Ahhh, February! With every US state (except Hawaii) now having seen winter snow, it might come as a surprise to know that for one day last week, Rio de Janeiro was listed as the second hottest place on Earth. Not surprisingly, sun-loving Cariocas do not view this as Global Warming - they call it summer.

Rio's heat is expected this time of year; maybe you've seen those t-shirts reading "Rio 40 grauss? That's in centigrade.
This is the heat which fuels Carnaval and after all these years, it's become a reciprocating action. And like clockwork in the weeks leading up to Brazil's national event, the rest of the world is nudged into grudging awareness and then watches with combination of awe and envy. We wonder: "Can a whole nation really party that hard?"

Over the years, The New York Times and NBC News have made a caricature of the city's negatives. Poverty, crime, the favela culture - each has taken its turn in the news cycle spotlight when it swings south towards Carnaval.

But this year, the storyline is different, thanks to 7-year old girl named Julia. Maybe you heatd about it. | more |

My interest in Brazilian music grew from new friends who took the time to share their excitement with me, and I'd like to invite you to share this e-letter with friends by using the 'forward e-mail' link below.

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Always a pleasure,
Scott Adams

Broadcast host for The Sounds of Brazil! & The Sounds of Brazil 'Extended' Channel
Publisher, Connectbrazil.com & Mosaic-Brazil