JI thid JJH
'•j iii
A LAND-GRAB REVERSED
PANTANAL WHERE NATURE EXCELS "MARIA-MARIA" BY CECILIA PRADA
GETTING THE RED CARPET IN RID
HOW THEY ARE CHANGING THE CHURCH
is now fully indexed and available for research and reference in electronic format on CDROM
in Ethnic NewsWatch, a full text general reference
database of the publications of the ethnic, minority and native press, dating back to 1990?
A MULTICULTURAL DATABASE
'4ANUART 1995 4•••••1•4
FULL TEXT
19ot .1.119W9o1
Comprehensive access to the ethnic and minority press in America— newspapers, magazines, journals English and Spanish. ,nCfor rx1=BIrech,ry
7......19,4,449•11=„119 40*, Ow* 919•99. C.94••••••• 019119•199491.991111.1119.9
999•919, e on... :199,
/.9/910.11•919 0.914 411.999,•999.1•14.9114 13•111999,99/9999•19 •99.119,111•9919* NM, 01••• ••• • • 1.9.43 1•1•141•4, 9119.•••••••19449 •••••••••919 .61.4994•4•919.10.949 1•••••••. 44444 0199.4 1,99.• 1:916.9 hone de Se• ••••••••• Rom 41 Va. •I• Ca14.111M.,..01,1 PAM •••••+, 19,•••• 1149099 1•9499 Nods 4.7 9..4., me. 1499.4.9•410•0•4. 119.991,44.•• fn. wdo. C9•49,99•9•499. 1.99. 9444 Ma, .0911.4.1 Pow
Available from 1991 0..4444 14., 4••••ne le.. • ..V.J 19,.. 11.• n•-•• `••• 99•9”
IFil
4.04w h we, 1149,
SoftL ine
111•••••9 me VA., 191999.9n 19 94•91•99d 9 9.9 1•91.9.
SOFTWARE BY 7" 7
For the first ti
is one of more than 180 newspapers, magazines and journals reflecting the ethnic, minority and native press (African American, Caribbean, Arab and Middle Eastern, Asian American, European/Eastern European, Hispanic, Jewish, Native American and Multi-Ethnic) that are now part of the Ethnic NewsWatch database.
i.e
Ethnic NewsWatch gives you fast and easy electronic access to more than 270,000 complete articles, editorials, columns, book, movie, and theater reviews (and more) reflecting the ethnic diversity of America. And, with Ethnic NewsWatch you have news, culture and history with the other sides of the stories.
NOW Ethnic NewsWatch is available in academic, public, school and government libraries nationwide.
Ask for
btagA
and Ethnic NewsWatch on CDROM at your public library as well as local high school and college libraries.
For more info ation„ ntact SoftLine Information, Inc.
20 Summer Street, Stamford, CT 06901 • (800) 524-7922 • Fax (203) 975-8347
1111111B 1\11111111 MB 1\111M AT
GW./Gr C)77 OA_ s3PR k.OUGE
-
CHURRASCARIA Brazilian Steak Home www.rodaviva.net
CITY OF INDUSTRY FrAnurisc
UICAIVIDO 1IE11-11P AID HS CAIRNAVAIL 112ANIID
IVOIDIDAVA DIVAS CIF SAM [A HAIM N' YOU DJ $55 (WITH DINNER) IN A $60 AT THE DOOR (IF A TICKETS ON SALE N FOR MORE INFO AND RESERVATI
VANCE ILABLE) W. NS, PLEASE CALL
(562) 863-3463 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
3
Make Samba History!
NAN • ATTORNEY AT LAIN/ABOGADO/ADV.OGAD 1
Be part of the firstever All-Gringo Samba School to parade in Rio's Sambadrome.
MEMBER, STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
• Watch the samba parades during Rio Camaval • Tour the 'Marvelous City of Rio • Attend Three days of workshops with samba masters from all the best schools hosted by BeiJa-Flor • Parade In the firstever all-gringo samba school 'UnIclbs do Mundo' with the Rio Champions
(818) 986-1295 e-mail:eqlaw@pacbell.net
IMMICCATION MATTERS BUSINESS VISAS DEPORTATION DEFENSE DIVORCES SAN FERNANDO VALLEY, CALIFORNIA
March 4-12, 2000 Sign up today!
(562) 438-3669 www.rio2000.org There is still time to register for this historic event! r , our last rehearsal b the jou, us I Rio, Dance „Dia,
405
A
710
efQ,re
go ing t, ° furl at Sambal-ain .inci haySat. Feb. 5, 2000 8 pm - 1 am In Long Beach I IIIIRILIBMIN
701 Long Beach Blvd @ 7th 6th
www.sambala.org
Call the hotline at:
Admission: I adult / i Child
(562) 438-3669
Pacote de 10 Dias Carnaval 2000: Em Porto Seguro, Brasil Ocupacao dupla Inclui tarifa aerea, traslados e meia pensao 1 passeio pela cidade 1 passeio noturno Tempo livre para curtn ao maximo
.0
$1200.0
Plus TAX. Sujeito a Restricoes.
Ligue ja. para ATW Travel I San Diego 1-800-643-3910 I Torrance 1-800-529-2990 4
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Cover Brazil with 1, a country taste
, Mat.00.,,o
There is a Brazil that Brazilians themselves sometimes don't know it exists, or maybe they just forgot about its existence. It's a Brazil where people leave everything at lunchtime to join the family around the meal table, a Brazil thattalks with a charming accent and in phrases filled with grammatical errors. This is a land where people never heard about Internet, have no idea what a teller-machine is, and couldn't care less to know. It's not about the poor, third-world Brazil that we are talking here, even though most of these people are not rich. We are talking about those communities— smaller and larger—that kept those flavorful and oldfashioned customs ofolder generations. Girls still making by hand their own trousseau, boys asking for permission to court and then conducting a courtship under the watchful eyes of over concerned parents. There is a Brazil that gathers around a bonfire on winter nights, drinks quentao, eats pacoca and other typical plates, dances the quadrille and plays prison and elegant mail. A Brazil that is proud of its roots and does it all to preserve and to transmit them to their children. It's about this Brazil that our cover story is talking today. R.M. As you might know, Brazzil is a very small operation: one person and some volunteers who help as and when they can. The magazine is coming out a little more than a month late and I'm sorry for that. I don't see me catching up soon, but rest assured that the content is fresh and you will get all the issues you've paid for. Thanks and all the best. R.M. Send mail to: P.O. Box 50536 - Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 Ads/Editorial: (323) 255-8062 Subscrip.: (323) 255-4953 Fax: (323) 257-3487 Brazzil on line: http://www.brazzil.com E-mail: brazzil@brazziI.com Publisher and Editor: Rodney Mello Art&Design Director: Marina Yoshie (marinayoshie@hotmail.com) Commercial Director: Leda Bittencourt Entertainment Editors: Sam & Harriet Robbins Book Review: Bondo Wyszpolski Music Editor: Bruce Gilman Brazil Bureau Chief: Marta Alvim E-mail: mltdalvim@yahoo.com - Tel.: (021) 539-9214 - Fax: (021) 581-0198
11
Cover by Michael Stanich 1
Contents 11
Obituary
11
Economy
11
Figueiredo, the last dictator The human rights certificate
Behavior A little of hair, a lot of fuss
11
Fiction
21
•,•,,
Hollow victory in Leblon
Politics Taking away the latifundia
22
Language Protecting the Portuguese
25
Internet Finding your way to Brazil
27
Short Story
32
Travel
35
Travelogue
38
Impressions
42
Getting to know the Pantanal Shangri-la found in Recife First-class treatment in Rio
Almir Chediak and brainchild Lumiar
Music
41
Three by Cecilia Prada
Music
54
Mona Gadelha gets to prime time Special
Liberating Church
Departaments
TIME TO RENEW? Sorry, we don't send reminders. Look at the label to know when your subscription ends. BRAZZIL (ISSN 1091-868X) is published monthly by Brazzil -
'
2039 N. Ave. 52, Los Angeles, CA, 90042-1024.Periodicals Postage rate paid at Los Angeles, CA. Single copy sold for $2. One year subscription for 12 issues is $3 (three dollars) in the U.S., $15 in Canada and Mexico, and $18 in all other countries. No back issues sold. Allow 5 to 7 weeks to receive your first issue. You may quote from or reprint any of the contents with proper copyright credit. Editorial submissions are welcome. Include a SASE (self addressed and stamped envelope) if you want your material mailed back. Brazzil assumes no responsibility for any claims made by its advertisers. The Library of Congress ISSN: 1524-4997
00 Rapidinhas
49 Cultural Pulse 51 Classifieds 52 That's Brazilian
POST MASTER : Send address changes to BRAllIL P.O. Box 50536 - Los Angeles, CA - 90050-0536
, BRAZZIL- DECEMBER 1999
5
Prettiest Baby Can you hear the boos? In its last 1999 edition, the traditional Globo prime-time Sunday TV show Fantastic° organized an election to pick the prettiest Brazilian woman of the last 100 years, A Bela do Seculo (The Beauty ofthe Century). And the winner was Maria Fernanda Candido, a girl nobody had heard about up to a few months ago, but who became the country's sweetheart since appearing in the current hit Afar& Perm:mkt novela (soap opera) Terra Nostra as the character Paola. A young Italian immigrant who falls in love with her boss's son and abandons everything to become his lover. Paola/Maria Fernanda ended up with 79 percent of the popular vote, and 116 votes ahead of second place. , The results were immediately challenged. Rio's daily newspaper 0 Dia, used its Voce E o Juiz (You Are the Judge) section and a 800 telephone number to gauge the opinion of its readership asking, "Was it fair to choose Maria Fernanda Candido?" Almost 9000 readers participated with 4432 agreeing with the decision and 4316 disagreeing. Those who disagreed pointed out that Maria Fernanda was only chosen because she starred in a successful TV show. The initial selection of beauties was made by a panel of experts that included renowned plastic surgeon Ivo Pitanguy. The original list of 114 names was trimmed to a more manageable 10 after four TV shows. Among the top-10 candidates there were model Luma de Oliveira; movie actress Norma Bengell, who was the Cinema Novo muse in the '60s; and stage actress Maria Della Costa. The second place also went to a new face, Luana Piovani. Older generations complained that classical beauties from the past were left out, belles like stage actress Tonia Carrero, and Marta Rocha, who was miss Brazil in the '60s. "This election is absurd," commented writer Rose Marie Muraro, age 69. "These girls don't have consistency or history to win a title like this." Ionia Carrero herself, however, came out in defense of Maria Fernanda, after giving thanks for being remembered for the title. "She is dazzling and despite being young, she was born this century." To what veteran samba composer, Moreirada Silva, 89, concurred: "We can't keep thinking about the past. Life goes on. This girl is the present, she is gorgeous and she is intelligent."
APIDINHAS
Passa e
With the end of Joao Baptista de Oliveira Figueiredo's administration, Brazil closed its cycle of general-presidents who ruled durtng the 1964-1985 military dictatorship. And now with his death all of the former president-generals are gone. During Figueiredo's mandate, which lasted from 1979 to 1985, Brazil went into a deep recession and won the title of country with the largest foreign debt. The nation's foreign debt exploded, surpassing $100 billion. While he granted amnesty to those condemned for political crimes and kept his promise of returning the power to civilians at the end of his term of office, the general will be better remembered as one of the worst leaders the country has had and the man who said upon leaving power, "I want people to forget me." His disapproval rate at the end was 70%. In 1984, the country had an 223,8% annual inflation rate, a record at the time. The general, who would be 82 in January, died at 9:35 AM on Christmas Eve in his Rio apartment. Wife Dulce and Jodo, one of his two sons, were at his side. He suffered from a chronic kidney disease and emphysema. In the last two years he had been in very poor health. Aloysio Salles, his doctor, explained that the general had suffered from "episodic mental confusion in the last two months." Despite Figueiredo's distaste for pomp and ceremony he was bufied with military honors. The former president was taken from his apartment at the Condom inio Praia Guinle in the Sao Conrado neighborhood of Rio in an Urutu--a Brazilian made military armored car, which was also used to disperse protesters during the dictatorship—in a 20-mile cortege to the Caju cemetery in the
The last Dictator
6
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Rio docks district. The funeral procession was received by 26 cavalrymen who took the casket enveloped with the Brazilian flag to the cemetery's chapel. This gesture was in response to the wish of the general, who was a horse lover. Most of the 200 people present at the ceremony were members of the military and friends. Politicians shunned the service. President Fernando Henrique Cardoso even though he was vacationing in Rio, sentAnny chief, general Gleuber Vie im in his place. For Adhemar de Barros Filho, son of former governor of Sao Paulo, Adhemar de Barros, the funeral was the "clearest portrait of ingratitude," complaining about the absence of politicians: "Neither the left nor the right showed up to say thank you." Two years aftertaking the oath ofoffice, in 1981, the athletic general suffered a heart attack. From them on his life would become a series of uphill bouts with health until the end. In 1983 he went to Cleve land in the United States for bypass surgery. In 1995, due to malpractice after surgery for an abdominal aneurysm at Rio's Clinica Sao Vicente, he lost more than 60 percent of his sight. He complained about the epi0 ESTADO OE S. PAULO • - • sode, but never sued the hospital. Figueiredo said with resignation at morre o ex-presaiente Figueiredo, aos 81 anus the time: "Even the fair-weather friends have disappeared." He once said describing himself: "I am not the gorilla that! seem to be. Deep down I am even a liberal. I am like a pineapple: I have a rough and thorny peel but the center can be sweet." And after death? "I don't want to go to heaven because they only have one horse there and that's a mere nag, the one from Saint George." 1
Bright Kid His father, Euclides de Oliveira Figueiredo, was the troops commander during the 1932 RevolucaoConstitucionalista, the failed Sao Pau lo state insurrection against the Genilio Vargas provisional government. Born in January 15, 1918, in Rio, MORRF 0 thrtMO Figueiredo followed on the steps of his military father and was a gifted student. He DITADOR was only 11 years old when he entered Porto Alegre's (capital of Rio Grande do Sul) Colegio Militar (Military School) in 1929. The next year he was transferred to Rio's Colegio Militar and then in 1935 wentto Escola Militar do Realengo where he chose the cavalry. The future general-president was still 19 when President Getalio Vargas predicted a brilliant career for him. It was November 1 I, 1937. Vargas, who had decreed the Estado Novo dictatorship on the eve and out of precaution had incarcerated colonel Euclydes Figueiredo an opponent ofthe dictatorship—wanted to know who was the enthusiastic official w ho was the top student. "He is the son ofEuclydes," the dictator was informed. Vargas went to young Figueiredo and told him: "I know you are a great student. I hope you will be as competent and brilliant as your father." To what the youngster answered: "I don't think I will be able to, so as to stay out rag 77 of jail." This boy is going places," Vargas concluded. In 1958 he went to work with then colonel Golbery do Couto e Silva atthe Anny's high command. Three years later, at the start of the Janio Quadros administration, he became chief of the Servico Federal de Informacaes e Contra-Informacaes (Federal Service of Intelligence and Counter Intelligence) When Quadros resigned from office on August 25, a mere eight months after being inaugurated, Figueiredo became one ofthe main opponents ofJoao Goal the vice-president, who then took office. In 1964 he became colonel and chiefofthe Rio's bureau of the SNI (Servico Nacion al de InfonnacOes —National intelligence Service). He was promoted to general and chief of the military staff in 1969 during general Emilio Garrastazu Medici's presidency. In 1974, when general Ernesto Geisel became president, Figueiredo was chosen as the chief for the national SNI.
Quintessential Cu ran udgeo Itwas Figueiredo who signedAugust 28, 1979, the Lei da Anistia (Amnesty Law), which reopened Brazil's doorto thousands of Brazilians who had lost their political rights and had been jailed, banned and exiled. The law benefited 4650 people directly. More dragged by the circumstances than by conviction, he also freed Brazil from the straitjacket of a two-party system, which could not contain the diversity of opinions in the country. However he was never a democrat, but someone who believed democracy was bad for you and a utopia. The proof: he did his best to prevent the country to have direct elections for the presidency, , something that would happen later in November 1989. The Riocentro bombing showed that he was not ready or willing to face the hardliners of his regime. The terrorist act, which was never fully investigated, ended up killing sergeant Guilherme Pereira do Rosario and hurting captain Wilson Machado. The bomb they were carrying exploded in the parking of Riocentro convention center in Rio de Janeiro on April 30, 1981. The place was full ofpeople who had come fora show to celebrate May Day. While not accepting the offic ialvers ion that the left was responsible for the action, Figueiredo never pressed for a full investigation of the case. Reporters assigned to the presidency used to say, "Where Figueiredo's horse passes no news will grow." He left the presi-
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
7
dental Palacio do PlanaIto literally through the back door, refusing to pass the presidential sash to his successor Jose Sarney. He died alone, forgotten and filled with resentment. He hated Sarney and used to call him a traitor. Figueiredo went into a deeper Isolation the way he wanted. In the end, even his wife avoided talking to him, sleeping when he was awake and taking walks in the dark night, so as not to wake up her husband and have to carry on a conversation with him. All the Christmas cards sent to the general this year were tom down by her. Friends who tried to visit the ailing former dictator were turned down byDona Dulce and were asked to sign a guest book at the entrance of the building where the Figueiredos lived.
