Students launch Brazilian Vibe
A new magazine created by a pair of Simon Fraser University students and featuring all things Brazilian in Vancouver is being launched this week. Brazilian Vibe made its debut at the city’s Latin American Film Festival and is also being showcased on campus during the university’s week of welcome.
“Our idea is to target Brazilian life in the city and to highlight the prevalence of this lively culture right here in Vancouver,” says co-publisher Thiago Silva, who together with student Lucas Socio – and with assistance from SFU’s Venture Connection program – took the idea from concept to publication.
The city’s “small but vibrant” Brazilian community has between 5,000 and 10,000 individuals, with a Portuguese speaking community of more than 15,000. It’s a culture not well known or documented in Vancouver and the duo hope to change that.
“We’re targeting students as well as the general public, especially those interested in learning about or considering Brazil in their travels,” says Silva, a student at SFU’s Burnaby and Surrey campuses.
Silva completed his undergraduate studies at the Universidade Metodista de São Paulo and came to Vancouver to study film. He is currently completing a post-baccalaureate diploma in communication at SFU.
A pair of courses taken through SFU’s publishing program helped change his direction. “They opened up a world of creative opportunities for me,” he says.
Silva approached SFU’s Venture Connection, which assists students to develop their entrepreneurial ideas, and the pair worked with a VC mentor to refine their magazine concept.
The 2,000-run first quarterly issue includes a feature on BrazilFest, held annually on Granville Street, and a profile on the city’s new Brazilian Consul General, Sergio Florencio. Written primarily by the pair, the magazine is bilingual and can also be found online at www.brazilianvibe.ca.
Silva earlier worked in film and TV production and in 2002 received an award at the Toyko Video Festival for a video project he produced called Hidden Lives, a documentary about the struggles of a Brazilian family.
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Contact:
Thiago Silva, 604.618.3843; tsilva@sfu.ca
Marianne Meadahl, PAMR, 778.782.9017; Marianne_Meadahl@sfu.ca