The 50th anniversary of Bossa Nova (Bottles Alley) was much celebrated in Brazil, especially in Rio de Janeiro, the birthplace of the musical movement. In 2009, the city will gain another attraction with the reopening of the renowned Beco das Garrafas in Copacabana.
Two traditional bars at the site, the Little Club and Bottle’s, which in their day attracted stars like Elis Regina and Sérgio Mendes, are being refurbished to house shows for tourists and cariocas, or Rio natives The establishments will offer two extra entertainment options after the competitions held in the district, in the event the city is selected Host City of the 2016 Olympic Games.
Ronaldo Câmara, who is in charge of marketing the ventures, is very enthusiastic. “Beco das Garrafas will help boost tourism in Rio de Janeiro,” he said. He also thinks the city’s bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games is one of the best things that could happen to Rio. “Every carioca has the dream of seeing the Olympic Games here.”
When the refurbishment work is concluded, residents and visitors will have two exclusive entertainment options. Bottle’s will permanently exhibit objects from the history of the Bossa Nova, while the Little Club will stage musical shows.
Luis Carlos Miéle is artistic director for the bars. He directed shows during the golden age of the alley, immortalizing the “pocket-show” format. He now wants to revisit the musical style with new MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) names. “The idea is to relive the Little Club’s jam sessions, which signaled the beginning of instrumental Bossa Nova.” For this mission, he has called upon the children of musicians who were acclaimed at that time: Maria Rita, daughter of Elis Regina, Simoninha, daughter of Simonal, and Phillipe and Marcel Powel, sons of Baden Powel, among others.
The project will premier even before the refurbishment of the two venues is completed. According to Câmara, they are going to take the show “Children of Bossa” to other venues in Rio de Janeiro. “We are already preparing the shows. Regardless of the date the two bars reopen, we are going to present shows at other places,” he said.