By Mary Carroll, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – On Monday the Olympic flag arrives in Brazil and Brazilian musicians have come together to create an anthem for the occasion. The song titled “Os Deuses do Olimpo Visitam o Rio de Janeiro” (The Olympian Gods Visit Rio de Janeiro) will be Rio’s theme tune for the 2016 Olympics.
The project was the initiative of the local goverment. Kassin, the producer of the song, was chosen from a group of sixteen competitors that included the likes of Pedro Luís and Marcos Valle.
“The idea was to have a song that could be an informal theme tune for Rio. Something pop, not nostalgic” says Kassin.
Kassin explains that the seven musicians were specifically chosen as representatives of Carioca music. The song features the likes of Arlindo Cruz, Zeca Pagodinho, Mart’nália, Thalma de Freitas, Diogo Nogueira, Mr. Catra and Ed Motta with more than a hundred other artists forming the choir.
“The mood of celebration was in the studio” enthused Kassin.
Arlindo Cruz revealed that when he and co-writers started penning the song, the first thing that came to mind was an imaginary visit from the Greek gods to the Olympics in Rio. “Rio has a great tourist destination, is a place that everyone wants to visit” says Cruz.
Director of the video, Estevão Ciavatta, said that upon hearing the song he wondered who would embody the gods in Rio and he jokes that he then set about “the casting of the gods.”
Amongst the cast were Fernanda Montenegro, Martinho da Vila and actor Rodrigo Santoro of movies such as 300 and Love Actually. “Everyone was in the Olympic spirit and [stepped up to] participate” says Ciavatta.
Read more (in Portuguese).
* The Rio Times Daily Updates feature is offered to help keep you up-to-date with important news as it happens
Read More from The Rio Times