Brazil gears up for FIFA World Cup 2010
Undoubtedly the Mecca of International football is the country that has ruled the world stage, like no one else a country where the game is not a passion, or a religion it is simply a way of life! No wonder they have won the trophy a record five times, and the fans in the football mad South American powerhouse Brazil are hoping that come 11th July, the trophy would once again be in the hands of their team.
With the World Cup less than a month away, Brazilians have started to gear up for the competition in no uncertain terms. Just like every World Cup the passion for painting streets and hanging flags ahead of the tournament has emerged with the people only eating, drinking and sleeping football. In Rio de Janeiro a beer brand launched a contest to award the city's best World Cup street paintings.
The company hired graffiti artists and their task was to spray 14 walls throughout the city with images of past World Cups. The most eye-catching image is the portrayal of Sweden's 1958 tournament, when Brazil won its first title and soccer legend Pele had just arrived at the international scene. One of the invited artists, Thomaz Vianna, said he used to decorate streets when he was a child.
"This (street painting) is a tradition in Brazil and it's very cool. I thought this was the coolest part of project; this was what got me interested in the project. When I was younger, on my street, on the streets where I lived, there was always this celebration, this gathering - everybody would gather, buy the paints, go to the street and paint the light poles, the roads," he said while working on the wall depicting the 1994 tournament. The 14th graffiti wall will be painted during the South African championship to show the winning squad of the finals on July 11.
The graffiti walls have been catching the attention of Rio's residents, who frequent the area as artists go about their business. Maria dos Anjos, a 72-year-old retiree, complimented the artwork.
"I think this (graffiti wall) is wonderful, beautiful, way better than just scribbles, isn't it? Let's praise what's good and beautiful," she said.
Business student Rafael Ozorio, the author of the painting, said every year his neighbours gather to decorate the street.
"This is already an old tradition. Since 1990 we do this, we decorate the street, we put up a big screen - everybody always comes here to support Brazil. This year we will have the children helping us with the drawings and decoration as well because this is a union. Everybody helps out so our street can be pretty for everybody to admire," he said. Ozorio and his friends have been doing this for many years now, and their modus operandi is to stop cars at their street entrance to raise money for buying paints.
Meanwhile it is not painting alone that is captivating the fans, Masks, wigs, horns and hats are everywhere to be seen at the Sahara market in Rio's downtown and will be all over the streets during the month-long tournament. Sales are expected to rise roughly 12 percent during the World Cup, and it is time to cash in for the shopkeepers. Shop manager Milton Barcelos said the World Cup is a great celebration in Brazil.
"In Brazil, (the World Cup) is a party? Everything that is green and yellow, we can sell during this period," he said.
The customers have promised that they would buy a huge supply if the team would do well in the tournament, and for the shopkeepers sake let’s hope they bring home the trophy.
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