0:00:02 > 0:00:05Brazil, the largest country in South America.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09Home to the world's greatest rainforest,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11to the biggest river system,
0:00:11 > 0:00:14famous for its sun, sea and samba.
0:00:18 > 0:00:22Today, it's one of the world's fastest growing economies.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25But that development has led to growing inequalities
0:00:25 > 0:00:27in income and wealth.
0:00:27 > 0:00:29Despite many protests,
0:00:29 > 0:00:34it is hosting both the World Cup and, in 2016, the Olympics.
0:00:34 > 0:00:38Football is worshipped here, like a national cult,
0:00:38 > 0:00:42but Brazil has another much older religion.
0:00:44 > 0:00:48One that has been here since its founding by the Portuguese
0:00:48 > 0:00:50almost 500 years ago.
0:00:52 > 0:00:55Outside of the United States, in terms of numbers,
0:00:55 > 0:00:59Brazil is the world's largest Christian country.
0:00:59 > 0:01:03While church attendance in Britain has been plummeting for decades,
0:01:03 > 0:01:06here in Brazil it's the opposite.
0:01:06 > 0:01:08I'm not a Brazilian,
0:01:08 > 0:01:11but I'm fascinated by this country's mixture of people,
0:01:11 > 0:01:15its religious history, its passion for music
0:01:15 > 0:01:17and its celebration of life.
0:01:17 > 0:01:21And at the heart of that life is a richly spiritual existence.
0:01:27 > 0:01:30So, are you practising two religions or one?
0:01:31 > 0:01:34TRANSLATION: Both are only one within the heart.
0:01:34 > 0:01:37That's something that you can smell in religion here,
0:01:37 > 0:01:39the mixture is everywhere.
0:01:39 > 0:01:44I want to explore the incredible spiritual diversity of Brazil
0:01:44 > 0:01:46by travelling to seven wonders.
0:01:50 > 0:01:55At each, I'll meet people to help me understand Brazil's complex past,
0:01:55 > 0:02:00what it means to be a part of this vibrant and exciting country,
0:02:00 > 0:02:04the key ingredients that contribute to the unique nature
0:02:04 > 0:02:06of Brazilian Christianity.
0:02:38 > 0:02:40There are still a few weeks to go,
0:02:40 > 0:02:44but the streets are already full as Rio de Janeiro gears up
0:02:44 > 0:02:47for its world-renowned Carnival.
0:02:48 > 0:02:52My name is Robert Beckford. I am a theologian
0:02:52 > 0:02:57and come from a family with British, West African and Jamaican ancestors.
0:02:57 > 0:03:00Well, I'm immediately struck at the incredible diversity
0:03:00 > 0:03:02of the people here,
0:03:02 > 0:03:07a bewildering fusion of race, ethnicity and culture.
0:03:09 > 0:03:13For years, I have studied and followed the politics
0:03:13 > 0:03:16and developments of countries that have forged new identities
0:03:16 > 0:03:19out of colonialism, slavery and immigration.
0:03:22 > 0:03:26Brazil was inhabited by numerous indigenous tribes for centuries,
0:03:26 > 0:03:30but it was the Portuguese who first opened it up to the West...
0:03:32 > 0:03:33..by accident.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37On the 22nd of April 1500,
0:03:37 > 0:03:41a small Portuguese fleet of just 13 ships and 1,500 men
0:03:41 > 0:03:45were on their way to India, when by chance they sighted
0:03:45 > 0:03:48the shores of what was later called Brazil.
0:03:50 > 0:03:53The first Portuguese who arrived in Brazil
0:03:53 > 0:03:58placed a cross on the shore as a statement of claiming
0:03:58 > 0:04:02this new-found land for Catholic Christendom.
0:04:04 > 0:04:06Two years later, in January, 1502,
0:04:06 > 0:04:12a few Portuguese ships exploring the coast arrived in this bay.
0:04:12 > 0:04:14Thinking it was a river delta,
0:04:14 > 0:04:19they named it the January River or Rio de Janeiro.
0:04:19 > 0:04:23It's not actually a river delta, but a large natural harbour.
0:04:26 > 0:04:31Dominating it today is our first wonder -
0:04:31 > 0:04:34the statue of Christ the Redeemer.
0:04:43 > 0:04:45It's not just a wonder of Brazil,
0:04:45 > 0:04:50but also now officially one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
0:04:57 > 0:05:01This extraordinary statue towers above the Rio skyline
0:05:01 > 0:05:05and has become an instantly recognisable symbol
0:05:05 > 0:05:07of Brazil across the world.
0:05:09 > 0:05:11As you arrive at its feet,
0:05:11 > 0:05:14you see not only what an engineering marvel it is,
0:05:14 > 0:05:18not only the amazing view in every direction,
0:05:18 > 0:05:21but the grand ambition of its creators' vision.
0:05:23 > 0:05:26When it was originally conceived,
0:05:26 > 0:05:30just after the First World War, Rio was Brazil's capital.
0:05:30 > 0:05:35A group of wealthy Brazilians feared an advancing tide of godlessness
0:05:35 > 0:05:41and they wanted a big statue to help reclaim Brazil for Christianity -
0:05:41 > 0:05:47a symbol to signify the redemption of mankind at Jesus' crucifixion
0:05:47 > 0:05:50that could be seen all over the city.
0:05:50 > 0:05:54So they decided to build it on the biggest hill.
0:05:59 > 0:06:01It's an astonishing achievement
0:06:01 > 0:06:05and you only fully appreciate it when you're up close.
0:06:05 > 0:06:09Despite its immense scale, the subtle details are amazing.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16You can actually see the marks of the nails in his hands
0:06:16 > 0:06:18and his heart is clearly marked out, too.
0:06:18 > 0:06:22It took ten years to build and is 30m tall
0:06:22 > 0:06:24and, until very recently,
0:06:24 > 0:06:28was the largest Art Deco statue in the world.
0:06:31 > 0:06:33Under the towering figure,
0:06:33 > 0:06:35I have arranged to meet Zeco de Mello.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39He was a Catholic priest for 18 years,
0:06:39 > 0:06:42becoming one of Brazil's pop-star preachers
0:06:42 > 0:06:45before giving it all up to be a professor of theology
0:06:45 > 0:06:47at a local university.
