Latest news with #favela
The Independent
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Hindu music singer inaugurates project to spread yoga in Brazil's favelas
Dozens of Brazilian yoga aficionados saluted the sun in unison in a Rio de Janeiro favela for the inaugural class of a free course allowing residents of the low-income community to qualify as yoga teachers. Krishna Das, a renowned American vocalist born Jeffrey Kagel and known for his performances of Hindu devotional music known as kirtan, led a spiritual practice and attendees prayed, sang, clapped and even danced. 'I felt like I was in another world,' Luciene Costa Gonzaga de Andrade said at the event Wednesday. 'The mantras transcend the souls and transform sadness into joy. It was magical.' Hairdresser Costa Gonzaga de Andrade, 54, is one of 20 people from Rocinha, Brazil's most populous favela, or low-income neighborhood, who have signed up for the free training program offered by the Yoganaya International School and the company Mude. She started practicing yoga to alleviate pain in her lower back. She used a cane for three years, but the ancient practice allowed her to regain mobility. Standing on her feet all day is a struggle and she was delighted to learn how to teach yoga. 'It's a course that would be very expensive for people who, like me, have a low income,' she said. 'Who knows, maybe in the future I'll quit the salon and just teach classes.' The 14-month project aims to train around 180 new teachers from favelas in Rio and Sao Paulo, who will then carry out paid internships in their communities. Participants receive uniforms, yoga mats, speakers and microphones, as well as stipends and support when entering the job market. Yoganaya International School founder Renata Mozzini said she created the project specifically for favela residents to pierce the 'bubble of elitism.' ' People here often feel like yoga isn't for them. They think yoga is for those with money or who have life figured out. But the truth is that it's for everyone,' she said, pointing to an existing yogi community in Rocinha with classes run by 'Yoga na Lage,' or Yoga on the Rooftop. Organizers got wind of the South American tour by Das and invited him to the first class with the Rocinha group, which was open to the public. At least 150 people attended, with many mats touching during the class in an open space owned by a restaurant with a spectacular view of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon and Rio's mountains including the Corcovado, where the famed Christ the Redeemer statue is located. 'Tonight was so rich and sweet. It was just beautiful,' Das told The Associated Press afterward. 'It's just a joy to interact with them and to sing and to encourage them to continue because there's so many obstacles and difficulties to try to overcome.' Daniela Moraes, who has a stall on the beach and is training to become a teacher, has listened to Das many times on YouTube and was moved to see him sing live. The 47-year-old from Rocinha said the performance being in the favela made it even more special. 'Seeing him shouldn't be something exclusive,' she said.
Washington Post
10-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Washington Post
Hindu music singer inaugurates project to spread yoga in Brazil's favelas
RIO DE JANEIRO — Dozens of Brazilian yoga aficionados saluted the sun in unison in a Rio de Janeiro favela for the inaugural class of a free course allowing residents of the low-income community to qualify as yoga teachers. Krishna Das, a renowned American vocalist born Jeffrey Kagel and known for his performances of Hindu devotional music known as kirtan, led a spiritual practice and attendees prayed, sang, clapped and even danced.
