SOCIETY

Brazil meu abrigo

The first exploration in South America and the difficult reality of daily life

Andrea Giuliani

Andrea Giuliani Favela Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Going back in time, I think that this experience, which I've reached only at the age of 26 years old, was the greatest and the most beautiful opportunity that I could achieve.

Finally I was able to choose where to go outside my home called Europe, I was able to choose whether to go towards progress, knowing my future or what really represents happiness... poverty.

Very often, in our daily lives, we live in close contact with technology and this leads us, in many cases, to be angry when something is not working, it can be a telephone or a subway, your car or a personal computer, everything that in favelas, is not in the people’s priorities.

Andrea Giuliani Favela Rocinha, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Hunger, delinquency, poor environmental hygiene conditions, school education, a home to live in, these are the challenges that the inhabitants have to overcome during their day, at the same time, there are people who go beyond these difficulties and as in the case of two boys, being photographed represented an immense joy because they felt valued, this feeling reflects the great social gap that is present with many tourists, gestures that we don’t consider important, for others can change the day.

Andrea Giuliani Maracanã stadium, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Andrea Giuliani Escadaria Selarón, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Their smile

the original background

-

Andrea Giuliani Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Outside Rio de Janeiro continues the adventure close to the nature, the competition of beaches that can offer Brazil is immense, Grumari and Prainha were the places that during the winter of August (period with an average temperature of 28 degrees) didn’t forget the summer.

As I will describe also in Portugal, a lot of surfers choose their best wave to ride, even the children seem to agree, there is also who like me, as a great lover of the sea, choose this landscape to photograph their wedding. After this long walk and sheltered from the sun, it was right to take a break, a coconut juice waited to be finished.

Andrea Giuliani Praia de Grumari, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Andrea Giuliani Prainha Beach, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Andrea Giuliani Praia de Grumari, Rio de Janeiro. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

After the most touristic part of the country, for two days the Iguazù's waterfalls, divided between Brazil and Argentina, have spaced out the noise of the city but they made me think what I had seen before.

Despite the difficult period that the country is going through, even after the Olympic Games in 2016, people are very smiling and it's evident how inside them there is a great vitality to live with sympathy their day, this is a feature that I love in their personality, probably the competitive reality that we are experiencing, as it brought economic welfare, at the same time led to the disappearance of these emotions that make this country unique from the outside.

Andrea Giuliani Farol da Barra, Salvador de Bahía. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Andrea Giuliani Basílica do Senhor do Bonfim, Salvador de Bahía. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

"Capoeira, Where am I?

Flying kicks are coming"

-

Andrea Giuliani Centro Histórico Pelourinho, Salvador de Bahía. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

Salvador de Bahia is a city of great colonial resentment, in 1548 was named as the first capital of Brazil, but is surprising that in his history, many Africans who arrived in this city through the "slave trade", have succeeded in integrating over the centuries into the population.

Now these people speak perfectly brazilian and in the streets of the old town they continue to show their martial art called "Capoeira".

This fight has always been a symbol of their expressiveness, originally the slaves used to practice it as training during the forced labor in the plantations, only in 1974 will be recognized as a national sport.

In this shot, I've photographed an exercise that also involved tourists.

Andrea Giuliani Largo Terreiro de Jesus, Salvador de Bahía. Brazil © Andrea Giuliani

From poverty to the business world, when it was all over, for a few hours San Paolo was the last town visited.

Here we find the financial heart of the country, not by chance a lot of European companies have chosen to open many branches in this place, for what I see photographically, just for a second time, reminded to be once again in Milan.

Many skyscrapers of high height were visible and the Avenida Paulista was the biggest street where you can find lots of concentrated activities, shops and museums, an active part of the trade. The situations created in this road have been endless, if I could go back I would spend some days here to photograph always new people.