Rio De Janeiro
Documentary: Rio Breaks
“Rio Breaks tells the story of two best friends, Fabio and Naama, as they navigate their way between life in the slums and surfing on their favorite beach. Thirteen-year-old Fabio and twelve-year-old Naama live in a huge favela near Arpoador Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. What will happen to these best friends? Will their friendship survive the pressures of life in the favela? Can surfing offer a way out and the possibility of a better life?
This is the story of Rio Breaks.”
Unfortunately, screening of Rio Breaks has been and gone (oops!), but I’m pretty desperate to see this so as soon as i hear any info, I’ll be sure to update!
(Sasha)
Olympic Induced Weirdness…
In a bid to make the 2016 Rio Olympics the first zero-carbon games ever, the powers that be in O Rio have decreed that they will erect a solar-powered waterfall type-thing (which will probably end up looking very little like this picture), supposedly to generate said solar power. Which is great for renewable energy, but does nothing to offset the fact that human/carbon-induced ‘global warming’ is a big fat stinking lie introduced to tax the planet. But it’s the Olympics we’re talking about - an event which essentially brings out the best in poeple.And by best I mean worst.
An over-blown excuse for any host-Government in power take temporary leave of their sanity, destroy villages a la China, or round up street children and dump them in the middle of nowhere a la South Africa. Basically what they see as a ‘legitimate’ way of doing the kind of stuff they wished they could do all the time (especially in Rio), all so we can watch a man jump high carrying a big stick.
I don’t know. I don’t want sound all po-faced by the whole thing, and I pretty much consider myself an honourary Brazilian (that’s just me though), but when you know how much abuse goes on in the name of ’sport’, it feel something kinda ‘porra’.
That means shit in Portuguese ; )
If you want more info on the S-African street kid controversy or want to help out, go here.
(Sasha)
The view from ‘o morro’ (the hill), Rio de Janeiro
Meu Deus. Talk about the calm after the storm. This is sunrise Rio style. Thank you to my friendling Tahnee for reminding me of what I’m missing. I literally cannot wait to be back there…Really hating my life right now )): (
(Sasha)
Holidays photos by Kate
See? Told you so. I think we can all learn something from this photograph. I mean this effectively redefines the holiday snap. Not Like those God-forsaken, “Me-blocking-out-the-view-with-myself” abominations. So you think you’re as spectacular as the Great Wall Of The Taj Ma-Pichu do you? No? Then why the hell are you stood in front of it on EVERY PHOTO? Anyway, this is from my babygirl Kate in Rio, hanging in Rocinha favela with her Brazilan Ragamuffins. Thank you Kate for giving me a legit reason never to tolerate another dull as fudge holiday album ever again. And for reminding me how truly amazing a word ragamuffin is.
(And this is a shout to my friends , loved ones and all the people of Rio - especially the homeless - caught up in the deadly storms. Nearly 100 dead in the cidade maravilhosa. My prayers are with you.)
Beijos & fica bom everyone (: (
(Sasha)
MaRIO de Janeiro Testino
Mario Testino has released a new book, inspired by the girls and boys of Copacabana he is giving us a glimps of Rio through his eyes. I’m mainly posting this cause of the Rio link, however i would much prefer to see a ‘Sasha de Janeiro’ book one day….! x (Fe)
(I) Happy (Love) 4th (Michael) July (Jackson)!
So, Happy July 4th everyone! And seeing so the US and the rest of the world has lost their favorite son, its kind of a bittersweet celebration by all accounts. 
But its fair to say that American pop culture has really taken a bashing this week with the loss of Farrah Fawcett also, so although I wouldn’t normally acknowledge American holidays, this one has a special poignance to it. And its means I can use it as an excuse to post another MJ tribute!! Speaking of which I went to the amazing Santa Marta favela - located a few hundred metres from el Christo which was the location of the shooting of the They Don’t Care About Us video. I timed the visit to coincide with the week anniverary of his passing, and left a single white rose as an vastly insubstnacial means to say thank you and I love you to my all time hero… .