Figueiredo quotes: "The smell of a horse, the sweet smell of a horse was better than the smell of people." (1978) "If the people like me, very good. If they don't I will not change. (1978) "It's really to open. And whoever does not want to open I'll send to prison and smash." (after being chosen to substi Ernesto Geisel in the presidency, 1978) "The only solution is to shoot yourself in the noodle." (Answering a kid who wanted to know what he would do if he earned minimum wage, October 1979) "Horse and women, only after you ride or marry." (1980) "We will overfeed democracy to the opposition until they get an indigestion." (1980) "If it was something from the other side, it couldn't be smarter. If it was something done by our side, there could not be stupidity." (May 1981, commenting on the Riocentro terrorist bomb explosion) "They opened me up like a roasted chicken. (1983, after his bypass surgery in Cleveland, US) "I am feeling better. So much so that I already feel like cussing." (in Cleveland, USA, after bypass surgery, 1983) "Brazil is a chick wanting to lay ostrich eggs." (1933) "If inflation were a horse, I would already have tamed it." (1983) z, "Tancredo Never." (1984, in English, showing his displeasure with the candidacy of Tancredo Neves to the presidency) "The table is too heavy to be overturned. (1984, discounting any possibility of a military coup to prevent Tancredo Neves from being inaugurated as president) "I want people to forget me, tell them that I died, that I had a heart attack." (in an interview to Manchete TV in 1985) "I am a Brazilian and I badmouth. Now I feel like a polo player. Get out °fitly way, the ball is coming. I get in and! tear it apart. 4. (1985) "I don't hate the Brazilian people. It's the Brazilian people who hate me." (in a interview with daily newspaper 0 Estado de Paulo, 1988) "Women should be like those toothpastes you get on international trips. Whoever does not like it throws the tube away. Those ho like it just ask for another one." (1988) ftWft*4'e,-2 -1? 'Tab' I am convinced that! was a schmuck." (1993) 'They pushed me into politics. As soon as they oDened the door I got out." (1993) I was a victim of medical error. I cannot recognize the words without a magnifying glass. When you are 79, to fight against a doctor and to prove his mistake is as hard as facing bankers. (Interview with weekly newsmagazine /sto E, 1997)
Many people have complained and Rio's ZOO Detran (Departmento de Transito—Department of Motor Vehicles) discourages its use, but horns with the strangest sounds have become a fad among Carioca (from Rio) drivers. They imitate the scream of Tarzan and the sounds of animals like a horse's neigh, and reproduce the lively anthems of soccer teams, belly laughs and whistles. The reaction to the contribution to the noise pollution of the city has been varied. It goes from those who get a good laugh from it to other who consider it a serious annoyance. Rio's daily Jornal do Brasil cites psychologist Regina Perez complaining about the new craze: "These horns are a real plague. I think they are terrible. People should understand that the streets are not a zoo." But 21-year-old college student Marcelle Prado seems amused with the novelty: "The other day, I was extra nervous in a traffic jam and suddenly there was this Woody Woodpecker laugh. I thought it was very funny and I ended up relaxing. But I would never install something like that in my car. It is too corny." There is nothing in the legislation that forbids the use of the noisemakers even though article 229 from the Brazilian Traffic Code considers a medium offense the use of a device that produces sounds that disturbs the public peace. Traffic cops have not asked anyone to get rid of the new horns and there is no problem at the time of registration, as long as the car's original horn is kept in place. The horns, which can be found at car accessories shops, usually have from six to ten different sounds and cost between $50 and $100. Sometimes it seems that all taxicab and van owners have bought one. Among the favorites there is one very loud one that sounds like a foghorn used on ships.
Urban
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
One of president Cardoso's resolutions for the year 2000 was to never again fly on his aging Boeing 707, prefix KC-01. In fact, 1-, the resolution was taken for him. It was o, Defense Minister Elcio Alvarez who an..., nounced that the presidential jet was being retired after a remodeling of the aircraft three years ago that cost $2 million and hada bed and bathroom shower added to the plane. The plane will be 42 years old this February. While in the US the presidential jet goes by the dignified name of Air Force One, Brazilian wry humor has named its president's air transportation as Sucatao (The Big Heap). "We are studying the possibility of buying a new plane," revealed Alvarez, at the same time that he denied that Brazil Wa.S thinking about acquiring the jet Argentina's former president Carlos Menem used and that is for sale. For the chief of staff Pedro Parente, leasing would be the best option. "With the technological revolution," he said, "it useless to buy white r elephants that fast become obsolete." All the haste to retire the main Sucatao started when Sucatao 3 had one of its engines catch fire and was forced into an emergency landing in Amsterdam, on December 14, while carrying vice-president Marco Maciel for a eight-day mission to 'r g..„ China. Maciel and his wife Ana Maria, devout Catholics, prayed the rosary during the scary experience that lasted one hour, gg and continued their trip on a commercial airplane. Completely unfazed by the episode, upon leaving the plane the vice-president Of gave a 15-minute interview to the Revista Brasil radio program from Radio Nacional without once mentioning the accident. • The Sucatao 3, a Boeing 707 manufactured in 1958, the same year as the main presidential airplane, is very similar to the Sucatao 1. It is one of the four aircrafts that serve the presidency. There are no plans, however, to change the four Boeings 737 that carry the President on domestic trips. These jets are garaged at the Galeao Air Base in Rio. • It was not the first time the old presidential Boeings gave officials a fright. In 1989, for example, President Jose Sarney and his entourage had to make a forced landing in Para state when coming back from a trip to Venezuela. Once again the same Sucatao was a source of trouble in '89 when Sarney was leaving on a trip to Japan for emperor Hiroito's funeral. That time The plane did not even take off.
Brazil has reacted promptly to a move by the United States and Canada to create a certificate of COMPaSSIDO Seal human rights to be issued by the UN. The document would be used to guide commercial relations between both the countries and the rest of the world. The Brazilian government denounced the action as interference of the globalized economy into human rights and a silent diplomatic wrangle brewing since early 1999 has put a damper on the relationship between Brazil and The United States. Brazil has made great progress in the field of human rights and Jose Gregori, the National Secretary of Human Rights, was even awarded a prize by the UN for his effort in this area. There's still a lot to improve though. A recent report by Unicef (United Nations Children's Fund) shows that 35 percent of Brazilian children live in families whose monthly income is less than $37, or half a monthly minimum wage. The State of the World's Children report places Brazil together with many African countries regarding the inequality of distribution of wealth. With such bad grades the nation wouldn't qualify for favored nation trade status if the new human rights certificate were in affect. The Unicef data also reveals that close to 18,000 Brazilian children are beaten every day and that 2.9 million boys and girls aged 5 to 14 work to help with the family budget even though Brazilian law establishes 16 as the minimum working age. While rating low in income distribution and high in violence against children, Brazil improved in child mortality going down a notch in this category, falling from number 86 in the ranking to number 85. In Sweden, Norway and Japan there t are four children deaths for a group of 1000, but in Brazil this number is still 42 for 1000. According to the report, there are also approximately 4 niillion kids without a birth certificate in the country. Twenty percent ofthe children born in Brazil today do not receive a birth certificate. The federal government's program Toda Crianca na Escola (Every Child in School) has attracted millions of children, but there are still 1.3 million kids who should be in school, and are not. Reilco Niimi, the representative ofUnicef in Brazil, criticizes the huge gap between rich and poor in the country: "Brazil has a giant disparity of income. That's why it is necessary to demand public policies for income redistribution, because you cannot allow children to live in a house without a bathroom, you carincit allow 10 percent of the richer people to have income 30 times larger than the poorer 40 percent." Rubens Barbosa, Brazilian ambassador in Washington and Marcos Azambuja, ambassador in France were asked by N President Fernando Henrique Cardoso to join secretary Jose Gregori to fight the US-Canada proposal. Brasilia sees the measure t as a plot to bar imports from Brazil into the United States. Brazil, however, has been importing more than exporting to the i States. In 1998 the country bought $13.5 billion while selling $9.7 billion. The Cardoso administration has hinted that,it ft can retaliate, restricting for example the entry ofHollywood movies, which represent 90% of the films shown in the country. ' Brazilian officials have also been in the offensive reminding the Yankees that they also have their own human rights blemishes including the death inflicted to civilians in attacks against Kosovo, Bosnia and Iraq, in the 1990s "One or two #4, countries caiinot dictate the rules ofhuman rights for the rest of the world," complained Ciregori. He is now trying to convince he rest of the wbrld to hold an international meeting to discuss globalization and human rights. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
9
A pictorial on a Brazilian magazine has brought to the forefront of the national discourse a discussion on female pubic hairs. The theme is being debated not only by the men on the streets, and women at the hairdresser's, but also by the creme de la creme of Brazilian intellectuals. It all started after the January-2000 issue of Playboy hit the newsstands with its special edition celebrating the muse of the new millennium. The chosen one was former Miss Brazil, Vera Fisher, a 48-year-old movie and TV actress who is always making headlines due to a new romance, a custody fight over her son or her battle to beat of drug addiction. What is keeping people buzzing is not the fact that a woman who is ready to be a grandmother would show all her wares again or that she in a very suggestive pose bites a baguette with her legs wide open or that she bathes her naked body with French Champaign or sucks on a Perrier bottle with her eyes closed. People have found out that La Fischer does not shave or pluck and that's something you don't do with impunity. The last big public controversy over a playmate was when model Adriana Galisteu appeared shaving her pubic hairs Vera herself concedes that the pictures have a taste of forbidden fruit. "They are certainly daring pictures," she told Rio's daily 0 Dia. "But they are very elegant pictures that have humor. This was the result I wanted and shows the work of an actress." For stage director Moacyr G6es "no one could expect Vera Fischer to be well behaved. Nothing remains the same after she passesby." And former Miss Brazil Adalgisa Colombo commented: "She rubs her beauty in our face. That body, and color are unbelievable." Others, like business administrator Farley Dantas, believe that Fischer went overboard: "This is an aberration. She made crude poses, like a man. It was vulgar and the picture with the butcher is in very bad taste. Besides, she is too hairy." The pictures taken in Paris have some rousing scenes, like the cook who cuts meat while Vera shows breasts and genitals through the window slits, or taking a shower with the Champaign bubbles simulating an ejaculation; or playing a prostitute in a Parisian dark alley. The controversy became cause célèbre when bestseller writer Luis Fernando Verissimo decided to enter the fray. For two days in a row (January 7 and 8) he dedicated his daily national syndicated column published among others in 0 Estado de S. Paulo and Rio's 0 Globo to ponder about pubic hair man article he called: "Musings about the pubic hair of Vera Fischer in Playboy." Verissimo used his tribune and the intimate hairs to criticize what he sees as Yankee hypocrisy: "The appearance of the first pubic hairs in the American Playboy was a landmark in the history of western hypocrisy. For a long time one ofthe reasons for the success of the magazine National Geographic Society was that in its pages Americans could look at the pictures of naked women and say that they had an anthropological interest... Not by chance, the first woman to be shown in Playboy completely naked—that is, nude even from the resources used until then to cover or disguise pubic hairs—was a black model. A return to the natives so the transition would not shock too much. "It took a long time, but Goya's Maja, the first playmate, the first respectable representation of Diderot's maxim that there is a difference between naked woman and undressed woman, was able to finally flaunt all her glorious nudity, frontal, natural and without conjectures. The history of the triumph of pure female beauty over the prejudice disguised as good taste, over the euphemistic "artistic nude" and other false pruriences is the history of the slow affirmation of the pubic hairs in the world. Which gets to a kind o f apotheosis with those from Vera Fischer in the latest Playboy." Now you know.
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Brazil may be one of the 10 biggest economies in the world, the country of the Amazon, a land larger than the continental US, a nation of mythical proportions and endless natural resources. Brazil may be a place where corruption is rampant, poverty is still a serious problem and crime in the big city is out of hand. But we will not talk about any of those Brazils here. We want to present you:
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
11
FRANCESCO NEVES
Brazil ian mood has swayed from the "we are the best and need no one" from the times the country was ruled by the military during the '60s and '70s to the"we can't do anything right" in more recent times. The nation has been very much in the latter mode these days, with the national and international media focusing to the point of exhaustion on the myriad of problems of a Third World country: continuous corruption scandals, street kids, armies of dispossessed, the huge gap between the rich and the poor, lack of educational and job opportunities as well as health concerns. People and the media are sometimes so wrapped up in their problems and the celebration of what they see as the excellence of the First World that they overlook much of the cultural wealth the country possesses. They fail to notice the richness of the nation's soul, the warmth of its inhabitants toward each other and foreigners, the "joie de vivre" and laid-back style that is the envy of many people. Look at Brazilian informality, for example. Here's a trait that is patent in the way people address each other. Instead of the respectful and sometimes solemn surname that the US and many countries use, Brazilians call each other by the first name. And this goes for your neighbor, your teacher, your boss, your priest, the person you just met and the President of the Nation. As if the nation was a one big family and everybody had blood links with everybody else. In Brazil, the population shift from rural to urban areas is a recent phenomenon that started in the 1940s and increased considerably into the 1950s. Until 1900 Brazil did not have any city with more than 1 million people. The largest of was Rio, the federal capital, with 811,000 inhabitants. Who would imagine that sao Paulo, then with less than 250,000 people, would grow to over 15 million people today? By 1920 Rio already had more than 1 million people and Sao Paulo had almost 600,000. Still, at the time, both populations combined were roughly the same as the number of people from all other state capitals put together. In five decades, while the country's population tripled, the number ofpeople living in cities rose by a factor of 10. While today in the bigger Brazilian cities you will find all the amenities and troubles of any industrialized country in the world, there are still many places where time seems to stand still. They are places across the country where people have no idea what the Internet is and have never seen an Automatic Teller Machine. These are places where old family traditions are kept alive, where a fiancée is still expected to sew and embroider her own trousseau and new fresh mothers keep the practice of "guardar resguardo"— a time when a woman who has just given birth stays at home resting where she is pampered by family and friends. These are places where everybody knows everybody, where not saying good morning would be considered rude and where the local grocer sells you whatever you need, doesn't get any money but writes down your bills in a notebook hoping you will pay him at the end of the month or when you get some cash. These are places where people make their coffee the old way, using a cloth percolatdr,,which can be washed and reused. As noted by sociologist Hele ieth Saffioti, from Sao Paulo RIC (PontificiaUniversidade Cab:Mica—Pontifical Catholic University ) in an interview with daily newspaper 0 Estado de S. Paulo, these habits help people maintain their effective links and improve their quality opife.`People feel unique and part ofa whole 12
at the same time. I myself prefer using a cloth percolator to make my coffee, and fast food does not come inside my house," says Saffioti. 0 Estado dedicated several articles recently to the preservation of traditional habits in the interior of sao Paulo state. In Tavieira, for example, a neighborhood in Aracatuba, a city with around 200,000 residents, people only need a notebook to buy groceries at Cidinhas's Mercado. Strangely enough, Aparecida Barbosa (Cidinha) does not even keep a second notebook in her business to compare with that of the customer. "I trust them," she says. "They are all poor and poor people for the most part are more honest than rich ones." Cidinha (as do many other merchants like her) knows all her regular customers by name. There are many families in the interior, in addition to others who have moved to big cities, that follow the tradition of children kissing the hand o f parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts and asking for their blessing. While some kids rebel against such old-fashioned and submissive behavior others like Reila da Silva, 18, from Ribeirao Preto is proud to keep the tradition. "I think it's cool to do this since today people barely acknowledge each other."
Country Myths With these customs some superstitions are also passed from generation to generation. One such myth that persists even in big cities is one that forbids people to mix milk and mango since it would be a deadly combination. There are also many who believe that eating a banana at night can kill you. There is even a poem that speaks of this poisonous property of a banana: "De manha, ela é ouro; de tarde, prata; e a noite, mata." (In the morning it is gold; in the afternoon it is silver; and at night it kills.) Another custom in some areas is not to allow anyone to see BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
your babies before they are seven days, not even the closest relatives. To do otherwise might attract bad luck or worse. Also widespread in the country is the habit of hiding everything containing metal in the house and turning off the radio, TV and other appliances when there is a storm. Knives, hammers, cutlery, and even needles and pins are put away inside drawers so they will not attract lightning. As for bigger objects like stoves and refrigerators they are covered with cloth. Another way to protect yourself against lightning is to get close to the image of a saint. Old favorites are the Virgin Mary and Saint Barbara, who is the saint protector against storms. Burning palm branches that were blessed in church on Palm Sunday is also believed to be very effective. Alto Alegre, a village of4,000, also in the interior of Sao Paulo, is stuck in the past. People there walk in the middle ofthe streets. There are few cars and you really don't need one anyway since you can easily go on foot to the market, the club, the school, and the church. According to Priest John Braumn, who has been the town's Vicar for decades, everyone knows each other's virtues and sins. Nothing too grave, probably, nothing more than drinking a little too much beer. By the way, on any weekday or weekend it's common to see people sitting on the sidewalk, shooting the breeze, playing cards, drinking beer or simply loafing around. In Caramuru, some 400 miles from sao Paulo, the young girls learn how to cook and to sew and embroider in preparation for their marriages. Sandra Fernandes, 19, interviewed by OEstado, revealed that she is happy learning all ofthese matters after having finished high school. "My plans," she says, "are to live with my husband and start a family. I think I was influence by my parents, but his does not make unhappy."
Lively Brazil Commenting on the dark view Brazilians have about themselves and the gloom and doom mood in the media, Gilberto de Mello Kujawski, wrote on the Opinion page of S5o Paulo daily Jornal da Tarde: "All these visions err by their narrow-mindedness, by their partiality and tomfoolery. When Brazil celebrates 500 years ofbeing discovered by the Europeans it is necessary that Brazilians also start to discover Brazil for themselves. Not through the eyes ofthe national and international media, not only in books, not in the official discourse, not in terms of pessimism and depression. The discovery of Brazil has to start in a more immediate way and with the things in which Brazil is richer and more original— its daily routine. This routine, being so present, so seen and obvious, we do not notice. "First of all, the Brazilian routine is possessed by vitality. In Brazilian life everything moves, everything vibrates and has rhythm. Our vitality is not focused on work, as in the First World; it is diffuse, it shines and radiates in the air, in the way of "joie de vivre" .... The unquenchable and naive joie de vivre makes the Brazilian people, a playful one par excellence, that is a people who lives life as if it were a game, maybe a little irresponsible. "The central role that soccer and Carnaval play is an answer to the playful spirit that animates our people. This playful disposition permeates all of being, our daily life, our atavistic tendency for conciliation in lieu ofconfrontation and even our working style, which causes awe to foreigners who spend a whole day working without uttering a sole joke. Among us, work and leisure are playful exercises that many times are interrelated. "Joie de vivre and the playful spirit merge to form a third characteristic ofthe Brazilian identity: informality. Where joy and playfulness prevail informality is the rule. Brazilians are informal, unceremonious in their relationships with others. At the Bahia market everybody treats each other as a "relative." Nothing escapes Brazilian informality, neither the most solemn status, nor the most academic d official pose."
