Brazil is a country of extreme poverty and enormous wealth, hardships and beauty, vibrancy and crime, enormous cities, and pristine forests. Through it, all Brazilians are united by the spirit of celebration. Even when they protest (which is often) they celebrate. They live in the moment and live the best they can in this diverse, complex, ethnically mixed country.
With the Rio 2016 Olympics, the Brazilians zest for celebration has gone global as international visitors share in the delights and dangers of this crazy, colorful, collage of a country. Sophie touched down in time for the opening celebration, with her ticket safe and secure in her bespoke leather wallet she has safely put in her leather shopper bag together with her new LUC8K Cardholder. She immediately fit right in dancing to the samba and mingling in the spectacle of daily life, relaxing on the beaches and enjoying the national drink, the sweet and citrusy Caipirinha.
Sophie and LUC8K are all about color and personal style and this is a country that screams both with a sexy edge unlike anywhere on earth. The style of the men and women are both personal and reflect the natural colors of the country’s flora and fauna, stretching from the great Amazon Rainforest to the pristine white-sand beaches.
Music and art play such a ubiquitous role in the country and like the mix of ethnic groups and cultures it is diverse and distinct, despite taking its influences from around the world. The original styles and sounds include samba, bossa nova, MPB, sertanejo, pagode, tropicalia, choro, maracatu, mangue beat, funk carioca, frevo, forró, and lambada.
Meanwhile, Brazilian contemporary art and photography have shaken the shackles of its western Christian influence and developed into one of the most creative in all of Latin America, growing an international prominence each year with exhibitions and publications.
The source of this boundless creative output comes from the Favelas, Brazil’s poorest neighborhoods that surround its large cities. It’s estimated that 6 percent of Brazil’s population live in these slums. Sophie understands that a sad part of the human condition is that poverty is often the source of outsized creativity. For those living in the horrid conditions of the Favelas, music and art are the only way out.
Let’s not forget that Sophie went to the Rio 2016 Opening Ceremony where she witnessed the country’s story in monumental spectacle and the unity that is promoted by the Olympic movement. She was amazed by the performances, the athletes, and the crowds. Afterward, she danced into the night, and even though that if she ever had to leave her native Africa, she would be happy to settle in Rio.
Sophie’s favorite part of the opening ceremony? Pita Taufatofua, the muscular flag-bearer from Tonga.