0:06:49 > 0:06:52I think that the symbolism of the Christ the Redeemer
0:06:52 > 0:06:56is mainly the protection that he inspires in us,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58and also the hospitality -
0:06:58 > 0:07:03he's facing the great bay so he's welcoming everybody.
0:07:03 > 0:07:05What was the vision behind its creation?
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Mainly to show how strong the Catholic faith is,
0:07:09 > 0:07:13definitely connected to the supremacy of the Catholic Church.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16Although it's meant to represent Christ at the moment
0:07:16 > 0:07:18of his agonising death,
0:07:18 > 0:07:22its real power for me is its open-armed gesture,
0:07:22 > 0:07:24drawing you into Brazil,
0:07:24 > 0:07:28a sense that anyone and everyone is welcome here.
0:07:28 > 0:07:32Something that is clearly not lost on the five million tourists
0:07:32 > 0:07:35who visit this site every year.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39On the statue's 75th anniversary in 2006,
0:07:39 > 0:07:42a special chapel was built into the base.
0:07:44 > 0:07:47Weddings and baptisms can be performed here
0:07:47 > 0:07:52and every Sunday there's a service performed by Padre Omar.
0:07:52 > 0:07:53Anyone can come.
0:08:26 > 0:08:30TRANSLATION: We've come to realise that this space
0:08:30 > 0:08:33brings a lot of symbolism.
0:08:33 > 0:08:37We saw the need to reopen the chapel, to become a place of prayer,
0:08:37 > 0:08:40of meeting God, to really sense the great meaning of Christ,
0:08:40 > 0:08:42the redeemer of the universe.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54Padre Omar is not only a priest, he's also a singer.
0:08:54 > 0:08:56And he wanted to explain to me that music,
0:08:56 > 0:09:00especially Brazil's famous samba, was a key ingredient
0:09:00 > 0:09:02in understanding Brazilian Christianity.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20TRANSLATION: I use music as an instrument of evangelisation,
0:09:20 > 0:09:23to make the message of Jesus Christ accessible to people.
0:09:28 > 0:09:31TRANSLATION: So, this integration between music, the samba,
0:09:31 > 0:09:34the Brazilian culture and the faith is of great importance
0:09:34 > 0:09:37to us and to our communication with the city.
0:09:47 > 0:09:49Thank you, thank you, thank you. Amen.
0:09:50 > 0:09:54How do you reconcile bringing African traditional music, samba,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57to Catholicism and bring the two together?
0:09:57 > 0:10:00TRANSLATION: The Bible shows us that we should praise God
0:10:00 > 0:10:01with our body and soul,
0:10:01 > 0:10:04we should sing and dance in the presence of God.
0:10:04 > 0:10:06And, in the same way, we do that,
0:10:06 > 0:10:09joining the musicality of Brazil and our faith.
0:10:09 > 0:10:12Like that, we created this important movement.
0:10:16 > 0:10:19Samba is a very African beat.
0:10:19 > 0:10:21How it came to Brazil
0:10:21 > 0:10:26and was integrated into the culture is a key part of our story.
0:10:26 > 0:10:30A clue to its origins lies 1,000 miles to the north
0:10:30 > 0:10:35in the city of Salvador, the first colonial capital.
0:10:35 > 0:10:37In the centre of the city lies
0:10:37 > 0:10:41one of Brazil's oldest colonial churches -
0:10:41 > 0:10:45our next wonder, the Sao Francisco Church.
0:11:07 > 0:11:09This is magnificent.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14Just look at the gold everywhere and the amazing, intricate work.
0:11:14 > 0:11:19This is an interior that sets out to impress, to overwhelm.
0:11:21 > 0:11:26Built at the height of Portugal's colonial empire in the 1700s,
0:11:26 > 0:11:30it is a church designed to show off the wealth and power
0:11:30 > 0:11:34of the Catholic establishment and the ruling elite of that time.
0:11:36 > 0:11:42All the surfaces, walls, columns, vaults, ceilings
0:11:42 > 0:11:45are covered with golden woodwork and paintings.
0:11:49 > 0:11:53Brazil at the time was a major source of gold.
0:11:55 > 0:12:00The church is a magnificent example of the baroque style of the time.
0:12:21 > 0:12:23Francisco, what would it have been like
0:12:23 > 0:12:26to have worshipped here in the 1800s?
0:12:44 > 0:12:46The altar is spectacular.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50Francisco, tell me the story behind the design of this altar.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27So gold was definitely plentiful.
0:13:38 > 0:13:41But this church hides a darker story.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43When the Portuguese came to Brazil
0:13:43 > 0:13:48they wanted to exploit this country for its natural resources.
0:13:48 > 0:13:50And for that they needed manpower.
0:13:50 > 0:13:53Massive manpower...and cheap.
0:13:53 > 0:13:57They decided to import Africans as slaves.
0:13:57 > 0:14:01Outside Africa, Brazil had the highest number of Africans,
0:14:01 > 0:14:03all slaves, in the world.
0:14:04 > 0:14:08The slaves, when they were first brought into the country,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10the minute they put their feet on the ground
0:14:10 > 0:14:12they had to be baptised.
0:14:12 > 0:14:15They had to forget...try to forget their religions
0:14:15 > 0:14:17and become Catholics.
0:14:19 > 0:14:20The slaves stood here.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23They were not allowed to go any further.
0:14:23 > 0:14:28And as a concession they were given these two saints to pray to.
0:14:34 > 0:14:37One of the worshippers at the church is Vandete.
0:14:37 > 0:14:39Her ancestors were slaves,
0:14:39 > 0:14:43brought here from Africa in the 1700s.
0:14:43 > 0:14:48She is a follower of a religion that for over 400 years
0:14:48 > 0:14:53has kept alive some of their original beliefs and traditions.
0:14:53 > 0:14:57Today, it's known as Candomble.
0:14:57 > 0:15:01Candomble temples are called casas, or houses,
0:15:01 > 0:15:05and Vandete is taking me to one of the largest in Salvador.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09Candomble is a kind of adaptation
0:15:09 > 0:15:13of certain aspects of popular Catholicism
0:15:13 > 0:15:16to an African belief system
0:15:16 > 0:15:21that the slaves maintained when they came to Brazil.
0:15:21 > 0:15:23DRUMS AND CHANTING
0:15:27 > 0:15:30Brazil was the last country in the world
0:15:30 > 0:15:32to officially abolish slavery.
