The 31st Olympics, the first in South America and only the third to be held in the southern hemisphere, formally opened on Friday with a colourful ceremony depicting Brazil’s vibrantly diverse culture and dedicated to its history and the Earth’s environment, at the Macarana stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

3. The 31st Olympics, the first in South America
and only the third to be held in the southern
hemisphere, formally opened on Friday with a
colourful ceremony depicting Brazil’s vibrantly
diverse culture and dedicated to its history and
the Earth’s environment, at the Macarana
stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

5. The ceremony, which has famed Brazilian
director Fernando Meirelles, known for crime
drama “City of God”, Andrucha Washington
and Daniela Thomas as creative directors,
started with thousands of performers entering
the arena with sheets of metallic paper, quickly
transformed into a sort of “pillow” and struck
hard to create a beat that resounded through
the stadium.

7. A panoramic depiction of Brazil’s history,
including its slave trade past, followed before a
unique homage to Alberto Santos-Dumont,
who is in Brazil, credited with inventing the
first aeroplane and taking the first flight,
instead of the Wright Brothers, as a light plane
flew inside the stadium before taking off into
the night sky across a celebrating city.

9. But the high point was in rendition of the late
Tom Jobim’s legendary “The Girl from Ipanema”,
performed by his grandson Daniel as
supermodel and national icon Gisele Bundchen,
clad in a long sleeved, gold-sequin spangled
dress, sashayed across on her most ambitious
catwalk across the stadium.

11. Other star performers included the
legendary samba singer Elza Soares,
and hip-hop proponents Karol Conka
and the 12-year-old M.C. Soffia (hip
hop), all representing Brazil’s black
community too.

13. The hour-long cultural fiesta, capped by a
spectacular display of fireworks, led to the
Parade of the Nations, or the march past of
the participating contingents, comprising
207 including Kosovo and South Sudan who
are making their debut.

15. Each team, dressed mostly in traditional
costumes, accompanied by young children
bearing a sapling and trailed by a team of
traditional musicians, entered the arena to
applause, though the loudest cheers were
reserved for teams from the neighbouring
countries, as well as those making their
debut and Palestine.