FLY BROTHER

Most major news outlets report about Brazil’s economic growth, income disparities, racial issues, beaches, soccer stars, and World Cup preparations in random, infrequent bursts. Now, two journalists with feet on the ground and caipirinhas on the brain are weighing in on the economic growth, income disparities, etc., etc., on their own blogs.

Yes, everybody and their mama who ever spent a week on the beach in Rio or ever took a guided favela tour has a blog about Brazil. But these guys are oftentimes the go-to sources for reliable facts and insight that those major news outlets rely on when reporting on the country. So, for the most part, dear reader, you can turn to this pair of muckrakers for consistent, insightful commentary—in English—on that enigmatic, entrancing South American powerhouse in the tutti-frutti hat.

Sir Andrew Downie (he’s not really a knight, but he’s got a courtly disposition and “Sir”…

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Vocab Lessons: Brazilian Portuguese Nature Vocabulary List

Portuguese Nature Vocabulary

galho – branch

“na meia de nada” – in the middle of nowhere

murchar – to wilt, wither

acampar-se – to camp

acampamento – campground

brotar – to sprout, bud, bloom

vala – ditch

passo – step, pace, walk, footstep, footprint

terreno – ground, land

trecho – passage, stretch of space

ramo – branch, buindle of flowers (also means: a particular line of work)

argila – clay

agua doce – fresh water

agua salgada – salt water

girasol – sunflower

Written Vs. Spoken Portuguese

Colloquial Portuguese: Putting “Não” At The End of Sentences

One of the most important things to bear in mind when learning Portuguese is that there is a big difference between written Portguese, which is more formal and sticks to the grammar books, and oral Portuguese, which is a whole different story.

One place where this becomes apparent is the use of the word “não” in creating a negative sentence. Gramatically speaking, it is incorrect to place “não” at the end of the sentence; logistically, it is constantly placed at the end of the sentence in spoken Portuguese. Though technically, this structure is grammatically incorrect, it is frequently used this way in the oral form, usually in a response to a question.

Let’s take a look.

How it’s written: Não quero ir na festa. I don’t want to go to the party.

How it’s spoken: Quero ir na festa não. I don’t want to go to the party.

To be safe, stick to the grammar rules when writing, be it a term paper or a business email, but when spoken, it’s ok to speak like the Brazilians do.

Let’s look at a few more examples we’re likely to hear in spoken Portuguese.

Sei não, cara. I don’t know, man.

Podemos ir não. We can’t go.

Gosta não. She doesn’t like it.

Tá triste não. He’s not sad.

Expressing That You Don’t Care

Lack of Concern

How do you express the idea that you don’t care, or that something doesn’t matter to you in Brazilian Portuguese? Here are some common expressions:

“Eu não ligo com essa coisas.” [Insert hand gesture here] I don’t care about that stuff.

“Não me importa.” – “i don’t care”

“Não tô nem aí.” – “i don’t give a s***,” “i don’t care”

“Tanto faz.” – “whatever”

“E eu com isso?” – “I don’t care,”

 

 

Carnaval in Salvador – Blocos Vs. Camarotes

Carnaval in Salvador – Tips For Trio Elétricos & Camarotes

Bands and singers from Bahia spend the entire year dreaming up and composing the songs that will rock the trios elétricos of Salvador during Carnaval. If you don’t know anything yet about Carnaval in Salvador de Bahia, you will greatly benefit by reading this post.

What Is A “Trio Elétrico”? What Is A “Bloco”?

The world famous Carnaval celebration in the Bahian capital city Salvador is centered around a huge parade down the main street of Salvador that anyone can participate in. And the trio elétricos are arguably the most important element of this whole experience. Trio elétricos are slow-moving trucks which the singers and bands (some of the most famous in brazil) perform on top of, and the show lasts from one end of the street to the other end.