0:15:32 > 0:15:34Until very recently
0:15:34 > 0:15:40Candomble followers could not openly perform their rituals and practices.
0:15:40 > 0:15:43CHANTING CONTINUES
0:15:43 > 0:15:50'Candomble became the focus of police repression.'
0:15:50 > 0:15:54Candomble sects were very often raided by the police.
0:15:54 > 0:15:57That was at a period of time
0:15:57 > 0:16:01when Brazilian governments wanted Brazil
0:16:01 > 0:16:05to become a kind of "European" country.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09The head priestess told me that to avoid prosecution
0:16:09 > 0:16:13they even had to conceal their religious icons
0:16:13 > 0:16:16behind statues of Christian saints.
0:16:16 > 0:16:19- TRANSLATION:- Here's an altar.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23But inside here it's hollow, it's empty.
0:16:23 > 0:16:27So you'd have here, for example, St Anthony.
0:16:27 > 0:16:30But inside, underneath, would be an African god.
0:16:32 > 0:16:36So the African gods were hidden behind the Christian saints?
0:16:36 > 0:16:39Yes, because of the prohibition.
0:16:39 > 0:16:41They said the ceremonies caused fear
0:16:41 > 0:16:45because they didn't know the symbolism of our religion.
0:16:45 > 0:16:46They didn't respect it
0:16:46 > 0:16:49because those were black people's things,
0:16:49 > 0:16:52people of African origin.
0:16:52 > 0:16:55Today, nearly two million Brazilians
0:16:55 > 0:16:57claim to be followers of this religion.
0:16:57 > 0:17:01It translates as "a dance to the gods".
0:17:01 > 0:17:05They use the repetitive and rhythmic music and dance
0:17:05 > 0:17:07as a call to the spirits.
0:17:07 > 0:17:11At its height, the dancers enter into a trance-like state.
0:17:13 > 0:17:16- TRANSLATION:- It should be made very clear
0:17:16 > 0:17:19that we understand that religion for us
0:17:19 > 0:17:22is an expression of spirituality.
0:17:22 > 0:17:25Christianity, Candomble, Spiritism,
0:17:25 > 0:17:28these are the same with different names.
0:17:28 > 0:17:33But the great, great essence is religiosity. It's the feeling.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40What I've seen here
0:17:40 > 0:17:44my ancestors would have practised in Africa centuries ago
0:17:44 > 0:17:46and it's still taking place here in Brazil,
0:17:46 > 0:17:48nearly 400 years on!
0:17:50 > 0:17:53Worshippers of Candomble believe that every person
0:17:53 > 0:17:56has their own individual Orisha, or god,
0:17:56 > 0:18:00who controls their destiny and acts as a protector.
0:18:03 > 0:18:07Vandete invited me to the beach to offer thanks to hers.
0:18:14 > 0:18:16SHE SINGS:
0:18:24 > 0:18:27- TRANSLATION:- I came to the sea
0:18:27 > 0:18:30to thank the mother goddess for my daughter's health.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32She went through a surgery
0:18:32 > 0:18:34and I asked for her to come out unharmed,
0:18:34 > 0:18:36healthy and strong.
0:18:36 > 0:18:41Whenever I have a health problem or difficulties in the family
0:18:41 > 0:18:45I seek her help, who is the mother of all Orishas.
0:18:45 > 0:18:47The extraordinary thing
0:18:47 > 0:18:49is that Vandete is also a practising Catholic
0:18:49 > 0:18:54and sees no problem in combining the two traditions.
0:18:54 > 0:18:58My grandmother used to take me to the church to attend the services
0:18:58 > 0:19:02and she'd also bring me to the sea to offer thanks.
0:19:02 > 0:19:05At the same time I went to pray in church,
0:19:05 > 0:19:07I'd also come and pray in the sea.
0:19:07 > 0:19:11So the sea and the church are inside my heart.
0:19:11 > 0:19:15Here I worship the goddess, the mother of nature,
0:19:15 > 0:19:18and there I pray to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
0:19:18 > 0:19:22- So are you practising two religions or one?- No.
0:19:22 > 0:19:25Both are only one within the heart.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53Like Vandete's ancestors, mine were slaves, too.
0:19:53 > 0:19:57They were captured in Africa and taken to the Caribbean.
0:19:57 > 0:20:00And they also brought their beliefs with them.
0:20:00 > 0:20:04And despite the brutal and dark years
0:20:04 > 0:20:06of persecution and oppression,
0:20:06 > 0:20:11the memory of Africa could not be completely erased
0:20:11 > 0:20:17and lives on in that unique Brazilian sense of music and rhythm,
0:20:17 > 0:20:19that dance to the gods.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22And in the samba music that came out of it.
0:20:27 > 0:20:32What makes Brazil so unique today is that despite its brutal past
0:20:32 > 0:20:34it has managed to take something
0:20:34 > 0:20:37from each of its different communities.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40The Portuguese introduced Christianity.
0:20:40 > 0:20:43The African slaves brought music and dance.
0:20:43 > 0:20:47But there were also hundreds of indigenous tribes already here.
0:20:47 > 0:20:51So I wondered what contribution they might have made.
0:20:51 > 0:20:55For that I needed to travel even further north,
0:20:55 > 0:20:59into the heart of the Amazon jungle for our next wonder.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10Here in the most unlikely of places,
0:21:10 > 0:21:12in the city of Manaus,
0:21:12 > 0:21:15at the heart of the Amazon rainforest,
0:21:15 > 0:21:19stands this grand building.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21The Teatro Amazonas
0:21:21 > 0:21:25or the Amazon Theatre and Opera House.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34The end of the 19th century
0:21:34 > 0:21:38was a boom time for the Amazonian region of Brazil.
0:21:38 > 0:21:43It was flush with money from exports from its large rubber plantations.
0:21:43 > 0:21:46Manaus quickly became one of Brazil's richest cities.
0:21:46 > 0:21:51And this opera house was to be the jewel in the jungle,
0:21:51 > 0:21:54a symbol of the triumph of Christian civilisation.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59The rubber barons were making a lot of money, you know,
0:21:59 > 0:22:02in that period - really, really a lot of money.
0:22:02 > 0:22:05They didn't know where to spend it.
0:22:05 > 0:22:07The Amazon was really not a place
0:22:07 > 0:22:10that people looked at in Brazil, at all.
0:22:10 > 0:22:12It meant savagery, really.
