In the land of cowboys in São Paulo State

Since last Thrusday, August 15th thousands of people have travelled to the city of Barretos to be part of a traditional cowboy feast known locally as Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro.

Barretos is located 438 kilometers away from São Paulo city in the northearn region of the State of São Paulo and has about 112.000 inhabitants. Their daily routine changes every August, when the city is proclaimed the cowboy town  for receiving people from all over Brazil reaching for fun and entertainment as trying to rescue the traditions of the countryside life.

The city has been the end line for the troops of men guiding the cattle for slaughter for decades. The important British refrigerator company Anglo had their activities established there since 1913.  

The cowboys always looked for some fun and competed among them showing their skills with the animals during their free time. In some of the competitions they were challenged by the chief of the delegations for taming the fiercest animals. In the 40´s a group of rich young men of the city, involved with cattle activities, founded a group and decided to organize a feast for promoting the riders habilities. The show was so successful that the event has grew up and gained national and international projection till today. 

The profitable structure has been managed since then by the private group named Os Independentes, responsible for the production and organization of the mega event. The rodeo festival has become a golden mine and generated several job opportunities for the locals.

Sports, music, culinary, history and entertainemtn for all tastes and ages can be enjoyed for ten days.
The spread of the "sertanejo" musical style, as the locals named here, can be felt  by the long list of solo singers and duos that will bring excitement and interaction with a young and motivated audience. A musical overdose of more than 60 different shows are scheduled for the festival.

Michel Teló and the hit that shaked the musical scenario globally

Michel Teló, famous by his international hit "Ai se eu te pego" hosted the show last Sunday, for a crowded audience that faced the cold weather to listen to his contagious songs.

The Brazilian country singer Paula Fernandes in duo with the American celebrity Taylor Swift, in Long Live

Paula Fernandes, one of the new talents in country music will perform her show next Saturday, 24th, at night.

Arena, photo by Os Independentes

Courage and technical experience can be transformed in pure fun in the arena inaugurated in 1985 and projected by the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. Barrel racing, horse riding, team penning, bareback riding as bull riding bring a joyful experience for an audience that can reach 35.000 seated expectators. The competitions, including the national and international rodeos, will distribute around R$ 500.000,00 in prizes.

Ecological house made with demolition material - entertainment and education for the kids

The families can also enjoy the festival with the kids as there is a huge space specially projected for the children. A ecological city will be one of the attractions of the sector that intends to use ecology and sustainability as relevant themes through educational games and leisure experiences. Pony rides also attract the attention of the tiny ones. 

For the ones crazy about boots, hats and  tight jeans pants  the commercial  fair  sells a variety of country fashionable accessories and a range of souvenirs in more than 300 stands. Even mid-size and large SVUs are commercialized in the event.

The city of Barretos becomes so packed during the festival that it is difficult to find a good accommodation at the last minute. Generally people book in advance and sometimes when the lights turned off they have already booked for the next year. Local families rent their houses to get some extra cash and the hotels surrounding the region promote leisure acitivities to win customer´s loyalty. 

58ª Festa do Peão de Boiadeiro - from August 15 to August 25th
www.osindependentes.com.br
Barretos Country Hotel - www.barretoscountryhotel.com.br


Eliana Souza - SPin Brazil Tours

The Obelisk and July 9th in São Paulo

Surrounding the largest urban park in São Paulo city, named Ibirapuera Park, the projection of a huge monument can be seen.

Aerial view of Ibirapuera park - photo by Prof. Percival Tirapeli

The monument, that consists of an obelisk and a crypt,  was projected by the Italian-Brazilian sculptor Galileo Ugo Emendabili and executed in travertine marble by the German engineer Ulrich Edler. The construction was inaugurated in 1995, just one year after the park was opened. Preserved as historical heritage, the mausoleum of the obelisk guard the bodies of the students killed during the Revolution of 1932 and 713 ex-combatants. To honor them and to preserve the memory of the rebellion, there are biblical scenes and passages in the history of São Paulo made ​​with Venetian mosaics. Engraved in the building it is possible to see the initials MMDC, that corresponds to the names Martins, Miragaia, Drausio and Camargo, the four boys killed in conflicts of the Civil War, which is settled in São Paulo in 1932 and led to the Constitutional Revolution.

The obelisk - photo by Dornicke

In general, the Constitutionalist Revolution of 1932 is seen as an immediate answer to the new direction taken by the national political scene under the command of Getúlio Vargas, who decided to close the National Congress authoritatively.

In the year 1931, the collapse of coffee prices, as a result of the crisis of 1929 - the crash of the New York Stock Market, impacted directly the coffee producers, particularly the ones established in São Paulo State, generating a displacement of peasants to the urban center. Social problems caused by this scenario cooperated for mobilizing much of the population of São Paulo, looking not for the interests of the old conservative politicians but for real democracy.

In May 23, 1932, a group of young students tried to storm the headquarters of a newspaper favorable to the Vargas regime. During the conflict - which had already taken to the streets of São Paulo - students Martins, Miragaia, Drausio and Camargo were murdered by a group of lieutenants. The initials of those involved in the tragic event inspired the preparation of the movement known as MMDC, who advocated armed struggle against Vargas.

These deaths were the spark that started the Constitutional Revolution on July 9, 1932. With the help of the mass media, the movement won popular support and mobilized 35,000 men by the side of São Paulo, against 100,000 soldiers pro-Vargas. It took nearly three months of bloody battles, closed on October of that same year, when São Paulo was isolated and defeated. 

Historical  poster convoking volunteers for the Revolution - photo by Renato Chauí

However, morally, the movement was a winner, considering  the federal government called elections for a Constituent Assembly, which drafted the Constitution of Brazil in 1934. It was also the first time in the country that women participated in the electoral process, according to historians.

CURIOSITIES:

There are several curiosities about the design itself considering the project was based on numerical relationships, which always lead the observer to numbers related to the date of the rebellion: 09.07.1932. 

Aerial view of the obelisk - photo by Petria Chaves

The obelisk is 81 meters high, whose square root is 9. Also the larger base in trapezoidal shape from the floor is 9 meters for whom looks forward to the monument. The smaller base, above, has 7 meters. The width of the crypt, below, is 32 meters. Anyone looking forward to the profile of the plant would have the dimensions 32-9-7, which recall the year, day and month of the start of the conflict. To enter the monument must go 9 steps. From the access, there are three groups of three arches each, totaling 9 arches.

From the outside, the obelisk represents the image of a sword, with four faces, facing each of the cardinal points of the city, planted in a square-shaped heart.