(ATR) The Rio 2016 Olympic mascots pay tribute to the host country’s musical history.
On Dec. 14, the Rio 2016 Olympic and Paralympic mascots were named Vinicius and Tom after Rio-born musicians Vinicius de Moraes and Tom Jobim. The announcement followed a three-week public vote where a majority 44 percent of the voters chose to immortalize the duo’s contributions to Brazilian culture.
Moraes and Jobim are famous for their contributions to bossa nova, one of the most well-known genres of Brazilian music. Jobim, in particular, composed "Garota de Ipanema," a worldwide hit and one of the most recorded songs of all time. Moraes was a composer, a playwright, and a poet who wrote several important song lyrics and albums.
According to Rio 2016 president Carlos Arthur Nuzman, the public made the right choice when naming the mascots.
"The names of Vinicius and Tom are recognized worldwide as a synonym for excellence, which is in line with what we want to achieve with the Rio 2016 Games," Nuzman said in a Rio 2016 press release on Sunday.
"In addition to representing the Brazilian fauna and flora, our mascots also connect to the best of our music. We are certain that they will be an inspiration to the youth."
The Rio 2016 Olympic Games are scheduled for Aug. 5 - 21, 2016.
Written by Andrew Murrell
20 Years at #1: Your best source of news about the Olympics is AroundTheRings.com, for subscribers only.
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