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Handover Segment [Review]


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As I said in other threads, I did not like the handover segment presented by Rio de Janeiro. As a Brazilian, I was a little bit ashamed of what was showcased, but specially, the way how it was presented. As promised here is my critique on why it turned out to be underwhelming.

I. Flag Handover

Not much to say about the very first part of Rio de Janeiro's "big time". The only task given to those men was to wave the Olympic Flag four times before passing it, but only Boris Johnson actually did it. Rogge waved it three times. Eduardo Paes looked a little nervous, waved it three times, stopped, and then waved a little bit more. Not that this was important, but it was a tradition...

II. National Anthem

I was really looking forward to hear the National Anthem, and who would sing it. I was even expecting that the two stanzas of it would be performed. I was extremely disappointed, as many Brazilians (I think), to see that they just played the instrumental version used for Medal Ceremonies. That version abruptly cuts the first stanza of the National Anthem by half, leaving us a little confused with the lyrics. Therefore, only ~25% of it was performed. Seeing the flag wrapped up in the pole, instead of waving, did not help and they must be thankful to London organizers, who were very kind lightning the Olympic Stadium with green and yellow.

III. Street-sweeper

I think that this was the only part of the whole segment that I actually liked. Renato Sorriso - a Rio de Janeiro street-sweeper - is a very charismatic person and really transmitted the Brazilian passion. I felt goosebumps right at the beginning with that samba beat and it was even more exciting to see that the crowd was enjoying it as well. Very nice touch with the security guard too: came to get Renato off the stage, but ended up involved by the rhythm while he was introduced to the Brazilian way/culture.

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# Costumes

This was the main problem of Rio de Janeiro's presentation... I still do not get the point of passistas dressed as Black Power-80's Disco/Drag Queen women with something like a Ferris Wheel on their back. The only exceptions about this topic were Marisa Monte's umbrella skirt and the indigenous people LED costumes, as they looked very nice and actually represented visual aspects of Brazilian culture. After that, some weird dancers dressed more like an African tribe appeared running and BNegão entered the stage... Seriously, I don't know what so say about his ridiculous costume. As for Alessandra Ambrósio, she looked stunning of course, but the dress did not help. Then, capoeiristas with suspenders (Really?) took the stage along with Seu Jorge in a stylish carioca version of Italian Mafia. To finish, television coverage unfortunately did not pay attention to the drummers in the back with that LED drums above their heads, but they seemed OK.

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IV. Iemanjá & Indigenous people

The personification of Iemanjá - goddess of the sea in Brazilian beliefs - by Marisa Monte was nice. Quite enjoyed her voice as she sang "Bachianas Brasileiras No. 5" by the great Heitor Villa-Lobos, but she was gone as quick as she came and it seemed a little out of context. Anyway, it inevitably recalled Björk's "Oceania" performance and I did not like that... Then we could see a very interesting tribute to the Brazilian indigenous people, the original inhabitants of these lands. Fair enough.

V. Maracatú & Brazilian woman

Most Brazilians did not know the existence of BNegão until this Sunday (with that costume... Really? I mean, REALLY?). He sang "Maracatú Atômico" by Chico Science & Nação Zumbi, a northeastern beat, which I can only say was OK. Alessandra Ambrósio randomly appeared to represent the Brazilian woman, which I must agree with some comments, she did not. I really like her, but she did not do anything special or transmitted that Brazilian passion.

VI. Capoeira & MPB

Capoeira is a very important part of Brazilian culture and I was expecting it at the presentation, but not in the sound of MPB, with Seu Jorge singing some song music I do not know (by Wilson Simonal, I think). After that, the samba beat returned with those foldable panels. I liked it, but I did not understand those shapes, until it literally paved the way to the next act...