0:22:12 > 0:22:16It had this very negative connotation in Brazil.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19And these people were making money and wanted to show,
0:22:19 > 0:22:21"No, we are civilised as well."
0:22:22 > 0:22:26At the time it was a major engineering project,
0:22:26 > 0:22:30as much of the building material had to be transported from Europe
0:22:30 > 0:22:33and then brought more than 1,000 miles
0:22:33 > 0:22:36through the newly cleared rainforest.
0:22:52 > 0:22:56Built in the 1890s by the immensely rich rubber barons,
0:22:56 > 0:22:58mostly European immigrants,
0:22:58 > 0:23:02it was an attempt to reproduce the grandeur of a bygone age.
0:23:02 > 0:23:06A little bit of European splendour in the middle of the Amazon.
0:23:16 > 0:23:21# O Monumento... #
0:23:21 > 0:23:24The walls, statues and the columns
0:23:24 > 0:23:27are made with marble brought from Italy,
0:23:27 > 0:23:29as were the chandeliers.
0:23:30 > 0:23:33The ceiling tiles came from France.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37For a building in the middle of the rainforest
0:23:37 > 0:23:40it's pretty impressive.
0:23:40 > 0:23:43# Gloria di questa
0:23:43 > 0:23:50# E delle eta future... #
0:23:54 > 0:23:59In its heyday this was full of the great and the good of the city.
0:23:59 > 0:24:01It was the place to be seen, to show off your wealth.
0:24:03 > 0:24:08The main hall boasts four levels with seating for 700 people
0:24:08 > 0:24:14and a ceiling painted to look like the underside of the Eiffel Tower.
0:24:14 > 0:24:16And when opera was first performed here
0:24:16 > 0:24:20it really put Manaus on the international map.
0:24:22 > 0:24:24But within 20 years of being built
0:24:24 > 0:24:27artificial rubber was invented
0:24:27 > 0:24:30and Brazil's rubber boom evaporated almost overnight.
0:24:30 > 0:24:35The wealthy barons moved on and the opera house closed down.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38For nearly 90 years there were no performances.
0:24:40 > 0:24:4315 years ago, the then Brazilian government
0:24:43 > 0:24:47revived the building and restored it to its former glory.
0:24:47 > 0:24:53Today it's used for music shows, dramas and even choral singing.
0:24:53 > 0:24:57THEY SING
0:25:13 > 0:25:16The opera house is now also used
0:25:16 > 0:25:19to promote Brazil's indigenous cultures.
0:25:19 > 0:25:23Fidalis is an indigenous Indian
0:25:23 > 0:25:27and has also become a famous Brazilian actor.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34What does this venue mean to you?
0:25:34 > 0:25:37- TRANSLATION:- Nowadays there's a tendency
0:25:37 > 0:25:40to pay more attention to our local culture.
0:25:40 > 0:25:43And that has brought more indigenous people in here
0:25:43 > 0:25:45and they feel this is theirs.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48Although our ancestors laboured here,
0:25:48 > 0:25:50today we feel the Amazon Theatre is also ours
0:25:50 > 0:25:54and has become a part of the life of the people.
0:25:56 > 0:25:58This place was built by Europeans
0:25:58 > 0:26:02to explore their culture and their religion.
0:26:02 > 0:26:03What's your religious tradition?
0:26:03 > 0:26:08- TRANSLATION:- I live between two worlds
0:26:08 > 0:26:10that I understand as religion today.
0:26:10 > 0:26:13I mean, the world that I live here, the churches,
0:26:13 > 0:26:15the choirs in the churches,
0:26:15 > 0:26:18and the world of my own childhood, where I was born,
0:26:18 > 0:26:21which is the world of my ancestral religion.
0:26:23 > 0:26:27So it's basically that - one foot in the city
0:26:27 > 0:26:28and another foot in the tribe.
0:26:32 > 0:26:36One day I am inside a church watching a choir with the priests
0:26:36 > 0:26:39and the next day with the shaman.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42I mean, these two worlds are what makes us Indians today.
0:26:47 > 0:26:51It's this mix and merging of faiths
0:26:51 > 0:26:54and very different cultural traditions that make
0:26:54 > 0:26:58Brazilian Christianity one of the most diverse in the Americas.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05THUNDER RUMBLES
0:27:05 > 0:27:09The early Portuguese missionaries used Manaus as a starting point
0:27:09 > 0:27:12in their attempts to convert the many indigenous Indian tribes
0:27:12 > 0:27:14living in the rainforest.
0:27:15 > 0:27:19It was the Jesuit priests who managed to stop the many massacres
0:27:19 > 0:27:23that took place as the early settlers opened up the forest.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31Fidales wanted to take me to see his home village
0:27:31 > 0:27:34in the rainforest outside Manaus.
0:27:37 > 0:27:40There are still more than 800,000 Brazilians
0:27:40 > 0:27:43who identify themselves as Indians,
0:27:43 > 0:27:49divided into 200 different tribes, many with distinct languages.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53Most live along the rivers of the Amazon rainforest.
0:27:55 > 0:27:59Many practice a mixture of Catholicism
0:27:59 > 0:28:02and their own ancient traditions.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06Can you show me around? I am looking forward to seeing more.
0:28:22 > 0:28:25What are your spiritual beliefs?
0:28:25 > 0:28:27HE SPEAKS PORTUGUESE
0:28:27 > 0:28:31TRANSLATION: Well, we Indians, we have our natural beliefs,
0:28:31 > 0:28:35which is that we have our God of the universe,
0:28:35 > 0:28:41who is the grandfather of the universe, the God of the world.
0:28:41 > 0:28:47So, it's the only god we believe to be God, but we also believe that,
0:28:47 > 0:28:51when we live in this world, we came from another,
0:28:51 > 0:28:53the first indigenous world.
0:28:53 > 0:28:59We transformed ourselves into this material world, and we will die here.
0:28:59 > 0:29:03We believe we then go back to the mythological world
0:29:03 > 0:29:09from which we can transform ourselves again into another species.
0:29:09 > 0:29:13You can be an animal, or you can be a woman in a different time.
0:29:15 > 0:29:17So, that's what we believe.
0:29:17 > 0:29:20But we believe in God. We are also Catholics.
0:29:20 > 0:29:23And so we believe that God exists,
0:29:23 > 0:29:27but within our Indian mythology, that is what we believe.
