A Hot Brazilian New Year!

Brazilians have a tradition to wear white for New Year.

Brazilian New Year is one of the most traditionally celebrated festival for the people living there. New Year in Brazil is known as Ano Nove (Portuguese) but is more popularly known as Revillion. It is celebrated on January 1 as per the Gregorian Calendar. New Year is the time when people from various parts of the world like to celebrate it in Brazil. Pubs, party halls, clubs, beaches and even roads are thronged with people.

New Year's Traditions

New Year's celebrations in Brazil reflects it's culture and tradition. On the New Year's day, it's a tradition to consume lentils and rice. It is believed to bring in prosperity and good fortune in the coming year.

De Iemanjá Festival

People dressed in white offer flowers and gifts to the Iemanjá, the Goddess of the Water in the Brazilian Umbanda religion. The colorful floating candles gives a splendid view at the time of New Year. This festival is celebrated with much devotion and sincerity by the fishermen of the city. They believe the catch at the time reflects the catch for rest of the year.

New Year's Celebrations in Brazil

Véspera de Ano Novo or the New Year's Eve is the most important day for the people of Brazil. The best New Year celebrations can be seen in the most important city of Brazil, Rio de Janeiro. New Year celebrations are marked with numerous fireworks and crackers. Musical shows, concerts and other dance performances are the highlights of New Year celebrations in Brazil. The world famous Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro is overcrowded with people on the New Year's Eve.

Another feature of New Year's celebrations is the Brazilian Carnival. People dress up in gaudy clothes and walk down streets singing and dancing on beats of various traditional songs. The famous samba get people on their feet every year.

Any party is not complete without perfect music. New Year's Eve celebrations include numerous local Brazilian artists like samba, frevo, pagode, Axe and forro.

Last but not least, dinner is the best part of Brazilian New Year's Celebrations. It includes farofa (tapioca grains flavored with spices), salads, rice, chicken and marajucá mousse (fruit) which is relished by people present in Brazil to have the taste of it's culture.

http://www.newyearfestival.com/new-year-in-brazil.html

FELIZ ANO NOVO!

Akihiro Sato as one of Manila Times' Top Revelations of 2008

Friday, December 05, 2008


REVELATIONS TOP of 2008

By Michael Sj Lim And Ricky Gallardo



The year is about to end, and local showbusiness has been blessed with a few wonderful surprises in terms of new discoveries and promising talents. For this week, we name our Top 8 revelations for 2008 and we look forward to seeing more of them in the coming year.

AKIHIRO SATO

This mixed Japanese-Brazilian model came to the Philippines to find jobs in the runway, like his many Brazilians colleagues, but he got more than what he hoped for.

Akihiro Sato is not only the image model of Penshoppe but he also is almost always the first pick for modeling assignments by the country’s top fashion designers. We were in Cebu a few weeks ago and we were surprised that the Cebuanos went gaga over Akihiro.

We heard that many Filipino models are jealous of the Brazilian invasion in modeling but what can we do? They’ve got the looks and the bods to boot!

Next in line for Akihiro is a film project called Handuman, where he would be acting with Urian best actor Jason Abalos. Way to go, Akihiro.

news from:

http://teamakihiro.multiply.com/journal/item/10/Akihiro_Sato_as_one_of_Manila_Times_Top_Revelations_of_2008

http://www.manilatimes.net/national/2008/dec/05/yehey/reeltimes/20081205reel1.html

Merry Christmas! Feliz Natal!

Head Shot

The upper pic is a play on contrast. That's how I imagine Stephanie Meyer's Edward Cullen would look like in the book Twilight...pale skin and Adonis looking!

Tell Me That You Love Me Video

The Jetset - Metro Him Style Guide

Photos: Steve Tirona

Men's Styling: J. Lee Cu- Unjieng

Women's Styling: Rex Atienza

Make up and Grooming: Paolo Maranan

Hair: John Valle/ L'Oreal Professionel

Models: AKIHIRO SATO - Mercator

Ria Bolivar - Pmap

Marx Topacio - Pmap

Camburi, Brazil - Aki's Hometown

In previous articles written about Akihiro Sato, it is mentioned that he's from a small village at the coastal town of Maresias. In actuality he lives a few kilometers from Maresias, a town called Camburi.

