What to Watch, Read, and Listen to Before a Trip to Rio
From modernist novels to bossa nova classics.
It only makes sense why Rio de Janeiro, a city abounding in the vibrant colors of festive beachgoers and the raucous sounds of Carnival, would provide the setting for some of the greatest pieces of film, art, and literature. With a diverse population, blend of architecture old and new, and more music genres than one can count, it’s a city that’s hard to categorize, and that makes for some really rich story-telling. Take, for example, the music we associate most with Rio: samba. To say that it’s any one thing would be grossly underselling it, since there are a number of offshoots to consider: bossa nova, pagode, samba reggae, and MBP (música popular Brasileira), to name just a few.
And while Brazilians have taken influence from Europe and North America, they’ve borrowed in such a way that engenders a form uniquely their own—whether that’s Funk Carioca, which embraces New York Hip Hop, or Hélio Oiticica’s interactive art installations, which espouse the concept of a plural Brazilian identity. Have you ever seen a chair designed by Joaquim Tenreiro? It’s everything you love about mid-century modern, but with the coastal combo of wicker and wood. Neighborhoods like Santa Theresa, whose aging mansions have now been turned into art galleries, record shops, and design studios by artists and intellectuals, is one of the few places on earth we can still categorize as bohemian.
If you’re planning a trip to Brazil’s most famous city, here’s how to enter into the imagination of a carioca.
Watch
Frequently regarded as one of the greatest films of the 21st century, City of God is one of those movies that requires a rewatch every few years, just to be reminded of how good it is. Adapted from a novel by Paolo Lins and directed by Fernando Meirelles, it’s a story told through the photographic lens of a young man named Rocket, who navigates the drug-related violence that occurs within the favelas of Rio. Its fast-paced tempo, real-life actors, and local soundtrack work to create something unforgettable. A sequel, called City of God: The Fight Rages On, was recently released on Max as a six-part series.
Taking it’s title from Rio’s major train station, Central Station is about the relationship between a former schoolteacher named Dora who makes money helping illiterate citizens of Rio write letters to their families (and then never sending the envelopes) and a nine-year-old boy named Josue, who comes under Dora’s care when she finds him abandoned. The two set out on a road journey to find Josue’s long-lost father. It’s a film that’s captured the hearts of many Brazilians, and earned Fernanda Montenegro an Academy Award for Best Actress nomination (the only Brazilian actress in that category to date).
Ignore that this was directed by a French guy. Watch this film, starring Jean Paul Belmondo, for the eye candy—stunning shots of Sugarloaf Mountain, Ipanema’s mosaic-lined walkway, and (even though most are located in Brasilia) Oscar Niemeyer’s futuristic architecture. The fast-paced plot follows an army private who embarks on a mission to rescue his girlfriend, who’s been abducted by thieves and brought to Rio.
Read
Lispector, a Ukrainian-born Brazilian novelist, journalist, and short story writer, is perhaps not as widely known in the US as she should be, but in Rio, framed photos of her line every bookstore. Often compared to Virginia Woolf for her experimental meditations, Lispector’s stream of consciousness never feels rambly, but is instead packed with lyrics so hit-you-in-the-face resonant, you’ll find yourself underlining every other sentence. Start, ironically, with her last book, The Hour of the Star, which follows a working class woman named Macabea through the streets of Rio.
You might be familiar with Paulo Coelho’s most famous work, The Alchemist, and if you’re a fan of that title, check out Eleven Minutes, which recounts the experience of a young Brazilian named Maria who embarks on a journey of sexual discovery. Though it begins in Rio, most of the novel admittedly takes place in Geneva, Switzerland. But it’s worth getting to know one of Brazil’s most cherished writers.
In this contemporary novel by Idra Novey (who is also known for translating Lispector), a celebrated Brazilian writer named Beatriz Yagoda mysteriously vanishes, inspiring an American translator of her work to take to Rio and solve the mystery of Yagoda’s disappearance. This page-turner of a novel is a reflection on the complexities of translation—and it’s funny, too.
Listen
It’s the album that introduced the world to bossa nova with the song, The Girl from Ipanema, and it’s imperative that you listen to it while visualizing yourself on Rio’s bustling seaside. Considered by many to be one of the greatest jazz albums of all time, Getz/Gilberto can be credited for the very best in elevator music. Bonus: If you’re interested in the genre of bossa nova, be sure to add the animated documentary, They Shot the Piano Player, to your watchlist.
Tropicalía was a Brazilian artistic movement that arose in the ’60s, characterized by a melding of diverse influences, and when it came to music, it meant everything from samba and African rhythms to psychedelia and The Beatles. This album served as the movement’s manifesto and was considered to be pretty radical at the time, as many of the lyrics pushed the boundaries of expression under a military dictatorship, poking fun at Brazilian society—it even landed Veloso and Gil some time in prison.
Tim Maia is one of the greats. Along with Jorge Ben, the Brazilian artist is famous for weaving North American black music—specifically soul—into the fabric of MBP. The album Tim Maia 1971 is a good place to acquaint yourself with his music, with popular tracks like “Não Quero Dinheiro.” Bonus: Maia makes an appearance on the City of God soundtrack, with “O Caminho Do Bem.”