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Post by webm@ster on Aug 16, 2003 11:21:12 GMT -5
SAO PAULO, Brazil (Reuters) - It's one for the money and two for the show in Brazil.
The recovery of Brazil's currency after its roller-coaster ride of recent years is good news for rock fans in the Latin American country.
Foreign bands, from hot British act Coldplay to veteran hard rockers Deep Purple, are again flying down to Rio and other cities to stage concerts.
The Calling, The Hellacopters and Metallica are also due to perform in Brazil in coming months, ending something of a drought in 2002.
And the Brasilia Music Festival, to be held in the capital in September, has confirmed Alanis Morissette, The Pretenders and Simply Red.
Lower dollar rates and a stabilization of the nation's currency, the real, have contributed to a better climate for visiting bands, said William Crunfli, director of Fabrica WA, which is bringing The Calling and Coldplay to Brazil.
The Calling will perform concerts in five cities in September. Coldplay will play two concerts, one in Sao Paulo and the other in Rio.
The corporate sponsorship bandwagon also has helped.
"Besides that, Brazil is part of the international route thanks to the job we've been doing since the first Rock in Rio (in 1985). Many bands are interested in coming to Brazil to promote their albums and perform," Crunfli told Reuters.
Brazil devalued the real in 1999, bringing it to between 2 and 2.50 reais to the dollar from about par. Despite the extra expense, Brazil's premier music festival, Rock in Rio 3, took place in 2001 with a lineup including Neil Young, R.E.M, Oasis and Britney Spears.
But last year, with financial markets in near panic over the uncertainties surrounding Brazil's presidential election, the real briefly fell to about 4 to the dollar. Rock in Rio was moved across the Atlantic Ocean to Lisbon, Portugal.
Now six months into President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's administration, the real has stabilized at about 3 to the dollar.
Rafael Reisman, the man behind the Brasilia Festival, said the stable currency helped.
"But we still need to be supported by private companies to raise all the money necessary to produce the event," he said, adding that the festival will cost approximately $2.6 million.
Beer, credit card and phone companies often put their names on musical events in Brazil. In September, the Kaiser Music Festival will welcome Sweden's Hellacopters and Deep Purple, both performing in four cities.
Elsewhere, the TIM Festival, sponsored by the Italian phone company, is scheduled for October in Rio de Janeiro. Although no acts are yet confirmed, the alternative country-rock band Lambchop is rumored to be heading there from Nashville.
With a population of 170 million people, Brazil is a potentially huge market for record companies. However, because many Brazilians live under severe economic hardships, the number of concerts will remain limited.
"We are getting better, the government is doing its job and inflation is stable, but Brazil will only have a concert per week when people have more money to buy tickets," Crunfli said. "Twenty dollars is too much for Brazilians and we cannot charge less for an international tour."
Reuters/VNU
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