If you observe the picture above, you may notice that there is actually order to the chaos. See how there are people wearing green shirts forming a perimeter around the trio elétrico? Well, these people are actually holding hands and essentially working as a human barrier (these are paid workers), to keep some people in to walk with the trio eletrico, and to keep others out.  Basically, you pay to follow the trio elétrico and to stay “inside” the human-chain by purchasing a special shirt. The part inside the human chain around the trio elétrico is called a bloco. And the shirt is your entrance pass to the bloco. These shirts in Portuguese are called “abadás”. So, every trio elétrico, meaning every band, designs a different abadá for carnival every year. And as long as you are wearing the shirt, you can go in and out of the human chain surrounding the trio elétrico as you please. So, as the trio elétrico moves slowly down the street, (it takes about 3 or 4 hours from start to finish) everyone who has purchased the appropriate abadá to gain entrance into the trio elétrico moves slowly down the street with it, dancing to the music of the band that is playing on top. Every day of carnaval in Salvador, there are many different trio elétricos to choose from. So every day, you could buy the abadá for a different one. Or, if you are feeling like being safer and staying relatively clean, you might want to opt for a camarote

Here Are Some Tips for Trios Elétricos:

– Shop around and buy your abadá in advance. You will find people selling them on the street all around the center of Salvador, so ask different people how much they are selling them for to price shop. Or even better, buy the shirt off a friend, or at least find someone who is Brazilian to negotiate for you.

– No girl goes into the trio elétrico wearing their shirt/abadá the way they bought it. Guys, it’s ok to leave your abadá the way you bought it. Girls, on the other hand are known to buy their shirts in advance and have them professionally modified by a tailor to be different from everyone else (in brazil this is very inexpensive). If you are interested, I have written a guide to transforming your abadá (with some great examples) Here. For those of you who buy your abadá shirts last minute, the sellers also try to make some extra money by selling you the use of their scissors (usually R $2), so that you can alter your shirt yourself:

self-ripped abadás of carnaval

– Do not bring your camera or anything valuable.

– Wear tennis shoes. Your feet will get stepped and jumped on…many times.

– While in the bloco, try to stay nearer to the center, close to the trio elétrico truck. Because if you stay on the fringes that are closer to the outside, near the human chain, you will probably get robbed and grabbed at many times by people on the outside.

– Just know that you will probably be offered drugs. The most popular drug in the blocos is called lança perfume, it’s a euphoric drug made from ethyl chloride that people carry around in perfume bottles and spray onto a towel (read more about lança perfume Here). They put their face to the towel and inhale to get high off of it. So, that’s what’s going on when you see people breathing into towels.

– Expect to get very very dirty.

– Expect not to be able to hear anything for a few hours after the trio elétrico is over.

What Is A Camarote?

This is what a camorote looks like:

camarote in salvador

Camarotes are a step up from the trio elétrico in terms of safety and in terms of classiness. In my opinion, everyone should try partaking in the trio elétrico at least once, it’s an intense, raw and wild experience to put it mildly. But camarotes can be a good alternative during carnaval in Salvador when you still want to party, but you don’t want to feel like you could be trampled and groped by people at any moment. To get into a Camarote, you will have to buy the abadá for the Camarote that you want to go to, and they are generally more expensive than the trio elétrico abadás. But price varies by camarote, the ones towards the end of the street tend to be most desirable and most expensive. Camarotes are basically like clubs that look out onto the street and have open bars. So, you get to see the trio elétricos passing by and hear all of the trio elétrico music, but there is also a dj and a dance floor (or multiple dance floors) in the camarote itself. Camarotes give out little promotional gifts and you can get your photo taken inside professionally so that you don’t have to bring your own camera, things like that.

Tips for Going to A Camorote:

– Arrive at your camarote early, ideally before the trio elétricos begin to make their way down the street. Remember that the more the street begins to fill with people, the more dangerous and impossible it will be for you to navigate your way to the camarote.

– Once you are in the camarote, don’t leave the camarote. Very dangerous idea.

– Everything about re-designing your abadá for the blocos also applies to the camarote abadás.

