THE day finally arrived all Brazilians and the world were waiting for.
After all the concerns over construction delays, strikes and protests, the 2014 FIFA World Cup opened with a colourful inaugural ceremony highlighting the Brazilian culture on Thursday.
A protest 13 kilometres away from the Arena Corinthians six hours before the first match between Brazil and Croatia kicked off at 5:00pm local time (1:00am PST, Friday) had threatened to steal the spotlight away from the opening of the world’s biggest sports event.
But police managed to quell the protest and the stage was set for a lavish opening to this year’s FIFA showpiece which was attended by UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and 12 heads of states. Performers showed the diversity of the Brazilian culture, at the jam-packed 61,000-capacity arena highlighting the country’s vast expanse of rainforests and beaches in their traditional samba style.
The cultural show then gave way to the much-awaited pop concert which saw American pop star Jennifer Lopez, rapper Pitbull and Brazilian singer Claudia Leite sing the official World Cup song “We Are One” (Ole Ola).
To a cacophony of cheers and the noise of the caixorlas, a giant LED sphere in the centre of the pitch — depicting the world — flashed messages of ‘welcome’ in all languages.
As the music began, performers dressed as trees and flowers jumped around with images of flowing water filling up the centre sphere.
It was about the Amazon, the long river that flows through the heart of Brazil and performers danced around it representing its tributaries which give life to Brazil.
And then, to loud beating of the drums, different dances further emphasised the cultural diversity of the country with the performers from both sides of the sphere mixing.
It was then the turn of the acrobats, dressed in the traditional colours of a football. As they spread across the sphere, other performers showed the country’s love for football as they performed “keep-uppies” to welcome the Brazilian flag which was then taken close to the sphere, which glowed in the country’s colours.
The sphere then opened up and to a loud roar of those inside the stadium Leite emerged from it.
The Samba — Brazil’s famous dance and musical genre — came then. Within minutes, Lopez and Pitbull had joined Leite and it was time for the official song to be played.
Lopez had initially not planned to attend the opening but changed her decision and arrived just hours before the ceremony.
The sound quality for the concert wasn’t up to the mark as the speakers failed to transmit properly the lyrics of the official song.
Not that it mattered to the majority of the fans dressed in Brazil’s traditional golden jerseys eagerly waiting for their star footballers to take the pitch against the Croats as the World Cup returned to the ‘land of football’ after 64 years.
Published in Dawn, June 13th, 2014