Sandra ha been very busy these days preparing her trousseau for what he calls her "matrimonial union." Embroidered towels, servie es, linens and even a little cover for the gas tanks are some ofth items she is making with the help of her mother, who is teach' g her everything she learned herself before marrying. folks lack in technology they make up for in What so ingenuity. Th y might not have a doctor close by, but will have a parteira (m wife) and a benzedeira (faith healer), a Woman who is simil to a shaman conjures the diseases away with prayers and ometimes holy water. They might not have meteorologis but they will trust their own weathermen, who instead of sat llite pictures use the wind directions, the song Of birds, the beh vior of the ants or even manifestations of arthritis to make their orecasts. Agronom st Jose Azevedo, who works for Cati—a governmental servic oftechnical assistance—in Rio Preto, Sao Paulo, believes thes natural meteorologists have a special gift. "They learned how o decipher nature's codes and this knowledge transmitted om generation to generation," says A zevedo. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
13
"They predicted abundant rain in the area of Rio Preto and those who believed them planted and harvested a super crop. There were almost 200 mm of rain, the biggest rainfall since 1972." \ 1 ,
ch and Idiosyncrasies
5
/ I
A Vida Cotidiana em Sao Paulo no Seculo 19 (The Day to Day Life in §-ao Paulo in the 19th Century), a book just released by the Editora da Unesp, sheds light on how some customs started and gives a narrative account of life in Sao Paulo some two centuries ago. The work by sociologist and former USP (Universidade de Sao Paulo) professor, Carlos Eugenio Marcondes de Moura, tells about whole families and their slaves going out on the town for nightly strolls. There are still many places in Brazil where Sunday is sacred with time reserved to go to mass — dressed in the best clothes —to get together with the family and not to work at all. For many people, mostly in the interior, "guardar os domingos e dias santos" (to observe Sundays and holidays) is something very important. Mass clothes can be serious business. Those more traditional separate some oftheir best clothes just to go to church and go back home and change them as soon as mass is over. For Catholics — the vast majority of Brazilians — the preparation for the first communion after months ofCatechism and the ceremony itself are a big affair. It is not very different from a wedding. For girls, the use of a white dress is obligatory and there is always a big family party following the first-communion celebration in the church. Brazilians also have some traditional ways to respond to situations. If two Brazilians inadvertently say the same thing at the same time, whoever is the quickest will say, "Vern dal" meaning it's coming from there, that is, the other person is going to have a child and it will become a godson or god-daughter of the person who uttered the vem dal. Another common way of expressing the same idea is to say, "Ainda havemos de ser comadres, compadres" (You are still going to be my child's godmother or godfather). Also traditional are the funny rhymes children learn to greet the new moon:
done by the Jesuits before they opposed economic reforms introduced by Portugal's Chief Minister Marquis ofPombal (he ruled from 1750 to 1777), who expelled them from the country in 1770. Public schools, in a very limited way, only started toward the end of the 18th century. In the 19th century the children of the rich had private tutors while the poor learned that the best thing was to prepare their kids to work in the fields and teach them to make a living. The idea that work is a great school for kids as young as six is still prevalent across the country even though legislation forbids children from working before they are 16. Teachers and parents themselves encourage child-work arguing that if the kids don't do this they might start"inventing all sorts of bad things."
The Festival The Festa do Peao de Boiadeiro, an annual celebration held in Barretos (270 miles from Sao Paulo, 100,000 inhabitants), although a somewhat influenced these days by Yankee cowboys, for decades has been promoting the caipira (hillbilly) way of life. Barretos is gearing up for its 454' festival in August while still enjoying the success of the last one. It's the oldest and biggest festival celebrating cowboy traditions. Every year people come from far away to experience the life of a boiadeiro (cowboy) and play one. The extravaganza lasts 11 days for the delight ofthe local business people and sertanejo (country) music stars. Since 1992, the festivities include a tournament for cowboys from all over the world. During this time around 1.5 million visitors drop by for
A benca [sic], minha madrinha Me dá pao corn farinha Pra dar a minha galinha Que estci presa na cozinha Your blessings, my godmother Give me bread with flour To give it to my chicken That is locked in the kitchen Brazilian kids also learn that pointing to a star with a finger is bad for you. It will make warts grow on your finger. But they also learn to make a wish when they see the first star in the sky by saying: "Primeira estrela que euvejo. Dai-me, Deus, o que desejo." (First star that I see. Give me, God what I wish.) Children who lose their first teeth don't get any gift from the tooth fairy or any other supernatural entity. Instead they are supposed to throw the tooth over the roof of the house to guarantee good luck. Despite all the tragic stories and reports of child abuse, children and family have a very special place among Brazilians be they rich or poor. Travel reports by foreigners in the 18th and 19th c entury relate sometimes with a critical approach —the way Brazilians usedto treat their children to the point of spoiling them. In colonial Brazil education was a privilege and teaching w#s 14
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
action such as b ying a ticket for some entertainment or activity. In the correio e egante game, boys and girls are encouraged to send signed or anonymous messages to someone he or she iS interested in. A mail carrier works as the messenger. Among the elicacies consumed at these parties are peanut brittle, yam an pumpkin sweets, pacoca (roasted and crushed peanuts with s gar and manioc flour), roasted pine nuts and popcorn. In some citi s of the interior the party is preceded by a procession c rrying the flags of Saints Anthony, John and Peter. Peo •le pray, sing religious songs and carry lighted candles w ile others join the procession on its way to the place ofce ebration. At the end ofthe walk, the saints' images are placed on the top of a tall pole. Before raising the pole people ki the images and ask for favors. The F stas Juninas is also the season of colorful hotair balloo s that continue to dot the skies despite annual campaign to end the practice. Those devices — sometimes the size of car—made of tissue paper and glue, are responsible for s veral fires every year. They take to the skies thanks to ads on fire, which are placed into the balloon through o e or more holes made of wire. The rise and fall of a balloo is cause for celebration or sometimes for fights when too any or unfriendly people try to get hold of a fallen balloon. a short or longer stay. Thousands of youngsters parade through the streets dressed in old west outfits as to give the impression that you went back in time or that the city has become a huge back lot for another wild west Hollywood production. At night the city explodes in music and dances in the streets, the sidewalk and wherever there is a little caipira sound coming from a house, a store or a car. It was Os Independentes, a youth club, that created the Festa do Peao in 1955. The same club is still the main force behind the celebration. One of the main events for many years was the cavalhada, a staging of the medieval fight between Moors and Christians. While the traditional cavalhadais still going strong in several other interior towns, the event is no longer part of the Barretos celebration. One of the most cherished and widespread Brazilian folk traditions is the Festas Juninas. These are several celebrations held during the month of June to honor three saints dear to the Brazilian people. They are Saint Anthony, the saint the Brazilians believe has a special gift to arrange marriages and whose day is June 13; Saint John, Christ's favorite apostle, celebrated on June 24; and Saint Peter, another apostle who became the first Pope and the man who send rains and holds in his hands the keys to heaven. June 29 is the day reserved for this saint. The Festas Juninas are big family gatherings at night when people get together around a bonfire to eat several specialties of the season, most of them sweets, drink quentilo (hot sugar cane liquor with ginger and sugar) and hot wine, dance the quadrilha (square dance), and play different games like the wedding, the jail or correio elegante (elegant post office). In the jail game, sheriffs can imprison anyone for no reason and he or she will only be freed after performing some specific
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Proud of It To ke p alive the caipira (hillbilly) way of life, a group of artists, usinessmen and white collar workers from Sao Jose dos C pos (450,000 residents, 601cm from Sao Paulo) is in the middle of a movement to promote everything related to caipirismo. In tead of being ashamed of their accent and distinct jargon the e people don't miss a chance to show pride about their origin an traditions. In this cam aign to exalt the rural lifestyle everything is being used: TV and r dio interviews, articles in newspapers, recordings, books an Internet sites. In one such place, called Viola e Violeiro, sys m analyst Mauro Romero is joining forces with researchers in e area to celebrate caipira music and traditions. Among the re owned contributors are Roberto Correa, Paulo Freire and Iv. Vilela. You can v sit them at http://www.violaevioleiros.com.br. Thousands of eople have visited the site since it first appeared in February, 19 9. The success ofthe site inspired Correa to launch a magazine wi information on caipira culture, folk tales and glossary plus CD with caipira music. All these p ople belong to a different race of caipiras. Many of these latter- ay hillbillies weren't born in a little town or have left their hometown a longtime ago. Forthem spreading the word about caipirisiio is away ofreturning to their roots and searching for themse ves. They are people like Gilberto Rodrigues, a psychologist 4vho spent his childhood on his parents' farm, moved away t the big city and now is searching for past trying to catch up oi what he thinks he missed. Rodrigues started to write caipira poetry and learned how to play the vio/ (a six-string guitar). Now he is one ofthe membeis of the sao Jose dos Campos' Orchestra of Viol eiros. Rodrigues even wrote several books on the subject. Carreando Historia, one of his works is online at the Viola e Violeiro site, Says the author: "Despite being a urban person, living in an apartment, and working in a hospital, I won't break this bond for anything.'
15
Her hand reached for the finely stained French-style door, and she thankfully shut out the noise and stench of the ritziest neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. ELIZA G. BONNER Ashley walked with calm anticipation into Garcia & Rodrigues, her preferred café in her neighborhood of Leb Ion. This area was the most sou ght-after and expensive corner of Rio. It was the place where people most wanted to live, and where things first 'happened', whether it be fashion, the newly introduced idea of charming cafés or expensive and exclusive restaurants. Indeed. G&R was one of the few chic cafes in Rio, her adopted city in Brazil, where the poor majority drank its coffee standing up at mean dirty bars accustomed to serving a chopp, or draft beer, at 6:00 a.m. just as easily as serving strong Brazilian coffee. Brazil was caught between its poverty and its seemingly boundless natural wealth, unable to fully accept or reject either. Technology-wise. Brazil could be considered to be. First World, open to advancements, improvements, wanting to live on the cutting edge. In just about everything else, socially, politically, economically etc., Brazil was unhappily m ired in the self-serving corruption ofthe Third World. People-wise, Brazil had an equally confusing mixture ofthe educated and the 16
uneducated, the rich and the devastatingly poor, with probably 80% falling into the latter categories. It was a paradox she could not ignore even if she had been so inclined. She could not even walk to this café, four blocks from her apartment, without feeling unavoidable pity and disgust when she passed the filthy beggars that lurked in every corner of the city. The nastiness and pitifulness of it revolted her, but it was so prevalent that one either had to walk around in a permanent state of horror, or close one's eyes to it and give alms to the beggars with a turned-away face, with feeble hopes of assuaging one's soul. Stepping over a slowly leaking sewer, Ashley appreciated briefly the display of "Thai Cuisine" in the window, replete with expensive imported baskets and weavings from that far-away land. Her hand reached for the finely stained French-style door, and she thankfully shut out the noise and stench of the ritziest neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro. She greedily soaked in the atmosphere of fine coffee, outrageously expensive imported foods and quiet conversation, all luxuries in rowdy, samba-happy, coffee-soaked Brazil. As always, she looked appreciatively at the iron and porcelain tile tables scattered cleverly about the charming space, and chose one right in the middle of the empty weekday calmness. She sat down with the ease of being completely comfortable in her surroundings, placed her book on the table, and smiled at the waitress who brought her a menu. A decaffeinated cappuccino and an almond croissant were her choices, both
specialties in a country where rough coffee reigned supreme and caffeine was the engine of the workers, and the delicate touch of a French pastry chef was sublime. Having that sense that all women do of knowing when someone is watching you, she calmly looked over to the table to her left to see a somewhat overweight middle-aged balding man staring fixedly at her. Accustomed to the rudeness of Latin American men who felt it their birthright to gawk shamelessly at any female, but still unconformed to such a breach ofmanners, she stared back at him, not wavering her long-lashed blue gaze even slightly, until he got embarrassed and mumbled something about how she had sat down right in his line of vision. He gave a little smile, and she smirked back, showing that she had understood him but didn't think it was amusing. Ashley pushed her long straight blonde hair back over her shoulders and opened her book, studiously ignoring the man whom she knew was watching her again, this tall fair aberration that had dared to stare back at his self-proclaimed omnipotent Latin maleness. It was a difficult book by a deceased and well-respected Brazilian author, Clarice Lispector. Originally from the Ukraine, she had moved to Brazil as a newborn, and later lived abroad in several countries, writing in isolation brilliant works of profound depth while her husband went about his diplomatic duties. Each story was a study of human life and emotion in its most basic atomic form. She stripped her characters down to the very moment and wove the reader into the deepest synapses oftheir every sense. She delved deeper than permitted, until the why of existence and action was displayed rawly for the reader to absorb into his own emotion-based cells. The baby in its diapers as it struggled to understand how to move across the huge expanse of the living room on its own, trying to reach the life force of its mother tantalizingly just out of its reach. The woman as she plunged into the cleansing waves of the ocean to wash away the impurities of herself and begin a new life upon emergence from the water. Although Ashley was fluent in Portuguese, she read with a small Portuguese/ English dictionary in her hand, because Clarice's language was as old as the emotions she pulled from her simple characters. She began where she had left off, feeling as always, the slight anticipation and hesitation when she read Clarice, knowing she would be drawn into the forbidden spaces of someone else's soul. BRAZZIL - DECEMRFR 1 clqg
It was a delicious yet agonizing prospect that left her dangling between her own desire to spy on another human being's deepest inside, and the hesitation of what she might encounter. Martim had found his way out of the desert after stumbling, inhuman, in the unbearable heat and preaching to an audience of rocks. He had found his way to a ranch, where, still refusing to think about his crime, much less admit to it, he had convinced the owner, a strong-willed and dominating woman, to hire him on as a common laborer, although he was overqualified as an engineer for such menial work. His reawakening to his own humanity disturbed him. His animalistic anonymity had been comforting. As Ashley opened her dictionary for the second time in two pages, she heard the staring man say to her in quiet Portuguese, "Ask me any word you're looking for. I'm sure I can help you out." Nonplussed, Ashley laughed to herself, and smugly not bothering to lookup, breathed back in the same low tone with just the right subtle touch of sarcasm, "I'm sure you can." She felt his embarrassment then, emanating from him like a sour orange cloud. She felt his surprise that she had responded to his advance in perfect corn-
mand of his tongue, and she could practically hear his cells cratering in on themselves, shrinking and writhing in a debilitating collapse of masculinity and dominance. Powerfully triumphant, she was pleased that she did not hear another woid from him, nor did she feel him looking at her anymore. He drank his cafezinhora idly and left just as quickly. She look d up finally when he was gone to enjoy h r cappuccino, her croissant, and her tifiumph. Her cappuccino was perfect, with just
the right amount of chocolate and cinnamon, her croissant was delicate and sinful as she expected it to be, but her victory was hollow, and she looked away shamefaced from the now empty table back to Clarice. Eliza Bonner is an American, living and working at the electricity company in Rio de Janeiro since 1996. She may be reached at (55-21) 211-2702 or elizabonner@openlink.com.br
4544***44**44444444********* 45 ;S*454445'45454 ,c1 ‘ traksi vt-Claecl4ate SPe
1
HtV11161v PORIUGUE5C
Word Translatorrmfar Windows. •
Mention this ad and receive a 10% discount!
• Separate versions for Windows 3.1x or Windows 95! • Works inside your favorite Windows word processor, application. Windows Write, Notepad, WordPad and more! • Thousands of words, phrases and translations with all pails of speech fully identified! There's nothing like it ANY1/1! • Translate to/from English or Brazilian Portuguese word-by-word and phrase-by-phrase. Spell-checks in either language! • Over 20,000 Portuguese verbs and verb phrases! (Ill size) • Three different sized hi-directional English-Brazilian Portuguese dictionaries available: • III = 143,000+ combined entries—US$ 174.95 + US$ 5.00 srth • II = 80,000+ combined entries—US$ 124.95 + US$ 5.00 s8th • I = 40,000+ combined entries—US$ 69.95 + US$ 5.00 s8,11 • Separate Conjugation Utility available to help conjugate 15,000 regular Portuguese verbs in the dictionary! (included with Ill size). It adds thousands and thousands of words! • Includes Portuguese grammar help (in English) and English grarrrnar help in Portuguese)! • Customize your dictionary by adding your own words, phrases s—for business or personal correspondence. and trans • Speech Utility with Windows 15 version to help you practice -s your pronunciation of English or Portuguese! -s Mail, phone or tax your order today or call (303) 329-8716 for MOM information. We wn on a U.S. bank.= Visa, MasterCard and checks & rixibeyorders in U.S .Dollars draw, card orders must include type of card, ant number, expiration date, signature, address and for phone number. Shipping & handling va First Class Mail $5.00 in the US/Canada Registered kr Mail delivery elsewhere Wiefr .
—s-17.so
frAl
Translation Experts USA PO Box 18035 • Denver, CO 80218 41: (303) 329-8716 • Fax (303) 388-
We lows® is sicifista trademark of the Micro ottet Coq oration. Wofd Ti anslator.is a trademadt of Translation &TOSS USA and rah.- coinpanies aroond the world.