0:29:31 > 0:29:36Indian beliefs in the souls and investing nature
0:29:36 > 0:29:39with symbolic importance
0:29:39 > 0:29:43also mixes with Portuguese Catholicism
0:29:43 > 0:29:46in those areas where there were a large numbers of Indians
0:29:46 > 0:29:49being bought into Portuguese colonial society.
0:29:49 > 0:29:53THEY SING
0:29:58 > 0:30:01TRANSLATION: We talk and believe about
0:30:01 > 0:30:03the souls in the purgatory in Catholicism
0:30:03 > 0:30:06and so do the Indians.
0:30:06 > 0:30:09And this connection between the Indians and the souls
0:30:09 > 0:30:13passed on to the Brazilian Catholic tradition.
0:30:18 > 0:30:21On Monday you go and light candles to the souls.
0:30:21 > 0:30:25All this comes from the Brazilian indigenous world.
0:30:29 > 0:30:33It's amazing to see two such separate and different
0:30:33 > 0:30:37belief systems work side by side.
0:30:37 > 0:30:41The Indian chief had no difficulty in equating his belief in
0:30:41 > 0:30:44the everlasting nature of spirits
0:30:44 > 0:30:47with Christianity's belief in the soul.
0:30:47 > 0:30:51For me, it's this fusion of religious beliefs,
0:30:51 > 0:30:54this willingness to mix the best of both worlds,
0:30:54 > 0:30:59holding on to the integrity of the Indian past
0:30:59 > 0:31:03without denying the importance of Christian belief,
0:31:03 > 0:31:09that is another key ingredient in Brazil's own brand of Christianity.
0:31:13 > 0:31:16ORGAN MUSIC PLAYS
0:31:19 > 0:31:22Catholicism in Brazil was strengthened in
0:31:22 > 0:31:26the early 20th century with another large-scale immigration
0:31:26 > 0:31:31of people from Europe - mostly working-class Germans and Italians.
0:31:31 > 0:31:35And again, like the first Portuguese and the African slaves,
0:31:35 > 0:31:38they brought their beliefs and traditions with them too -
0:31:38 > 0:31:42a desire to recreate a little bit of the old country
0:31:42 > 0:31:45in their new Brazilian home.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47Our next wonder of Brazil -
0:31:47 > 0:31:50the Metropolitan Cathedral in Sao Paulo.
0:31:52 > 0:31:55It is this building that to me
0:31:55 > 0:31:59symbolises the magnificence of Catholicism in Brazil.
0:32:03 > 0:32:06It's the largest cathedral in South America,
0:32:06 > 0:32:11but its history highlights the fact that by the early 20th century
0:32:11 > 0:32:15Catholicism in Brazil was facing a crisis of identity.
0:32:17 > 0:32:20At a time of massive social, political
0:32:20 > 0:32:24and industrial change in Brazil, this building was an attempt to
0:32:24 > 0:32:29re-assert the power and magnificence of the traditional Catholic Church.
0:33:02 > 0:33:07This neo-Gothic cathedral could be in almost any large
0:33:07 > 0:33:09industrial city in Europe.
0:33:09 > 0:33:14It was designed by German and Italian architects.
0:33:14 > 0:33:18Its dome is a copy of the one in Florence and its marble
0:33:18 > 0:33:22and organ were imported from Italy too.
0:33:22 > 0:33:25So it seems there is a bit of a sense of a crisis of identity
0:33:25 > 0:33:29going on here. Is it really Brazilian or European?
0:33:33 > 0:33:39- TRANSLATION:- It was a choice. It was a choice perhaps slightly misplaced
0:33:39 > 0:33:44in time because this cathedral was built in the 20th century.
0:33:44 > 0:33:48It was decided that the church would be monumental,
0:33:48 > 0:33:52large, in a beautiful style that would also say something
0:33:52 > 0:33:56about the architectural tradition of the church, of the history
0:33:56 > 0:34:01of the church, and that is why a neo-Gothic church was built here.
0:34:03 > 0:34:06To be Brazilian is to always try to be European.
0:34:06 > 0:34:11It is part of the Brazilian dilemma. To be civilised is to be European.
0:34:11 > 0:34:16You just have to choose which part of Europe you want to emulate.
0:34:16 > 0:34:18CHURCH ORGAN PLAYS
0:34:23 > 0:34:26THEY SING HYMN IN LATIN
0:34:26 > 0:34:32The Sao Paulo Cathedral Choir is one of Brazil's most well known.
0:34:32 > 0:34:35And they still sing in Latin -
0:34:35 > 0:34:38the language of the old European Christian tradition.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43THEY CONTINUE SINGING
0:34:43 > 0:34:46Ronaldo Santurbano is the choirmaster.
0:34:46 > 0:34:50That sounded really amazing. Can you tell me, what were you practising?
0:34:50 > 0:34:54Today we are here getting ready for the Mass
0:34:54 > 0:34:58that is going to be celebrated. We have weekly rehearsals.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02Everyone here is a volunteer - they're the soul of our choir.
0:35:06 > 0:35:09He is also the man in charge of
0:35:09 > 0:35:12an elaborate bell-ringing system in the cathedral.
0:35:14 > 0:35:18I noticed in the practice you were singing in Latin.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21I just wondered, do you always perform in Latin?
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Or do you sometimes sing in Portuguese?
0:35:23 > 0:35:28- TRANSLATION:- We are inside a cathedral where we can't forget that
0:35:28 > 0:35:32music in our own language is very new for our church.
0:35:32 > 0:35:36It's only 50 years since the Second Vatican Council
0:35:36 > 0:35:39allowed us to have music in Portuguese.
0:35:39 > 0:35:44We can't forget the tradition of the sacred music in Latin,
0:35:44 > 0:35:48the Gregorian chant, the great sacred music from the past.
0:35:50 > 0:35:52BELLS RING
0:36:06 > 0:36:10For centuries the Catholic Church had a complete monopoly
0:36:10 > 0:36:13of power over Brazil's religious life,
0:36:13 > 0:36:18but in the mid-19th century many of the restrictions were lifted
0:36:18 > 0:36:20and a new wave of Christian missionaries
0:36:20 > 0:36:25started to arrive from abroad. Many came from the United States,
0:36:25 > 0:36:30and one group built their first church here in Rio de Janeiro.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37Our next wonder - the Igreja Presbyterian Cathedral.
