Last Sunday, 14 December 2025, beautiful community events were taking place on two of the most iconic beaches on our planet: Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia, and Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – two countries that I love deeply.
The event in Bondi was sadly interrupted by a terrorist attack that killed at least 15 people.
Meanwhile, the gathering in Copacabana became the main stage for more than 40 demonstrations across Brazil’s major cities, protesting against Brazilian parliamentarians who are prioritising the disregard of judicial decisions – actions that jeopardise Brazilian democracy, ecology and women’s safety.
Genuine dialogue is vital as an antidote to violence. Some of Brazil’s greatest artists, alongside thousands of conscious citizens across the country, came together to protest in the most beautiful and peaceful way possible: through the power of music and the arts – the soft power of dialogue, the only force truly capable of producing lasting change, and collaboration.
Thank you to everyone who was there, representing all of us – the people who believe in building bridges instead of wars and walls.
There were concerts and demonstrations throughout the entire Sunday. Here is a short 14-minute selection of my favourite moments from the concert in Rio de Janeiro, combining MPB, Bossa, Choro, Samba, Pop, Rock, Rap, Afoxé, Carimbo and beyond. Thank you all for making a difference.
This is what makes me most proud of being Brazilian and inspires me to dedicate my life to creating Brazilian music fusions around the globe. Within the same spirit, I am also very honoured to be part of the Australian arts scene: “We are one, but we are many, and from all the lands on Earth we come” – by Bruce Woodley (of The Seekers) and Dobe Newton (of The Bushwackers).
#softpower #artsmatter #brazil #australia
Juliana Areias - The Bossa Nova Baby 