Also went up to Catagalo - the favela in between Copacabana and Ipanema beaches this week to discuss designs for girls AfroReggaeDigital T-shirts. There's a team of lovely ladies, seamstresses making beautiful clothes, in the As Criancas Esperanca building at the top of the favela. The building itself is amazing, real 50s concrete architecture, and houses various activities - basketball, football, circus, boxing, computers, radio, even a swimming pool. Looking over the pool is the most incredible view of Rio I've seen so far - beats even Corcovado or Sugar Loaf I reckon - with its steep mountainous backdrop, the lagoa on one side, Ipanema town and beach on the other. The sound of the kids having fun, splashin around in the bright blue pool, just added to the sense of beauty... will have to take a picture next time, unfortunately my camera had run out of battery - boo. Had a great lunch of chicken, rice and beans cooked from fresh and then caught the lift down to the streets of Rio (in record time). There is still the basic structure of a 5 star hotel, complete with lift, which got abondoned during building as the favela started to grow around it. The residents now use the lift, with permission, for (roughly) hourly intervals at morning, noon and evening to travel up and down from the favela. Handy when you've been doing the shopping.
The morning before Catagalo I went to the inauguration of the new Funarte president, where Gilberto Gill was also speaking. We were invited on the premise of an introduction to speak to O Signor Gill about AfroReggaeDigital although he was mobbed after the ceremony and we decided to leave it until another time - he is a great friend of AfroReggae so we hope to make him aware of the project at least.
Today I have been on the computer all day, with a break to sort out my visa. Have just done the latest report for 5Live - listen back for the next 7 days - it's the Up All Night programme, and am just about ready for bed before a day of workshops at Lucas tomorrow. Although DJ Premier and The Racionais at Circo Voador is tempting...