– Provided you get there early, it is OK to secretly bring your camera into a camarote. But i will say this, and this is very important: have a super secret, strategic and secure location for your camera transportation. People on your way there will be putting their hands into your pockets, and they will be trying to rip things off of you (like purses – never bring a purse to carnaval). So just remember that. Only take your camera out when you are inside the camarote and when you are about to use it.

Adriana Lima rocking out during carnaval in Bahia

So, that’s my summary of trio elétricos, blocos and camarotes: the three most important things to know about if you are a gringo planning on spending carnaval in salvador. Please let me know if you have any questions or comments! 🙂

Rock In Rio Recap & The Songs Of Rock in Rio Translated Into English (Part I)

Rock in Rio 2011 Recap (Part I)

promotional poster for Rock in Rio 2011

I’m sure that by now you’ve heard that Rock in Rio is going on in brazil. It’s about half way over, so I thought I’d write this post as a recap of what has gone on so far. By the way, the whole festival is being shown live in Brazil on Globo, and you can watch it streaming live Here. Rock in Rio is one of the worlds largest music festivals, and right now i am going to take the opportunity to highlight a few artists who are performing this year…

Titãs & Paralamas do Sucesso

On the opening day of rock in Rio, two great Brazilian rock bands, Titãs, and Os Paralamas (who I have written about before and you can read about Here) came together to sing the song Epitáfio (epitaph) by Titãs. I really wish I had been there, what an awesome opening act for the festival. Below I have translated the lyrics to English for you to follow along to the video. You can also watch the entire first day show Here, on Youtube.

Titãs & Paralamas do Sucesso Preform “Epitáfio” At Rock in Rio 2011

…this video literally gave me goosebumps. loved it.

Lyrics To “Epitáfio” Translated To English

Devia ter amado mais – i should have loved more
Ter chorado mais – i should have cried more
Ter visto o sol nascer – seen the sun rise
Devia ter arriscado mais – i should have risked more
E até errado mais – and even made more mistakes
Ter feito o que eu queria fazer... – done what i wanted to do

Queria ter aceitado – i wanted to have accepted
As pessoas como elas são – people as they are
Cada um sabe a alegria – every one knows the happiness
E a dor que traz no coração... – and the pain that he carries in his heart

O acaso vai me proteger – chance will protect me
Enquanto eu andar distraído – while i walk distracted
O acaso vai me proteger – chance will protect me
Enquanto eu andar… – while i walk

Devia ter complicado menos – i should have complicated things less
Trabalhado menos – worked less
Ter visto o sol se pôr – seen the sun set
Devia ter me importado menos – i should have cared less
Com problemas pequenos – about small problems
Ter morrido de amor… – died from love

Queria ter aceitado – i would like to have accepted
A vida como ela é – life as it is
A cada um cabe alegrias – in everyone fits happiness
E a tristeza que vier… – and sadness that comes

O acaso vai me proteger – chance will protect me
Enquanto eu andar distraído – while i walk distracted
O acaso vai me proteger – chance will protect me
Enquanto eu andar…(2x) – while i walk

Devia ter complicado menos – i should have complicated things less
Trabalhado menos – worked less
Ter visto o sol se pôr… – seen the sun set

Rihanna Preforming At Rock in Rio

Later that day, Elton John preformed, then the lineup included Katy Perry and Rihanna.

So technically, Rock in Rio is supposed to be an actual rock show, showcasing the great brazilian rock bands, but unfortunately and to many people’s disappointment, Rock and Rio has become increasingly, well, eclectic, over the years. This american pop doesn’t compare at all to the great Brazilian rock bands, but anyway here’s a clip of part of Rihanna’s performance at Rock in Rio:

