Consulate News and Events
Gary Brown and the US Consulate Booth Draw Big Crowds at 10th Feira Preta
São Paulo | December 29, 2011
U.S. booth at Feira Preta attracted many visitors
The U.S. Consulate information booth and New Orleans musician Gary Brown proved major attractions at the 10th edition of Feira Preta, the largest national festival celebrating and encouraging the Afro-Brazilian population. Hundreds of public school and university students among the 12,000 attendees stopped by the U.S. booth December 17 and 18 to find out more about study in the U.S. The booth was the product of a partnership among members of the consular section, which organized and staffed the booth for 10 hours each day, Public Affairs staff, and SENAC’s EducationUSA advising office, to provide information on educational opportunities in the U.S. and the student non-immigrant visa process, as a means of reaching this underrepresented population.
Sunday afternoon, New Orleans saxophonist Gary Brown and his trio, took center stage in adding the cultural dimension to the U.S. presence at the Festival. Their high-energy two-hour performance of R&B, jazz, rock, soul and funk animated the more than 5,000 spectators of all ages and races to get up and dance to the vibrant American rhythms. Gary Brown, who performs regularly at the prestigious 544 Club on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, was joined by Brazilian singers Thulla Melo and Ellen Oléria and musician Walmir Borges, in a memorable performance that was described by those in the crowd as the best of the show. Through a partnership with Bourbon Street Music Club, the U.S. Consulate General was able to showcase this excellent American trio at this Afro-Brazilian celebration of diversity through culture.
The Feira Preta Institute is a non-profit organization which encourages education, entrepreneurial preparation, and promotes Afro-Brazilian cultural appreciation on a national level. Each December, the organization hosts the Feira Preta Expo, now in its tenth year, and the U.S. Consulate in Sao Paulo has supported its efforts. It is a tangible expression of the U.S. Mission’s commitment.
For more pictures of the event, click here: http://goo.gl/C6jaa
Click here to watch the videos of the event: