Out and About in Rio: TUCUM store

On one of my walks around the bohemian area of Santa Teresa, I stumbled upon TUCUM Brasil – a store dedicated to showcasing produce made by ingenious people of Brazil. I was immediately drawn in by the colourful tribal products on display, much of which reminded me of my shopping experience in Maasai markets in Kenya last year.

I was greeted by Marina, who welcomed us in with a warm friendly smile… It wasn’t long before I was lost in the beauty of each skilfully crafted piece; beaded necklaces, earrings, bracelets and cravings. Naturally, I wanting to buy the whole shop!

TUCUM’s mission is to value and promote the art of indigenous and traditional populations in Brazil, and generate income for these communities. They do this by establishing strong commercial partnerships with associations, cooperatives, producer groups or artists, with an emphasis on ethics, legality, sustainability, respect for local realities and the construction of economically balanced relationships.

The brand is named after the Tucum palm tree found throughout Brazil. It’s leaves, fruits and seeds are widely used by different traditional communities. The fibre extracted from the leaves creates the strong stready material used to weave beautiful nets. This palm tree is metaphoric of TUCUM – weaving nets between people.