VII. Finale

The Copacabana pavement is formed on the floor and the volunteers that were holding it open their jackets to show their bras... "Aquele Abraço" by Gilberto Gil was a good choice. It immediately reminded me of the bid because it was in one of the videos presented in the election. Nothing to complain about Marisa Monte, she did a very good job... Then comes Pelé as some kind of national hero - a surprise to every event - like the party could not have ended without him. Disposable, just as Maurren Maggi and Robert Scheidt. I did not like the inflatable logo as well, it looked very cheap. Well, thanks again to London for the use of the LED screens and awesome fireworks display.

In my opinion, this occasion was the perfect opportunity to showcase the cliches about Brazil in a classy way. They could have performed the National Anthem just like the Russians did in Vancouver. I expected beautiful paper costumes by Jum Nakao (I don't think he design those costumes), but they could have at least represented our culture for real, with Brazilian lace, feathers, etc... Alessandra's mate Adriana Lima would have been a better choice to represent the beauty of the Brazilian women. The musical background was good, but they could have used Bossa Nova and popular songs instead of that music even Brazilians are not familiar to. I have no doubts that the crowd would be much more excited with "País Tropical", "Mas que Nada", "Garota de Ipanema" ou "Aquarela do Brasil"... They could have invited all the Brazilian medalists in London, at least the champions, to take the stage, not Maurren Maggi. They could have invited many other Brazilian celebrities just to join the party like Pelé did.

I do not know if they had a budget, but I think that money was not a problem... They could have done more, especially with London being so helpful to Brazilians... Overall, it was disappointing. Not the worse I have seen, but definitely not the best.

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The budget of the whole thing was something similiar to US$ 8 million! :blink:

Yeah, unbelievable.

Nice report, Felipe! Liked your points!

It's good to have another Brazilian post, and with much better post than mines... B)

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The budget of the whole thing was something similiar to US$ 8 million! :blink:

Yeah, unbelievable.

Nice report, Felipe! Liked your points!

It's good to have another Brazilian post, and with much better post than mines... B)

Ur kidding!? Toronto spent $300,000. And Rio wasn't that great. (Toronto's was okay bordering bad lol)

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After the closing ceremony the brazilian cable tv channel SPORTV did show a videoclip for the song Os grandes deuses do Olimpo visitam o Rio de Janeiro something like The of Olympus visit Rio de Janeiro. The song is a modern samba perfomed by very important carioca singers like Zeca Pagodinho, Arlindo Cruz and Mart'nália. It's a kind of "welcome" to the Games made by a GLOBO's channel.

You can see the video here: http://oglobo.globo.com/cultura/cancao-tema-do-rio-para-as-olimpiadas-de-2016-reune-cultura-carioca-em-videoclipe-5769533

or here: http://globotv.globo.com/sportv/olimpiadas-2012/v/veja-clipe-com-artistas-brasileiros-celebrando-as-olimpiadas-do-rio-2016/2086073/

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I think the handover act had two problems yesterday:

1 - The 'concert' was too long, leaving much less time for the cerimonial stuff like speeches and everything else

2 - There is not much space on stage because the athletes were already there.

Being said that, I think the handover part was OK. Nothing to be embarassed (OK, Mr. Paes could be a little less political on stage, since he was caught waving during the middle of the handover of the flag, and more focused on the ceremonial part, but no big deal) but nothing really spetacular. No one today here in the press said something really negative about the handover stage, so I think it was a decent piece for a CC.

The only thing I didn´t like was the Brazilian Anthem cut short. Again, probably because of the long concert taking too much time. They should at least played the first part in full, since the music of both parts are the same, it wouldn´t hurt them.

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The only thing I didn´t like was the Brazilian Anthem cut short. Again, probably because of the long concert taking too much time. They should at least played the first part in full, since the music of both parts are the same, it wouldn´t hurt them.

