Brazil unfurled a vast canvas celebrating its rainforest and the creative energy of its wildly diverse population to the tune of samba, bossa nova and funk in welcoming the world to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. The opening ceremony celebrated the culture of the favelas, the slums that hang vertiginously above the renowned beaches of Rio and ring in the site of spectacle, in the famed Maracana stadium.
Brazil used the ceremony to call on the 3 billion people watching the opening of the world's premiere sporting event to take care of the planet, plant seeds and reconquer the verdant land that Europeans found five centuries ago. This is the first time that the South American country has hosted Olympics.
Messages of peace were written on the kites carried by children as they ran with Kipchoge Keino. #OpeningCeremony pic.twitter.com/0ZMiEGblep
— Rio 2016 (@Rio2016_en) August 6, 2016
India's largest ever contingent was led by flag bearer Abhinav Bindra. Dressed in blue blazers and sarees, the best sports athletes of India were all in smiles, waving flags as they walked during the opening ceremony that was a display of Brazilian energy, colours and music.
The players, like Leander Paes and Sania Mirza, have been tweeting about their excitement at being at Rio 2016. Seven time Olympian Paes posted pictures in the morning with fellow athletes saying, 'Proud to be an Indian today'.
The creative minds behind the opening ceremony were determined to put on a show that would not offend a country which is in dire economic straits but would showcase the famously upbeat nature of Brazilians. It started with the beginning of life in Brazil and the population that formed in the vast forests and built their communal huts, the ocas. The Portuguese bobbed to shore in boats, the African slaves rolled in on wheels and together they ploughed through the forests and planted the seeds of modern Brazil.
The mega-cities of Brazil formed in a dizzying video display as acrobats jumped from roof to roof of emerging buildings and then on to the steep favela that served as the front stage for the ceremony. From the favela came Brazilian funk, a contemporary mash-up of 20th century rhythms, sung by stars Karol Conka and MC Soffia.
"This is a conquest. The people on the periphery are having an influence, it's a recognition of their art," said Eduardo Alves, director of social watchdog Observatorio de Favelas.
By Premji
