World Press Photo 2014 Tour in Rio de Janeiro
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The three week long exhibition of 53 photographers from all over the world is coming to a close on July 12th.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The World Press Photo exhibition at the Caixa Cultural, Centro, is coming to a close on Saturday, July 12th. Showcasing the talents of 53 photographers from all over the world, the annual exhibition tours over a hundred cities in more than 45 countries, and in 2014, Rio is the only city in Brazil which this prestigious worldwide competition will visit.
The competition categorizes the work of 53 photographers from 25 countries: Argentina, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Bulgaria, China, Czech Republic, El Salvador, Finland, France, Germany, Iran, Italy, Jordan, Mexico, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
This year’s winning entry, “Signal”, was shot by John Stanmeyer for National Geographic. Its powerful, thought-provoking narrative beat the other 142 shortlisted entries in the exhibition to the first prize.
“Signal” reveals the drama of African migrants in Djibouti city, capital of Djibouti, Northeast Africa. Stanmeyer told The Rio Times that he was walking on the beach, at night, when he saw a group of people holding their phones up towards neighboring Somalia.
“I asked my translator what they were doing and he said they were Somalis trying to ‘catch’ a signal on their Somali mobile phones to connect to their loved ones back home. Immediately, I felt the weight and measure of what was happening — our present day migrants in hopes for a better life and the natural desire in all of us to keep connected to our families,” explained the American photographer.
David Guttenfelder, a jury member, said, “The photo is like a message in a bottle: it is one that will last for all of us. People will bring their own life experiences to it as they stand in front of it.”
World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization, located in Holland, which was founded in 1955. “What we’re looking for in the winning image is the same quality you would look for in a great film or in literature—the impression that it exists on more than one level, that it makes you think about things you haven’t thought about. You begin to explore the layers not only of what’s there, but of what isn’t there,” affirmed Susan Linfield, a jury member.
Since the contest began, more than 98,000 images have been submitted by 5,754 photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers from all over the world. “We are standing at a crossroads of our collective humanity where we must truly ask ourselves where are we going as fellow human beings, brothers, sisters — what is truly important for the betterment of all, not just one, as well as what’s important and balanced for the only place we can call home, earth,” added Stanmeyer.
Plácido Domingo Performs at HSBC Arena on Friday, July 11th
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Two days before the World Cup final, Spanish tenor Plácido Domingo will perform at Barra da Tijuca's HSBC Arena.
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Returning to Rio after a nineteen year absence, world-renowned Spanish tenor and conductor Plácido Domingo will take to the HSBC Arena stage with Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira (Brazilian Symphony Orchestra) on Friday, July 11th for the “Concert in Rio 2014.”
The 73-year-old Domingo, who has been called by some critics the greatest tenor of all time, has made over one hundred recordings and sang more than 144 roles during his career. During the show on Friday, in addition to a program of arias, Spanish zarzuelas, and Broadway hits, Domingo will present Brazilian songs including popular sambas and works by famed Carioca composer Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Joining Domingo for the ‘Concert in Rio 2014,’ will be the Orquestra Sinfônica Brasileira. Founded in 1940 by Maestro José Siqueira, it was the first Brazilian orchestra to tour Brazil and internationally and the first to conduct outdoor performances. On Friday, the orchestra will be led by American born pianist and conductor Eugene Kohn.
Also joining the concert will be Puerto Rican soprano Ana María Martínez and Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Martínez won the 2001 Latin Grammy award winner for Best Classical Album and is a regular guest during international shows by both Domingo and singer Andrea Bocelli. Thirty-one-year-old Lang Lang, was a child prodigy, who began playing the piano at the age of three and is now considered one of the most sensational artists in classical music.
Although not officially part of the World Cup schedule, the concert will take place in celebration of the tournament. A well known fan of football (soccer), Domingo has attended, with one exception, every World Cup final match since 1970 and performed during most World Cup tournaments since 1990. “I always think music and sport are the two great things many people can understand without any need to really speak the language,” Domingo told the Associated Press.
His first World Cup show took place on the eve of the final match of the 1990 World Cup held in Italy. Singing with the late Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti and fellow Spanish tenor Jose Carreras, that show marked the debut appearance of the “Three Tenors,” a critically acclaimed concert series that featured the trio singing not only opera arias but also Broadway hits and traditional Neapolitan songs in large arenas and stadiums.
The trio would go on to perform during three additional World Cup tournaments; 1994 in the United States, 1998 in France, and 2002 in Japan. Domingo then performed with soprano Anna Netrebko and tenor Rolando Villazon during the 2006 Cup in Germany. During the 2010 Cup, Domingo was unable to perform due to work obligations but was present during matches, including the final game.
“I was only able to attend two matches,” Domingo told the Associated Press. “Fortunately those were two matches that Spain won and became world champions.”
Plácido Domingo was born José Plácido Domingo Embil in 1941, in Madrid, Spain, and although Domingo, at a young age, moved with his family to Mexico City, Mexico, attended that city’s National Conservatory of Music and made his professional opera debut in the country, his love for his country of birth has remained strong throughout his life and the singer is both a devoted fan of Real Madrid and the Spanish national team.