Associated Press
10-07-2025
- General
- Associated Press
Hindu music singer inaugurates project to spread yoga in Brazil's favelas
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Dozens of Brazilian yoga aficionados saluted the sun in unison in a Rio de Janeiro favela for the inaugural class of a free course allowing residents of the low-income community to qualify as yoga teachers. Krishna Das, a renowned American vocalist born Jeffrey Kagel and known for his performances of Hindu devotional music known as kirtan, led a spiritual practice and attendees prayed, sang, clapped and even danced. 'I felt like I was in another world,' Luciene Costa Gonzaga de Andrade said at the event Wednesday. 'The mantras transcend the souls and transform sadness into joy. It was magical.' Hairdresser Costa Gonzaga de Andrade, 54, is one of 20 people from Rocinha, Brazil's most populous favela, or low-income neighborhood, who have signed up for the free training program offered by the Yoganaya International School and the company Mude. She started practicing yoga to alleviate pain in her lower back. She used a cane for three years, but the ancient practice allowed her to regain mobility. Standing on her feet all day is a struggle and she was delighted to learn how to teach yoga. 'It's a course that would be very expensive for people who, like me, have a low income,' she said. 'Who knows, maybe in the future I'll quit the salon and just teach classes.' The 14-month project aims to train around 180 new teachers from favelas in Rio and Sao Paulo, who will then carry out paid internships in their communities. Participants receive uniforms, yoga mats, speakers and microphones, as well as stipends and support when entering the job market. Yoganaya International School founder Renata Mozzini said she created the project specifically for favela residents to pierce the 'bubble of elitism.' 'People here often feel like yoga isn't for them. They think yoga is for those with money or who have life figured out. But the truth is that it's for everyone,' she said, pointing to an existing yogi community in Rocinha with classes run by 'Yoga na Lage,' or Yoga on the Rooftop. Organizers got wind of the South American tour by Das and invited him to the first class with the Rocinha group, which was open to the public. At least 150 people attended, with many mats touching during the class in an open space owned by a restaurant with a spectacular view of the Rodrigo de Freitas lagoon and Rio's mountains including the Corcovado, where the famed Christ the Redeemer statue is located. 'Tonight was so rich and sweet. It was just beautiful,' Das told The Associated Press afterward. 'It's just a joy to interact with them and to sing and to encourage them to continue because there's so many obstacles and difficulties to try to overcome.' Daniela Moraes, who has a stall on the beach and is training to become a teacher, has listened to Das many times on YouTube and was moved to see him sing live. The 47-year-old from Rocinha said the performance being in the favela made it even more special. 'Seeing him shouldn't be something exclusive,' she said.
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
China's Scorching Heat Poses Summer Test for Electricity Grid
(Bloomberg) -- A sizzling start to July is on the cards for China, where nationwide temperatures are poised to climb almost 3C above historical averages in the first week of the month. Philadelphia Transit System Votes to Cut Service by 45%, Hike Fares Squeezed by Crowds, the Roads of Central Park Are Being Reimagined Sprawl Is Still Not the Answer Sao Paulo Pushes Out Favela Residents, Drug Users to Revive Its City Center Mapping the Architectural History of New York's Chinatown That'll pile pressure on electricity supplies as people crank up their air conditioners, demand for which has nearly doubled in the past decade. Swathes of eastern China, home to major population centers including Shanghai, Nanjing, and Hangzhou, will see temperatures around 35C to 39C (95F to 102F), with some places touching 40C, according to a forecast from the China Meteorological Administration. The region may face a 'long-lasting high temperature war,' the state weather bureau said last week. Key rice growing areas will also bake in the heat, threatening to damage the crop during a crucial development stage and risking lower output in one of the country's top-producing regions. As the mercury climbs, government officials will be feeling the heat in more ways than one: they must ensure stable power supplies even as demand spikes — potentially to record levels. The National Energy Administration expects peak electricity demand to be about 100 gigawatts higher this summer than last, the equivalent of needing to turn on all the power plants in the UK at once. Preparations have been years in the making. After major blackouts struck China earlier this decade, the authorities built up a massive surplus of coal, the country's mainstay fuel, amply supported by a world-beating roll-out of wind and solar power. There are already indications that authorities are gearing up for a sweltering few days. Last week, the National Development and Reform Commission, the country's top economic planning agency, took pains to emphasize the electricity grid's readiness for soaring temperatures. While the network is in better shape to take on peak summer demand this year, 'extreme and continuous high temperatures' can tighten power supplies, said an NDRC spokesperson, who also warned that extreme events like typhoons and floods can amplify threats to the grid. Rains may bring some relief, although heavy downpours — especially in the southwest, where the ground is already saturated after recent drenching — could threaten inundations. A broad band of precipitation is predicted