0:36:45 > 0:36:49After the Roman Catholics, the Protestant Church is
0:36:49 > 0:36:53the largest Christian denomination in Brazil.
0:36:53 > 0:36:55But it was not always like this.
0:36:55 > 0:36:59For hundreds of years during the Portuguese colonial rule,
0:36:59 > 0:37:02Protestant Churches were severely persecuted.
0:37:02 > 0:37:06Today they are the fastest growing of all the Christian churches,
0:37:06 > 0:37:10with nearly one-in-five of Brazilians now claiming to
0:37:10 > 0:37:12belong to some form of Protestantism.
0:37:19 > 0:37:24Gone is all the gold and the silver and other Baroque ornamentation
0:37:24 > 0:37:28that we have seen in so many of the Catholic churches.
0:37:28 > 0:37:31The Protestant Reformation was brought about by a desire
0:37:31 > 0:37:35for a simpler, purer form of worship -
0:37:35 > 0:37:39a rejection of the pomp and pageantry of the Catholic Church.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42And you can really see it here.
0:37:42 > 0:37:47You know, this, one of the oldest Protestant churches in Brazil,
0:37:47 > 0:37:50is so different in its simplicity and style,
0:37:50 > 0:37:53in contrast to the Catholic churches here.
0:37:54 > 0:37:59But what was so radical about this cathedral was not what was in it
0:37:59 > 0:38:03or how it was decorated, but its very existence
0:38:03 > 0:38:06as a public place of worship. As until then,
0:38:06 > 0:38:10only Catholics had been allowed to build churches.
0:38:11 > 0:38:15The official religion was Roman Catholic
0:38:15 > 0:38:19and all the other religions, Jews included, were not permitted
0:38:19 > 0:38:25to build buildings in church style. Only as a house.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29When the Republic was proclaimed in Brazil, of course
0:38:29 > 0:38:33there was a separation between State and Church,
0:38:33 > 0:38:36and then we could build a building as a church.
0:38:36 > 0:38:40Is the Presbyterian tradition in Brazil growing?
0:38:40 > 0:38:45Our denomination, that has over 4,000 churches in Brazil,
0:38:45 > 0:38:48we were organising one new church per week.
0:39:00 > 0:39:05Today Protestantism in Brazil is divided into hundreds
0:39:05 > 0:39:07of different denominations.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11One of the most popular are the Pentecostals,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15and they are building hundreds of new churches all over the country.
0:39:17 > 0:39:22Pentecostalism is an extraordinary phenomenon,
0:39:22 > 0:39:25across the world, in terms of how fast it is growing.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29I have first-hand experience of this. I was raised a Pentecostal.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39The Pentecostals dispense with many of the more traditional
0:39:39 > 0:39:45forms of worship and emphasise a more direct relationship with God.
0:39:45 > 0:39:49They are now the fastest growing denomination in the country,
0:39:49 > 0:39:53doubling their numbers to nearly 50 million believers
0:39:53 > 0:39:56in the last 30 years.
0:39:56 > 0:39:59Pastor Samuel Ferreira is one of Brazil's most famous
0:39:59 > 0:40:03Pentecostal preachers and leads this church.
0:40:04 > 0:40:07CROWD APPLAUD
0:40:15 > 0:40:18GOSPEL BAND PLAY
0:40:34 > 0:40:38What's the attraction of Brazilian Pentecostalism?
0:40:38 > 0:40:42- TRANSLATION:- The Pentecostal world, the Pentecostal doctrine,
0:40:42 > 0:40:47and the Pentecostal Church brought God much closer, they made God real.
0:40:47 > 0:40:52Nowadays you go to a Pentecostal church because you want to feel God.
0:40:52 > 0:40:55You want to worship God.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58That's why you see people crying, people raising their hands,
0:40:58 > 0:41:00people of all ages.
0:41:03 > 0:41:07SINGING CONTINUES
0:41:12 > 0:41:16For me, the passion and the energy that I have just seen here
0:41:16 > 0:41:18makes Pentecostalism unique,
0:41:18 > 0:41:22as it manages to mix traditional elements of Christian worship
0:41:22 > 0:41:28with chanting and dancing and trance-like euphoric outpourings,
0:41:28 > 0:41:32drawing on Brazil's other religious traditions.
0:41:32 > 0:41:35Brazilians have taken an American import
0:41:35 > 0:41:41and given it a distinctive Brazilian identity.
0:41:41 > 0:41:44THEY SING HYMN IN PORTUGUESE
0:41:55 > 0:42:00I think Pentecostalism is doing well in Brazil for different reasons.
0:42:00 > 0:42:03Mainly I think the sense of community is I think
0:42:03 > 0:42:06something very important, they work a lot in the poor areas
0:42:06 > 0:42:12so they give them a sense of belonging to a community.
0:42:12 > 0:42:17Also the propaganda, the way they work, they work very professionally.
0:42:17 > 0:42:19So they have the targets to achieve.
0:42:19 > 0:42:23And another thing, I think that we love parties,
0:42:23 > 0:42:27we love the festivals.
0:42:27 > 0:42:31So the Pentecostal Church and charismatic movements
0:42:31 > 0:42:35is all about being happy, singing a lot, clapping hands.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38And we are very good at that. I think that's a big part of it.
0:42:38 > 0:42:42SINGING CONTINUES
0:42:50 > 0:42:56This is definitely not the sedate, hallowed Christianity of the state,
0:42:56 > 0:43:01it's the noisy, passionate Christianity of the people.
0:43:09 > 0:43:13And its growing popularity is a major worry
0:43:13 > 0:43:16for the leaders of Brazil's Catholics.
0:43:18 > 0:43:21TRANSLATION: It is a cultural phenomenon,
0:43:21 > 0:43:26which takes place at a time of very big cultural changes,
0:43:26 > 0:43:28where people feel self-governing
0:43:28 > 0:43:31and want to be self-governing in their choices.
0:43:31 > 0:43:36I certainly look at this situation with some worry.
0:43:46 > 0:43:50For centuries, Brazil struggled with its own identity.
0:43:51 > 0:43:56And this has been reflected in its relationship with Christianity.
0:43:58 > 0:44:04Was it a European, or an African, or a South American nation?
0:44:05 > 0:44:10How could it fuse all the elements into a cohesive whole?
