Turning hardship into a daring adventure

The Brazilian Twins | TEDxUniversity of Northern Iowa

Can you have a difficult life, full of struggles and hardship, and still feel unstoppable joy? Growing up in the violent, impoverished slums of Rio De Janeiro, twins Walter and Wagner Caldas (The Brazilian Twins) began playing classical music on violins their father handmade. They used music as an escape from their reality and began teaching others in their neighborhood to do the same. After being featured on National Public Radio, they were invited to the US on full ride music scholarships in 2008 to study at UNI. For the past 15 years, the twins have performed over 1,000 shows around the globe on a mission to make the world smile with music. They believe every life, no matter how hard, can be a daring adventure. The B2wins (B-Twins), dynamic and charismatic Brazilian Twins, ignite audiences globally with genre-blending, soul-lifting performances. From Rio’s brutal slums, they mastered violins crafted by their father, using music to transcend hardship. Spotlighted by NPR, they landed scholarships in Iowa in 2008. With over 1,000+ performances worldwide, they unite and inspire audiences of all ages, cultures and musical tastes, driven by a relentless quest: to spark joy worldwide through the power of sound. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community.

Learn More about The Brazilian Twins’ here.