Original subtitles

LATIN GUITAR THEME, BREAKING WAVES

This episode takes us to Brazil's Southeast,

and the states of Espirito Santo, Rio de Janeiro, and Sao Paulo.

BEAT OF DRUMS

On Manguinhos Beach, we'll take a surfing lesson with Fabio,

an instructor and environmentalist.

In Rio, the Corcovado cable car gave Jorge some ideas

for opening up the favelas.

And we see the home he designed for Paulo.

In Maracana Stadium, Seu Cale attends his very first match

while in Paraty, Luis will be singing about caicara.

On the Costa Verde, they carve canoes straight from tree trunks.

Renato is the expert.

Finally, on Ilhabela,

Bonete wants to save its tranquillity at all costs.

First, in the State of Espirito Santo,

we'll follow the coast from Itaunas to Piuma,

with a stop in Manguinhos.

DISTANT SURF

Not far from the border with the State of Bahia,

the Itaunas reserve safeguards 40 kilometres of shoreline

from development.

EVOCATIVE MUSIC

The reserve, straddling the River Itaunas,

protects valuable intertwined ecosystems...

from the restinga, this low, shrubby vegetation,

typical of some Brazilian coastlines...

to the higher and denser coastal forest,

refuge of protected animal species...

and the mangroves,

which guarantee the biological richness of the Itaunas estuary,

including abundant stocks for fishermen.

More and more people in Brazil

are interested in preserving the coastline.

Fabio, at Manguinhos Beach, is one of them.

With his Dominio Corporal "Body Domain"

Fabio created a surfing school with a difference.

His lessons begin with a global vision of surfing

and its connection with the natural environment.

The project Nativos Ativos, or "Active Natives",

aims to broaden participation in surfing

while helping local youngsters forge a bond with the sea

and grow as individuals.

In a poor area, it's a good investment.

GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC

After surfing comes a lesson in ecological gardening.

GUITAR CONTINUES

Growing in sandy and rather poor soil,

the coastal vegetation consists of various herbaceous plants,

each with a specific role.

Among Fabio's pupils are young Indians

of the Tupiniquim tribe,

which lives near Manguinhos.

Today they are having their very first lesson.

CLAPPING

Living along the coast of southern Bahia and Espirito Santo,

the Tupiniquim were among the first Indians to encounter the Portuguese

when they arrived in Brazil.

Today, there are only a few thousand left.

Fabio feels called to bring others to the ocean

and to surfing.

DRUMMING...

GIVING WAY TO DISCORDANT MUSIC

At the far end of Manguinhos Beach, the landscape changes radically.

The Tubarao Peninsula is home

to one of the largest iron-ore exporting ports in the world.

In 2012,

over a hundred million tonnes of ore went through Tubarao.

DISCORDANT MUSIC CONTINUES

The port is part of the state capital, Vitoria.

Vitoria and its neighbour, Vila Velha,

make up a metropolis of over 1½ million people.

LIVELY LATIN GUITAR

A hundred kilometres further south,

Piuma is often called the City of Shells.

Shell handicrafts are sold from stalls

right beside the beach.

Looming over Piuma is Mount Agha, 343 metres high

and one of the great landmarks for shipping

along the southeastern coastline.

LATIN GUITAR CONTINUES

Next on our voyage down the coast is the State of Rio de Janeiro

and its colourful capital, Rio!

FESTIVE LATIN MUSIC

Off the seaside resort of Arraial do Cabo,

we come across our first rocky outcrops

on the Brazilian coast.

CRIES OF MANY GULLS

Nestled beneath huge granite promontories,

Arraial has made a name for itself as a minor capital of scuba diving.

The indented coastline

is bathed by a turquoise sea of amazingly clear water,

with here and there a beach enjoying the privileged setting.

Praia do Farol, on the island of Cabo Frio,

is often ranked among the most beautiful beaches in Brazil.

BREAKING WAVES

If the beaches and bays of the Costa do Sol are natural jewels,

the real gem of Brazilian tourism lies further west,

at the entrance of Guanabara Bay.

Welcome to Rio!

Its first showcase, Copacabana,

is one of the most filmed and photographed beaches in the world.

Directly behind it, favelas, or shantytowns,

stretch up the hillside.

But Copacabana itself is called the Princesinha do Mar,

"the little princess of the sea".