***************4545444444445454545 4444444445 BRA7_21L - DECEMBER 1999
C111[011GIA MARIA f[1111[111A DDS FORMADA PELO BRASIL E PELA NEW YORK UNIVERSITY
FREE ORAL EXAM AND ORAL CANCER SCREENING CliNICA GERAL ADULTOS E CRIVICAS ODONTOLOGIA COSMETICA, IMPLANTES, CLAREAMENTO
14100 VICTORY BLVD VAN NUYS, CA 91401
(818) 908•9199 17
Margo Milleret Department of Spanish and Portuguese University of New Mexico
You are invited to participate in thisdialogue Write to Letters to the Publisher P.O Box 50536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 or send E-mail to brazzil@brazzil.com
111 .11111111ILLIIIMIIM In reference to your September 1999 issue, why do you waste your time and space in Brazzil to print such utter trash as "Nice Girls and Naughty Fun" and "Cheap, Cheap Sex"? You are publishing smut and it lowers the standard of what could have been a fine issue. Why are you demeaning your subscribers in this manner, presenting obscene material? These articles and that type of photography forces me to apologize to friends who are receiving gift subscriptions, which I sent them. If you would concentrate in printing the meaningful and clean up your act I bet that you'd win the Brazilian Consulate's subscription. I guarantee you'd win my respect too! Ann Grasser Alberti Daytona Beach, Florida
11111=11111111El
I'm a 19 year-old Brazilian college student from Sao Paulo, and I am currently attending McGill University in Montreal, Canada. One of the writers featured in one of your issues is an acquaintance of mine, and as I have written a few short stories mysetf, I was wondering about publication in Brazzil.
I would like to meet Brazilians on a more personal basis and level to learn more about the culture. Thanks. I am a 30-year-old black male in Los Angeles. Bill Campbell Los Angeles, California anthony9808@yahoo.com Well, I was just surfing on the web and I found the Brazzil page... I just loved it! So I thought that maybe you could help me. I am looking for the lyrics of a Caetano's music, "Nine Out Of Ten" from his great album Transa. Would you help me please? I'm Brazilian and I love Brazilian music. And I loved the interview with Andre Abujamra from Karnak. He's great! Clarissa Lisboa Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil Howdy. I know you folks are busy so I'll be brief. I'm looking where I might find a place that has posters or other merchandise that concerns Xuxa. I know this is not your forte, but any idea would be a great help. Thanks for your magazine sample. It was very good. Send me an address so I can mail you folk a mo for subscription. Dave Dempsey Via Internet In February I will be leaving for Brazil to do some environmental work and hence need to gain some insight in speaking Portuguese . I was wondering where I could find listening tapes to help me learn as much of the language as I can in the one month time period. Via Internet mimalladja I do hope that this helps me some in understanding things, I have just been asked into a relationship by a Brazilian woman, and I have always liked her since the beginning of the year, yet haven't had the courage to speak up, yet she did. The thing is that I am not sure what is and isn't typically acceptable to her, traditionally. Please, if possible, contact me via email, and give me hints also on what to expect/how much to put forth type stuff. Christopher Hunt Hoquiam, Washington obsidian_cat@hotmailcom
l
This is a very good magazine. In English, but with a Brazilian heart. Next year I will be working on my M.A. thesis on the Brazilian community in the USA. I am sure that Brazzil will provide an excellent material for my work. Also I would like to ask you a precious favor. Can you, please, send me addresses and phone numbers of other magazines or newspapers for Brazilian people in the US? They will help me in my work. I am sending a $9,00 check for three subscriptions, one for me and two as gift to my friends. Rev. Jose Valdir Soares de Oliveira Hanover Park, Illinois
I'm continuing my subscription to Brazzil. I love that you present so many varied points of view. The outsider's view i.e. that of the Australian trying to live in Brazil is of special interest to me. It allows me to experience living in a foreign country vicariously. Joyce Keating Baltimore,Maryland
'1 11 bi III Hey, what's up? I'm an expatriate fleeing from government officials who think I'm a US spy. Please! Help me! They're after me All of them! But send me the magazine anyway. Even though I might not be there to read it... Alana Amarosa New York, NY Please start my subscription. I enjoy the pictures that accompany the articles and prefer hard copy to the Web. 18
I'm sorry to strongly disagree with your article in Brazzil ("Up and Coming," August 1999). It is really a pity that Americans still want to look at Brazil and see their own labels applied. Brazil is a different culture and the way you evaluate racism in the US cannot be applied to the Brazilian culture. The reasons for the statistics you present are historical. Slave freedom in Brazil did not happen until 1888, and no compensation of any kind was ever given to them. Even on capitalist societies there is a necessary time for any group of people to leverage on a socio-economical situation. If there is any discrimination in Brazil that is significant it is not towards the color of the skin but towards economic status. About the cultural "whitefication" that you mention, try verifying the south of the country where the very white people are called "aIernao" (German). They don't like the label and all of them want to claim some sort of mixing in their genome. The major difference between the US and Brazil is that Brazil does not strive to have a black community nor an Italian community nor any community. Brazilians strive to be one community. The tendency is towards the center not the extremes. I was born in Brazil and lived there until I was 28 year old. I'm not Catholic and I'm not European white. I'm Semite. My skin tone is what Brazilians consider a goal, light enough not be black, dark enough not to be white. While in Brazil I've played capoeira as well as Japanese martial arts. I have assisted candomble (African based religious ceremonies) more often than entered catholic churches. My wife, who is Brazilian too, has on her family blacks, Europeans and Indians as you describe and the color of the skin of her relatives was never an issue towards our marriage. I'm not saying that there are no segregationist people in Brazil. Unfortunately there is this kind of scum anywhere in the world butts claim that this is institutionalized in the Brazilian culture is a huge misconception. Renato Levy Rockville, Maryland
I have also read that the stories featured in Brazzil must have something to do with Brazil, but that is not the case in any of the short stories I have written. Plus, none of them were ever written in Portuguese. I'm wondering if it is possible for me to submit anything given the conditions above. Mariana Woisky Montreal, Canada
FOR MORE LETTERS AND ENTIRE LETTER SEE: http:thinvw.braull.com
Can't you find Brazzil at your Brazilian consulate? Don't ask us why, ask the consulate.
Allow 5 to 7 weeks to receive your first issue. No back issues sold. No subscriptions by phone. Make check to Brazzil and mail it to:
WI"
BRAZZIL - P.O. Box 50536 - Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 $,..) El I'll take 1 year (12 issues)
p NEW ID
RENEWAL
For info: (323) 255-4953 E-Mail:brazzil@brauil.com
WHY NOT SEND A GIFT TO 10, 100, EVERYONE YOU KNOW?
NO COUPON NEEDED FOR SUBSCRIBING OR RENEWING
Name Company Address: City Tel.
State
ZIP
e-mail SORRY, NO CREDITCARD FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS
Yearly rate for Canada & Mexico: $15. All other countries: $18 (surface mail). BRAZZIL DECEMBER 1999
OVERSEAS MOVING SPECIALISTS AOMEGA SHIPPIOG (PA.), INC.
4 ill
www.sendex.net Os melhores produtos brasileiros entregues em sua casa ou empresa.
'
44, lir-
MAYFLOWER .
1 0 Botic i rio - Assirtattfra de Revistas Prodot(; s Alirrierlticios - Videos , - Cds ,
INTERNATIONAL AGENT 1 1`
•
c'S L
Entrega GRATIS - Free Shipment on the NET eak—
Local-and Long Distanc Hawaii • Australia • U.K. • Europe • New Zealand tFar East Middle East • Commercial Cargo • Household Goods • Antiques & Fine Art • Sea & Air Shipping • Secure Storage • Automobiles • All Risk Insurance • Export Packing • Free Box / Wardrobe Delivery • Commercial Office Moving Member of Household Goods Forwarders Association of America Licensed by the Federal Maritime Commission
Door to Door Service Worldwide Toll Ftlee: 1-800-521-4791 Fain (213) 264-1657
(213)2646,2644 Office
at: 4379 Sheil0, LA, CA 90023
P.U.C.T. 161457 Free, Accurate Written Estimates
Emaik'info@omegashiPPing.com • Visit Our Web site: www.omegashippmg.com
YOKI - NESTLE ARIS R) LACTA -G OTO ANTARCTICA BAUDUCCO
BREVE: SOFTWARE E LIVROS EM PORTUGUES CAMISAS OFICIAIS DE FUTEBOL LINGERIE
PEDIDOS FOR FAX, INTERNET OU TELEFONE
SINDIX THE BRAZILIAN E-STORE
1 (206) 524-3391 Ltac& ue voitem
/ /
CaSea
A Govesa pode realizar seu sonho!
Estci corn saudades do Brasil?
Este 6 a chance de adquirir sua casa prOpria atraves de uma carte de credit° valendo em qualquer parte do territorio brasileiro. Fazendo pa9amentos mensais e mantendo o valor pore sua aquisicki no Brasil, voce pode voltar pare sue casa! Autorazado pew Banco Central e garantido por seguradoras brasileiras
* Este anoncio esta sendo republicodo em decorrencio de incorrecda no primeira publicaccio.
-c loak;
•
PIT STOP
AUTO REPAIR
A ofi ma dos brasileiros na California S.
Meconicos Es • eciolizodos Volkswogem - BMW - Audi - Honda- Nissan - Mazda
Auto Re oir Reporos - "smog check" - troco de oleo - revisoo
Venda de Corros A portir de $1500 - revisodos - tres meses de gorontio de motor e tronsmissao - "smog check" oprovodo e licenciodo polo DMV - pogomento focilitodo
Alu uel de Cameos
Visite floss° site: Www.govesa.com.br
MERCHANT ----0111111111w--- EXPRESS 'i0C E. A71_,MT IC BLVD, 116 POMPANO BEACH, FL 33060
TEL: (954) 785-5991
LLL-LLLLI:11. [L,LIET;Li.17.1.•cE/, (LILL Liiii.L6.t.-1.11LE
PROMOcA0 Trace d. oleo pore COttOS 4 cilindros $ 17.99 mois toxo
(310) 643-6666
4613 B Mcotton Beach Boulevard - Lowndole - CA www.londhroziI.com/pitstop/ -
email: pitstopor@uso.net
"IL MINE A SUA VIDA! • Aprend como prosperar em todos os sentidos de sua Vida. • Particip das Reunioes da Seicho-No-le em Port gues. Realizadas mensalmente em Lon Beach, CA. Infor e-se pelo Tel: (562) 498-3238 Sra. Euzebia Noleto
DELIVERY..0.11;,ELE BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
19
04,0148IA
The ownership deeds for thousands of rural properties in various Brazilian states were revoked by the government. Less than 20 percent of these properties should be retained by current occupants. Owners have been
S<3r.ein Again tIc A173w
given 120 days to defend their
°teat)
0' 300 600 km
claims, or lose their land.
ADHEMAR ALTIER1
Imagine fmding that 11 percent of a country's total landmass cannot be properly accounted for, and in fact, might have been swindled away. Owners are not always identifiable, and when they are, they may not own the land they claim as theirs at all. Now make that country the eighthlargest in the world, and you've got what happened in Brazil in mid December. Absurd as it may seem, the ownership deeds for 3,065 rural properties in various Brazilian states were revoked by the Land Reform Ministry. This followed a threeyear investigation that indicates the would-be owners may be guilty of a massive land-grab that began decades ago ofthe type wealthy landowners and their ancestors have often been accused in Brazil. The properties involved cover a mighty respectable tract of land—about 100 million hectares. Not familiar with hectares? One hundred ofthem equal one square kilometer (0.38 square mile), so we've got about a million square kilometers of questionable land ownership. That's roughly twice the total landmass of France
20
The government arrived atthese numbers with help from the latest technology. Ministry :echnicians used GPS (global position'*g) rem ote satellite sensoring to measurelarge properties throughout Brazil. Find x gs were then compared to official records at local land registry offices and the revenue department. The end result: massive discrepancies. There are farms that only exist on paper, while ethers, described by investigators as "post-farms", are actually much larger than what their deeds indicate—in many cases because they illegally occupy -federal lands. There were also so-ca. led 'superimposed" farms, for which there is more than one registered owner. There are "ghost-farmers" as well, especially one Carlos Medeiros, who is the registered cwner ofhundreds of farms in the nerthera Brazilian state of Para. Together., Mr. Medeiros' properties cover 9 million lectares of land—about three times th size of Belgium. Trouble is officials can find no sign of this man, nor any indication that he in fact exists. This, accordirg to Brazil's Federal Police, could mean farms are being purchased and sold for mcney-laundering purposes.
Illegal lumber extraction and exporting arc also strong possibilities. In some cases, foreign companies are apparently involved. A 504-thousand hectare property in the central Brazilian state of Tocantins is registered to one Universal Overseas Holding Company—no principals were named, nor a country of origin indicated. Other properties are registered to known Brazilian companies and individual entrepreneurs. A total of 50 land registry offices, identified for involvement in the majority o questionable land transactions, are now being investigated Most properties listed in the government findings qualify as"latifiindios" from the Latin latifundium (broad estate): large, single-owner, single-crop rural properties, worked by low-income, unspeciali zed laborers. Over the years, the word /atifi:indio has also been used in Brazil to describe large unproductive farms with questionable ownership. The Landless Peasants Movement (M ST) has often raised the legitimacy of land ownership to justify i n v ad ing rural properties to force land reform. The "questionable ownership" argument goes back centuries, to the way land
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
from now on. was sometimes distributed by the Portuguese Crown during the Imperial days of Brazil's early history. A case in point is the Ilha Grande farm, on the westernmost tip of Sao Paulo state—a region known for frequent conflicts between landless peasants and Ian downers in recent years. The owner says the farm was purchased by his father in 1922. The previous owner supposedly received the property in the late 1800's from Brazil's last imperial ruler, Dom Pedro II, as compensation for services rendered to the Crown. The Land Reform Ministry says these claims were investigated in the 1930's and dismissed, because documents to support the story were found to be "useless" and "fragile". Land Reform Minister Raul Jungmann clearly expects more of the same. He believes less than 20 percent ofall properties included in the findings will be retained by current occupants. Owners have been given 120 days to defend their claims, or lose their land_ The government says forested areas will likely become natural reserves or parks, while farming areas may be distributed in the Land Reform program. This all sounds very positive and constructive, butbefore considering a high-tech strike against tatifandios a historical event— which it can be if it produces the desired results, there are major obstacles to keep in mind. Land ownership and distribution are centuries-old problems in Brazil, so it would be simplistic to believe that applying modern technology would be enough to make those situations go away. Many of the landowners now being asked to justify their claims are powerful, wealthy members of the Brazilian business, industrial and political establishment. They surely will not roll over and watch the government walk away with their land to create parks, or d istribute plots to landless peasants whom they've opposed and resisted—at times violently--for decades. Even apparently clear-cut, open and shut cases, can very easily become lone, drawn-out court battles. On the other hand, the government findings are backed by solid, reliable data, and support accusations made for decades about irregular land ownership in Brazil. In fact,the findings look so good that traditional opponents ofthe govern-
ment's land reform policies have now jumped on side. Raul Jungmann is getting support from CNBB (National Conference ofBrazilian Bishops) president Dom Jayme Chemello, and CONTAG (National Confederation of Agricultural Workers) president Manoel dos Santos—both staunch government opponents. Whatever the outcome, it's encouraging to watch the government step forward with what appears to be a well-conducted investigation with convincing results, even if it exposes the rich andpowerfulMall Mr. Jungmann and the government wanted from this was quick, short-term media exposure, they certainly got it. How they're portrayed in the future will depend on what he and his ministry do about these findings
Dil
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER '2.99
Adhemar Allied is a veteran with major news outlets in Brazil, Canada and the United States. He holds a Master's Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, and spent ten years with CBS News reporting from Canada and Brazil Altieri is a member of the Virtual Intelligence Community, formed by The Greenfield Consulting Group to identify future trends for Latin America. He is also the editor of InfoBrazil (kV:// www.infobrazil.com), an Englishlanguage weekly e-zine with analysis and opinions on Brazilian politics and economy. You can reach the author at editors@infobrazil.com
TOUCHDOWN FREIGHT INC BRAZIL CARGO SPECIALIST
"Ship to Brazil with the company that really knows how." BEST SERVICE + BEST RATES AIR - IATA 01-1-9279-012 OCEAN - FMC 3853
AIR EXPORT
TO ANY AIRPORT IN BRAZIL
CEAN EXPORT FULL CONTAIN :R & DIRECT CONSOLIDATIONS WITHOUT TRANSLOADING IN MIAMI
FALAMOS PORTUGUES
12833 SIMMS AVE. --IAVVTHORNE, CA 90250
TEL:
(310) 973•7112
FAX: (310) 973-7113
E-mail:tfi@touchdownco.com 21
Brazifla.rjof proudly imitating the French, with web sites devoted to the "rescue" of Portuguese from its process of unwted Anglicism, they ought to recall the similar power and charm which the French idiom once held in the four corners of the world, including our Europeanized Brazil. DARIO BORIM JR. House Representative Aldo Rebelo has recently introduced a bill in Brasilia, which contemplates heavy fines for the abusive borrowing of strange and/or foreign words by the Brazilian media, public institutions, and many other social and cultural domains. As a result, the ABI (Brazilian Press Association, www.abi.org.br) has posted sites and chat forums for the exchange of ideas regarding this controversial bill that mainly targets the employment of English in the South-American country. Curiously enough, the whole history of the English language may be described as "one chain of borrowings," argues Danish Otto Jespersen, one of the world's greatest philologists, in his classic study, Growth and Structure of the English Language'. The crisscrossing of Indo-European dialects that led to the current make-up of this remarkable idiom testifies to the scholar's synthesis. This essay aims at conveying a sense of this extraordinary historical development and enriching the debate on the use and purity of Brazilian Portuguese. English is said to be approximately 1,300 years old. The oldest texts in Anglo-Saxon (that was later named English) were written in 700 A.D. In reality, such writings came about three centuries after the beginnings of the language. In 449 A.D. members of three Germanic tribes started to invade the lands known as British Isles. By late 5th century the Germanic had already established control ofmost of the Isles. The Angles, Saxons, and Jutes, who spoke five different dialects, had conquered the Celtics, or Britons, who still spoke Celtic after being ruled and linguistically influenced by the Romans for several centuries. During those centuries Latin was spoken from the liturgies in towns, while Celtic remained strong in the countryside. Among the Germanic invaders there were more Saxons than Angles or Jutes, but the Angles imposed their name as the name ofthe language and the name of the country that the three groups formed together with the Celtics. The word England comes from Old English Englaland; however, the language spoken in Great Britain ever since 449 reflects the enormous variety of influences from previous invaders and the ones that came thereafter. In 600 A.D. England was Christianized—with "far-reaching linguistic consequences," as Jespersen puts it (41). The general people of the Isles had been acquainted with Christian 22
