Samba spirit hits Moscow
Published 28 July, 2008, 16:45
Brazilian heat has takenhold of Moscow. Bringing Russians the fiery and joyful spirit of the South America, “The Brahma Island” festival has been held for the fourth time. This year organisers recreated the atmosphere of famous Copacabana beach on the shore of the Moskva river.
The extraordinary party at Serebryany Bor park gathered crowds of Muscovites. And even though there are no palms, no white sand and the Moskva River instead of the Atlantic Ocean, the Latin beat was authentic.
Ilya Muratov, the festival’s organiser, says: “It's the sunny spirits that make the Brazilian themes so attractive to us. Our summer is very short, we have a lack of sun and we're longing for something hot!”
Those who wanted to take a closer look at Brazilian culture had a chance to learn one of its most ancient traditions, capoeira.
A blend of martial art, dance and music, it was developed in the 16th century by slaves brought to Latin America from Africa. Capoeira started as a reaction to their oppression and developed into an art-form with an international following.
The festival is more than just a huge beach party. It's about bringing together cultures from different continents.
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