Camburi, located northeast of Guarujá, is a beautiful oceanside beach with magnificent surfing and a lively nightlife. It's approximately 2½ hours from the city of São Paulo and can be easily accessed by car or bus. The type of crowd that Camburi attracts seems to be those who are from the 'in' crowd, those with tanned muscular bodies.

Camburi beach is especially popular with surfers, and you'll find all levels of surfers enjoying the waves. Those not interested in surfing simply enjoy relaxing on the beach, some slowly sipping on a caipirinha as they watch the surfers do their thing. The great thing about Camburi beach is that it has a lifeguard service; a service provided by the fire department of Camburi to ensure the safety of the public.

You'll find on Camburi beach there's a large area reserved for frescobol players. On a hot sunny day you can watch hundreds of people playing. Many of these players are very skilled at the game and can keep a rally going for long periods of time.

Camburi Nightlife

The nightlife in Camburi is very lively and full of entertainment. During the summer weekends and the period of Carnival, all the nearby bars and even the main streets are crowded with people - it's one big party!

As for the bar scene, Galeao is the most famous bar in Camburi. The outside is adorned with a large skull, but don’t be intimidated, this is only a front. Since opening in 1994 Galeao has been very popular with tourists and Brazilian locals alike. Many people come from all over Brazil to enjoy a few nights drinking, dancing, and partying at Galeao. In my experiences at this bar I met an American, and we had a great time partying and dancing at Galeao until 5 or 6 something in the morning.

For those not so interested in the bar scene or crowded city streets, an alternative is a luau. The luaus are held on Camburi beach behind Galeao. Here you will see many people sitting on the beach in large groups, singing, dancing, and drinking under the moonlight. It's quite common for people to bring towels or blankets down to the beach and sleep there under the stars.

http://www.cities-in-brazil.com/sao-paulo/camburi.php

2008 Philippine Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu International Open

6 December 2008
SM Mall of Asia

Purple Belt Absolute

Akihiro Sato, black gi
Submission Sport

vs

Ariel Valenova, blue gi
New Breed Academy




December 2008 Philippines jiu-jitsu Open, Purple belt heavy weight semi-final match

Guillaume Huni (zerjal team Serbia)
vs
Akihiro Sato (Brazil)

Aki on Metro Body

Thanks to TEAM AKIHIRO for the pics!!!

Aki's Tats: 8 Tattoos on 6 Body Parts

His Right Foot(Side) - Thai Characters meaning "I love my family"

Nape Tattoo: Kanji character meaning "Dream"

His Right Torso: 3 Kanji characters meaning, Love, Sun, Woman

His Right Hip: Dragon

His Right Ankle: Batman Logo

His Right Foot: Large colored tattoo of a Koi Fish

I saw Qtv's A Sweet Life with Lucy Torres and Wilma Doesnt's interview with Akihiro Sato and Hideo Muraoka a few days ago. And on the episode they talked about Aki's tattoos. They mentioned he has 3 at first, thinking that the 3 Kanji characters on his right torso are the only ones he's got. But they corrected themselves and said that there were tattoos on 3 body parts, the nape, the torso and on the hip.

What the show's researches didn't know is that he has 8 tattoos on 6 body parts:

1. Nape - Kanji character which means Dream
   
2. His Left Torso - 3 Kanji characters meaning Love, Sun, Woman
   
3. His Right Hip - Dragon
   
4. His Right Ankle - Batman logo


5. His Left Foot - Koi Fish

6. His Right Foot - just saw this recently at Metro Body Calendar Thai characters meaning "I love my family" on the side of his right foot.

I'm reposting pics from my other site: http://akihiro-sato.blogspot.com/

Aki Likes To Tumble!