words for centuries. Some of them came from Greek, and they resisted the new influx of Latin. "Church," for example, was not replaced by Late Latin "ecclesia" (that comes from Greek "ekklesia"), because it was well-known. The English utilized resources oftheir own language to form new ones from foreign loans by adding native affixes, changing the meaning of words, or forming new words from native stems. They also employed existing native words to express Christian ideas-like "God." Jespersen argues that the English people had become used to preferring "strange and exotic words." One ofhis anecdotes regards the word "handbook," which was applied to the small books of liturgical guidance. In Old English the English people generated the new term in the form of "handboc," a combination of two native terms. However, "manual," from the Latin ,, manus," was adopted into Middle English, and when "handbook" reappeared in the 19th century, it was as an unwelcome intruder (49-51). In 790 A.D., after four centuries without invasions, the English started to fight the Scandinavian newcomers, the Danes and Norwegians. Old English and Old Norse, spoken by the new invaders, were similar, but new loan-words like those in the infinite "to call- settled in for good. There seems to have been an even mixture of the two cultures and peoples, a notion corroborated by the "marriage" oftwo languages. They joined one another, for instance, while shaping the conjugation of verbs as common as "to be": "he is" is Anglo-Saxon, and "they are" is Norse. This linguistic blend has numberless other parallels between Anglo-Saxon and Nordic: "wife" versus "husband," and "arm" versus "leg," respectively 2. In 1066, when the French from Normandy invaded the Isles, they became the ruling class fora long period oftime. Norman, their language, became the language of the court. The country became bilingual again, but the English borrowing was undeniably extensive. As a result, English has its unique mix of Germanic and Latinate structures, which allow for different syntactic patterns, such as "the world's problems" and "the problems of the world." The English lexicon also displays a revealing duality: "cow," "calf," and "pig" are the words for the animals raised by poor people, who spoke Old English; and "beef," "veal," and "pork" are the words for the meat eaten by aristocrats, who spoke French. The amazingly large number of French loans one finds in English come from different eras. Interestingly enough, the ways in which such words are pronounced in English reveal BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
the time of their assimilation. Where, in an originally French word, the letters "ch" are pronounced by the phoneme /ch/, as they are in "change," the loan is an old one. If, in another word borrowed from French, the letters "eh" stand for the phoneme /sh/, as they do in "champagne," we have a recent assimilation. Even words that share a common base form may display the same dichotomy: "Charles" is an old phenomenon, but "Charlotte" is a modern one. The last lavish import of linguistic terms happened during the Renaissance in the 1500s, which witnessed the dawning of Modern English and enacted the rediscovery of the classic cultures and languages. Apart from the genius of Shakespeare,
the English language was thus infused with aprofi and Ancient Greek Words. This flood of classical not stop with the demise of that artistic trend. Fro have borrowed "telegraph" and "telephone"; and, from "escalator" and "penicillin." So, if today part of the world is stunned by the wi use of English and u y its easy way into other languages, eve one should know r remember—that all spoken languages ar living, protean bod es that borrow and share linguistic traits. I Brazilians are now roudly imitating the French, with web si devoted to the "res ue" of Portuguese from its process of ult wanted Anglicism ,they ought to recall the similar power
The new bill posted by the ABI (Associacdo Brasileira de Imprensa—Brazilian Press Association) at www.abi.org.br:
PROJETO DE LEI N°1676, DE 199 (Do Sr. ALDO REBELO)
Dispoe sobre a promocao, a protecao, a defesa e o uso da ling a portuguesa e cid outras providencias. 0 Congresso Nacional decreta: Art. 10 Nos termos do caput do art. 13, e corn base no caput [sic] I, § 10 e § 40 do art. 216 da Constituicao Federal, a lingua portuguesa: I- é o idioma oficial da Repliblica Federativa do Brasil; II- e forma de expressao oral e escrita do povo brasileiro, tanto no padrao culto como nos moldes populares; III- constitui bem de natureza imaterial integrante do patrimonio cultural brasileiro. Pardgrafo ünico. Considerando o disposto no caput, I, II e III deste artigo, a lingua portuguesa é urn dos elementos da integracao nacional brasileira, concorrendo, juntamente corn outros fatores, para a definicao da soberania do Brasil como nacao. Art. 2° Ao Poder Publico, coin a colaboracao da comunidade, no intuito de promover, proteger e defender a lingua portuguesa, incumbe: I- melhorar as condicOes de ensino e de aprendizagem da lingua portuguesaem todos os graus, niveis e modalidades daeducacao nacional; II- incentivar o estudo e a pesquisa sobre os modos normativos e populares de expressao oral e escrita do povo brasileiro; HI- realizar campanhas e certames educativos sobre o uso da lingua portuguesa, destinados a estudantes, professores e cidadaos em geral; IV- incentivar a difusao do idioma portugues, dentro e fora do Pais; V- fomentar a participacao do Brasil na Comunidade dos Paises de Lingua Portuguesa; VI- atualizar, corn base em parecer da Academia Brasileira de Letras, as normas do Formuldrio Ortografico, corn vistas ao aportuguesamento e a inclusao de vocabulos de origem estrangeira no Vocabuldrio Ortografico da Lingua Portuguesa § 1° Os meios de comunicacao de massa e as instituicOes de ensino deverao, na forma desta lei, participar ativamente da realizacao prdtica dos objetivos listados nos incisos anteriores. § 2° A Academia Brasileira de Letras incumbe, portradicao, o papel de guardia dos elementos constitutivos da lingua portuguesa usada no Brasil. Art. 3°E obrigatOrio o uso da lingua portuguesa porbrasileiros natos e natural izados, e pelos estrangeiros residentes no Pais ha mais de 1 (urn) ano, nos seguintes dominios socioculturais: I- no ensino e na aprendizagem; II- no trabalho; III- nas relacOes juridicas; IV- na expressao oral, escrita, audiovisual e eletronica oficial; V- na expressao oral, escrita, audiovisual e eletrOnica em eventos publicos nacionais; VI- nos meios de comunicacao de massa; VII- na producao e no consumo de bens, produtos e servicos; VIII- na publicidade de bens, produtos e servicos. § 1° A disposicao do caput [sic] I- VIII deste artigo nao se aplica: I- a situacOes que decorram da livre manifestacao do pensamento e da livre expressao da atividade intelectual, artistica, cientifica e de 0 comunicacao, nos termos dos incisos IV e IX do art. 5 da Constituicao Federal; II- a situagOes que decorram de forca legal ou de interesse nacional; III- a comunicacOes e informacOes destinadas a estrangeiros, no Brasil ou no exterior; IV- a membros das comunidades incligenas nacionais; V- ao ensino e a aprendizagem das linguas estrangeiras;
VI- a palavras e ex • ressOes em lingua estrangeira consagradas pelo uso, registradas no V cabulario Ortografico da Lingua Portuguesa; VII- a palavras cc pressOes em lingua estrangeira que decorram de razao social, marca o patente legalmente constituida. § 2° A regulamen ado desta lei cuidard das situagOes que possam demandar: I- traducao, simu tftnea ou trio, para a lingua portuguesa; H- uso concorrent ,em igualdade de condic6es, da I ingua portuguesa estrangeiras. corn a lingua ou ling Art. 4° Todo e q alquer uso de palavra ou expressao ern lingua estrangeira, ressalva os os casos excepcionados nesta lei e na sua regulamentacao, se a considerado I esivo ao patrim6nio cultural brasileiro, punivel na forma da lei. Paragrafo unico. Para efeito do que dist:0e o caput [sic] deste artigo, considerar-se-d: I- pratica abusiv se a palavra ou expressao em lingua estrangeira tiver equivalente em ingua portuguesa; II- pratica engan s so, sea palavra ou expressao ern lingua estrangeira puder induzir qualqu r pessoa, fisica ou juridica, a erro ou Husk de qualquer especie; III- pratica danos ao patrim6nio cultural, se a palavra ou expressao em lingua estrangeir puder, de algum modo, descaracterizar qualquer elemento da cultura • rasileira. Art. 5° Toda e qualquer palavra ou expressao em lingua estrangeira posta em uso no territnrio nacional ou ern reparticao brasileira no exterior a partir da data da publicacao desta lei, ressalvados os casos excepcionados nesta lei e na sua regulamentacao, terd que ser substituida por palavra ou expressao equivalente em lingua portuguesa no prazo de 90 (noventa) dias a contar da data de registro da ocorrencia. Paragrafo tinico. Para efeito do que dispOe o caput [sic] deste artigo, na inexistencia de palavra ou expressao equivalente em lingua portuguesa, admitir-se-d o aportuguesamento da palavra ou expressao em lingua estrangeirO ou o neologismo pr6prio que venha a ser criado. Art. 6° 0 descumprimento de qualquer disposicao desta lei sujeita o infrator a sancao administrativa, na forma da regulamentacao, sem prejuizo das sancOes de natureza civil, penal e das definidas em normas especificas, corn mu ta no valor de: 1- 1.300 (mile trOentas) a4.000 (quatro mil) UFIRs, se pessoafisica; 11-4.000 (quatrolmil) a 13.000 ((treze mil)UFIRs, se pessoa juridica. Paragrafo Curie° 0 valor da multa dobrara a cada reincidencia. Art. 7° A regulamentacao desta lei tratari das sancOes premiais a serem aplicadas aquele, pessoa fisica ou juridica, publicaou privada, que se dispuser, espontatreamente, a al term- o uso já estabelecido de palavra ou expressao em I ingna estrangeira por palavra ou expressao equivalente em lingua portuguesa. Art. 8° A Academia Brasileira de Letras, corn a eolaboracao dos Poderes Legislativo, Executivo e Judiciario, de Corgaos que cumprem funcOes essenciais a justica e de instituicOes de ensino, pesquisa e extensao universitaria, incumbe realizar estudos que visem a subsidiar a regulamentacao desta lei. Art. 9° 0 Poder Executivo regulamentara esta lei no prazo maxim° de 1 (urn) ano a contar da data de sua publicacao. Art. 10. Esta lei entra em vigor na data de sua publicack.
S. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
23
charm which the French idiom once held in the four corners of the world, including our "Europeanized Brazil," of course. Furthermore, we ought to consider the paradox: while chauinistic French bureaucrats are willing to sue and punish French individuals for applying English into their written communication (and Brazilian counterparts want the same!), they should know it is going to take a good many years of intense borrowing (perhaps centuries), before French has received as many English terms as English has received French ones. Maybe the Brazilian contemporary intellectuals' campaign only makes sense. After all, it is true that our intelligentsia has gladly inherited concerns and attitudes of the Mediterranean cultural empires of the past and now resents the powers of English, today's world language. The English people, says Jespersen, have never "suffered an Academy to be in,stituted among them like the French or Italian Academies" (16). One of the Academies' chief tasks was to regulate vocabulary, so "that every word not found in their Dictionaries (sic) was blamed as unworthy of literary use or distinction" (16). Appealing to the intellectual power and nationalist representation attributed to the Brazilian Academy of Letters, the Bill 1676 of 1999 proposed by the Communist Party of Brazil (PC do B) legislator not only punishes people, businesses and institutions for their -abuse" of foreign idiom, but also rewards those who spontaneously replace "the established use of words or expressions from foreign languages with equivalent words or expressions from the Portuguese." The fines range approximately from 650 to 2,000 US dollars to individuals, and 2,000 to 6,400 US dollars to legal entities. The bill also determines the doubling of such fines after every re-occurrence. In the Brazil of previous centuries, the "nobility" n9t only envied the French finesse but also resented the fact that some-
one like Jose de Alencar would disgrace the Portuguese language by incorporating discreet Brazilian ways in his lexicon and syntax. In the Brazil of late 20th century, power over language is more diffused. This power is so clearly boundless and random that Brazilian Portuguese reaches and influences European Portuguese through music and television. If anybody, it is the media and those that produce and sell entertainment goods (not a group of intellectuals) who have great control over linguistic use. Most importantly, people are getting what they want. If they have loved to use the language of Hollywood, jazz, blues, rock'n'roll and the Internet, for a variety of obvious reasons, one thing is certain: it is not nationalist bureaucracy or high-brow intellect that will tame our tongues right here, south of the Equator. Notes '1905; Garden City, NY: Doubleday Anchor, 1955. All other references included parenthetically in the discussion are paginated after this edition. 'See "The World of English." Speak Up 1 (April 1997): 28-29. 3 The web sites are: http://www.abi.org.bricgi-local/publicacao/ index.pl and http://www.abi.org.bricgi-local/newcanal/newcanal.pl Dario Borim Jr., a professor at Universidade Federal de Ouro Preto, state of Minas Gerais, is a Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota—Twin Cities and has been a professor of Brazilian literature at the University of California, Los Angeles. Borim's articles on literary and cultural issues at large have appeared in a variety of journals and books from Brazil, USA and France. You can contact him at dann@pop.metalink.com.br
1011111111111111 NEW SUPER SPECIALS
{311 202-6264 818 501-4426 310 837-2214 (FAX)
LOS ANGELES/SAO PAULO/LOS ANGELES ONE YEAR: FROM BOG LOS ANGELES TO SAO PAULO ONE WAY FROM 313
CARNAVAL LOS ANGELES TO RIO/ SAO PAULO/SALVADOR: 722 LOS ANGELES TO RECIFE: 722 MIAMI TO RIO/SAO PAULO: 638 MIAMI TO SALVADOR: 638 MIAMI TO RECIFE: 638 NY TO RIO/SAO PAULO: 638 OTHER DEPARTING CITIES AVAILABLE *AIRPORT TAX NOT INCLUDED
DELTA
CHEVIOT HILLS TRAVEL SERVICE 1 (800) 585-8023 Sua agenda brasileira em L.A. 9819 National Blvd., Ste. #1 Los Angeles, CA 90034 E-mail: Ifer@aol.com SOT # 2038129-70
KOREAN AIR
VARIG
UNITED
24 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
It was never so easy to know every detail of Brazil with the help of a computer. If only you could find your way on the Internet maze. RAJENDRA PILLAI Planning to stop by a tourist office or a bookshop to grab some books and maps of Brazil? Skip the trip and save time and gas money by doing the research on the Web. Get information, news, weather, and even a virtual tour right from your desktop. However, with five thousand new sites being added on cyberspace every day, it can be frustrating and time-consuming to sit in front of your computer trying to find that one bit of information. Keep this handy Brazil Web Guide near your computer. The ten sites reviewed here have been chosen out of hundreds of sites. Feel free to add your own. Let the countdown begin...
• Brazilian Tourist Boar http://www.embratur.gov.br The official eb site of the Brazilian Ministry of Sport and Tourism is a treasureN\ house ofboth elhknown and little known facts and information about Brazil. Whether you are interested in Brazil from a tourist s or a business perspective, you will want to browse through this site before head.' g for the airport. Extensive mforiiation about the country and the states can be foun4 under Brazil Information.Chcl on Business [\ Opportunities if you are interested in nysting in Brazil.
• Virtual Trip to Brazi ttp://www.vivabrazil.com /
gig=
Take a trip to Brazil right f13,6m. your desktop. This web site offers a comprehen. siv array of information on razil. Read about Brazil's histOry, browse through interesting facts and figures atd visit different parts of the conntry. There is also a / hart' Oy telephone number find r. The information is divided into five geographical sections under the headings of outh, Southeast Central West North and Northeast. ' / [ X
cu Brasil http://flarkwing.uoregon.edut--sergiok/brasil.html Maintained by Sergio G. Koreisha, Professor of Business Administration at the University ofOregoit this web site is a comprehensive online resource guide on Brazil. Find all your Brazilian information needs ranging all the way from history and facts and figures to sports, news and weather in one useful site. There is also a convenient web searching and phone listings feature.
• Brazil's Home Page at Purdue University http://pasture.ecn.purdue.edu/--agenhtmliagenmc/brazil/brazil.html
hriW Item, Pity at PurdueI wiivrnit?
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
What sets this site apart is its simple design and concise information. Click on the General Information about Brazil link and you will be able to access neat facts and figures about Brazil. Visit the links section to view some other sites on Brazil. Arguably, the most popular feature of this web site is the Recipes section, which has a comprehensive listing of Brazilian recipes from appetizers to main courses and desserts.
25
\
• BRAZILIAN EMBASSY AT WASHINGTON, DC Brazilian Embassy in Wa
http://www.brasil.emb.nw.dc.us/ Don't be fooled by the lack of superior graphics (the site is currently under renovation). The Brazilian embassy home page contains a wide array of information on Brazil. Whether you want to know more about the Brazilian economy, the environment, human rights or simply want to see some online resources about Brazil before visiting the country, you will want to stop by this site.
• Brazil on my Mind • http://www.brazil-brasil.com/open.htm Combine ethnic culture, travel information, a good selection of sequential links, and a natural love for the country and yougetthe Brazil on my Mind web site. Organized in the form of a running commentary, the web site is simple, yet provides a broad overview of the country.
• The Brazilian Embassy in London http://wwfw*razil.org.uk/body.html The award-winning web site of the Brazilian Embassy in London is a virtua , dia on Brazil. From football and foreign,policy to cultura events and cyclopae onsulathervices, this site gives one of the widest cov age of Brazil. must-visit or any Brazilian or anyone interested in Braziland Brazilian cul
i 7 Brazil-U.S.Business Voundll http://www.brazileounciLor / e Brazil-U.S. Business Council is a "bilateral trade organ tion that works to ide a high-level private sector forum for the business comm ities of both counto engage in substantive dialogue on trade and investments.” Click on the Events o view the schedule of meetings and conferences. The Br il Information j Infoation seccovers several issues (Tm ra e and Economic Information, razilian Legislative / s, L iving and Working in azil) that providea comprehen ive look at the country insider's perspective. And while you are/ihere don't forget to check out the function in the Links section for all kinds of inf ormation about Brazil': ,
• Maria Brazil http://ww\w.maria-braziLorg/ This self-proclaimed "home of Brazilian culture on the web" really lives up to its name. Essentially a one-person operation, the web site contains a host of priceless resources on Brazil under eight different categories: Crosscultural Pages, Favorite Places, Little Black Book, Maria's Cookbook, Music & Folklore, Odds & Ends, Shopping Basket, and Maria's Vitrola. Curious? All of these are just a click away!
