How The 2016 Olympics Captured Brazilian Essence

By J. McManus

The first time the Olympics were held in South America was in 2016, Rio de Janeiro. It was an opportunity to showcase Brazilian culture internationally through performances and spectacles. The opening ceremony was an incredible presentation, focusing on landscapes and forests, Brazilian history, music, and samba, among others. This display is remembered for its multicultural and diverse roots, embedded in a beautiful exhibition that paid an homage to the native Brazilian people.  
 
Despite a budget of only 10% of the previous Olympics, held in London, it had a focus on originality and ingenuity – telling a story of the past to the people of the world. Apart from this, there was a focus on climate change to help preserve our world as we know it today. The entire Maracanã football stadium served as a stage during the opening ceremony, with presentations by Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, and others. They went on to say that the concept given for the show was to “emphasize ‘originality’ over ‘luxury’ and compensate with creativity, rhythm, and emotion.”  
 
The Opening Ceremony was the greatest spectacle, arguably, ever presented in Brazil. This is considering the size of the stage and stadium, over 6,000 performers, and the responsibility that comes with hosting such a prestigious and inspiring Greek event of over 2000 years, which was transmitted to billions of people across the globe. For the few weeks it took place, Brazil was the center of attention and so they took this chance to display the several cultures that exist within the country, whether it be Amazonians, the Cariocas, the Paulistanos, or the Mineiros, spreading a message and showing the importance of history in a beautiful and captivating manner. 
 
The 2016 Olympics was a culturally significant event, not only due to its performances and games, but the people who were there to support their countries and perhaps learned a little bit more about their own heritage. It was a unique experience both for the foreigners who likely saw Brazil for the first time as well as Brazilians who had never understood just how much this event meant to so many people worldwide. This was a monumental presentation of Brazil’s capacity to organize an Olympic event and also make something beautiful of it, triumphantly expressing the true essence of Brazil. ​