Akihiro Sato will appear in indie film "Handumanan (Remembrance)"

above photos: http://iamsupercow.blogspot.com/2008/12/akihiro-sato-in-handumanan-love-you.html

(From left) Cosmo celebrity centerfold Akihiro Sato, Chin Chin Gutierrez, and Jason Abalos topbill the indie film Handumanan (Remembrance). Shot on location in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, this film is slated to be shown publicly by February 2009. Courtesy of Seymour Sanchez

Akihiro Sato will appear in indie film "Handumanan"

by Jocelyn Dimaculangan

Half-Brazilian, half-Japanese model Akihiro Sato will be introduced in the indie film titled Handumanan (Remembrance). This project came just a few months after appearing as one of the ten Celebrity Centerfolds of Cosmopolitan's Cosmomen supplement released last September.

Chin Chin Gutierrez and Jason Abalos topbill the film, which is being shot on location in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental. The film is about three people who seem to have lost hope of their worlds until their fateful encounter in a resort in Negros Oriental.

Chin Chin plays a romance novelist named Solita Locsin a.k.a. Soledad Miranda who cannot accept her publisher's demand that she write erotic pocketbooks. When she is diagnosed with a terminal illness, she decides to quit her job and go back home to Dumaguete.

Jason Abalos is Alejandro Tan a.k.a. Lean. He wants to be a writer but he is trapped in his job at the Commission on Audit after finishing accountancy upon the wish of his mother. He also wants to escape from a world that has been harsh to his family.

Carlos Silva (Akihiro) is a Brazilian print ad model who is searching for his roots. He uses his blog to connect with people all over the world. After Sol finds out about blogging from her niece, she makes use of this new tool to continue writing. Intrigued with her writing, Carlos finds her blog on the Internet and expresses his wish to meet her personally. Meanwhile, Lean is assigned to audit in Dumaguete but his escapist attitude leads him to Sol, whose romance novels play a significant role in his life.

The script of Handumanan is co-written by Richard Soriano Legaspi and Seymour Barros Sanchez, who is more popularly known as Meyor. Their script was selected during the 3rd Produire au Sud Film Workshop, which is part of the sixth World Film Festival Bangkok. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) provided the filmmakers with a P500,000 grant, allowing the film to premiere in February 2009 in time for the celebration of National Arts Month. Red Room Productions will also co-produce the film.

This film is also done in cooperation with the Katorse Writers Group (from Ricky Lee's 14th scriptwriting workshop), Pixel Art Media Production Co., On Cam Productions and the University of Makati Film Society.

Seymour is an instructor at the University of Makati Center for Performing and Digital Arts, a special lecturer at St. Paul University Manila, and founder and adviser of the University of Makati Film Society while Richard is a part-time instructor at the University of the East College of Fine Arts in Caloocan.

http://www.pep.ph/guide/3004/Akihiro-Sato-will-appear-in-indie-film-Handumanan

http://iamsupercow.blogspot.com/2008/12/akihiro-sato-in-handumanan-love-you.html

Mercator's Socio-Civic Activity

Muscles for a cause, beauties with a purpose

There is an unfortunate stereotype that models are only beautiful people whose day is just about donning clothes and doing commercials. Today, we affirmed that we care about certain issues, and this passion keeps us going."

Models are also role models who fight and do something for what they believe in. To prove this, the so-called beautiful people, the kings and queens of the runway, let their hair down in the appropriately called "Model the Earth, Muscles for a Cause and Beauties with a Purpose" project last May at the La Mesa Dam as their way of giving back to a community that looks up to them. Top commercial model April Tanhueco said her fellow ramp models, fashion stylists, and make-up artists were there to weed, clean, and plant trees with Jonas Gaffud, president of Mercator Model Management, Inc.; a project manager from Bantay Kalikasan, ABS-CBN’s environmental arm; and ace lensman Wesley Villarica.

Gaffud clarifies that the environment is an area for advocacy that is close to his heart. "I graduated from UP Diliman with a degree in Geography. I learned that everything is interconnected, so damage to one part of the world brings...consequent damage to another. That is why I am passionate about issues regarding the environment. So this endeavor is a must for me."

