It is time to light the Olympic Torch in a tropical country," Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva told the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as it gathered in Copenhagen to select a site for the 2016 Summer Olympics. "It is Brazil's time." The IOC agreed. On Oct. 2, Rio de Janeiro beat out First World metropolises Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago to become the first South American city to host the Games--sparking a deafening celebration on Copacabana Beach to rival the city's annual Carnaval bacchanal.
The IOC did more than signal its confidence that the birthplace of bossa nova can put...