FAVELA PT.1

The Favela is a major part of Brasilian cosmopolitan culture whether Brasil's wealthier natives like it or not. The people, sounds and creativity that the hillside and outskirts shanty towns exude in abundance add a different dimension to the great cities of Brasil.
I'm going to talk about the Favelas of Rio De Janeiro in particular here, simply because that's where my experience lies.

Upon arrival in the 'Cidade Maravilhosa' (marvelous city), it's hard not to notice - especially when taking the 'REAL' bus from the airport - the slums that surround the 'jewel' of South East Brasil. These are perhaps the worst of all Favelas in Rio receiving less attention from the Government and police forces. This is in large part due to their being out of sight and touching distance from the hoards of tourists that grace the wavy tiles of the Copacabana and Ipanema strips each year.



Hey asshole! Read some more...

TO ADD TO THAT...

I wasted my opportunity to take a ton of photos on the subject of football in Rio De Janeiro. Everywhere I went on a bus or in a taxi, I spotted perfect examples of small street football courts and promised myself I would venture back to find. This pathetic excuse of inauthentic imagery you're about see will tell you that I never got around to doing that.
But, in continuation of the last post, hopefully these photos go some way to explaining what I tried to in my eventual conclusion.
When courts and tiny homemade goals like those below are being played on across the globe.....


....is it any wonder these kids grow up to dominate when what they have to aim at, eventually becomes this...


I witnessed small homemade wooden goal frames (like the ones seen in picture 2) all over South America. Perhaps it's time we think about bringing them to the UK.