Brazilian Novela Titles
I was reading an article today on F5 about the words that are most used in the titles of Brazilian novelas (“Nomes de Novelas”) and this reminded me that I still haven’t talked about Novelas yet on this blog!
Apparently brazilian networks Globo, Record, SBT and Band are not very creative when it comes to baptizing their Novelas, because they keep repeating certain words in their titles, as shown below. Here are the words that are most repeated:
These were the words that appear most frequently in the titles of Brazilian Novelas: "Amor" (love), "Paixão" (passion), "Coração" (heart), "Mulher" (woman), "Desejo" (desire), "Caminho" (way/path), "Vida" (life)
…If I were going to add to this article I would also mention that it’s not only the titles that are similar, but also the plots (tramas): social climbing (alpinismo social), paternity revealed (revelação de paternidade), the famous “whose the killer?” (“quem matou?”), villains (vilões) making a mess of things for the good guys (mocinhos) during the entire novela and then finally getting their punishment in the end. Rarely do Novelas break this mold, although when they do they are typically applauded for their creativity. Read the article I mention Here Via F5.
Even the openings of novelas seem to follow a certain formula, a point which the fake theme song in following video makes fun of very cleverly:
…That video was actually the opening for the Brazilian novela “Vale Tudo“.
So Where Does One Begin in a Post About Brazilian Novelas?
Brazilian novelas are famous the world over and are broadcast in countries throughout Latin America, Africa, and Europe. Not only are Globo Novelas among the most watched television programs in Brazil, but they are also a lucrative export: Globo soaps are translated, dubbed and shown in countries around the world. So while these shows are now on TV in Brazil, it’s only a matter of time before they pop up in Mexico or Russia.
One of the main differences about the Brazilian novelas and soap operas from the US is that in Brazil, this type of programming appeals to a much wider audience: men women and children of all ages watch novelas, they connect with an enormous demographic. It is hard for us to imagine a heterosexual male in the US talking about what happened yesterday on “days of our lives,” but for guys in brazil it is totally normal to watch, even get hooked on novelas. Brazilians will all tell you that novelas are addictive. The other difference is that the novelas are shown in a better time-slot than those mid-day american soap operas. There may be a novela that runs in the middle of the day, but they also premier in the evenings at 6:00, to be watched when people get home from work.
Caminho Das Indias
One example of a highly popular Novela from recent years was Globo Brazil’s “Caminho das Indias,” which won the Best Soap Opera award at the International Emmy Awards in New York. The show, which was one of the most popular TV programs in Brazil during its run, beat out its competition from France and the Philippines.
The show went on to be purchased by 80% of Latin American countries.
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