Next door to Copacabana,

Ipanema strives to be the showcase of a relaxed and radiant Rio.

DYNAMIC MUSIC

The astonishing granite peak of Corcovado one of many in Rio

is dominated by the huge statue of Christ the Redeemer.

The work of the French sculptor Paul Landowski and erected in 1931,

it stands more than 700 metres above sea level

in the heart of Tijuca, the world's largest urban forest.

But cheek-by-jowl with the splendour are the shantytowns.

Jorge is an architect and town-planner.

A few kilometres from downtown Rio,

the complex of do Alemao comprises a dozen favelas,

now connected to the formal city by a cable car.

After moving to Rio from Argentina in 1978,

Jorge developed a passion for solving the city's social problems.

He was behind the building of the cable car,

which has transformed the lives of 150,000 people.

Rio isn't the only Brazilian city with favelas,

but it has more of the shantytowns than most,

with a high proportion of its population living in them.

The special character of Rio comes from this inextricable tangle

between the formal city, in the lower areas,

and the favelas clinging to the slopes above.

With over 100,000 people,

the favela of Rocinha is one of the most heavily populated

in all of Brazil.

Its location, close to better-off districts,

boosted the improvement of its own town planning.

Jorge made his mark there

via a government program that was launched in 2010.

Jorge's housing development stands out

from the haphazard buildings around it.

But the spaces he designed for communal life

soon turned into carparks.

This afternoon, Jorge is paying a visit to Paulo,

a football coach in a local NGO

who lives in one of the buildings that Jorge designed.

Paulo takes us to see his old home.

THUNDER, PATTER OF RAIN

Over 30 per cent of Rio's population,

or about two million people,

still live in precarious conditions in shantytowns.

The city has more than 1000 favelas.

It was in the favelas that the most popular Brazilian dance was born:

the samba!

Regina is the president of the Salgueiro samba school.

Samba schools are extremely popular in Brazil.

In the most prestigious ones, like Salgueiro,

there is fierce competition to win the championship during Carnival.

For Carnival is the ultimate goal of all the effort.

The twelve largest schools parade before the judges

in the Rio Sambadrome.

MARSHAL'S WHISTLE

Mardi Gras has arrived,

and Carnival is in full swing before 70,000 spectators.

All 3000 members of Salgueiro

will try to impress the jury with a dazzling parade.

RAPID MASSED DRUMMING

Giant allegorical floats, extravagant costumes,

supercharged dancers, irresistible rhythms...

no effort is spared to win the title of champion of Carnival.

CHANT OF "SALGUEIRO, SALGUEIRO"

This year, Salgueiro is only the runner-up.

Perhaps it will carry off its tenth grand championship...

next time.

Mardi Gras is also the season for the Rio Carnival balls.

The most prestigious are held

within the shadow of the iconic Sugarloaf Mountain.

EVOCATIVE MUSIC

The imposing mass of the Sugarloaf

marks the entrance to Guanabara Bay,

which borders Santos Dumont airport,

barely two kilometres from the city's business and cultural centre.

Carnival balls were once held in the Municipal Theatre,

an early 20th-century building inspired by the Paris Opera House.

Not far away are the remarkable Sao Sebastiao Cathedral

and the "Lapa arches",

the nickname of the colonial-era aqueduct

now used as a tramway bridge.

Further east, on the edge of the poorer districts,

is the temple of the true Brazilian religion...

the Maracana, one of the biggest stadiums in Latin America.

Opened for the 1950 World Cup,

it has seen some of the most glorious episodes

in Brazilian football.

Seu Cale used to be the caretaker of this legendary venue.

He is its living memory.

ROAR OF CROWD

Seu Cale has seen the Maracana change over the years.

Designed for 200,000 standing spectators,

it was rebuilt for the 2014 World Cup.

Today, for the very first time,

Seu Cale is attending as a spectator.

Today, the Maracana has a capacity of just over 80,000.

ROAR OF CROWD

It may have hosted two World Cup finals,

but above all the Maracanaa remains a ground for local clubs.

Fluminense, Flamengo, Botafogo, Vasco de Gama, and others.

Supporters flock to see them play here,

even though ticket prices rose sharply after the rebuilding.

It makes no difference to Seu Cale. He still loves the Maracana.