Claudia Leitte At Rock in Rio 2011

A half naked Claudia Leitte also strutted her stuff around the main stage on Rock in Rio’s opening day. Claudia Leitte is another Brazilian popstar from Bahia who has a similar sound to that of Ivete Sangalo (they both sing a genre of music called axé, which came out of the Brazilian state of Bahia in the 1980’s. Axé is upbeat, fun and carefree, reflecting the Bahian state of mind.) Leitte got famous originally as the vocalist for the salvador-based axé band Babado Novo, and now she has an enormously successful solo career in brazil. Here’s a video of Claudia Leitte opening her act. I found this to be horribly funny, embarrassing and ridiculous, so I thought that I’d share it:

If i’m being honest, I can’t say that  I’m Leitte’s biggest fan. I have a lot of respect for Ivete Sangalo, and Claudia Leitte always seems to be copying her, but not very tastefully.

Electronic Music At Rock in Rio

Rock in Rio this year also featured an electronic music stage where DJs have included: Ferry Corsten, Steve Aoki, Boys Noize, etc.

arial view of Rock in Rio 2011's music stages

Capital Inicial Preforms at Rock in Rio 2011

So, the next day of Rock in Rio brought an incredible performance by brazilian rock band Capital Inicial. Here’s an hour-long video of their entire show:

…and here’s an interview (in portuguese) with the band that was done just moments after their show ended:

Capital Inicial “Que Pais E Esse?” Lyrics Translated to English

Here are the lyrics to one of the more famous songs that Capital Inicial performed at Rock in Rio entitled “Que país é esse?” (“what country is this?” / “what kind of country is this?”). You will see how political the band is, as the lyrics speak to their disgust over the political corruption that takes place in Brazil.

Nas favelas e no senado – in the favelas and in the senate
Sujeira prá todo lado – filthiness all around
Ninguém respeita – no one respects
A constituição – the constitution
Mas todos acreditam – but all believe
No futuro da nação… – in the future of the nation

Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?

Na Amazônia – in Amazonas
E no Araguaia – and in Araguaia
e na baixada fluminense – in the baixada fluminense (an area in Brazil near Rio de Janeiro)
No Mato grosso – in Mato Grosso
Minas Gerais – Minas Gerais
E no Nordeste tudo em paz – and in the northeast everything in peace
Na morte eu descanso – in death i rest
Mas o sangue anda solto – but the blood still loose
Manchando os papeis – staining the papers
Documentos fiéis – loyal documents
Ao descanso do patrão… – at the relaxation of the  boss

Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?

Terceiro mundo se for – may be third world
Piada no exterior – a joke abroad
Mas o Brasil vai ficar rico – but brazil will get rich
e vamos faturar um milhão – and we will bill a million
Quando vendemos todas as almas – when we sell all the souls
Dos nossos índios um leilão… – of our indians, an auction

Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse? – what country is this?
Que país é esse?…(2x) – what country is this?

Red Hot Chilli Peppers At Rock in Rio 2011

Many sources have informed me that the chilli pepper’s performance has been the highlight of Rock in Rio so far.  Here’s them performing “Around the World,” but seriously check out at the other videos on Youtube, their whole show was absolutely incredible…

So, there’s a little recap of what has gone on so far at Rock in Rio 2011. Part II will come soon when the festival has come to an end. Please feel free to comment below!

Portuguese Surfer Vocabulary: A Guide To “Surfistês Brasileiro”

Portuguese Surfing Vocabulary: A Guide To “Surfistês Brasileiro”

Maya Gabeira (born April 10, 1987 in Rio de Janeiro) is a professional big wave surfer from Brazil, already a two-time winner of Best Female Surfer in the world.

Basic Surfing Vocab

o surfista – surfer

a prancha de surfe (or just prancha) – surfboard

pranchão – long board

cera para a prancha, parafina – board wax

leash (pronounced “lésh” in “surfistês brasileiro” – brazilian surfer language), or cordinha – board leash

roupa de neoprene (known more commonly in brazil as a “long john“) – wet-suit

Talking About The Wave  (Falando das Ondas)

tubo – barrel

parede – shoulder, or face

crista (da onda), a parte mais alta da onda – lip (the highest part of the wave)

espuma – whitewater, foam

ressaca – the surf, undertow (this word also means “hangover” in brazil – “estou de ressaca” – “i’m hungover.”)

