global Economic Crisis. Some put it down to Lula‘s skilful handling of the economy, although as his policy was just to hope that Brazil didn‘t catch the cold, then it was clearly nothing to do with him. Many people far more knowledgeable than me, including some on Gringoes.com‘s very own forums, have been predicting if not a crisis, then certainly a downturn in Brazil‘s economy. It seems to be about to come to pass, although bearing in mind that hardly any Global Economic Experts predicted the biggest crash in decades a couple of years ago, I wouldn‘t bet the house on their advice just yet.

There are signs though. The Real is supposedly the most over-valued currency on the planet (read the forums...), and the strong economy has been a disaster for Brazil‘s exports, as far cheaper Asian substitutes take over the business. One huge pointer as to the economic situation was Dilma‘s refusal in February to raise the salario minimo higher than R$545 after promising on being elected that it would rise to a whopping R$600 in 2011. Economic indicators state that Brazil‘s economy cannot afford such an increase in order to stay competitive. The downturn in exports is beginning to kick in, with many manufacturers of goods such as cars now having surplus stock. Car prices are expected to drop as a result.

At the sharp end of the wedge are the Brazilian workers, especially the public employees. With inflation maintained at around 6%, the average wage of your average Brazilian has been effectively dropping for the last few years, as prices increase far more than salaries. Something has to give, the economy cannot stay so strong if not everybody benefits, and clearly there is no trickle-down effect. Perhaps the likes of Sergio Cabral and Antonio Palocci‘s consultancy fees have meant that there is no money available for everyone else.

Recent posts circulating on Facebook have given the idea that Brazilians may be finally getting shaken out of their shoulder-shrugging, ‘what-can-you-do‘ torpor, and about to protest.

BOPE: R$2.260,00 prá arriscar a vida!
Bombeiro: R$960,00 prá salvar vidas!
Professor: R$728,00 prá preparar para a vida!
SÉRGIO CABRAL: R$17.000,00 prá ‘bagunçar‘ a VIDA dos outros.
Vergonha Nacional.

Brazilians as a population have always been curiously reluctant to protest about anything, unlike their neighbours in Argentina, Bolivia and Peru. Strikes and protests just don‘t happen here, whether through fear of reprisals that stem from the period of Military Dictatorship or something deeper in the Brazilian psyche.

The surest sign of an economy hitting trouble is an increase in the protests of workers. The first ones in Brazil are here, with the Bombeiros of Rio protesting about an increase in their salary from a paltry R$960, most of which is made up in benefits rather than wage. It is good to see such protests in Brazil, less good to see the dictatorship-style way that Cabral ordered BOPE to put an end to the situation. The protests have now spread to more public areas, such as outside Copacabana Palace, with more people involved. Who knows how long they will continue.

It would be nice to think that any downturn in the Brazilian economy could lead to an increase in this type of protest. If Brazil‘s coming ‘crisis‘ could help waken the dormant Latin American Protest gene, then Brazil as a whole might benefit in the long term. Citizens more willing to protest against the excesses of the country‘s political elite. Citizens from other walks of life, other communities prepared to follow Marina Silva‘s lead and move into politics perhaps, and help dilute the influence of those in power at the moment, the wealthy, land-owning elite. If you watch any of the Brazilian Parliament footage, it is quite staggering how unrepresentative of the Brazilian population the overwhelmingly white, male congress remains, despite having a female president. Surely a country ruled by a more representative cross-section of Brazilian society would result in a fairer sharing of the wealth, and help Brazil become the country it already imagines itself to be.