So anyhoo, whilst there I drew the attention of some local kinder, and wouldntchaknow, after learning of my reason d’etre, they treated me to a little MJ dance off - t’was quite surreal! Looking out over the most beautiful view of Rio Ive ever seen, standing where MJ once stood, feeling like elation & heartbreak all at once - special memories being made right there y’all. So, as I was posting the images you see here, I was quite taken aback to see one of the kid`s is actually giving the hand salute for the Red Command (Comando Vermelho) drug gang (hence the c and V sign)!! WTF! This was happy Michaeling moments not trafficking! And I mean that literally and figuratively because Santa Marta was the first favela in Rio to be made traffick fee (and free internet as a ‘reward’) 
And for the record, its hella (sorry) nice to be able to wander around a community and not have to worry whose watching from where, being careful to not mention where you live etc. Funnily enough, when I returned home to Vidigal it seemed that things had returned to normality - normality being bandits everywhere! Like three times the normal amount like they’ve been either recruiting or cloning -one of the two - so as you can see in the pic I was feeling happiest I had in a long while! Well not plaesed that theres guns everywhere but … you know! So here’s tribute Estelle stylee to our all-time favourite American Boy, Michael Jackson, thinnly disguised as a celebration to American Independence! Nahaha!(And heads up to Kanye for, “feeling like Mike at his baddest!”)
Beijos! (Sasha)
Interview: No One Is Born a Bandit
In a realllly f**king exclusive interview coming up - we talk to a person that everyone wants but no one can touch, except CLFmag that is! Hell yeah! Kidding aside, this interview with one of the main traffickers from Amigos Dos Amigos (Friends of Friends; the drug command in charge of Vidigal) is entitled ‘No One Is Born A Bandit’, as it is a serious a look at the life of a young man who has chosen (I use the term loosely) a life which exposes him to exploitation and prejudice from nearly all factions of society partcularly the media, but we’re not here to glamourise or make judgements - we just want to tell his story. After the police invasion of Vidigal this week, the timing is right to hear just what life is like for ‘o bandido’…Beijos! (Sasha)
Event: YSL @ CCBB (Rio De Janeiro)
So, in a move to reassure my partner in crime here at CLFmag that I am not about to turn the site into the 86,364 Michael Jackson Memorial site - I`m posting about YSL. That is to say, whilst I am in the process of turning the site into said memorial - I’ll also be writing about arbitrary happenings now and again. Can’t say fairer than that. Anyhoo, this is to let y`all know about the Yves Saint Laurent Exhibition being shown at Centro Banco Do Brasil, called Viagens Extraodinarias. Now, the obvious asumption would be that this showcase would be an airing quintissential YSL sophistication a la ‘Le Smoking’ or other types of chic androgony which typified Yves style - something akin to the image Ive published here of his farewell parade 2002 - I believe that to be Catherine Duevenerure [sic] he’s clasping mitts with. Anyhoo, the exhibition itself proved nada do tipo - nothing like it! This was an altogether garish,over-the-top, ultra extravagant phantasmagorical take on the most haughty of couture I`ve witnessed first, second and third hand - in a collection of 50 garments, spanning 4 decades and drawing inspiration from 4 continents, Yves demonstrates a eerily precise understanding of style fit for the the last in line to Ming Dynasty, a wife/daughter of a Russian Tsar, an African Queen… (I’m really trying to get you vibing with me cos there aren’t any avaibale images of the exhibition!!)Anyway, as works of art, they certainly succeed in whisking you off to an alternate sphere of existance, but thats couture for you. I mean seriously, who actually wears couture? Like it is more dressing up than dressing but I suppose that’s the idea, but the world of couture seems so far removed from us mere mortals.
But in some cases thats what great art is all about. However, a little closer to home I’m gonna use this post to as an excuse to show the greatest wedding outfit ever in the history of the wedding outfit - Bianca Jagger wearing YSL to her wedding to Mick. My God - like that is the outfit I would definately be basing my look on, (complete with near-booby splillage!) if the big day were to come my way… what a picture, the seventies, white YSL Le Smoking and a hot Latina mama - tres sexy!Beijos! (Sasha)
YSL@CCBB,
Finishes 19th July
Rua Primeiro De Marco, 66
Rio De Janeiro
