FIG/ WinterFest 2010

The main acts for "Festival de Inverno", the WinterFest, have been announced. This is the huge 10 day music festival here in Garanhuns. The main acts appear at Praça Gualadajara.

July 15 = Alceu Valença

July 16 Neguinho da Beija-Flor e Gal Costa

July 17 Skank

July 18 The Fevers & Adilson Ramos

July 19 Elba Ramalho

July 20 Reginaldo Rossi

July 21 Devotos, Pitty

July 22 MV Bill & Marcelo D2

July 23 Paralamas do Sucesso

July 24 Lulu Santos

You need to take my word for it, these acts are HUGE here in Brazil. Each has its own following, and the crowds should be bigger this year. The Tourist Board estimates that over a million people visit throughout the 10 days of the festival.

Festival de Inverno

Festival de Inverno (Winterfest) started on Thursday here, and it is by far the biggest event for the city. To give you an idea, the population here is appox. 130,000, and for the 10 days the festival lasts they estimate over a million people visit the city. It is pretty much a music and arts festival. The acts are mostly well known in Brazil. They have a nice mix, and it works out that each night has a "theme" depending on the type of music. They have several "stages" around the city, and there is something for everyone. For a few years now they had a stage in one of the parks where a DJ played Cuban Music for "Noite Cubana", and this year they have a band appearing on the main stage (Sonidos de Santiago). I am working in the main plaza, so I need to be there from about 5 in the afternoon to 5 in the morning. Really tiring but I get to see much of the festival. What surprised me is that while we get a lot of tourists from around the region and Brazil, a lot of Europeans, especially Germans, Austrians, and Swiss visit tooo. Garanhuns is known as "A Suiça Pernambucana" which must strike the Swiss as weird, cause apart from a cool climate and hills, I do not see any resemblance. Anyways, I need to go home and rest up for tonight, so that is all for now.