Talking About The Wind (Falando Sobre o Vento)

terral – offshore winds

maral – onshore winds

Talking About Maneuvers (Falando das Manobras)

cavada – bottom turn

rasgada – re-entry

batida – off-the-lip

pegar um tubo, entubar – tube ride / barreling

drop – take-off

joelinho, golfinho, furar a onda – duck dive

tartaruga – turtle roll / eskimo roll

Expressions From “Surfistês Brasileiro”

-Cera é importante para manter o equilíbrio na prancha. – Board wax is important to help balancing on the board.

-Se tomar um caldo, a cordinha impede que você perca a prancha. – If you wipe-out, the leash prevents the loss of the board. 

-Caso planeje começar a surfar, precisará de um long john. – If you plan on taking up surfing, you will need a wet-suit. 

-Pegar um tubo é o ponto alto do dia do surfista. – Getting barreled is the highlight of a surfer’s day. 

-Conforme o surfista entra na onda, ele passa a mão livre na parede. – As the surfer drops in, he puts his free hand in the face of the wave.

-Manobras na crista da onda são estilosas. – Turns on the lip of the wave are stylish. 

-A parte branca da onda é chamada de espuma. – The foamy part of a wave is the whitewater.

-O terral produz ondas perfeitas no oceano. – Offshore winds make perfect ocean waves.

-O maral não oferece boas condições para o surfe. – Onshore winds do not offer good surfing conditions.

-A cavada é uma das manobras mais importantes. – The bottom turn is one of the most important maneuvers.

-Na rasgada, o surfista desce de volta com a espuma. – In a re-entry, the surfer comes back down with the white.

-Para a batida, você quase sai da onda e, daí, vira rápido e volta. – For an off-the-lip, you almost exit the wave and then quickly turn around to get back.

-Pegar um tubo é uma manobra que pontua alto em competições. – The tube ride or barreling is a very high scoring trick in competitions.

-Antes do drop, observe a etiqueta do surfe para ver se a onda é sua. – Before taking off, observe surf etiquette to see if the wave is yours.

-Para o joelhinho, o surfista precisa remar com velocidade ao se aproximar da onda. – To duck dive, the surfer needs to paddle quickly when approaching the wave.

-Num pranchão, os surfistas usam a tartaruga para remar e passar a rebentação. – On a long board, surfers use the turtle roll to paddle out and get past the breaking point.

Slang Surfing Phrases

-“Tirar Onda” – means to show off

–“Tem que ir na onda” – “you have to go with the flow”

-“Segurar a Onda” – literally means to hold on to the wave. But when used in a conversation, it means to deal with a situation without losing one’s composure. In English, we’d translate it as “hanging in there” or “sticking it out,” since it means to put up with something you don’t want to put up with. Basically it means to deal with something difficult.

Examples:

Vai segurando a onda ai com a criança que a mãe já está a caminho. – Just hang in there with the kid, since her mother is on the way.

Acho que é melhor segurar a onda até a empresa falir. – I think it’s better to wait it out until the business goes bankrupt.

A menina não conseguiu segurar a onda, e acabou ligando para o pai dela pedindo para buscá-la. – The girl couldn’t stick it out, and ended up calling her dad to ask him to pick her up.

Quanto tempo você consegue segurar a onda sem comer chocolate? – How long can you go without eating chocolate?

It’s also helpful to see the expression in its literal form, with this news report about surfing in Rio de Janeiro:

List of Brazilian Portuguese Beach Vocabulary & Expressions

The Beaches Of Brazil – Some Portuguese Vocabulary

Brazilians are very serious about their beaches, partially because they have so many beautiful ones to choose from. From Amapa to Rio Grande do Sul, there are thousands of miles of coastline.  I have visited so many stunningly beautiful beaches in Brazil, but still have many left to see, including those on Fernando de Noronha island, rumored to be the best in the country. I have so many favorites it’s impossible to chose, but I think some of the best states to beach hop in are Rio de Janeiro, Santa Catarina, and Bahia.