No, it wasn't cut short because they were in a rush - it was the version also used for the medal ceremonies. And those medal ceremony national anthems had to have a maximum length of 90 seconds, I believe. So they had to shorten the Brazilian anthem -- and also some of the also lengthy other South American national anthems. ;)

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Almost every future host gets 6-8 minutes for their cultural handover presentation. And the stage London provided was much better than the little side corners Barcelona and London got.

Rio's segment was OK. Not quite what I expected and got lost in the bigger London show, but it did the job.

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No, it wasn't cut short because they were in a rush - it was the version also used for the medal ceremonies. And those medal ceremony national anthems had to have a maximum length of 90 seconds, I believe. So they had to shorten the Brazilian anthem -- and also some of the also lengthy other South American national anthems. ;)

I can understand this for the medal ceremonies, but for the handover ceremony it was not nice, sorry.

It would add only 20 seconds to the whole thing and would make the next hosts happy.

Sad note also was the flag...

Why not use fans like Beijing did?

Rio's bit was OK. Just expected it to be more flashy. And end with something like "We'll See you in Rio!"

No "see you in Rio" was really a flaw...

I think the handover act had two problems yesterday:

1 - The 'concert' was too long, leaving much less time for the cerimonial stuff like speeches and everything else

2 - There is not much space on stage because the athletes were already there.

Being said that, I think the handover part was OK. Nothing to be embarassed (OK, Mr. Paes could be a little less political on stage, since he was caught waving during the middle of the handover of the flag, and more focused on the ceremonial part, but no big deal) but nothing really spetacular. No one today here in the press said something really negative about the handover stage, so I think it was a decent piece for a CC.

The only thing I didn´t like was the Brazilian Anthem cut short. Again, probably because of the long concert taking too much time. They should at least played the first part in full, since the music of both parts are the same, it wouldn´t hurt them.

It would add only 20 seconds more and make Brazilians happy.

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It would add only 20 seconds more and make Brazilians happy.

Yes, but Danny, you are playing to a worldwide audience. Less is more. That's how they do it anyway at the Medal ceremonies and even in the intro's like of World League of Volleyball at the start. As a matter of fact there, I think they play it for no more than 20 sec...and then fade out. There has to be a consistency. You'll have to get into the mindset that "that's how Brazilian fans behave' or '...make the Brazilians happy...' will NOT be the criterion. As the next hosts, you will need to lead by example...not by words.

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Is the white-suit guy really famous in Brazil?

I can't believe the Rio people put him on there. He was like an old pervy 80s singer.

Actually, now I think about...that man wasn't Brazilian at all...

lionel_richie-hello_s.jpg

:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes, he has a name in Brazil. He's not a mass popular hit but is a well-known musician, singer/songwriter and actor.

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Yes, but Danny, you are playing to a worldwide audience. Less is more. That's how they do it anyway at the Medal ceremonies and even in the intro's like of World League of Volleyball at the start. As a matter of fact there, I think they play it for no more than 20 sec...and then fade out. There has to be a consistency. You'll have to get into the mindset that "that's how Brazilian fans behave' or '...make the Brazilians happy...' will NOT be the criterion. As the next hosts, you will need to lead by example...not by words.

If we cut the American anthem for any good reason, USA would make an official appeal to IOC easily... And they would be right.

That was an official ceremony, No excuses to not play the Brazilian anthem correctly...

Indeed, in Brazil, BY LAW, it's impossible to play Brazilian Anthem with cuts.

So, international audience needs to be used to our law like it happened during PanAms and nobody complained about.

___

And Baron, you won't change the Brazilian mindset... I'm getting tired of your moral lessons.

Please, don't lose your time.

;)

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:lol: :lol: :lol:

Yes, he has a name in Brazil. He's not a mass popular hit but is a well-known musician, singer/songwriter and actor.

He also played a supporting role on the movie "The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou" and "Elite Squad 2". Not a big fan of him but he is a better singer than a whole bunch of other brazilian people who claimed they are musicians.

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I would love to see what foreign broadcasters said during Rio's handover. Does anyone have videos?

