Brazil Archives - Northwest Public Broadcasting

Gloria Estefan: ‘It’s All About The Drums,’ This Time From Brazil

By NPR News August 23, 2020

Cuban-American pop star Gloria Estefan may have one of those game changing albums on her hands with the release of Brazil305, a re-examination of some of her most familiar songs through the lens of her life-long love of Brazilian music and rhythms.Read More

FILM REVIEW: Mysterious Events Disturb A Small Brazilian Town In Genre-Busting ‘Bacurau’

By NPR News March 4, 2020

Mourners gather for a heartfelt burial ceremony in the Brazilian film Bacurau. Victor Juc /Kino Lorber

First the town disappears from Google Maps. Then a UFO appears — and a water truck is riddled with bullet holes. Bacurau is a community portrait, a horror thriller and a work of political filmmaking.Read More

Michael Pollan Explains Caffeine Cravings (And Why You Don’t Have To Quit)

By NPR News February 13, 2020

Michael Pollan gave up caffeine entirely for three months while working on his audiobook, Caffeine. "I recommend it," he says of his time without the drug. "I had some great sleeps." But he didn't realize that a temporary "loss of confidence" and lack of focus were withdrawal symptoms. CREDIT: Abdulrhman Al Shidokhi/Getty Images

When Pollan decided to write about caffeine, he gave it up — cold turkey. "I just couldn't focus," he says. "I was irritable. I lost confidence." Caffeine reshapes the brain in surprising ways.Read More

The Unusually Modest Guinga: A Brazilian Guitarist Beloved By Musicians Around The World

By NPR News January 5, 2020

The Brazilian musician Sergio Mendes says that Guinga's melodies are incredible. "They're unique; they're different," he says. Manfred Pollert/Courtesy of the artist

As a composer, Guinga's written hits for Brazilian superstars like Elis Regina. As a musician he's set the bar for classical guitarists far beyond his native country.Read More

Pope Opens Amazon Synod Amid Controversy Over Proposal To Allow Married Priests

By NPR News October 8, 2019

Pope Francis walks in procession on the occasion of the Amazon synod at the Vatican on Monday. The pope opened a three-week meeting as he fended off attacks from conservatives who are opposed to his ecological agenda. CREDIT: Andrew Medichini/AP

Even before the synod began, traditionalists were angered by the suggestion that, to offset a shortage of priests in the Amazon, married men might be ordained to serve in remote communities.Read More

Tens Of Thousands Of Fires Ravage Brazilian Amazon, Where Deforestation Has Spiked

By NPR News August 21, 2019

Several of the fires burning in the Amazon rainforest can be seen even from space, as evidenced by this satellite image provided by NASA earlier this month. Brazil's National Institute for Space Research said the country has seen a record number of wildfires this year. NASA via AP

Researchers say there's been a huge rise in the number of fires compared to last year. That's likely linked with a similar leap in deforestation since President Jair Bolsonaro took office.Read More

What Was Our Air Like Before Industry? A Scientist In Richland Is Sniffing The Amazon To Find Out

By Anna King May 31, 2019

This image from an explanatory video shows how scientists from Pacific Northwest National Lab collected air samples near Manaus, Brazil.

As a U.S. Department of Energy plane flew over the Amazon rainforest, it sipped and sampled air in real time. Pacific Northwest National Laboratory scientist Manish Shrivastava sampled the air over the Amazon to come up with a scientifically accurate baseline of pre-industrial air. Read More

A Global Guide For Leery Travelers

By NPR News June 23, 2018

Is your destination too dangerous? How do you protect yourself from health threats? With its tropical beaches and a memorable national park, Venezuela was a popular destination for American tourists a decade ago. But years of political and economic turmoil have left its tourism industry in tatters.Read More