Photo by Alessandro Martins, Flickr

Brazil is big. Not just its geography, as they take up the majority of South America, but everything they do is big. Their culture, their importing and exporting, their music, their dancing, and of course their soccer. So it’s fitting that on August 6 Brazil and all that it represents will be highlighted in its very own festival along Granville Street.

“What I love the most about Brazil and its people is…how easy [they are to talk to],” says Nate Speedie, Relationships Manager and Community Development officer for Canada Homestay International. Speedie has traveled the globe from Mexico to Korea to the Philippines and spent four months in the north eastern coast of Brazil.

“I also love that, in Brazil, there need be no reason to start dancing,” says Speedie with a chuckle.

With the summer season comes a slew of festivals in Vancouver. These festivals serve to highlight many different cultures, musical tastes and different ideas. Speedie says that it’s these kinds of festivals, and much more, that make Vancouver such an attractive place to visit and live. He’s certain that Brazil Fest will add to the already multicultural flavour of Vancouver.

This is Brazil Fest’s second annual party and the first year that Vancouver’s Brazilian Community Association is organizing it. Last year, Brazil Fest saw more than 17,000 people attend. This year organizers are expecting about 25,000.

Biancca Ozawa is the President of Vancouver’s Brazilian Community Association. She and eight other board directors are working together to put this event together. Not only is she enjoying every second of planning this event, Ozawa and the other directors feel they are playing a key role in the development of the Brazilian community in Vancouver.

“We talk about what the festival is going to be like 15 years from now,” says Ozawa, “and how our hard work [will have] turned out.”
North America has its fair share of Brazilian festivals, from Toronto to Oakland, California, but New York continually takes top spot when they hold their own Brazil Day.

The crowds have been growing since the festival started in 1984. People pile onto New York streets to contribute to the vibrant energy Brazilian musicians create and food vendors feed. The festival originated on 46th Avenue – now renamed “The Brazilian Street.”

Although Vancouver’s Brazil Fest is tiny compared to the one in New York, Vancouver’s Brazilian Community Association aims to one day have a major festival, the likes of New York’s. They are in the early stages of garnering support and interest from a wide variety of people and places like other community groups, the city and the media.

“Before any decision [is made] we think about the community and how they will receive it,” says Lucas Socio, Communications Director for Vancouver’s Brazilian Community Association.

“For instance, being a non-profit association, [we] asked some sponsors to draw prizes, like trips to the Rocky Mountains and English classes, instead of paying to be in the festival. Every dollar paid by the sponsors in the festival is going towards the event to pay the bands, stage, power, licenses and so on. In that way we are putting together a much better festival than last year.”

This year’s festival is sure to please Brazilians and non-Brazilians alike. At least 10 bands will perform that day, playing Brazilian music from pop rock to folk music, from samba to capoeira songs.

For foodies there will be booths selling Brazilian food, traditional deserts like brigadeiro e beijinho and guarana (Brazil’s own soft drink). All of this is music to the ears of Nate Speedie.

“I expect some good dancing and beautiful people,” says Speedie. “And, of course, a lot of meat on sticks.”