Brazil and Brasil

For many times I got really angry with the BraZilian stereotype... and I would like to make at least people around me, to understand that the Brazil with Z is not the same Brasil with S. Mostly all the time the letter Z informs us that people are talk about one country which they do not live in or do not know very well. And that means a lot of mistakes and wrong stereotype as Samba, Rio, sun, carnival, black people and football everyday for whole year.

How many people know that we have also cold weather, 0 ºC and snow sometimes? That we have 5.561 cities and only few of them has beach? That means people do not use bikini all the time. Does it people knows that we all are not black? Only 6,3% Brazilian are black. The reason people believe in that is because of the black people on Carnival parade? Or maybe the many famous football players or the terrible movies like City of God? We are mixed with other bloods, as Portugal, Africa, Italy, Spain, Germany, Japan, China, Arabs Lebanon, so how could we be all blacks? Does the people around the world knows that even we have the biggest forest in the globe we do not live there inside and snakes, monkeys and elephants are not walking normally on the streets? We have some Indians living there with totally pure culture but some others has also internet? People Knows we have so many different culture, people, music, food, dance, religion and so on among the 27 states?

Some people get surprised after see a whole show of Alo Alo because I, Marcio Slam, more than a choreographer I am a person totally in love with Brazilian culture and do not want to give up to show in my performances with my group that we are samba, but not samba only, we are Brasil with S. That´s why sometimes I got angry with questions like: OH, you are Brazilian and how is possible you are not black? Oh, Brazilian... samba, sex, Ronado... How is possible you do not like football? I really believe that nowadays information is very available for most of the people, but I know not everybody has to know all about one country that they do not belong to, they do not need to know that the capital of Brasil is not Rio de Janeiro. That´s why I think is my mission as an artist living abroad and using the culture of my country, to show the people more than people who write Brazil with Z is showing. My performances are not only about sexy black dances, they are also blond, white, green, orange... it´s about culture.

We need Samba!

Last Tuesday, just after my lessons, I have been to K.U Bar for one performance of Alo Alo with the Brazilian singer André Sah. Was quite funny, some of my students came to show up and like always during the performances days, I met a lot of People which I cannot remember their names. Well,or the people has to forgive me for that or I should write it down with the pictures of the people under...Anyway...That day, one friend of mine in face book, by coincidence, wrote me to ask where she could go to dance and/or listen samba outside the lessons, I told her about the evening in K.U Bar and she came... actually she danced quite good sambaJ

The thing is, how to make the owners of bars and clubs to play more samba music, and better than that, start to promote more parties with Brazilian and Carnival stuff? Well, the answer is quite easy, people like Eva, Daša , Irena and the other people was there in a Tuesday evening, should really go to support not only the samba movement or me or Alo Alo or Andre Sah... but should go to support parties they like to go. Samba there is no yet the same fever like salsa has, first of all, because Samba comes from one country only, and salsa from many different places, and second, the Brazilian community is not that big here in Prague as in London, Paris, Berlin, US... places whit big big big Brazilian events very often.

So, my message for you today is: Keep helping the samba movement grow up in Prague going to parties even to say hello if you cannot stay longer and dance until finish. And behind of this message about helping samba movement has another one that it is: Help and support everything you believe and make you happy!

PUSU...M

Playing...

As you know, Brazilians are very into music and consequently dance. As many of my students keep asking who are the singers and groups I play during my samba lessons he is some names and tips about them.

Ivete Sangalo is the queen of Axé nowadays but this position, for me, she has to share with Daniela Mercury who started before Ivete and has a lot of awards and international career with 12 millions albums sold worldwide plus 8 millions only in Brazil. Both of them comes from Bahia and have a incredible vocal capacity and you can see all biography and discography in English at Wikipedia.

Mart´nalia, who is my new affair, one of my favourite cds is the one Live in Berlin. She has a famous father, Martinho da Villa, a samba singer also very good that I use to play time by time.

Elza Soares, Jesus...this one is incredible…she is 71 years old and still performing in her best with a unique voice that Louis Armstrong used to call her: My Daughter.

Also, I like use to play Roberta Sá, É o than, Margareth Menezes, Beth Carvalho, Olodum, Timbalada, Alcione, Fernanda Abreu, Carlinhos Brown, Monobloco, Zeca Pagodinho, Jorge Aragao...

Well...are many great things I use during my lessons… with the names you can find in internet more about them. After, I will bring you another list of Brazilian singers that I do not play on my lessons.

Have Fun!

Skin Cancer

Careful. Summer is coming and is more than normal that we got crazy to be under the sun everyday for hours trying to get that nice colour skin, right? I am not different babies, living in CZ I lost all my charm ...hehehe ! But we have to be careful with the sun and skin cancer ... and especially the people who is really white like milk...and that particularly I love it!

Skin cancer is the most common form of human cancer it is estimated that over 1 million new cases occur annually. The annual rates of all forms of skin cancer are increasing each year, representing a growing public concern. So guys, be careful during your vacations and limit recreational sun exposure, avoiding unprotected exposure to the sun during peak radiation times (the hours surrounding noon, regularly using a waterproof or water resistant sunscreen with UVA protection and SPF 30 or higher.

Against Depression

The practice of sports is a good outlet for people suffering from depression.

Arrangements for the two sports can bring excellent results. First, because the company of a friend can be a great stimulus and second, because the practice of sports behind good physical and psychological stimulus.

Moreover, many anti-depressive effects have improved with the practice of physical activities. Dancing lessons has the same effect for those people does not like sports... dance samba for exemple...hehehehhe

Happiness

Some people believed that they could cultivate the happiness in laboratory. Isolated to the world, banned complicated people from their history and the difficulties of their lives. They shouted: "We are free of problems!" But the happiness disappeared and left them a note: "I appreciate the smell of people and grow between the disorders of life.”

But where is the place to be happy? I, for myself, I am happy anywhere... I am happy in the bathroom when I feel the water falling on my body, washing the day. I am happy when I achieve something that I programmed...I am happy when I finish a good lesson and my students are feeling better after the working day. Anytime,anywhere...will be conducive to receive the visit of happiness...