Fernando de Noronha island, brazil

a praia – the beach

a barraca de praia – beach hut, cabana

a cadeira de praia – beach chair

a casa de praia – beach house

o guarda-sol  – umbrella

o biquini – bikini

maiô – bathing suit

a bermuda – swimming shorts for guys

a sunga – men’s speedo

a duna – sand dune

o salva-vidas – lifeguard

a areia – sand

o castelo de areia – sand castle

o mar – ocean

a onda – wave

o tubarão – shark

o sol – sun

the famous beaches of rio de janeiro

os óculos (de sol) – sunglasses

o protetor solar – sunscreen / sun block

o isopor – a cooler (made of styrafome)

mergulhar – to go under water / to dive

nadar – to swim

boiar – to float

“tomar um banho de sol” – to sunbathe

bronzear – to tan

queimar – to get tan / burn

canga – sarong

festa na praia – beach party

festa na praia

Portuguese Beach Slang

“farofeiro” – this is a slang word used for sort of a low income tourist from the interior who goes to the beach for a day trip, suually they come in groups by bus or van. They come bringing everything they need to survive on the beach for a day, usually large quantities of food (including a bag filled with farofa), drinks and clothes, so that they do not have to spend any money.

“pegar um bronze” – slang for the verb “se bronzear”

Examples:

“nossa! hoje só tem farofeiro na praia.” – “Jesus! today there’s only farofeiros on the beach”

“domingo vamos fazer uma fartofada na praia o Morra em Guarapari”

Portuguese Beach Expressions

“rato de praia” – you know those types of people who like to go to the beach every day, and stay there all day. In Brazil we call them “ratos de praia,” sort of like a “beach bum.”

“amor de praia não sobe a serra” – this is a common Brazilian expression literally saying “beach love doesn’t go up the mountain” it’s meaning is along the lines of: “summer love doesn´t last.”

“nadar, nadar e morrer na praia” –   this expression is said of someone who worked their fingers to the bone, almost succeeded, yet was defeated just as they were about to see victory .” Those who are unlucky enough to be shipwrecked (naufregar) – they may “swim, swim, swim” to the shore, only to “die on the beach.” The expression in Brazil is frequently used to talk about soccer teams (the archetypical example for American sports teams would be the Boston Red Sox).

“não é a minha praia” – this one has nothing to do with the beach. it means: “it’s not my cup of tea”

“tirar onda” – this is a great portuguese slang expression, which means “to show off.” For example: “Peguei o carro do meu tio emprestado e fui tirar onda na avenida com os amigos.” – “I borrowed my uncle’s car and went to show it off in the street with my friends.”

Types of Beaches

Though Brazil is a highly stratified society, one thing Brazilians pride themselves on is the democracy of their beaches. Unlike other locations like restaurants, clubs, and stores, the beaches are open to all, and all beaches in Brazil are considered public. The beach is supposedly a place where people of any social class can feel welcome.

Just as a side note, although Cariocas of all social classes feel comfotable at the beach, they usually go to specific beaches and sometimes even specific points on the beach. In Ipanema, for example, Posto 9 is known for being the spot for the young and wealthy, while farther down the beach in Arpoador, the crowd is mostly working class.

So, this was the only vocab word that i could think of for this section:

praia de nudismo – nudist beach

…i accidentally walked into one of these when i was in Florianopolis. There are many.

