Klosterbergfest
Sipping “Caipi” for a good cause: The “Children in Brazil” foundation celebrates its 50th anniversary
Fifty years ago, the Basel fashion photographer Onorio Mansutti founded the Children in Brazil Foundation together with friends. Many Basel residents associate the foundation’s annual Klosterberg Festival with caipirinha-filled memories.
The Klosterbergfest has changed a lot since its beginnings in the mid-1970s. What began with a few friends now inspires thousands. Photos (from left): zvg/Archive Gérard Loch, Kenneth Nars
At Klosterberg and on Pyramidenplatz – squeezed between the theater, Elisabethenkirche and Steinentorstrasse – things are in chaos. “We’re in the middle of setting up at the moment,” says Onorio Mansutti, somewhat rushed, on the phone. “Everything is chaos.” Hammering can be heard in the background. Mansutti curses: “It’s a huge mess because they haven’t diverted the traffic.” Stalls and stages have to be set up in a few hours. A mega street festival has been going on here since Friday and will continue until Sunday.
According to research by the defunct Basel news portal “barfi.ch”, what began in 1976 as a small “Uusestuehlete” around the center of gravity of the Atlantis restaurant and music-culture club is now an integral part of the city’s festival calendar. Anyone who grew up in Basel in the 1990s will remember one or two caipirinha-fueled excesses. And “Druggedde” that are otherwise only known from the Morgenstreich. Since the early 1980s, all of the festival’s net proceeds have gone to the “Children in Brazil” foundation.
Foundation enabled thousands to receive training
The foundation was founded 50 years ago by the Basel fashion photographer Onorio Mansutti together with friends. During a trip to Brazil in 1974, Mansutti observed from a chic restaurant in Rio de Janeiro how street children rummaged through garbage cans for something to eat.
Onorio Mansutti gradually gave up his career as a photographer for the Children in Brazil Foundation.
Photo: Nicole Nars-Zimmer
According to Mansutti’s own stories, this experience had a big impact on him. He wanted to do something about the misery of these children. To date, the foundation has been able to support more than 30,000 children and young people from Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding area, according to Mansutti.
Brazilian jazz meets Ballermann
Now the foundation is celebrating this success and is going all out for its 50th anniversary. “There is a big stage with lots of music, Brazilian dance shows and many new stands,” says Mansutti. In addition to musicians from Brazil such as Ramar Americo, Pipa Brasey and Tiago Barros, DJ Antoine and “Skihüttenkönig” will also be performing.
Multicultural: At this festival, that means Brazilian jazz and Ballermann. Workshops in Afro-Brazilian capoeira, a mixture of martial arts, dance, music and acrobatics, and the Colombian fitness hit Zumba. Chinese cuisine alongside Brazilian cuisine. Lots of ethnic kitsch and lots of Caipirinha.
The inventor of the legendary Caipirinha corner is Onorio Mansutti. He promises to re-release the huge “Caipi” cups for the anniversary – they are shaped like two trumpets stuck together, with funnels on the outside. The popular party motto: sipping “Caipi” for a good cause.
The elongated “Caipi” cups will be re-released at this year’s Klosterbergfest.
Bild: Kenneth Nars
The proceeds have already enabled hundreds of children to receive an education. Some have made great strides in their careers. One man is now a pilot, one woman is an actress.
Mansutti, who once made a name for himself with photographs for magazines such as “Harper’s Bazaar” and “Playboy”, gradually gave up his career as a photographer for the foundation. The 85-year-old is also celebrating his life’s work on this anniversary.
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