Originally Posted by
VidaNaPraia
It really depends. If you come to Brazil to hear the same old music you can hear in London or NYC, then perhaps clubs in Sao Paulo might be preferable. But if you travel all the way to Brazil and want to hear the unique rhythms of the country you are in, Rio is not lacking in any way on any night. There are plenty of venues to go dancing and listen to music styles from samba gafiera to forro to bossa nova to Brazilian funk and lots more--every night of the week. However, if you take advice from a guidebook aimed at party-hearty foreign tourists, you may never discover many of them.
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And since the OP describes himself as a "music maker", one more reason to suggest the unique musical culture of Rio.
I don't mean to offend, but your comments on Brazilian music shows some ignorance in regards to the electronic music scene in Brazil. There is more to Brazilian music than just listening to traditional stuff. These clubs I mentioned aren't playing top 40 garbage that can be heard anywhere in the world. They are playing the top Brazilian producers like DJ Marky, Fabrício Peçanha, Gui Boratto, etc. I don't know if OP was talking about night clubs or not, but that's the impression I got. If that is the case Rio doesn't hold a candle to Sao Paulo or Santa Catarina for that matter.
The guidebook I reference isn't exactly aimed at party hardy tourists and in fact is probably the best Rio guidebook available. I never claimed that the city of Rio shuts down at 11 pm; There is still plenty to do at night. But when it comes to parties, food, clubs, nice hotels, and fashion, Sao Paulo will beat Rio any day of the week. Where Rio lacks, it makes up for it with beaches, thong bikinis, better traffic, and a more casual lifestyle. Would I want to spend a week in SP? No. A weekend though? Yes. It's one of the world's largest cities and still has a lot to offer.