{{Yes, oh yes….it is CARNIVALE season in Brasil…in particular in Rio de Janiero…and anyone who loves dancing as much as I do, knows this is one of the highlights of the global dance calendar each year.}}

It’s that time of the year…Dancing and of course….drumming….and spangles, feathers….and most of all the spirit that is ‘community’.

I know I am amongst friends as I write this, because the Rwandan skillful dance is known throughout the world. I have a modest collection of antique Rwandan postcards and amongst them your dance traditions are well represented.

I must say, one of the most extraordinary experiences of my life was standing at the entrance to the Sambadrome….tens of thousands singing in Portugese from the stands…drum beats pumping out the rhythm…surrounded by thousands of twirling, dancing, singing dancing performers – young and old, tall and short, thin and fat….everyone in the community…and everyone smiling!

That celebration of community life, dance, culture, history, music and costume….The colour….The spectacle! …that goes from dusk to dawn, twice! …needless to say it was one of the most remarkable experiences of my life!

All praise to the Brasilians for having the brains to build the Sambadrome! What a place! Approximately 30m wide and 700m long…a straight, flat piece of concrete…more like a runway to look at rather than a stage….but indeed – what a stage it becomes!!!!

For a rank amateur dancer like me…the chance of a lifetime to perform in front of tens of thousands!….well, when you think about the global broadcasting of the Carnivale…I guess I did actually perform in front of millions….Woo hoo! (Thankfully they weren’t looking too closely at my footwork or listening to my appauling attempt at singing in Portugese hee hee)

You can’t find anything even close to the Sambadrome in Australia (I wish I could)…instead we spend $100M on building a football stadium to passively watch about forty men play combative sport and chase a ball around a field each weekend during Winter….uuugghghhhh!

As the Rwandan tourism industry is thriving, there is much to be learnt from those Brasilians – the Carnivale itself is a remarkable global tourist drawcard! ..and no wonder!

As reported on the www.rio-carnival.net website “The five-day mega-event will be broadcast live around the world. Carnival in Rio generates 250,000 jobs and revenues of some $640 million for hotels, bars and restaurants, according to state officials. City officials expect more than five million people, including 850,000 tourists, to attend.”

…of course, none of that factors in the profit from the sale of the television broadcasting rights.

With so many similarities between Brasilian Samba and so much Rwandan music…such obvious links between those cultural expressions….I hope there is some sharing of dance expertise fostered by your government…..as the history of Brasilian Samba is deeply embedded in Africa.

“In the slums of downtown Rio, a place referred to as ‘Little Africa’, they established a number of religious houses devoted to religious ceremonies where they played and danced the early forms of samba. However, African religions were illegal in a dominantly catholic Brazil. These roots of samba remained invisible to the white elite for a long time.” Source: http://www.rio-carnival.net/rio_carnival/rio_carnival_programs.php

As for why listen to an Aussie about fostering your tourism through Rwandan dance, I first learnt Latin dance through Rio Rhythmics Latin Dance Academy in Brisbane which has taught more than 20,000 Australians to latin dance since it began in 1994. Thus as a community, we embrace dances from other cultures! Every year its founder, Brazilian Tarcisio Teatini-Climaco takes a group of his students to dance in the Carnivale in Rio.

As reported by Angela Surine in ‘The Courier Mail’ on February 11 – 12, 2012 ‘The equivalent of half the Australian population will take an overseas trip each year by 2017 as the love affair with international travel continues.” With the Australian population over 20 million…that equates to more than 10 million travelling abroad each year….that’s a lot of Aussie tourists looking for somewhere to visit each year!

From my experience Rwanda is known for two things in Australia and they both start with ‘G’….Gorillas…and the 1994 Tutsi Genocide. I know there is a lot more to Rwanda than this….I look forward to the day when Rwandan dance troupes tour Australia regularly.

I know they have travelled elsewhere including in Europe. There is no greater Ambassador for a country – than the; Arts,music,dance,performing arts,visual arts,and mixed media. The Arts builds cross-cultural bridges and respect for others traditions.

Certainly at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre in the last few years I have seen the Cuban ballet, a Cuban contemporary dance company, a couple of Brasilian bands, the Bueno Vista Social Club and at The Powerhouse – TaikOz – a large Australian-based Japanese drumming band, whose members regularly study in Japan. I look forward to the day that I read that Rwandan dancers, musicians and singers are coming to town! I’ll be the one in the front row!

We Aussie’s love great music and dance from all over the world! Therefore, please come to Australia…let us shower you with applause! I am sure we will.

The Author is a Director
Plan-it Life Pty Ltd

Australia