Cultures of Brazil Festival in MIA Park

Events Details

The Cultures of Brazil Festival brings a colourful slice of the energy and creativity of Brazil to Qatar for a week long series of events presented at the MIA Park and additional cultural venues in Doha. Some of Brazil’s leading popular, classical and jazz musicians will perform in a beautifully-conceived outdoor setting that will include stages, food stalls and a ‘Copacabana Sidewalk’. The festival will include a Carnival Procession with floats designed by Qatari schoolchildren working with designers from Brazil’s leading Carnival groups. Brazil will be celebrated with music, story-telling, beach football, and stands selling Brazilian street food.

Entertainment and Food

Brazil Festival offers a rare opportunity to hear the extraordinary sounds of one of Brazil’s most authentic Samba groups, the acclaimed ten piece Samba Chula São Braz from Salvador de Bahia in North Eastern Brazil.

They bring their unique mixture of African rhythms and American blues coupled with evocative poetry and song to the beautiful open –air setting of MIA Park. The band will be performing for three nights while Doha Jazz will be performing a tailored set of Brazilian bossa nova and Latin American sounds.

Brazilian cuisine will be available, which will include regional specialties and street food provided by Brazilian restaurant and Rodizio. Trader Vics and MIA Café will also be sharing the culinary scene offering a variety of succulent, mouth-watering bites.

Film Screenings, Grafitti Workshops and family Activities

Brazil Festival! features open-air cinema screenings of the hit family movies ‘Rio’ and ‘Rio 2’, set in Brazil and featuring the lovable spix macaw parrot. A special screening of the award-winning nature film ‘Amazonia’, which follows the journey of a monkey through the Amazon Rain Forest. Films are selected by the Doha Film Institute.

Acclaimed Brazilian artist Speto, whose work incorporates traditional Brazilian heritage into modern street art, will share his skills in adult and children’sworkshops. Story-telling sessions by Maktaba recounting Brazilian folklore, in both English and Arabic, will be held for children.

Samba drumming workshops will teach both children and adults drumming techniques. A carnival mask-making and face painting booth will mimic the revelry and extravagance of the Rio Carnival.

Film, Art and Photography Exhibitions

Art and photography exhibitions along with other art-based activities for families will be presented. The Qatar Brazil: A Journey from the Amazon to the Desert exhibition will be held, which will depict the cross-country representations of the works of Qatari and Brazilian photographers from their cultural exchange trips. The Create and Inspire 2014 exhibition will showcase the photography, films and artwork created by the winners of Create & Inspire 2014. As part of the Qatar Brazil 2014 Year of Culture initiative, and funded by the Crossway Foundation, the exhibition will explore the unique visual interpretations of young artists from Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and the UK in their travels across Brazil. Traditional crafts representing all 27 Brazilian States will also be on display with crafts collective Artesol. Three Brazilian artisans will be demonstrating unique craftsmanship techniques during live performances.