Story and Photos by Carol Canter
The annual approach of Carnival turns my thoughts to Brazil and especially to Rio de Janeiro. I fell madly in love with A Cidade Maravilhosa (marvelous city) half a century before I ever set foot there, when I saw Black Orpheus (Orfeu Negro) for the first time. The 1959 film, directed by French director Marcel Camus, plays out the tragic Greek love story of Orpheus and Eurydice in a modern favela (slum) overlooking Brazil’s legendary city. Along with the arresting visuals and pounding rhythms of Carnival, the film introduced to the world a new beat called Bossa Nova, with a soundtrack of classics like “Mañha de Carnaval” and “A Felicidade” that to this day are beloved worldwide.
Leave a Reply