• Brazzil http://www.brazzil.com Your favorite Brazilian magazine is on the Web. Access some of the feature stories from recent issues, take a look through the Music, Art, Television and Radio programs through the Calendar link, and even browse through the advertisements. The Directory link carries a comprehensive listing of Brazilian clubs, associations, liberal professionals, consulates, and businesses in general in the United States. If you want to stay informed about anything and everything affecting Brazilian culture, then this is one site you will want to bookmark. Enough said, roll out the mouse and check these awesome Brazilian sites for yourself. Rajendra Pillai is a freelance writer living in Maryland. He is the author of several books and articles. His e-mail: rajendrapillaiAhotmail.com BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Three by Cecilia Prada
At the Lord's Feet The Master was an only son, one of those who never played soccer as a child. He cared a lot for his hair, combed his beard, did Canadian Air Force exercise every morning and screamed: —Martha, my underwear!
E aconteceu que, seguindo seu caminho, entrou Jesus em uma aldeia: uma mu/her, por nome Marta, o hospedou em sua casa. E esta tinha uma irma chamada Maria, a qual sentada aos pes do Senhor ouvia a sua palavra. (Lc. 10, 38-39) Marta varria e escovava, limpavaos camarOes, ia a feira. Maria, nem uma maozinha. Ficava escovando os cabelos de ouro, Mariaa-Linda, sentada aos pes do Mestre—que gostava muito. Marta cone que cone, espana que espana. Maria todalindinha, a cabeca reclinada nos joelhos do Mestre, lendo Vogue. 0 Mestre de vez em quando sacudia os cachos, tirava do ar aquela mao-quesempre-abencoando, bem que passava a mao em Maria, assim, assim. Ela se babava. Marta, de cara enfarruscada, limpava os camarOes, jogando a tripa por cima do ombro: acertasse neles. Maria toda lindinha, toda manha se compondo naquela pose de estampa, toda meigolenta, pescocinho virado de urn lado, os olhos para cima... Maria tava ate corn dor de pescoco entortado. Arem de estar engordando por falta de exercicio. Mas o que fazer? 0 Mestre queria "Seu Mestre mandou"... Boca de forno—forno. Fareis urn bolo—bolo. Fareis tudo que seu Mestre mandar?... Tavam au i as duas, bem no papel de cada uma. E o Mestre de vez em quando falava lento, corn a boca ainda cheia de bolinho de camarao: mu-i-tas mo-mo-radas na ca-sa de meu Pai... —Muitas o que? Namoradas? entendeu ruim Marta, de mao na cintura. 0 Mestre, mao-boba fazendo festinha em Maria, que se babava toda. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
—Na ver-da-de ela es-co-lheu a me-lhor parte._ —MelhormesmO, e isto que eu digo. Eu aqui leranto de manila, espano, lavo, you A feira, fag() prodigios, ouviram, prodigios para fazer a feira corn esta miseria de dinheiro, cada vez dá metros. Carrego balde, esfrego chao, limpo camarao e ela... Maria-toda-lin inha, um pacote de feminilidade soca empilhada, ha secul s. A essencia da muffler. Maria, a pecadora semi-arrependida. F gurara mesmo em amIncios de revista. 1st°, nos melhores tempo. Tern tambem a hist6ria pregressa de Maria. Maiss ples do que as fofocas hist6ricas querem: poisnao ahistari de mas de "procura de Mestre": Maria, que nunca foran a a alisadt mesmo porque doutor Sigismundo nao tinha nascid° ocolo do papai dela, que tinhaperdido. De vez em uan(1"1 ' qaaria era va o Mestre em algum, suplicava, vem ca que euq que mesmonao analisada se mancava, naodiziao queq uerinisfarcavi Mas a; corn aquela hist6ria de lavar os pes, secar como cabela Muitos foram nessa conversa. Porque vein nactios ta de muffler bonita lavando pe? SO que depois c daquelaeterna posicao de Mestre-corn-Maria-sentada aos que fazer, agendas e compromissos, coquet* e espCsas, Essansicois: Se mandavam. Maria sentava no chao e espemeava, "eu queriaumMestrepara sentar aos pes dela, uh! uh! uh! ". Se achando tAo beta e Incompreendida. Mariazinha toda lindinha, d co anos, espeeando no chao. As amigas mais avancadas dizie . m Maria, isso nem se Itisa mais". Ela, nada. SO ,snaBquela de espe 'clesaa' rar Mestre, lendo Vogu Claudia Desfile Harper magazine. Para ter assunto e entreter o Meste. azdar e ate Time Ja a psicologia de Marta era diferente. Era "faz de contaque nao tern importancia" mas quetinha. Cara enfarmscads' arame, dizia que "millherque s6 pensa em homem ciao presta'' 1"le s6 vivia para o Mestre tambem trabalhando, cozinhando, sfregando o chao, "Marta-a-Vitira" (que era como gostava e de se ver). E o Mestre... Bern, o Mestre era filho Anico, desses que nunca tinha jogado futebol na infancia. Cuidava muito dos cabelos, penteava a barba, fazia ginastica da Forca Aerea Canadense todas as manhas, gritava: —Marta, a minha cueca! Depois, pronto. Compunha a estampa, corn as duas. De vez em quando apareciam os discipulos paratomar chope e falar de estruturalismo. Marta, nessa hora, pe-que-ante-pe safaclaestampa. Se mandaya toda outrapara a cozinha, ver a novela das oito, a cora enfarruscada se al isando, recuperando ate uma certabelezadessastodo-dia, clue era o seu genero: uma cara de infancia. Maria nao podia se mandar. Mais do que nunca naqueles momentos decorativos presa A estampa, parte integrante dos ditos pes do Senhor. Meigolenta. (Ah, pelo menos isso o quepensava o Mestre, se babando de tao mestre. Porque Maria, na sua lindice, conservava um olho, urn olho s6, de coruj a, atento evigilante. Fingia dorrnir aos Os do Mestre, se chateava de morte corn estuturalismo e nunca soube o qup era fenomenologia, mas seu segredo o olho atento e vigilante-feio, porque olho de coruja é feio. Mas vivo.) Formadas, as estampas classicasnunca desaparecem de repente. Principalmente sd, como esta, tern milhares de edicdes, Nao desaparecem daparede sem mais. Pedacinho porpedacinho, nesgas permanecendo como feridas, naparede descascada. Esta, foiassin3 que comecou a rasgar: Um dia, sem mais, Marta teve urn an-de loucura. Pôs sua cara mais feia, toda louquinha, uma cara de muitamaldade, rindo mais no canto do olho do que na boca. Chamou Maria de lado: —E preciso matar o Mestre. Maria foi abrindo uma boca—linda—enormemente corn espanto. Enquanto Marta se desdobrava, trocando em miudos: corta-lo em pedacinhos. DeNis guisa-lo, em lugar dos camarOes. Quer ver, tern muitas receitas. 27
Animada, toda bruxinha, correu a sua estante especializada em culinaria, tinha ate Larousse gastronomic°, colecionara durante anos—ou seculos?—s6 receitas de Mestre: ensopado, frito, refogado corn chuchu... Que tal esta? perguntou apontando para uma ilustracao do Mestre assado por inteiro, numa travessa gigante corn uma rodela de limao na boca. Mas Maria, recuperada do espanto, olhou-a de alto a baixo: —Voce esti louca, Marta. A euforia de Marta acabou de chofre, ela ficou vazia e pendente, mais vazia e pendente do que nunca, corn o irnti1 livro de receitas carinhosamente guardado ha tanto tempo. Depois, perplexa, os olhos divagando cadaqual pra um lado, feiae pobrezinha, esfregou os rins clue doiam e concluiu meio desenxabida: —E. Eu estou é pre-menstrual. Foi tomar um banho quente de assento e se trancou no quarto, curtindo em gozo uma menstruacao de quarenta dias. Maria enrolou um cacho louro e foi voltando devagarinho, mas mais devagarinho do que nunca, para a estampa. Meio curvada e sem vontade. Apertando contra o peito o seu olho feio de vivo de coruja, talisma um olho que se parecia tanto corn os de Marta, a feia. 0 Mestre notou alguma coisa e perguntou o que era. —Nada. Acho que estou pre-menstrual, mentiu Maria, apropriando-se da menstruacao da inna. Ah, fez o Mestre, num raro traco de compreensao masculina. Parecia dizer que perdoava. Perdoava a Maria. A menstruacao. Perdoava o que? se perguntou de repente Maria, notando parece que pela primeira vez aquela mao no ar que-sempre-abencoando. Mas o pensamento nao era o forte de Maria, eta deixou tudo pra la, porque se eles comecassemrealmente a nascer em sua cabeca loira, arriscariam transforma-la em cabeca de Medusa. —Estou corn dor de cabeca. E Maria-a-Linda, e Marta-a-Feia, ambas refiigiadas uma numa menstruacao verdadeira, outranuma falsa dor de cabeca, voltaram a dormir durante alguns milenios. Nessa ausencia, que era dor e solidao, as tres figuras paradas. Crise de neurose de Maria: Maria enrolou seus anelados cabelos, contagiada pelapensamentice de Marta—isso quando acordou, é claro. Coitada de Maria toda enroladinha e ja corn a consciencia de enrolamento nela, isso o pior. Urn enrolamento que se resumia na pergunta: mas como nao gostar de cobertor? Cobertor epe-de-Mestre, as duas coisas de que Maria gostava. —Ora, isso e falta de servico e de vergonha, foi dizendo Marta positiva, de vassoura na mao, já recuperada para o que se chama de vida, restabelecidadamenstruacao de quarentadias e da vontade de picar Mestre em pedacinhos. Nhe, nhe, nhe... choramingava Maria. Mariazinha. Uma galanteza, se erocugando o olho corn os cabelos dourados (já mais para o grisalho, para falar a verdade). Nhe, nhe, nhe, o que fazer, eu gosto de me enrolar macia como gata no cobertor no pe do Mestre... —Pe-de-moleque nao serve? Tern uns af que eu fiz ontem. Maria, Mariazinha, emburrou corn o excesso de espirito pratico da irma. Mariazinha, toda lindinha. Nos seus trinta e cinco anos. A esta altura dos acontecimentos e claro que a estampa ja estava pra la de estragada. S6 que as duas nao tinham ainda resolvido o que fazer, no caso dela se desmancharpor completo. Entao, quando se dependuravam najanela da gravurae percebiam que haviamuita gente la de fora espiando o que se passava naquele ménage-à-trois secular, disfarcavam, punham suas melhores caras, ligavam a vitrola e corriam a alisar as bordas da estampa, grudando-a corn cuspe na parede. Para que todo mundo pensasse, vendo-a au, consabida e manjada, sempre grudadinha no mesmo lugar, que nao se alterara. Nem amarelecera. S6 que dentro do enrolamento de Maria foi surgindoumaraiva. Uma raivinha, porque nela tudo era bonitinho e diminutivo. Foi desde o dia em que reparava naquele gesto do Mestre de mao no ar que-sempre-perdoando, "perdoada de que". Mas corn a raiva dentro dela, quando olhou no espelho se 28
assustou, vendo-se feia—quase uma Marta, de repente? No primeiro momento pensou na Clinica Pitangui. Mas nao teria dinheiro, nao era celebridade algum a para poder se pagar ammo* de suas ruguinhas. Talvez fosse um caso social? Diziam que famoso cirurgiao fazia de graca, nos casos sociais. Mas depois tomou a se olhar no espelho e viu que era exagero. Se nao pensas.se nada, se esvaziasse o pensamento de toda a sua raiva-raivinha, pronto, la estava eta linda e serena. Na sua majestade veio vindo, amunou corn cuidado as dobras da timica do Mestre, se sentou. 0 Mestre abriu urn olho fossilizado e dime: —Po, tu tá bonita, mulher. Naquelanoitevieram novamente os discipulos,bebeu-seinuito chope, comeu-se os celebres bolinhos de camarao de Marta, discutiu-se Gramsci e o futuro do comunismo intemacional,abaixa dabolsa e as pescarias do Lago Tibenades. Pedro que erameiochato achou urn jeito de falar no reumatismo da sogra e o Mestre, bemhumorado e badalado, disse que ia dar urn jeito. E Marta? Marta, a de prendas domesticas, de cabelos de arame, que gostava da novela das oito e colecionava receitas de Mestre? Ora, Marta era virgem. Aos 38 anos. Nao que o Mestre no tivesse querido, que etc gostava de variacao. Mas pensando hem, etc nao queria correr o risco de perder a cozinheira. Marta constitufa a sua feifira-maldaae (le mentira (que no fund° era boa), como uma defesa orgulhosa: eu nao me dou!".1V1a.s as vezes, muito as vezes, se debrucava sobre opoco fundo que era o do "deixar-se ir", ficava perplexa. Tinha medo. Medo de desaparecer no poco, toda afogada, sum ida, s6 o pezinho de Marta de fora, urn pezinho de Martinha tao pequenina tambent.. Desdebrucava do poco, incrustava-se na sua atividade, "meu Deus, quanta roupa para lavar, quanta poeira para limpar". Acho que ate gostava de tantapoeira que the dava um sentido a existencia, limpava, limpava, nunca acabava. E continuava, pelos anos, com a vassolua na mao, bruxa de si prOpria, perseguindo-se sem piedade ate ficar de corpo moido e poder dormir bem. "Nunca tive insOnia!", dizia, de dedo emriste. Enquanto isso Maria se-dando, se-dando, facilzinha, tao putinha. Ah!—mas, no fundo, nao se dava nao, se guardava bem guardadinha—corn o olho mau vigilante de coruja muito conservado, talisma: pedra-resistencia. E um dia, de repente, pensou, de tanto ver o Mestre-estatua, fossilizado-sempre-omesmo: o Mestre ora, apenas urn catalisador. E saiu pulando contentinha (ou no fundo um pouco decepcionada?). —Marta, Marta, olha s6 uma coisa, o Mestre nao existe, o Mestre nao existe! Marta, que tava botando roupa no varal, parou, assustacla —E sim, Marta, o Mestre é s6 urn catalisador. —Cara... o que? —Cata as coisas dentro da gente, que nem piolho, tuna por uma, traz para fora, esmaga, assim. —Que nojo! E foi a vez de Marta olha-la nos olhos: —Maria, voce esti louca. Mas Maria, ao contrario de Marta na outra cena, IA° rnurchou, ficou falando catadupas cataratas se espalhando se esporrando. E era uma loucura linda a de Maria, uma loucura saltitante de menina em ferias, ela jogando as roupas do varal todas para o ar— libertas!—elas lindas como passaros e brancas no espaco voando, se desfraldando, depois caindo bem longe, se sujando de novo, que importa, que importa? Uma loucura tao linda que Marta nem reclamou daroupa.A, dando a mao a Maria, sairam, Mariazinbae Martinha, pulando, as duas contentes, pelo campo, livres, sem 'Restv, sem roupa, sem estampa, sem nada. Livres? Quando estavam muito longe da estampa e de tudo, muito contentes no meio do campo, pararam as duas ao rnesmo tempo: teria sido tao simples assim? —Eu achoque nao, disse Marta depois de um tempo. Nao, afinal de contas nao é assim tAo facil, ficamos tanto tempo la. E depois BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
temos de voltar para apanhar nossos tens (Marta cultivava uns ligeiros modismos mineiros). —Bern, mas pelo menos agora a gente nao tern mais respondeu Maria depois de pensar bem o seu minuto de silencio. JA passava das sete. Tambem tinham de pensar no jantar. As duas irmas voltaram quietas, nem se dando as maos. Cada qual de seu lado, pensamentando. Sem tristeza. Sem alegria. Numa quase serenidade. Daquele dia em diante passaram a interrogar-se, debrucadas uma sobre a outra, se definindo, se achando, se completando. isto, fora dagravura, emboravoltassem a elareligiosamente, no fim das pensamentices. No quarto. Na cozinha. Apenas o Mestre permanecia, estatua, dentro da gravura estragada. E as duas nem se preocupavam corn o que as pessoas diziam. Mesmo porque as outras pessoas já nem olhavam mais para a estampa na parede, de tao ocupadas que andavam corn outras coisas—a poluicao do mar ou os estudantesmetralhados, por exemplo, Ou a etema alta do custo de vida.) Uma coisa que Marta-Maria se perguntaram: —Quando para, voce tern medo do que, Maria? —De ficar feia, Marta. Resposta que fez Marta se animar toda, de repente, porque percebeu que o seu, pelo contrario, era o medo de ficar bonita. (Que esse era o seu medo de se entregar, o medo do fund° do pogo, ou de sair se explodindo em vennelho, ela que sO gostava de cinza e marrom.) —Maria, disse Marta devagar, mastigando um pouco as palavras, de tao embaracada. Maria, eu tenho medo e vergonha de estar sendo. —Sendo... o que? —Sendo. Respondeu Marta lenta, a esta alturatodaperdida a sua agitacao, uma Marta sem vassouras e cacarolas, obrigacoes ou odios, uma Marta de cara alisada, uma Marta quase Maria. Ambas sentadinhas no degrau da cozinha, niveladas, Marta sem sua agitacao maniaca, Maria sem sua contemplacao depressiva, Marta perguntou: —Maria. Me responde francamente. Que tal o Mestre como homem? Maria, se realizando devagar, foi desenrolando: —Marta, eu sou uma perdida... Marta compreendia: Maria era umaperdida de perdidamesmo, de desorientada e confusa. Que nem sabia responder sobre o Mestre ou sobre nada, corn certeza. A perdida 6 uma que procura, que nao achou. —Eu parece que sempre procure i muito alguma coisa que nao sei... Como se eu so me sentisse eu, voce entendeu, corn alguem segurando a minha mao... —Ou te tomando no cob? Entao Maria comecou a chorar, mansamente, da fundura uma magoa, voce compreende, Marta, ulna dor, solidao maior do que todas. —Uma ferida, completou Marta baixinho como quem sabe muito. —Uma ferida. Na ferida comum reconhecida, as duas quase-uma, agora. Subentendido que era uma ferida nab cicatrizavel. —Pelo menos por enquanto. —E uma ferida, urn medo, urn desejo o que nos prende entao.. Ambas se voltaram para a estatua do Mestre, inquisidoras. Al aconteceu algo: a estatua desvirou estatua. 0 Mestre, que era ate bem vivo diga-se de passagem, compreendeu o que estava acontecendo, que risco corria. Recorreu ao truque ja amplamente manjado: propor casamento. Ou quis recorrer. Nem deu tempo: as duas já estavam na cena seguinte, arrumando as malas naquela pressa de filme americano antigo. —Escute, Marta, ainda acho que tern alguma coisaerrada. Esta cena que estamos fazendo é tipica de fuga. Eu nao queria apenas fugir, porque dab nao adianta. —E se a gente conversasse corn ele? 0 espanto de Maria foi grande. Que novidade absoluta, desde BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
quando o Mestre era algo, pessoa ou estatua, conversavell —Quern sabe se ele tambem e gente? perguntou Marta. Pe ante pe as cluas voltaram para a sala, menininhas curiosando circulando de leve ao redor do seu Tudo (que estava é quase explodindo em choro, por ter sido excluido da brincadeira) Mas ele nao podia dar o braco, ou qualquer outra coisa, a forcer* Entao se e neceu .j n preainda mais, ("meninonao chora"), a mao-que-sem abencoando des eu, controlando farias de hater nas duas Firmou-a no joe .o, trocando a pose de urn deus oytro, cl um esta a. vez urn deus egi lo de olhinho azul brincando denaopiscar. Olho doeu, piscou. Os lhos comecaram a lacrimejar,da fnddez, daraiva, do cansaco. 5... 6... 5... se espantaram as duas. E a estatua qtle chora, venham todos ver, estatua ilagrosa title chora senhoras e senhores, heraldou Marta a espevitada. "E se eu fiz se cOcegas?" pensou Maria já experimentando. Devagarinho c ega cocegazinha assim assim aqui eali desmancha o Mestre desrnaicha se faz de gente p6, tu já perdeu aquela Ina° no ar parada ja anjou que o negOcio hoje e outro, deixa estar Mestrezinho tu Mariazinha vai te ensinar te desmanchar te desmanchar. Te desmamar. Te desarmar. • 0 Mestre ta a que nao podia. Ia rir, ia se meigolear, tarnb6rn ele, pegar aquel muffler, aquelas duas-mulheres-tunanosbracos, derretidas suas eticencias ao sob de nieio-dia da mao de Maria, ultimo forte Ap che soldado morto em cab arca° do corpo, as gestos todos tao obrese rigidos de sua vidatavam Cada qualdeles, os gestos, esfarripados tremulentos de medo e de gozo... Foi nesse mOmento, nesse exato momento, clue Ulna nuvem escura apareceu, enorme, terrivel, urn relampago cruzou os ares, o ribombo do trovao se fez au i mesmo, na estampa: era o Padre Eterno em pessoa que se tinha abalado do seu trono, El-MagnIfico deslocando conbdidades milenares e estafando cavalos chegava, rodeado de toda as majestades e potestades. AbriU urn pedaco da nuvem cor de c umbo, botou para fora sO um Who, aquele olho terrivelmente udaico das caixas de fOsforo marca Olho, e tronivejou: —Filho m u que fazes ai? Te manda de Autoridade est perdida! 0 Filho tre ulou de espanto, que aquilo nao era hompra nenhum chegar, fugiu pro canto que nem meninocobidoe feia, segurando os colhOes. Marta, a qu m nao era dado ouvir vozes ce abalara corn o ovao, deu urn grito: —Nossa, a oupa que O. no varal! Maria deixdu cair os bracos, desanim E ai o que a onteceu? Se me lemb Nao sei bem. Passou-semuitbtempbeagdvura toda se esfacelo , enrolando nas pontas, coma em que diluvio atastrofico?—chamusc E quando el abriu os olhos, levantou osbracm, a janela do seu partamento em Ipanema, era ma manha dessas que a gente pens que tuna manha em Ipanem primeira man a de sua vida de trinta e cinco entregando do e e verde ao fundo. Respirou, rest) ou coma se nunca tivesse r spirado, Marta-Maria ou Mari inteirinha. Quatdo se olhou no espelho espantou-s ainda estar usan o umatnnica bib I ica ou seria um a saida de praia? Examinou bern a timica. Ainda cheirava a mofo, era sim a mesma de antigamente. Mas nao teve pressa em despi-la logo. A timica tambem t na de ir se des integrando aos poucos no seu pn5prio corpo, pressent a. Sem pressa. Por enquan o nao tinha nem vontade de sair do apartment°. Bastava abrir a j ela. Olhar o dia. E sent ueestava,pelaprimeira vez, inteira. E sozinha.
