Brazilian culture — samba, football, carnival, feijoada. Afro-Portuguese-indigenous blend. Largest Lusophone country.
Language
Brazilian Portuguese — different from European (vocabulary, pronunciation). 215 million speakers. Largest Lusophone country in the world.
Music — Samba and Bossa Nova
Samba — UNESCO. Bossa nova (Tom Jobim, Vinícius de Moraes — Girl from Ipanema). MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) — Caetano Veloso, Chico Buarque, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa. Choro, forró, axé, sertanejo, funk carioca.
Football
Country religion. 5 World Cups (1958, 1962, 1970, 1994, 2002) — more than any country. Pelé, Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Neymar — global icons. Maracanã.
Carnival
World biggest party. Rio de Janeiro — samba schools at Sambadrome. Salvador — trio elétrico, Olinda — giant puppets. 5-day national holiday.
Cinema and TV
Brazilian cinema — City of God, Central Station. Globo TV — telenovelas exported worldwide. Walter Salles, Fernando Meirelles. Film 2 Oscars.
Cuisine
Feijoada (black beans with meat) — national dish. Gaucho churrasco, moqueca, acarajé, brigadeiro, açaí, caipirinha (cachaça + lime). African-Portuguese-indigenous blend.
Festivals and Traditions
June Festivals (Saints Anthony, John, Peter). Réveillon Copacabana — millions on the beach. Bahia religious festivals (candomblé). Capoeira — UNESCO martial art.