CHANT OF CROWD

We leave Rio beneath the outstretched arms of Christ.

The Brazilian poet Coelho Neto called it "the marvellous city".

Its landscape of sea and mountain is recognised by UNESCO

for its exceptional beauty.

A beauty that extends into the coastal forests

and the vast expanse of Sepetiba Bay.

WAVES BREAKING IN DISTANCE

On the third leg of our journey,

we explore the treasures of the superb Costa Verde,

shared between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

BUZZING INSECTS

The Costa Verde, or "green coast",

takes its name from the old-growth Atlantic forest

that still covers much of the Serra do Mar.

TROPICAL BIRD CALLS

This long chain of mountains mostly runs parallel to the ocean

but at some points extends to meet it.

One paradise on the Costa Verde is the island of Ilha Grande,

a nature reserve, entirely undeveloped.

A territory with amazing landscapes,

it is home to the rich culture of farmer-fishermen known as...

caicaras.

CAICARA SONG

In the far south of Rio state

is the perfectly preserved colonial town of Paraty

SONG CONTINUES

where Luis Pereque sings of caicara culture.

SONG CONTINUES

Paraty was founded in 1667

after gold was discovered in the neighbouring state of Minas Gerais.

For two centuries, it prospered as a port for exports.

But it is also a cultural melting pot.

Luis and his wife Vanda, a choreographer,

are going to see Lucio Cruz, one of the town's leading artists.

He is an expert in a local specialty:

papier-mache masks and figures.

In Paraty's community arts centre,

Luis and Vanda, accompanied by the town's cirandeiro musicians,

meet with other dancers for a demonstration of ciranda.

Originating in Pernambuco state but performed throughout Brazil,

the ciranda is a simple dance,

open to anyone who wishes to join in.

Thanks to passionate ambassadors like Luis,

the caicara culture still has happy days ahead in Paraty,

even if the growth of tourism could cost it a little of its soul.

WASH OF WAVES

Leaving Paraty, we continue along the Costa Verde

and cross into Brazil's most populous state, Sao Paulo.

DRUMMING

Fifty kilometres down the coast

is the popular seaside resort of Ubatuba.

Set amidst Atlantic forest and overlooked by the Serra do Mar,

it retains a small-town feeling.

However, the pressure to develop is building up,

and here too the caicara culture is showing some resistance.

The region's marine heritage includes an unusual type of boat:

the 'canoa caicara', a canoe carved straight from a tree trunk.

The local expert in making them is Renato,

a caicara carpenter to the tip of his chisel.

TAPPING

TAPPING CONTINUES

Renato works by instinct,

depending on the timber he lays his hands on.

Supply of the raw material is a constant problem for Renato.

The deforestation of coastal areas by large companies

has reduced timber resources.

Industry and craftsmen alike are affected by the shortage.

The regulations to conserve the remaining forest

allow no exceptions.

But Renato manages, thanks to his passion for the canoa.

CHAINSAW STARTS UP

CHOPPING

CHAINSAW

UP-TEMPO DRUM MUSIC

Limpid waters, golden sand, luxuriant vegetation...

the beaches of the Costa Verde

are attracting more and more visitors

in search of fresh air and tranquillity.

Many of them are from the capital, Sao Paulo.

The idyll ends

at the southernmost point of the Costa Verge,

the city of Santos.

The megalopolis of Sao Paulo is 50 kilometres inland.

But Santos alone has a population of 1½ million

and the largest container terminal, not only in Brazil,

but in all of South America.

Midway down the Costa Verge, and a few kilometres off the coast,

is the Ilhabela Archipelago.

On the largest island, Sao Sebastiao,

the village of Bonete is resisting pressures to develop.

Andre is leading the campaign.

The people of Ilhabela shun the development

that has hit some other sectors of the coast.

They live mainly by fishing, handicrafts

and, more recently, eco-tourism.

GENTLE LATIN GUITAR

As well as being president of Bonete's heritage association,

Andre runs a small family pousada,

a guesthouse a stone's throw from the beach.

Bonete has only 250 people,

who are by and large descendants of the first settlers.

Like his father-in-law, Seu Benedito,

Andre is concerned about the future of fish resources in the region.

RUSHING WATER

A way of life for which Andre is ready to fight.

CONTEMPLATIVE PIANO MUSIC