Brazilian soap operas transcend borders and dictate customs. And Portugal loves it

The articles written by the PÚBLICO Brasil team are written in the variant of the Portuguese language used in Brazil.

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In August this year, the streets of Lisbon, Porto and Linhares da Beira were taken over by cameras and actors from TV Globo. It was the beginning of recording You Maniathe current soap opera from the largest audiovisual producer in Latin America. The work shows the harsh reality of Brazilians who emigrate.

Couple Cristiano (Bruno Montaleone) and Michele (Alanis Guillen) leave their jobs at a resort in Angra dos Reis, Rio de Janeiro, to work in Portugal, but the two end up being victims of a scheme. Rudá (Nicolas Prattes), an environmental activist, flees to the country, after becoming a suspect in a crime. In Portuguese territory, he will have a new identity and will work in a classic immigrant job: a restaurant.

This is just another chapter in the exciting story of Brazilian soap operas with the Portuguese. It all started in 1975, with the exhibition of Gabriela, Carnation and Cinnamonshortly after the fall of the dictatorship in Portugal. The plot, with its stories of love, passion and freedom, was seen as a symbol of the new era that was beginning in the country. Gabriela It became a cultural phenomenon, influencing fashion, music and even Portuguese vocabulary.

This is what Isabel Ferin Cunha, from the University of Coimbra, says in her research Gabriela’s revolution: the year 1977 in Portugal. There is a fascination that the Portuguese have with soap operas. More than just entertainment, these productions have a significant impact on Portuguese society, shaping behavior, influencing customs and even inspiring names for babies.

In Portugal, the choice of children’s names by parents is governed by rules established by the Institute of Records and Notaries (IRN). The rules aim to ensure that the names chosen are appropriate and in accordance with Portuguese tradition and culture. Names like Jade (character from O Clone), Gabriela (Jorge Amado’s character) and even Sandra Brea (Brazilian actress who shone in soap operas such as The Beloved) are already common in the current Portuguese reality.

Hurricane

Gabriela took millions of Portuguese people in front of the TV and left the streets empty. A phenomenon so common in Brazil, but unprecedented for the Portuguese. In 2000, in an interview with CM NewspaperEdite Estrela, former member of the European Parliament and linguist, highlighted that “there was a lot of receptivity to new things, especially in customs and habits”, right after the end of the dictatorship in 1974. The character Malvina, played by Elizabeth Savalla, influenced fashion with his modern haircut for the time.

Simone de Oliveira, singer, actress and TV presenter in Portugal, mentioned in the same report that Gabriela It helped to incorporate expressions and a more relaxed way of speaking. It was the beginning of the Brazilian Portuguese invasion in the land of Camões. The soap opera was also the gateway to other productions, as well as boosting sales of Jorge Amado’s books.

Over the years, several Brazilian soap operas have won over the Portuguese public, reaching high ratings and becoming part of popular culture. One study carried out by TV Globoin 2022, highlights the most successful soap operas in Portugal: Gabriela (1977); Roque Santeiro (1987); King of Cattle (1996); Our Land (1999); Family Ties (2000); Chocolate with Pepper (2004); Soulmate (2005); Avenida Brasil (2012); Love of Life (2013); It’s a Good World (2020). With more than 150 stories shown on Portuguese channels, the Brazilian broadcaster leads the broadcasting of soap operas in Portuguese lands.

The success of Brazilian soap operas opened the studio door to Portuguese actors. This was verified by researcher Elaine Javorski, from the Federal University of Maranhão, in the academic article Portuguese in Brazilian soap operas: a historical overview. An excerpt says: “The conclusions point to an increase in the use of Portuguese characters, as partnerships are established to export soap operas and discreet changes in their characteristics, resulting from the difference in migratory profiles over the decades.”

In this second decade of the 21st century, we are witnessing a reverse process. As an integral part of the third wave of Brazilian immigration to Portugal, which has among its characteristics the presence of professionals with a higher level of education and higher income, the flow of Brazilian artists working in Portuguese productions is increasing. This is the case of Luana Piovani, Chico Dias, Úrsula Corona, Paola Oliveira and Caio Blat (the latter cast for the second season of Fishtailthe most successful Portuguese miniseries on Netflix).

Solid structure

A well-known actress from several soap operas in Brazil and Portugal, Úrsula Corona is also CEO of the Instituto Fome de Tudo, where she leads initiatives in favor of food security and the fight against waste. In conversation with PÚBLICO Brasil, she reflects on her career in Brazilian television and the evolution of the industry. The artist, who had the opportunity to work with big names in television drama, highlights the importance of the masters who trained her and shaped her career. “It was very lucky to have the opportunity to work with names like Paulo Ubiratan”, he says.

The actress highlights that Brazilian television has a solid foundation built by great professionals and that, when analyzing the trajectory of the soap opera, one can see a constant evolution, adapted to the cultural changes of each country. In Portugal, she was invited to take on the challenge of giving life to a villain in the soap opera Winter Sunfrom the broadcaster SIC. Later, he participated in the 2018 International Emmy-winning soap opera, Green Goldand also of On the Tightropeboth from TVI.

The Brazilian actress addresses the transformation in the consumption of audiovisual content: “Nowadays, we have more possibilities to consume and share content.” Úrsula cites the ease of connecting and sharing information through digital platforms, highlighting the role of television as a means of entertainment and leisure. “Television has the ability to take people to a playful side,” he says, highlighting the diversity of formats and platforms currently available, allowing the public to choose what to watch, when and where they want.

When analyzing television production in several countries, such as Brazil, Portugal, Mexico, Argentina and Spain, Úrsula observes that the consumption of soap operas remains strong. “We need to disconnect from life,” he says. She explains that television offers a moment of relaxation and entertainment. “THE streaming It’s just another way of consuming soap operas. Brazil knows how to make soap operas like no one else”, he points out.

Strength of streaming

Chico Dias is one of the best-known Brazilian actors in Portugal. He has acted in several Portuguese productions, in cinema, on TV and in theater. He did Rei Lear (William Shakespeare) and then Red Monetfilmed in Lisbon, by director Halder Gomes. The film focuses on three characters. The main character of the narrative is Johannes Van Almeida, a painter who is not recognized in the market and who is, little by little, losing his vision and the ability to see colors.

When analyzing the influences of Brazilian audiovisual, Chico says: “I think the initial form, the production matrix, was the most important. The first Portuguese soap operas drew from Brazil. Several Brazilian professionals went to work in Portugal. I can mention some, such as Maurício Farias and Aguinaldo Silva.” The actor declares himself in love with Portugal, where TV soap operas were presented in which he was very successful, such as Gabriela e Tropical Paradise.

Regarding the current moment in audiovisual production, Chico states: “I come from a time when the internet didn’t exist. Now, people look for what interests them in their niches. In other words, the issue of soap operas has really cooled down. I say from the Portuguese. But I still get recognized on the streets. So, I think that the oldest soap operas marked a generation of Portuguese people.”

Regarding Portuguese soap operas, he highlights that the works began to have a signature. “It is much clearer and much firmer in the interest of winning over the Portuguese population. Portuguese television audiovisual has grown a lot”, he highlights. With so many channel options, and with the increase in Brazilian immigrants living in Portugal, it is very likely that we will increasingly come across Brazilian cameras and actors on the country’s streets.