Beach Games In Brazil

altinha – stand in a circle and keep a soccer ball off of the ground, using everything but your hands…i wrote a whole post about this Here

frescobol – this beach paddle ball game played with small ping-pong-like rackets is a very popular activity on the beach in brazil (it’s “the #1 sport played on the beaches throughout Brazil,” according to frescobol.com)

frescobol

futevôlei – beach volleyball with no hands

“bater uma pelada” – slang, for playing soccer on the beach

fazer parapente, voar de asa-delta – to go hanggliding, parasailing (parapente is a parasail)

Also…

Click Here for portuguese surfing vocab

Click Here for a list of aquatic animals in portuguese

Havaianas Launches A Photo Contest To Win A Free Pair

Havaianas Launches Facebook Photo Contest

Havaianas, the sandal brand that has become synonymous with easygoing Brazilian culture, and a staple for the beach rats of Rio de Janeiro, has launched a photo contest today on their facebook page. Upload your best picture of a sunset, and each week the five best pictures will win a pair of Havaianas. The first winner will be announced on Friday.

Brazilian Fashion: Havaianas’ Rise To Stardom

great marketing ideas - photo from the "havaianas thong challenge of 2009" in australia

You have to hand it to Havaianas for their genius marketing strategies. The international boom of the Brazilian brand is no coincidence. Its parent company, Alpargatas, has implemented numerous marketing strategies in past years. Since 2003 the brand has been a part of the Academy Awards, with exclusive sandal models given to the nominees.  In 2009, the company launched a campaign in European media promoting the product as a symbol for what it means to be Brazilian. It also made the sandals available at 700 Gap stores, where they could be decorated with pins and other accessories. Customization of Havaianas was also a big hit during New York Fashion Week. Just this week a Havaianas vending machine was installed in a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia.

havaianas vending machine

Alpargatas has truly branded these rubber flip-flops as the “sandal of brazil,” they have even gotten away with making a flip-flop trendy, even glamorous. And they aren’t doing too bad for themselves…

Havaianas sandal designed by Naomi Campbell

Peixe Urbano – Brazil’s Answer For Groupon-like Daily Deals

“Peixe Urbano” – Brazil’s Answer To Online Daily Deals

Peixe Urbano, a Rio-based Groupon clone, is doing very nicely indeed by tailoring its service precisely to a brazilian audience and offering daily deals to brazil’s nearly 70 million Internet users.

Brazil has its own version of Groupon, but Peixe Urbano (which means “urban fish” in portuguese) came onto the scene afterwords, and has done much better in the brazilian market for deal-of-the-day websites (in portuguese, the concept is referred to as “compra coletiva.”) In many markets, Groupon is a solid number two player at best, as is the case in Brazil. So even though Peixe Urbano is just a groupon clone, it has been much more successful…

When it comes to the overall revenue obtained by each side, PeixeUrbano has mananged to grow 5.87% when compared to the previous month and raised R$67,031,631 (USD38,878,345.98) in the three largest Brazilian markets alone. Groupon, on the other hand, lost 0.62% in overall revenue in August and raised R$16,641,145 (USD9,651,864.1) in the same markets.

Why Has Peixe Urbano Had More Success in The Brazilian Market Than Groupon?

Why is Peixe Urbano doing better than Groupon in Brazil? One theory is that Peixe Urbano is targeting the types of deals that will hook in the Brazilian market. For example, Peixe Urbano does a lots of happy hour deals, things that target a more spontaneous crowd. Brazilians tend to favor spontaneous activities as opposed to discounts or gift cards that expire after 6 months or a year, so Peixe Urbano’s deals are typically more time-sensitive. Also, Brazilians tend to be less excited about sharing coupons and sales with their friends, so Peixe Urbano is positioning itself as a site to discover cool hidden gems in your city, with the added bonus of saving some money in the process. Peixe Urbano’s slogan is “peixe urbano – exploring your city.”

Peixe Urbano…

peixe urbano

…Vs. Groupon Brazil

Also, it probably didn’t help that when Groupon first launched in Brazil (originally called “Clube Urbano”), its tactics were deceitful. The site was loaded with fake deals, according to TechCrunch, who confirmed that Groupon was advertising deals for venues and locations that didn’t really exist. Shady marketing, Groupon.

groupon brazil - groupon.com.br

So if you are traveling to brazil in search of good deals, Peixe Urbano might worth checkingout.