The origin I title of th is short story is "Marta-Maria do Senhor." 29
Kids Tales Herrrr Bauer to see his son all blackie called Wolfgang Amadeus playing close Frrrrau Bauer Herrrr Fritz to have sudden idea to run to ask black father of white kid to look like aunt Margritt who had already died what time what hospital minute black kid to be born. (Fato veridico, mencionado em Subsidios para uma Historia da Previdencia Social no Brasil na Segunda Metade do Seculo XX. Cecilia Prada, Ed. Moderna, Sao Paulo, 2.010.) Erra uma vez Senhorr Bauer e Senhorra Bauer alemiis de Santa Catarina, que nunca tiverram parrente nenhum que ndo fosse de cabelinho loirrinho loirrinho olhinho zulzinho zulzinho. Se reuniam todo domingo corn amigos cantando bebendo chope alemdes brasileirros alernis corn almofadas bordadas chales fotos de albuns conhecimento de parrentes ate quinta geracdo Germania Deutschland Uber A Iles . Bebendo que bebendo copulavam bem copuladinho jovem Senhorr Bauer jovem Senhorra Bauer na cama bem acolchoada debaixo do quadro do ultimo rei da Baviera, Senhorra Bauer um dia dizer: Fritz eu achavai ter bebe. Que alegria! Todo mundo ficar contente beber muita chope ate titia Margritt que era surda e demorou para ouvir e todo mundo tias avos de varias geracOes de alemanha-santa catarina e outras granj as tricotando tricotando tricotando bebe crescer no barriga Senhorra Bauer e urn dia Senhorra Bauer dizer: Fritz acho vai nascer. E enton todo mundo entrar no perua Volkswagen familia toda feliz ate tia Margritt que era surda e enton Senhorra Bauer entrar no hospital e senhor Fritz pacejar sala do lado nervoso fumando charuto e bebe nasce ndo nasce vira no barriga da mde dele e enton medico dizer: Senhorr Bauer, Senhorra Bauer precisa cesariana. E Senhorr Bauer concordar e enton Senhorra Bauer dizer que born melhor num vai doer tanto entdo tomar anestesia e ficar tudo escurro. E quando a Senhora Bauer acordou no quarto outravez, e o bebe demorava para vir e o medico chamou, Senhor Bauer por favor uma palavrinha. Entdo passaram duas horas. As outras tres mulheres do quarto olhavam para elatodo mundo olhava paraela, Senhora Bauer comecou a chorar porque pensou que o bebe tinha morrido. Mas rid() era nada disso mas reparou que titia Margritt passou no corredor amparada por duas enfermeiras. Entdo Senhora Bauer que era mulher decidida dizer ao medico por favor, senhorr, eu querrer verdade, toda verdade, entdo... —NA° é nada ndo, o bebe nasceu bem, esta vivo e forte. E um menino. (0 medico novo mexia embaracado no bolso do avental.) E normal, perfeitamente normal, fique tranqiiila. —Mas enton que ha meu menino? 30
Senhor Fritz aparecer na porta IRA° olhar mulher ir embora, entdo atras dele entrar enfermera corn mascara trazendo menino quiet°, bonitinho, dormindo, pesando tres quilos e meio, que menino forte: preto. Mas como menino preto voce sua vaca corn quern dormiu Fritz eu jurra s6 amar voce nunca olhar outro homem indamais urn preto Fritz voce me conhece de menina da alemanha conhece titia Margritt Vov6 Frieda saber eu moca decente nunca dormir outro homem Fritz meu amorr Fritz eu jurrar ndo saber como aconteceu este desgraca. E Senhorr Fritz pobre Senhorr Fritz correr todas enfermarias do hospital procurando menino dizendo menino meu ser trocado e todo mundo jurar seu menino ser preto medico dizer senhor nao conhecer fator recessivo lei de Mendel, Senhorr Fritz perder paciencia querer bater medico seu burra de medico eu conhecer melhor que senhor eu ser especialista genetica trinta e cinco mil geracoes arianas nem sangue judeu nenhum tudo purro meu senhorra e mim e agora este bebe nascer de cor preta. (Interludio: Senhorr Fritz Senhorra Bauer pensar que fazerjogar fora este bebe ndo ter outro melhor levar ele pra casa quern sabe depois ficar mais claro ser efeito de luz, levar bebe.) (Passaram-se sete anos.) Urn dia Senhorr Fritz pas seando no praiaviu de repente familia tudo preto passeando corn menino loirrinho loirrinho olhinho zulzinho zulzinho cara tia Margritt que já tinha morrido. Senhorr Bauer olhar seu menino todo pretinho chamado Wolfgang Amadeus brincando pert° Senhorra Bauer Senhorr Fritz ter iddia reldmpago correr perguntar pai preto de menino branco que hora que hospital que minuto menino branco carra tia Margritt que já tinha morrido nascer, pai preto dizer dia hora hospital minute menino preto nascer, Senhorr Fritz dizer mas come senhor nunca notar senhor seu mulher tambem tudo preto deu filho cara tia Margritt que já morreu? Preto fazer que non corn cabeca dar de ombro puxar mulher vem cá nega, esse gringo ta cum coisa mas entdo chamar Bastidozinho de olhinho azul sempre pensar seu filho e olhar para filho chamado Wolfgang Amadeus pretinho de Senhor Bauer e reparar Wolfgang Amadeus tambern caramdedelecharnada Joana do Poco. Enton, grande confuson, fala que falatira menino trocamenino cara tia Margritt por menino cara de v6 Joana do Poco nego num querer, beleleu armado, Senhor Bauer dizer eu dar menino preto chamado Wolfgang Amadeus mais duas partituras dele, preto ndo ouvir conversa de branco—chega pra Id, nega, esse gringo tá querendo lira de nois o Bastidozinho, trocar menino preto por menino branco todo mundo quer mas agora que eu custei tanto pra ter filho de olho azul vem esse gringo al corn conversa. Saiu tudo barulho confuson no jornal, ate no televisdo. Entdo casal Senhor Bauer Senhorra Bauer ficar de titio, ne, titio de Bastidozinho cara titia Margritt j a tinha morrido, bilu belezinha, meninos brincar juntos ficar amigos que inocentes, coitadinhos ninguern tinha culpa a lido ser o medico e o hospital mas isso num adiantar reclamar etodo mundo saber. E no meio daquele confuson todo mundo muito amigo beber chope junto assim ate melhor dizer Senhorr Bauer ficar corn dois meninos e entdo entrar no confuson um amigo ingles e olhar dois meninos brincando e dizer ha! ha! black and white e todo mundo tambem de porre bebermuito chope blackandwhite cachaca da boa na confraternizacao universal, depois acabar festa e todo mundo sair Senhor Bauer Senhorra Bauer copulando bem copuladinho na cama sob a estampa do Ultimo rei da B avi era, e nego cum neganaenxerga, todo mundo feliz. Ate que um dia Senhorra Bauer dizer: Fritz, que surpresa, achavai ter outro nene. E enton todo mundo ficar conten.ts Wolfgang Amadeus e Bastidozinho tambem que bonitinho gaAdrinndozinho novo, e entdo chegar dia Senhorra Bauer dizer, Fritz vamos correndo sena° nasce no rua, este vem mais depressa... ah, e todo mundo entrar outra vez perua Volkswagen menos tia Margritt que já tinha morrido, e Senhora Bauer dar a luz bebe lindo, forte, robusto, menino, tits quilos e setecentos gramas: japones. The original title of this short story is"Conto dos Meninos" BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Cannibalistic Dinners But how could you put up with this? I suddenly asked, with a human bone choking me. Acontece as vezes. Sim, já me aconteceu algumas vezes. Jantando, normalmente, na minha propria casa ou na casa de amigos, filhos adolescentes incluidos: de repente—entre a pizza infalivel da familia unida paulistana no domingo, ou na horn em que se despeja, amavel, a cervej a no copo da visita--caem, sangrentos, pedagos de came humana bem no meio de todos. As pessoas continuam tranquilas, lambem um dedo, servem-se do guardanapo, sugam um osso. —E came humana, tenho de gritar (como aconteceu hoje). Mas hoje, como sempre, o meu grito envolve-se num sorriso polido e desaparece, engolido. Sendo... euteriade levantar-me, ir embora. Vomitar sobre a melhor toalha das pessoas que me convidam? Impossivel. Aceito urn pedago. Ou varios. E tambem como. —E came humana. Horacio, bem sucedido nos seus mu itos anos de medico, d ire ito a casa na City Pinheiros e carro corn chofer, engo le um pedago da pizza dominical e conta passagens: —Quando trabalhei como medico no Patio do Colegio... A escada tinha sido apelidada de"escada rolante", ha! ha! Os presos so conseguiam par o pe no primeiro degrau. 0 resto da escada desciam aos trambolhOes, se arrebentando todos, corn os pontapes dos tiras. Presungdo legal, todo homem éconsiderado inocente ate que. No filme americarto. E a Scala Santa, em Roma, ondeJesus, co itado, foi empurrado, e que ate hoje guarda as marcas do seu sacratissimo sangue, uma escada que so se sobe .de joelhos, porque ninguem 6 digno de pisar naqueles degraus e mesmo o Papa uma vez por ano sobe-a de joelhos. —Mats urn pedacinho? Teresa, solicita, perfeita dona-de-casa-mulher-de-medico. Fazem parte dos "encontros de casais" do bairro. 0 relOgio bate uma horn etema. E os ossos comegam a espalhar-se, tdo numerosos, os ossos humanos, visceras humanas, sangue humano— que rtdo 6 de Cristo, que pena. —Tinha uma mocinha que tambem trabalhava la, todos os medicos queriam ver se tiravam uma lasquinha. E assim que se dizianaquele tempo. MOcinha frAgil, delicada, loirinha. Entdo urn dia ela vinha subindo essa escada e urn preso tinha sido empurrado. Ela virou-se e assim, de repente sem que o homem lhe tivesse feito nada, deu-lhe urn golpe seco na costela que o mandou ate o patamar debaixo. Todo mundo gozou o outro, "oh, essa é que voce queria, hem?..." Passa o guardanapo nos labios finos. —Uma vez atendi urn cara que estava corn a rndo machucada, tinha tentado quebrar uma delegaci a. 0 de legado estavanaante-sala, perguntei esse cara ai quebrouuma delegacia? 0 delegado entrou—"conhego muito, ah, muito meu amigo, trate bem dele, doutor". Abracava-o, "conserte o BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
dedo dele, doutor, depois nos vamos la -e-mbaixo paratnna conversinha". Quando trouxeram de novo o cam para mim ndoo reconheei, purtham ele em pe, ele caia feito uma trouxa. Eu queria urn pouco de doce de cidra da chicara? fereceu-me Teresa. E eu disse que estava de regime. A came humana bastava. —0 pior cram as mulheres. As prostitutas. Marcadas corn f°. Batidas, nuas, enrolOdas num lengol eram jogadas no consultorio emeerr irna da mesa. Depois de tratadas, tambem eram mandadas devolta as celas nuas, tinham jogado fora toda a roupa delas. As vezes elas ficavarn la ate tres meses. Ate que alguem lhes jogasse uma roupa. Ndo firth= feito nada. Obrigadas a beber, rim casas, tinham emborcado em algurnabaderna. Se fugiam das casas, os proprios tiras jam procurá-las,porcausadacomissao que ganhavam. Nunca v i uma mulher sair desse ambiente. Oshornens ainda tern alguma chance. As mulheres, nao. Essa 6 a verdade. —Mas como voce agitentava isso? perguntei de repente, com um osso humano me engas ando na boca. —A gente se a ostuma corn tudo. Fiquei Ia acho que tins dois anos. Ou tres, ndo sei ben. A gente embrutece. Uma vez foram presas tresputas (Teresa, escandali da, olhou para as filhas adolescentes). putas... El s haviam agarrado elas e metido em camisas de forgo, e jam puxando pelo cabelos, elas batendo as cabecas emtodos os degraus de pedra. A cerveja aca ara. Nao havia mais na geladeira? Conteve a custo a indignagao. —Se eu ndo pOnho para gelar, ninguem lembra. E de denim do que ele continuava a falar, naquele tom pausado, neutro, de quem conta um4 histOria, "a Rua dos GusmOes era UM poueo melhor do que as outras, mas o Hipodromo... ninguem conseguia sair de la sem uma boa tuberculose. As celas ndo tinham privadas, os presos faziam as necessidades no OA° e a agua corria sem cessar pelas celas, e assim des viviam, deitavam, dormiam na agua... " De dentro desse jantar de domingo particularmente--ou banalmente sartgrento?—me lembrei do meu primeiro almogo eanibalesco, quartdo eu tinha treze anos... —Coma, que esta esperando? Na hora do ahnogo, que era as II e meia em panto, para eu nap me atrasar para o colegio, foi-me servida, ainda fumegante, minha primeira refeigao preparada corn came humana. Ali quente, sabre a toalha de xadrezinho que jA estava corn tres dias de uso, espalhadas por meu tio Guaracy—que era funcionario da Estrada de Ferro Sorocabana—as visceras ensangtlentadas, os membros mutilados, as tits rapazes imprensados contra a parede e que tinham virado so Urcla pasta. De gente. —0 maquinista tinha perd i do a mdena vespera e estava com 15 horns de trabalho sem parar. Desastre. Ndo se fala de sexo—nem mesmo de partos diante de criancas. Mas urn desastre, urn born desastre, da Sorocabana ou da Central, e sempre prato suculento. Servido corn detalhes—amde, indo e vindo corn as travessas, mais atenta ao caldo do &Ilk) que nAo engrossou do que a pasta humana espalhada ali, diante da menina. —Mas que esta esperando? Coma, quer perder a horn? —Ndo quer ntesmo mais um pedago? 0 Brasil, naquele tempo, tinhaas melhores leis trabalhistasdo mundo. E hoje, é feito por ni5s. —Ndo obrigada, por hoje estou satisfeita. The original title of this short story is "Jantares Canibalescos." Cecilia Prada is a well-known Brazilian journalist, fictionwriter and playwright. Her book 0 Caos na Sala de Jantar, (Chaos in the Dining-room), published in 1978, has been awarded three literary pHzes. She is considered a stylist and several of her short stories have been published also in Italy, Germany, Switzerland and Sweden, in aahlItogies. Her career as a playwright began in the 60's, in New York City, where she worked with Joe Chaikin's The Open Theater. In 1964 her play Central Park Bench Number 33, Flight 207 was staged at the Judson Poet' Theater in New York. She is also a former diplomat. She is diVorced, has two married sans and three grandchildren and lives now in Sao Paulo, Brazil. Her e-mail is: atalanta.fnr@zaz.com.br 31
Corumba's star attraction is the Pantanal. Tourists looking
for
something different might consider a two-day excursion to Forte Coimbra, which in days gone by was a key to the defense of the Brazilian west.