0:44:14 > 0:44:18When it was decided that the capital should be moved from Rio to
0:44:18 > 0:44:23a more central location, a unique opportunity arose to help
0:44:23 > 0:44:28create a new identity for Brazil by building a completely modern city.
0:44:31 > 0:44:34There is Brazil and then there is Brasilia,
0:44:34 > 0:44:36a city unlike any other in this country.
0:44:37 > 0:44:42It was built to show the ambition and aspiration
0:44:42 > 0:44:44that this country could aim for.
0:44:50 > 0:44:54The city was built in the 1950s as a showpiece of the very latest
0:44:54 > 0:44:58in building design and urban planning.
0:44:59 > 0:45:04It has now been designated a UNESCO World Heritage site
0:45:04 > 0:45:08because of its modern architecture.
0:45:08 > 0:45:12And at its heart is a completely new cathedral...
0:45:12 > 0:45:14Our next wonder of Brazil -
0:45:14 > 0:45:19the Metropolitan Cathedral of Our Lady Aparecida.
0:45:23 > 0:45:26These four figures - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John -
0:45:26 > 0:45:29mark the continuity of a religious tradition,
0:45:29 > 0:45:33but the building and the landscape don't.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36The style suggests to me that religion has moved on.
0:45:44 > 0:45:48The cathedral was designed by one of Brazil's - and the world's -
0:45:48 > 0:45:52most famous architects, Oscar Niemeyer.
0:45:52 > 0:45:56Stylistically it marks a complete break with Brazil's colonial
0:45:56 > 0:46:00Portuguese, African and indigenous Indian past.
0:46:01 > 0:46:07Gone are any references to European neo-Gothic and Baroque cathedrals.
0:46:07 > 0:46:11Instead, it is a uniquely South American building -
0:46:11 > 0:46:13a symbol of a new Brazil.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20On this journey, I have seen some wonderful buildings,
0:46:20 > 0:46:24places of worship, sights that reflect the history of this country,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27but this is so different,
0:46:27 > 0:46:31this is of the Brazil of the present and of the future.
0:46:44 > 0:46:47What makes this building distinctively Brazilian?
0:46:47 > 0:46:52The free way and the inclusive way in which it welcomes the visitor
0:46:52 > 0:46:57and makes him feel part of the universe in a way
0:46:57 > 0:47:03that he connects himself directly to the skies, to the natural elements.
0:47:03 > 0:47:09So in some respects it was a symbol of equality and inclusion by making
0:47:09 > 0:47:13it circular and making the focus the heavens rather than the priest.
0:47:13 > 0:47:18The whole point was to bring a sense of secularity to the place
0:47:18 > 0:47:22through the direct contact of the person who gets in with the heavens.
0:47:37 > 0:47:41Here in this cathedral, the style is more informal, more popular,
0:47:41 > 0:47:44more focused towards a new generation of believers.
0:48:01 > 0:48:04In this space, with the light pouring in,
0:48:04 > 0:48:06the colours, the angels up there,
0:48:06 > 0:48:10I think this is what Catholicism here is hoping for -
0:48:10 > 0:48:13inclusion, progress, modernity -
0:48:13 > 0:48:18but will it be able to hold on to its historically dominant role?
0:48:20 > 0:48:24Modern architecture always points to the future.
0:48:24 > 0:48:28It always has a desire for change in it.
0:48:28 > 0:48:33It always empowers the person so he can feel himself able to be
0:48:33 > 0:48:35an agent of change.
0:48:35 > 0:48:38THUNDER RUMBLES
0:48:38 > 0:48:40And then in this way
0:48:40 > 0:48:42it points to the future, to a better future I hope.
0:48:45 > 0:48:49I am back in Rio, where last-minute preparations are now
0:48:49 > 0:48:52under way for our final wonder.
0:48:53 > 0:48:56This wonder is not an architectural marvel
0:48:56 > 0:49:00but a celebration of what it means to be a Brazilian.
0:49:00 > 0:49:03For me, it combines all the ingredients
0:49:03 > 0:49:07we have encountered in Brazil's evolving relationship with
0:49:07 > 0:49:12Christianity - dance, music, worship and passion.
0:49:14 > 0:49:18Here at the office of the mayor, they are celebrating
0:49:18 > 0:49:22the inauguration of a new symbolic leader of the city.
0:49:22 > 0:49:26ANNOUNCEMENT IN PORTUGUESE
0:49:37 > 0:49:40Every year, a figure known as King Momo
0:49:40 > 0:49:43is selected from a number of hopefuls.
0:49:43 > 0:49:49Traditionally a tall, fat man, a figure of mockery, satire and fun.
0:49:49 > 0:49:55He has been chosen to lead our final wonder of Brazil - the Carnival.
0:49:55 > 0:50:00The handing over of the keys to King Momo symbolises his reign
0:50:00 > 0:50:04over the city, the beginnings of the festivities.
0:50:04 > 0:50:07CROWD APPLAUD DRUMS BEAT
0:50:12 > 0:50:16For the days of the Carnival, he will - in theory - represent
0:50:16 > 0:50:19the people of the streets, the poor and the marginalised,
0:50:19 > 0:50:22as they take over the city.
0:50:22 > 0:50:25DRUMS BEAT
0:50:29 > 0:50:33It's subversive. It's very subversive somehow.
0:50:33 > 0:50:37It's the one day that even the poor people are going to be like kings.
0:50:41 > 0:50:46We always want to celebrate, and this kind of cathartic movement...
0:50:46 > 0:50:49And it's very religious because of that.
0:50:49 > 0:50:53The origin of Carnival, the name "carne levare" is like to
0:50:53 > 0:50:57say "goodbye to the meat" because you are going to start Lent.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It's ancient and it's very religious because of that,
0:51:00 > 0:51:02so it's also very Christian.
0:51:02 > 0:51:04CROWD CHEER
0:51:10 > 0:51:13- Pleased to meet you.- Hi, Robert. Pleased to meet you.
0:51:13 > 0:51:14Nice to meet you.
0:51:14 > 0:51:17What is the history of Carnival?
0:51:17 > 0:51:20TRANSLATION: The origin of Carnival is religious.
0:51:20 > 0:51:23It started as a response to the period of Lent,
0:51:23 > 0:51:26and it became well established in the Middle Ages.
