Expert: Ken Rapoza Cruz - 1/6/2010

Question
hey Ken,
i would really appreciate it if you could provide some information regarding the cultural commoditization of Brazil, that is how is Brazil's culture packaged in a way now that has made it become commoditized and make it lose its authenticity. I just want to know how the culture was and how it is now due to commodifications because of tourism. i want to know the differences. your speedy reply would be much appreciated
thank you for your time.

Answer
This sounds like a homework question, but I will give you my two cents anyway. If it is a homework question, you will be better off reading books by Kenneth Maxwell, or even interviewing him at Harvard. He will be an authority on the subject. But if you want a mini-authority, you can say you interviewed Kenneth Rapoza, a foreign correspondent for Dow Jones News and the Wall Street Journal.

Depending on when you look at Brazil's culture, it's biggest cultural signposts -- the traditional festivals honoring certain saints or Indian traditions -- have gone from a more localized, rural event to a larger mass marketed one: think Carnaval on steroids. A good example of this is the massive Amazon native and locals festival called Bumba Meu Boi, which is like a Carnaval in the middle of the Amazon region. I think it is in the state of Tocantins or Amazonas. Do a Google search for it. Although the festival has existed for generations, only in the last ten years has it been really commercialized and packaged as a go-to spot for tourists interested in exotic, cultural fairs with a Carnaval-flair. I would say that Bumba is the best example of the commodification, or better yet, the packaging and commercialization of traditional festivals to attract Brazilians, and foreigners, to a destination that was historically very regional and not a spot tourists from outside the region, let alone the country, would even consider going to. Even Carnaval throughout history was much more of a Rio de Janeiro thing. Other cities had smaller parties, sure, but now Carnaval is becoming a big operation, with the Sao Paulo Carnaval parade now attracting samba schools with decent money, competing in the samba competition.