That Girl from Ipanema may find her namesake beach in Rio de Janeiro a less-casual, more regulated place this week as new rules kick in, requiring permits for a whole range of popular activities.
The beach along Rio’s waterfront has long been famous for samba and bossa nova music, informal and diverse food and drinks and free spirits, but new rules that took effect yesterday will require permits for nearly all those activities, ordered by Mayor Eduardo Pas, who cited concerns about urban order, public safety and the environment.
Under the recently-decreed rules, vendors on Rio’s beaches will require permits for a range of activities. Selling food and drinks, renting chairs, playing music through loudspeakers, and even hosting live music at kiosks will now require official authorization. The decree also stipulates that beach huts must be identified by numbers rather than their often-colorful and unique names.
While some have told reporters that they think the time has come for a more orderly experience, others have said the rules will destroy the beach’s culture and the livelihoods of musicians and others. One told a reporter it was “silencing the soul of the waterfront,” while a DJ who works on the beach said “It’s difficult to imagine Rio de Janeiro without bossa nova, without samba on the beach. While the world sings the Girl from Ipanema, we won’t be able to play it on the beach.”
Image by ASSY from Pixabay