I watched one from ESPN LatinAmerica in Spanish...

They spoke very little and only giving correct information about the show...

Not much to see.

The video is not available in Youtube anymore.

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I did not like it.

I would have had significant changes, even if my idea of an Embraer Jet couldn't be done, I would have certainly given this handover a bigger "wow" factor.

National Anthem: Actually sung, not just played. During this time (and the next part) we'll see the Union Jack transform.

Intro video: A bit like the videos seen in the Opening, where you zoom/fly past areas in real fast speed. Go through the Amazon, rain forest, plains, other Brazilian cities, then end up with Rio's skyline, zooming into a local school. Have the children who have been part of Rio's preparation videos finishing school (and passing some students who claim to have seen James Bond in a recent trip to London), heading out to show us famous Rio landmarks, like the Christ the Redeemer Statue. In the end we have that Abbey Road homage. This video would last a couple of minutes, considerably longer than past intro videos.

Representation of Rio in the Stadium: During the anthem and video, the iconic Copacabana Beach pavement pattern is laid out on the Union Jack. Similar to London's representation of it's skyline, we see a representation of Rio's complete with ferris wheel, Christ statue, Sugar Loaf mountain, Maracana etc.

Culture of Brazil: That iconic Samba dancer is revealed, who leads us to the native representation of Brazilians (and dance), who in turn lead to Carnival performers (and dance), who in turn lead to the Brazilian singers and so forth, until we end up with Pele, who as a nod to London's Handover in Beijing, could kick some footballs into the crowd.

Rio 2016 Logo: Given it's 3D aspect, at this point the landmarks of Rio would have parted to reveal the Rio 2016 logo from the center of the Union Jack. It would have lit up and rotated, showcasing it's 3D nature. In an added bonus, at this point an Embraer Jet would fly past the stadium, in Rio 2016 livery, with the words "See you in Rio!" If this wasn't possible, then a simple banner would have been unraveled by some of the performers, as well as use of the LEDs.

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I did not like it.

I would have had significant changes, even if my idea of an Embraer Jet couldn't be done, I would have certainly given this handover a bigger "wow" factor.

National Anthem: Actually sung, not just played. During this time (and the next part) we'll see the Union Jack transform.

Intro video: A bit like the videos seen in the Opening, where you zoom/fly past areas in real fast speed. Go through the Amazon, rain forest, plains, other Brazilian cities, then end up with Rio's skyline, zooming into a local school. Have the children who have been part of Rio's preparation videos finishing school (and passing some students who claim to have seen James Bond in a recent trip to London), heading out to show us famous Rio landmarks, like the Christ the Redeemer Statue. In the end we have that Abbey Road homage. This video would last a couple of minutes, considerably longer than past intro videos.

Representation of Rio in the Stadium: During the anthem and video, the iconic Copacabana Beach pavement pattern is laid out on the Union Jack. Similar to London's representation of it's skyline, we see a representation of Rio's complete with ferris wheel, Christ statue, Sugar Loaf mountain, Maracana etc.

Culture of Brazil: That iconic Samba dancer is revealed, who leads us to the native representation of Brazilians (and dance), who in turn lead to Carnival performers (and dance), who in turn lead to the Brazilian singers and so forth, until we end up with Pele, who as a nod to London's Handover in Beijing, could kick some footballs into the crowd.

Rio 2016 Logo: Given it's 3D aspect, at this point the landmarks of Rio would have parted to reveal the Rio 2016 logo from the center of the Union Jack. It would have lit up and rotated, showcasing it's 3D nature. In an added bonus, at this point an Embraer Jet would fly past the stadium, in Rio 2016 livery, with the words "See you in Rio!" If this wasn't possible, then a simple banner would have been unraveled by some of the performers, as well as use of the LEDs.

Interesting ideas! Would be much better than what was actually presented, even with the Embraer thing... :lol:

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