Rio de Janeiro

An insightful and engaging walk through the fascinating history of Rio de Janeiro.

Bryan McCann (Author)

9781009012041, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 19 June 2025

325 pages
21.6 x 14.1 x 1.8 cm, 0.42 kg

'A Black city torn between formality and informality, Rio de Janeiro is a vivid portrait of its cultural history. Through McCann's compelling book, one can understand why Rio has for centuries reinvented itself at every corner.' Pedro Meira Monteiro, Arthur W. Marks '19 Professor of Spanish and Portuguese, Princeton University

What do nineteenth-century fiction, early twentieth-century popular music, 1930s soccer, 1950s film comedy, 1960s experimental art and 1970s soap operas have in common with one another? Each reveal the deep patterns structuring social and cultural life in Rio de Janeiro. Bringing a fresh perspective to one of the most visited cities in South America, Bryan McCann explores each manifestation in turn, mining their depths and drawing connections between artistic movements and political and economic transitions. The book explores the centrality of slavery to every aspect of life in nineteenth century Rio and its long legacy through to the current day, illuminating both the city's grinding inequality and violence, as well as its triumphant cultural expressions. Rio de Janeiro is a unique and fascinating city, and through ten pivotal moments, McCann reveals its boundless creativity and contradictions, and shows how it has been continually remade by newcomers, strivers, and tricksters.

Introduction
1. Jean-Baptiste Debret in the streets of Rio (1826)
2. Capoeira and Machado de Assis (1862)
3. Chiquinha Gonzaga's 'Corta-jaca' (1895)
4. Flamengo, Fluminense and the best-of-three championship (1936)
5. Warning to sailors and chanchada film comedy (1950)
6. Inside out: Lygia Clark and Clarice Lispector (1960)
7. Favela removal and state-sponsored gentrification (1969)
8. Pavao-Pavaozinho, Leonel Brizola and favela upgrading (1983)
9. Moving the Feira de Sao Cristovao (2003)
10. Marielle Franco Street (2018)
Epilogue
Acknowledgments
Note on sources
Further reading
Index.

Subject Areas: History of the Americas [HBJK]