Som do Céu

I had the chance this past weekend to go to a music festival called Som do Céu (Sound from Heaven) that was very, very cool. It included artists who have highly influenced Christian music in Brasil in the last 30 years. They have succeeded in writing songs telling about who God is that are culturally relevant and will be listened to (if not understood) by people who would never set foot in a church. They have written songs that praise God with a samba beat, bossa nova, forró (a style of music very popular in northeast Brasil), and the Brasilian equivalent to country music. It's amazing to me how much one country can be different in the culture of its regions, but that's what happens when the people take culture into their own hands. It's beautiful.
I went with some friends and made new ones from all over Brasil, and even succeeded in making some people think I was Brasilian! But then again, I do look very much like someone from south Brasil. I am finally gaining some credibility as a Brasilian, which makes me SO happy!