to move through southwest, north and northeast China this week. In Beijing, cooling, thundery rains are forecast in the first half of the week, although the humidity could make it feel hotter than the thermostat suggests. For now, there is disagreement between major weather models on how long China's heat wave will last. Among those keeping a close watch will be coal traders: the benchmark price for thermal coal crept up from multi-year lows last week due to the sweltering conditions. On the Wire China's envoy to Canberra urged Australia not to be 'incited' by NATO's support for US demands to sharply raise defense spending and instead cooperate with Beijing to resolve regional disputes. Serbia has received assurances from China that it would support speeding up exports of materials critical for electric-vehicle production, benefiting companies like Stellantis NV, which operates a factory in the Balkan country, President Aleksandar Vucic said on Sunday. President Donald Trump said he has identified a buyer for the US operations of TikTok, the social media app owned by Chinese company ByteDance Ltd., but he won't provide details for two weeks. This Week's Diary (All times Beijing) Monday, June 30: China official PMIs for June, 09:30 Tuesday, July 1: Caixin's China factory PMI for June, 09:45 HOLIDAY: Hong Kong Wednesday, July 2: CCTD's weekly online briefing on Chinese coal, 15:00 CSIA's weekly polysilicon price assessment Thursday, July 3: Caixin's China services & composite PMIs for June, 09:45 CSIA's weekly solar wafer price assessment Friday, July 4: China's weekly iron ore port stockpiles Shanghai exchange weekly commodities inventory, ~15:30 --With assistance from Hallie Gu and Kathy Chen. America's Top Consumer-Sentiment Economist Is Worried How to Steal a House Inside Gap's Last-Ditch, Tariff-Addled Turnaround Push Luxury Counterfeiters Keep Outsmarting the Makers of $10,000 Handbags Apple Test-Drives Big-Screen Movie Strategy With F1 ©2025 Bloomberg L.P. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Guardian
01-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Brazil: outcry after funk singer arrested for allegedly inciting crime in lyrics
The arrest of a well-known Brazilian funk singer on charges of allegedly inciting crime in his lyrics and an alleged connection to a major criminal gang has sparked outrage among artists, intellectuals and legal experts. MC Poze do Rodo, 26, who has 5.8 million monthly listeners on Spotify, was arrested early on Thursday at his home in a luxury condominium in Rio de Janeiro's west zone. Outcry has focused on the way the artist was detained over alleged non-violent offences: handcuffed, shirtless and barefoot. Footage of the arrest was broadcast repeatedly on television and splashed across the front pages of Brazilian newspapers. 'This is persecution [against me],' the funk singer told journalists as he was transferred from the police station to jail. 'There is no evidence.' Activists say the case is the latest example of the criminalisation of funk music – and, by extension, of Black culture; something researchers argue has been a systemic feature of Brazilian society since the abolition of slavery in 1888. Like most Brazilian funk artists, MC Poze – born Marlon Brendon Coelho Couto da Silva – is Black and raised in a favela. He rose to prominence in 2019 and has since succeeded with songs depicting daily life in those communities, including some tracks that openly reference drug trafficking. In an interview with TV Globo last year, he admitted that as a teenager, he had worked for the drug trade: 'I've been in shootouts, I was shot, and I was arrested too.' But he insisted he had left that life behind and that his goal was to send young people the message that 'crime doesn't lead anywhere'. Last Thursday, police justified his arrest by claiming he was 'clearly glorifying drug trafficking and the illegal use of firearms' in his lyrics, and that his concerts were being financed by one of Brazil's two main criminal gangs, the Comando Vermelho (Red Command). The police chief, Felipe Curi, even claimed that MC Poze's lyrics were 'often far more damaging than a rifle shot fired by a drug trafficker'. According to Pierpaolo Cruz Bottini, professor of criminal law at the University of São Paulo, there is no incitement to crime in MC Poze's songs. 'There is no intent to promote or defend criminal acts – rather, the songs paint a vivid picture of a reality everyone is already aware of.' Bottini said that the way the singer was detained – without being allowed to get dressed or even put on shoes – was 'completely inappropriate'. 'Even in cases of violent crimes, such treatment would only be justified if there were signs of resistance or a risk of flight – and that clearly wasn't the case,' he said. After the arrest, other funk artists took to social media to protest in solidarity. Another high-profile singer, MC Cabelinho, pointed out that when an actor in soap opera or a film portrays a character involved in drug trafficking, it is not seen as inciting crime. According to anthropologist Mylene Mizrahi, a professor at Rio's PUC university, funk artists are still not considered legitimate artists. 'They are pop artists, just like US rappers or Hollywood film-makers. But when someone like Martin Scorsese makes a mafia film, they're not branded mobsters,' she said. The lawyer Joel Luiz Costa, executive director of the Black Population Defence Institute, said: 'The criminalisation of funk is part of a long historical process that began after the abolition of slavery and previously targeted samba, capoeira and afro-Brazilian religions. 'There's a clear pattern of criminalising Black culture,' he added. 'Since they can't just outlaw being Black, they target something associated with the Black community.'
