TRADITIONALLY it has been thought of as a country of beaches, football and Carnival. But the focus on Brazil through major sporting events like the Rio Olympics and the 2014 World Cup is fostering a deeper cultural understanding, according to Brazilians living in Scotland.
As well as sipping Caipirinhas, the cane sugar-based national cocktail, they claim Scots are signing up to martial arts like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu and Capoeira, expanding their music tastes to take in Samba, Bossa Nova and Maracatu and brushing up on Brazilian history and politics.
Numbers at Brazilian restaurants, bars and some language classes are up and Samba bands reported a spike in bookings in advance of the Olympics.
The opening ceremony, although understandably down on ratings compared with London 2012, pulled in 26.5million viewers and highlighted Brazil's indigenous people, forests and environmental concerns rather than tired stereotypes.
Fiaz Tariq, who runs the Cordão de Ouro Glasgow Capoeira group had an extra eight pupils at his class yesterday, several inspired by seeing the Africa-influenced art form on television during the games. "The Rio Games have definitely changed things," he said. "Capoeira was in the opening ceremony and boxer Joe Joyce did it. People now increasingly recognise what it is."
Luciana Nadalutti, from Rio, who plays drums with the Edinburgh Samba School and works as a freelance translator in the Scottish capital, said: "As soon as people realise I'm Brazilian they'll ask me about the opening ceremony and so on. There is definitely an interest. As a result of the Games we've seen coverage of the Zika virus and of the politics in Brazil though most are too polite to say anything too negative.
"When I hear people complain about living conditions here, or the traffic in Edinburgh [Brazilian cities are often gridlocked] it does make me laugh but I am also amazed by how enthusiastic people are for Brazilian culture."
Luigi Aseni, owner of Boteco do Brasil in Glasgow and Edinburgh, said the bars had been busy over the Olympic period with many people coming with friends to watch major sporting events. "We've seen an increase in turnover, and though that might be in part due to other events like the Fringe, it's a factor," he said.
Thaminni Zucolotto, a Brazilian Portuguese teacher who has lived in Edinburgh for two years, agreed that there was an increasing understanding of the complexity of her vast homeland. "When I first came here all anyone had heard about was Samba. Now that has really changed.
"When I say I am from Bahia, people know whereabouts that is on the map and they have more knowledge of other festivals like São João [a winter festival celebrated in the North East particularly]. They also know about the crash in our economy and some of the difficulties that our country is facing."
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