The second project was the Muscles for Cause, conducted last May 10. This time, hunks flexed their muscles to build homes. This was carried out in partnership with the non-profit group Gawad Kalinga. Top names in the modeling world like international models Rocky Salumbides and AJ Winkler, as well as Brazilian imports Akihiro Sato and Fabio Ide had a great time mixing cement and concrete and painting the newly constructed houses. Leading designers JC Buendia, Tonichi Nocom, and Puey Quiñones also volunteered. A number of fashion practitioners like Patrick Ty, Mela de Luna, Rey Ilagan, Mickey Sy, Katrina Dy, and Bianca Santiago were there to participate. Well-known fashion photographer Frank Hoefsmit took snaps of the models in action.

Through this project, Gaffud explains that the models proved that "their muscles are not only for pictorials and commercials, but they can also be flexed for charity." And it seems the models also realized the importance of doing something for a cause. Sato, 24, has been in the country less than a month, and he says, "I loved what I did. It’s great to do something significant for those who are in need."

Last May 11, beauty queens and models trooped to Kythe’s Foundation Summer Camp in Antipolo to spend time with kids who have grave medical conditions. Gionna Cabrera and Lia Andrea Ramos, Bb. Pilipinas-Universe 2005 and 2006, respectively, as well as three Brazilian beauties, Analu Pereira, Fernanda Cordeiro, and Mariana De Lucas, commercial model Kimi Lu, designer Freddie Abuel, caster Edda Galoy, and hair and makeup artist-couple Ricky and Claire Diokno participated in fun games with the children and in toy-giving. Photos were taken by Kai Huang. While Cabrera and Ramos both served as ambassadors of goodwill during their respective Bb. Pilipinas reigns, they still could not help but be affected by the kids’ situations. Cabrera relates, "We are privileged to take part in outreach activities; [we] have [a] passion for causes, as in our experience with cancer patients as young as eight. They have so much to give to the world but are limited in their opportunities, so it is very difficult to comprehend such [a] plight in life." She adds that she is "blessed to meet angels."

Gaffud believes that these projects bring out the best in models. "Through these outreach programs, we showed another facet [of] the modeling industry. A model is also a role model who fights and does something for what he or she believes in." Model Misty Francisco agrees and asserts that, "It’s great to [take] a stand [and show] that we have concerns and values far greater than good looks and poise."

photos by: Frank Hoefsmit

from: Manila Bulletin

http://www.mb.com.ph/issues/2008/06/13/20080613127124.html

Akihiro Sato and Regine Velasquez

Tell Me That You Love Me Behind the Scenes

VIP Pass feature on Regine's music video shoot with AKIHIRO SATO for the single TELL ME THAT YOU LOVE ME from her new album LOW KEY!

http://www.reginemultimedia.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSnkgN2JrHU

HANDUMANAN

Akihiro Sato (The most popular Japanese-Bazilian model in South-East Asia today is going to have this as his debut movie here in the Philippines) waiting for the set-up to finish

HANDUMANAN

Directed by:Seymour Sanchez

Production: Independent (Sponsored by Cinemalaya Foundation and National Commission for Culture and the Arts)

Release Date: First quarter of 2009

Setting: Dumaguete City

Main Cast: Chin-Chin Gutierrez, Jason Abalos, Akihiro Sato

Behind-the-scenes in Cafe Antonio

This film, having Dumaguete as it's main setting, although, not the first time, will surely be something special and something to look forward to. For one thing, it is sponsored by the Cinemalaya Foundation and the NCCA (Both will not just sponsor any Independent movie unless it's going to be a really good one) which will have high possibilities that this film will get to join in international film festivals. It will be a big exposure for Dumaguete, for sure, and hopefully, soon, Dumaguete will not be only known for it's academic industry, but also get head-to-head with other places in the film industry. Dumaguete was specially chosen by the director with influence from Chin-Chin Gutierrez who just love Dumaguete so much and has just recently found her second home here.

photos and pertinent information from ian casocot

http://www.dumagueteinfo.com/board/dumaguete-city/movies-shot-dumaguete-3234.html

http://eatingthesun.blogspot.com/2008/10/and-now-for-something-completely.html

http://markxander.blogspot.com/

Akihiro Sato by Mark Nicdao for Garage

Photography: Mark Nicdao of wildbunch photography

http://wildbunchphotography.multiply.com/

thanks to Team Akihiro