0:51:26 > 0:51:29Lent is a time of denial and deprivation,
0:51:29 > 0:51:31and so before this period begins
0:51:31 > 0:51:35many people go into a frenzy of festivities, parties, celebrations,
0:51:35 > 0:51:41all this before the start of Lent, which is on Ash Wednesday.
0:51:41 > 0:51:46Carnival in itself is a religion, particularly in Brazil.
0:51:46 > 0:51:51It's a declaration of love that the people have to Carnival,
0:51:51 > 0:51:54which is almost a dedication.
0:51:54 > 0:51:57The samba schools are like sanctuaries, where you go
0:51:57 > 0:52:03praise your gods, the gods of samba, of Carnival, this kind of thing.
0:52:03 > 0:52:06SAMBA MUSIC PLAYS
0:52:10 > 0:52:13Every part of the city is involved in the festivities.
0:52:13 > 0:52:17Neighbourhoods organise street parties
0:52:17 > 0:52:20and processions that often have special themes.
0:52:20 > 0:52:24This one pays homage to ancient Egyptian gods.
0:52:35 > 0:52:39I have come to one of the largest samba schools - Estacio -
0:52:39 > 0:52:42as it makes its final preparations.
0:52:42 > 0:52:46In a few days' time, it will compete with its rivals from around
0:52:46 > 0:52:51the city, with everyone hoping to be judged the best samba parade in Rio.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55Chuvisco is the chief percussionist,
0:52:55 > 0:52:59and it's his job to work out the moves and keep the music in synch.
0:52:59 > 0:53:04Luana will lead the group, hoping to be crowned
0:53:04 > 0:53:07Samba Queen at the end of the carnival.
0:53:09 > 0:53:13DRUMS BEAT RHYTHMICALLY
0:53:19 > 0:53:21WHISTLE BLOWS
0:53:21 > 0:53:24PERCUSSION RATTLES
0:53:24 > 0:53:28At the heart of every Carnival procession is of course that
0:53:28 > 0:53:34unique Brazilian blend of samba, music, and dance.
0:53:34 > 0:53:37RHYTHMIC MUSIC
0:54:03 > 0:54:05What does samba mean to Carnival?
0:54:05 > 0:54:09Well, samba is like the Brazilian soul of Carnival.
0:54:09 > 0:54:12Carnival is not a Brazilian celebration, it's European,
0:54:12 > 0:54:14which was born in Middle Age Europe.
0:54:14 > 0:54:17But here in Brazil and in Rio de Janeiro,
0:54:17 > 0:54:20it has acquired this Brazilian soul.
0:54:20 > 0:54:24Samba is what defines Brazil during the Carnival.
0:54:26 > 0:54:30PEOPLE CLAMOUR LIVELY MUSIC
0:54:33 > 0:54:35CROWDS CHEER
0:54:38 > 0:54:42You may find this hard to believe, but this just a warm-up
0:54:42 > 0:54:45to the grand finale that takes place this evening.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49During the course of the day, over a million people will
0:54:49 > 0:54:52parade along this street. It's incredible.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04Originally, all the final parades were held in the city centre.
0:55:04 > 0:55:08But today they have a purpose-build samba stadium
0:55:08 > 0:55:11and everyone in the city is now heading there.
0:55:11 > 0:55:15The competition is fierce and every samba school's parade will be
0:55:15 > 0:55:19judged on aspects of their themes, music, costumes and dance.
0:55:21 > 0:55:25Despite the fun, it's serious stuff for the competitors.
0:55:28 > 0:55:29How are you feeling?
0:55:31 > 0:55:36A bit tense about going into the stadium, but that's normal.
0:55:36 > 0:55:38Now, we must try and keep cool
0:55:38 > 0:55:41so we can guide this wonderful percussion band.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44But I'm sure that we're going to do a great performance.
0:55:44 > 0:55:48Most people coming to the Carnival or watching on television
0:55:48 > 0:55:51just want to enjoy the world's biggest street party,
0:55:51 > 0:55:56but if you look you can see each of the ingredients from our wonders
0:55:56 > 0:56:00and how they combine to make Brazilian Christianity so unique.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06I think that religion is very present in Carnival.
0:56:06 > 0:56:11There is this kind of euphoria, this kind of proclaiming that life
0:56:11 > 0:56:15can be different somehow, even for just four or five days.
0:56:15 > 0:56:18That's a very religious and powerful movement,
0:56:18 > 0:56:20something that changes you,
0:56:20 > 0:56:23you can feel the energy, it's something transcendent.
0:56:23 > 0:56:26Good to see you again. How do you feel?
0:56:26 > 0:56:30TRANSLATION: It's a lot of emotion, my heart is racing.
0:56:30 > 0:56:31We're very confident.
0:56:31 > 0:56:35We've rehearsed a lot, our school is coming to fight for the title
0:56:35 > 0:56:37and we're sure to be champions.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40All the best. Good luck.
0:56:40 > 0:56:43Brazilians have taken all the diversity, the mixture,
0:56:43 > 0:56:47the amazing fusion of cultures that makes this country so different
0:56:47 > 0:56:50and used them to transform the Carnival
0:56:50 > 0:56:53into a uniquely South American event.
0:56:53 > 0:56:58Carnival today has become an expression of Brazilian culture
0:56:58 > 0:57:03and identity and it has taken on a life of its own.
0:57:03 > 0:57:06LIVELY MUSIC AND FIREWORKS
0:57:11 > 0:57:14In the street parades and processions,
0:57:14 > 0:57:17you can see the welcoming of Christ the Redeemer
0:57:17 > 0:57:19as he overlooks the city.
0:57:27 > 0:57:30In the wild and colourful costumes,
0:57:30 > 0:57:33you can see the glitz of the decorations that adorn
0:57:33 > 0:57:37the old Catholic churches, like the one in Salvador.
0:57:41 > 0:57:44With the incredible beat and rhythm of the samba,
0:57:44 > 0:57:47you can see the dance to the gods
0:57:47 > 0:57:49that the African slaves brought with them.
0:57:57 > 0:58:01And finally, with that desire to create something unique,
0:58:01 > 0:58:05to have the biggest, noisiest, rowdiest street party
0:58:05 > 0:58:09in the whole world, you can also see the true Brazil
0:58:09 > 0:58:14in this, our final and most extraordinary wonder.
0:58:14 > 0:58:17DRUMBEATS AND LIVELY MUSIC
0:58:21 > 0:58:25FIREWORKS EXPLODE