IVIATO GROSSO DO SUL CAMPO GRANDE Founded around 1875 as the village of Santo Antonio de Campo Grande, Campo Grande really began to grow when the railway came through, in 1914. The city became the capital of Mato Grosso do Sul in 1977 by decree of military President Ernesto Geisel, when the new state splintered off from Mato Grosso. It is known as the Cidade Morena because of its red earth. Manganese, rice, soy and cattle are the sources of its wealth. Campo Grande lies 716 km south of Cuiabd and 403 km southeast of Corurnba. There are no tourist attractions in Campo Grande, but because it's a transport hub, most travelers end up staying here overnight before heading out. Like all big cities, Campo Grande has plenty of hotels and restaurants, and gets lively on weekends when the Gauchos come to town. gor 11.1001***4 Mtiseu Dom Bosco The Museu Dom Bosco, Rua Bardo do Rio Branco 1843, is the only museum in town that's worth a look. It has an excellent collection of over 10,000 insects, including 7000 butterflies. There are lots of stuffed animals, and interesting exhibits about the Bororo, Moro, Carajd and Xavante Indians. Reasonably priced handicrafts are also available. The museum is open daily from 7 to 11 am and I to 5 pm For places to stay and places to eat, read the 'wok.
CORUMB.A. This port city onthe Rio Paraguai and the Bolivian border is the southern gateway to the Pantanal. Corumba, or Cidade Branca (White City), was founded and named in 1776, by Captain Luis de Albuquerque. By 184,0 A was the biggest river port in the world, boasting a dozen foreign consulates. Ships would enter the Rio de la Plata in the South Atlantic and sail up to the Rio Parana to it ;confluence with the Rio Paraguai, then continue up to Com:tuba. The crumbling but impressive buildings along the waterfront reflect the wealth that passed through the town during the 19th century. With the caning of the railway, Ccrumba lost its importance as a port and went into decline. The city is 403 km northwest of Campo Grande by road orrail. Dueto its strategic location near the Paraguayan and Bolivian borders (Puerto Suarez is only 19 km away). Corumba has a reputation for poaching, drug-trafficking and gun-running. Be cautious if you come here. Orientation The trai i station and bus station are near each other, six blocks from the center oftown. The waterfront is three blocks from the center in the opposite direction. Things to See & Do Corumbd's star attractior is the Pantanal, and you can get a preview of it from Morro Urucum (1100 meters). Tourists locking for something different might consider a two-day excursion to Forte Coimbra, which is a seven-hour boat ta- ip sotAh on the Rio Paraguai. In days gone by, the fort ' BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
/Was a key to the defense of the Brazilian west, and you still need permission from the Brigada Mista (at Ay enida General Rondon 1735) to visit it. Daily boat tours ofthe Corumba environs are available through all travel agencies. An all-day $ trip on the boat Perola , including lunch. Other do Pantanal will set you back packages include sightseeing trips to Bolivia and day trips by road.
cachaca is cheaper than gasoline, it costs less to convince 14\ drunk tourists that they're havinga good time. Then there's no need to drive as far aspromisd Tales of woe with pirate i • the marshes, assort d guides es include abandonment in e dnmken and even attempted rape. For places t
éit, read the book.
*Things to Buy The Casa do ArtesAo, in the old prison at Rua Dom Pantanal Tours Many budget travelers are choosing to go on cheap three Aquino 405, has a good selection of Indian art and artifacts, to four-day tours into the Pantanal. These trips, generally as well as the best Pantanal T-shirts in Coruniba. , costing around $20 a day, can be very rough-and-ready AQUIDAUANA affairs--try to imagine boy scouts on cachaca. AccommoAquidauana and Anastacio are twin towns situated on dationis in hammocks, under thatch or in somebody's shack. Foodi generally pretty good, though you must take water, the Rio Aquidauana, 138 km from Campo Grande. They dthe trucks may break down. Some of the 'guides' are represent the beginning of the Pantanal and there are a ex-alligator hunters, so their attitude towards animals leaves number of excellent hoteis-fazendas in the area. In a lot to be desired. You'll see lots of birds and plenty of Aquidauana there's not much to interest the traveler, though alligators, but the mammals are understandably a bit shy, it's a pleasant place in which to spend 4 night. especially when being. chased by a truck at 80 km/h. lfyou want something well organized, and riding around )ForpaceSio stay and places to eat, read the book. the backofa pick-up truck doesn't grab you, pay a bit more COXIM and ill stay at ahotel-fazenda for a few days. If you're prepared Oman is a small town about halfway between Cuiaba, to take it as it comes, you might have a good time. Before signing on with one of these trips and certainly and Campo Grande, on the eastern border of the Pantanal. before parting with any cash there are a few things you should Its drawcard is the piracema, when fish migrate up the checkout. Firstly, find out how far into the Pantanal you will Taquari and Coxim rivers, leaping through rapids to spawn, be going—it should be at least 200 km preferably more. Then The piracema usually takes place from September to ask about the itinerary, and get it in writing if possible. Is December; if you're traveling this road during that period, the program flexible enough to account for sudden weather it's worth stopping off to have a look. The fishing (pacu, changes? Check out the truck. Does it look OK? Does it have pintado, curimbata, piracema end dourado) is good from a radio or carry a first-aid kit in case of emergency? A bite August to December. A fishing license is required. There from the boca de sapo snake will kill in half an hour if left are also some pretty waterfalls in the area, notably the Palm eiras falls, on the Rio Coxim. untreated. Expect to spend at least one day simply traveling deep d the book *For places 4o stay and places to es into the Pantanal, and one day returning. Then allow at least two days for seeing wildlife at close quarters. Definitely BONITO insist on doing this on foot—vehicle should be used only for Apart from the Pantanal, the small town ofBonito is one access, not for pursuit. Your chances of enjoying the Pantanal and its wildlife are greatly increased if you go with of the major tourist destinations in the state of Mato Grosso a reputable guide who: forsakes the 'mechanical chase' do Sul. The town itself has no attractions, but the natural approach; accompanies small groups (preferably less than resources of the area are impressive. There are many caves five persons) on an extensive walking trip through the area in the region, the main ones being Lago Azul (an underfor several days; camps out at night (away from drinking ground lake that's 156 meters deep) and Nossa Senhora •dens!), and takes you on walks at the optimum times to Aparecida. To visit the caves, you need a guide, because the observe wildlife—before sunrise, at dusk and during the caves are locked and the guides have the keys. Another attraction of the area is the incredibly clear night. A trip along these lines will require at least four days rivers, where it's possible for divers to see the fish eyeball (preferably five). Insist on meeting your guide (or make it clear in writing to eyeball, that you will go only with a designated guide), and avoid signing on through an intermediary. How many years has your guide been in the Pantanal? Remember that speaking English is less important than local knowledge. Someone who has spent their life in the Pantanal won't speak much English. There are a lot of shonky guides around. In Corumba they're known as guias piratas (pirate guides). They're not registered with the AssociacAo dos Guias (Guides Association), so if you have some complaint or want your money back; you have no course of action. On these shonky tours, there is alot of cachaca drinking, the theory being that since
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
*Tours Hapakany Tur (255-1315), at Rua Pilad Rebua 626, is a well-organized outfit. Sergio da Gruta, who runs it, is a good guy and knows the area very well. He offers several different excursions, including a rubber rafting day trip. Prices vary, but are mostly around the $30 mark. For places to stay and places to eat read the book.
Tripping through the Pantanal Tended up staying over a month in Corumba, going out on fours tours, so I sort of got an overview of the whole scene—and a lot of stories (good and bad) from the other backpackers. The Guides You don't have to find a guide, they'll find you. They meet the buses and trains at the stations, they come to hotels, they approach you in restaurants or outside the Banco do Brasil (a very trying place to be on the last Friday of the month)). The sales pitch is pretty standard: albums ofphotos taken on their tours, letters of recommendation from satisfied tourists, and often a bit of badmouthing the other guides thrown in for good measure. Sometimes this last technique includes showing you 'letters' from tourists waxing lyrically about how terrible Guide A or Guide B was. These left me pondering a) why anyone would write a letter of complaint not to the guide but to someone completely different, and b) that someone whose publicity consists of telling you not how good they are, but how bad everyone else is, lacks imagination, talent and ethics. All offer three or four-day tours, including bottled water tents and/or hammocks. All the guides know the Pantanal well, they're predominantly born and bred in the area. Most speak only Portuguese, although Corumba is a border town so quite a few are familiar with Spanish too. Some of them know the names ofsome ofthe wildlife in English or Hebrew that they've picked up from tourists. Generally a tour is made up of a guide, a driver, a cook and five to ten tourists. These guys tend to freelance, alternately forming a team or competing with each other. Some ofthe ones I met and/or heard about from others who did tours with them: Katu—he's the elder statesman ofthe bunch, he's been a guide for over ten years. He doesn't leap offthe truck and sprint around and catch armadillos and alligators with the same vigor as the younger ones, but he's got tons of experience and everyone likes him. Murilo Reis—the second most experienced, he started working as a guide when he was a teenager. He has lived
34
Ponta Porft is a border town divided from the Paraguayan town of Pedro Juan Caballero by Avenida Internacional. It was a center for the yerba mate trade in the late 1800s, long before it started attracting Brazilians, who like to play in the Paraguayan casinos, shop for perfumes, electronics and musical condoms, and hang out in ritzy hotels.
in Hamburg for a year, and in April 1993 returned from London where he went to work with some Brits and Kiwis that he'd met when they were in Brazil. So, although he's spent most of his life in the Pantanal, he speaks very good English and German. Gil Tours—Gil is a smooth character, he speaks English but doesn't usually take tours out himself; he hires guides (who don't speak English). He seems to have the habit ofkeeping people waiting about without telling them what's going on, but the tours themselves are fine. Tucanturs—the star attraction is Pedro, who worked with Murilo for four years. He doesn't speak English but understands a bit, and speaks Spanish. Great guide. Johnny Indiano—has spent his life in the Pantanal and is especially good at finding nests and newborn animals. There seem to be a lot of guides who've adopted the name Johnny. The Tours We spent the first day basically driving out there, and the last day driving back, which was good because we got a long way into the Pantanal. Sometimes they have trouble with the trucks. It's difficult terrain for any vehicle, but the drivers really knew what they were doing, and they were all capable mechanics who quickly and effectively fixed anything that needed repairing on the spot. They never chased animals with the truck, only on foot, to give us a closer look and then they released them. The food was good, they provide for vegetarians like me, and there's plenty of bottled water. Round the campfire at night, sometimes caipirinhas were offered, but most of us stuck to hot tea or coffee. We slept in a big tent with a very good mosquito net, or in hammocks strung up in an outside (mosquito screened) room on a farm. Before we left the campsite, all the rubbish was burned, or put in bags to take back to Corumba. We went on lots of lovely long walks early in the mornings, and again in the evenings. It's amazingly beautiful in the Pantanal, the landscape itself is so interesting even without all the incredible creatures that live there. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular, and the night sky takes your breath away. The main thing to take is effective insect repellent, and apply it liberally in the evenings. There are about one zillion mosquitoes, all extremely partial to tourists. They never seem to bother the guides—one of those intensely unfair little facts of nature! Maryann Sewell - New Zealand Excerpts from Brazil - A Travel Survival Kit 3rd edition, by Andrew Draffen, Chris McAsey, Leonardo Pinheiro,and Robyn Jones. For more information call Lonely Planet: (800) 275-8555. Copyright 1996 Lonely Planet Publications. Used by permission. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
rr
L
ir r
"Don't go to Brazil, had warned me. anything," warned ado r t cautious friend, 'especial
, don't go to the favelas.' Bid!k felt safer here than I often did on the mean streets of London,
mething I was still chewing evev pat..2e-tquiet:4111c evee,
r
.1u.. Lciucn undeL.o. PHILIP BLAZDELL
I had always wanted to travel, to find that mythical sun-drenched land, far from the mean streets of London, where exotic fruits hung from trees, where I would rub shoulders with exotic people speaking exotic languages and where life moved to the beat of a different rhythm. My romantically inclined, and almost always solitary wanderings, had taken me on great circles around the globe. I had lived in Asia for some time, I had wandered extensively in Africa and Europe, but these countries, however pleasing and rewarding, were still far from my own images of Shangri-la. I stayed for sometime, drank beer in the sun and then moved on. It seemed that I was indeed searching for something beyond reach. I discovered my own personal Shangri-la purely by chance a few years ago. In a halfhearted attempt to get me to focus on the academic career which was threatening, my professor—who had come to see me as an infrequent suntanned Visitor to the lab—arranged a short lecture tour of the northeast of Brazil for me. I think I knew on my first night, as I strolled down the coastal road numb with jet lag, that I had found somewhere I could be happy. It took me almost two years of what seemed like a lifetime inAsia to get back, and somehow it feels like I never left. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
My re-immersion in Brazilian cultiire began one bright autumn morning' in Tokyo when I took the early morning shuttle to Nagoya. A misunderstanding with my ticket had sent me on the lest direct route. From Nagoya I would e the red eye to sao Paulo and then or to Fortaleza—my fmal destination. Over he years I had flown many times outi of Tokyo and the flights were always he same, rows of conservatively dressed business men sat silently whilst the odd harassed-looking women fretted over the latest fashion magazine. Today however was different. There was almost a party atmosphere, people were laughing and joking, stories were being swapped and the stewardesses were being flirted with. The plane, much to he shock of the few tired looking businessmen, was almost entirely full of Brazilians. The woman next to me seeing tat I was busily studying Portuguese spcke slowly to me asking my final destinati n. `Ahh,' she replied wistfully when I tild her Fortaleza, 'very very beautiful.' Arriving at sao Paulo after a I ng flight is never the best introductiot to Brazil, and on this particular morn ng immigration and custords was packed. A harassed-looking custom official took ny passport and asked me my final destination. I told him. He let out a long sigh nd told me how luck I was. He made a tired
gesture at the long queue snaking behind me as if to say 'life isn't fair.' Fortaleza is the capital of Ceara. Tucked away on the northeast coast of Brazil, it is home to some two million inhabitants and outside of Brazil, virtually unknown. For the majority of residents from Rio and SAo Paulo that I spoke with it is far enough away from the big smokes of Rio and sao Paulo to be exotic and exciting. This is to say nothing of the large number of imported cars (30,000 BMWs alone—the highest number in Brazil), which cruise the sun-drenched streets and give the city an almost European feel. My guide book painted a more romantic picture, one which perhaps I have nurtured in my own mind over the last few years, of a long coastline of white sand beaches, of bars nestling between wind sculptured dunes where you could buy anything from beer to lobster. It warned me that the bars were 'little more then rustic beach huts with jangada sails as roof, but that the lack of electricity was not a problem as the beers were kept cold in Styrofoam boxes.' That didn't seem too bad to me. Paradise indeed... Today, like almost every other city in the world, after my last visit things have changed. There are still rustic bars on deserted sandy beaches, places where you can kick back and pretend that the bar man is actually 'Man Friday' and where you 35
can throw your hammock between two trees and watch the sun set over the peaceful Atlantic ocean whilst sipping a cocktail, but there are also more modern bars. The old and the new, modern and traditional coexist easily. Alongside the vibrant nightspots it is still possible to see the beauty, which attracted Orson Welles to film scenes of his movie It's all true on the coast's sun-drenched shores. According to some local historians, Vicente Yafiez was supposed to have landed on Praia Mucuripe on the 2nd February 1500, two months before Pedro Alvares Cabral—the Portuguese explorer who is credited with the discovery of Brazil—arrived in Bahia. Whoever landed first is a contentious issue, one which historians still debate. I imagine them holding scholarly meetings on beachfront bars, sipping beers (nice work if you can get it), but it wasn't till about 1612 that the first colonists arrived. It was for some time part of the Dutch empire that lost it in a bloody battle to the local Indians, who in turn lost it to another marauding Dutchman, Matias Beck, in 1639. He built the fort, Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Assuncao, which was to give the town its name (the original Dutch name was Schoonernborch—literally beautiful citadel). In 1654 the Portuguese arrived and captured the fort, colonization began in earnest. The Portuguese left behind a legacy of crumbling colonial buildings many of which can be seen
about the city today. I drove one morning shortly after I arrived, North to Cumbuco. I had vivid memories of Cumbuco, ones that I was sure had been romanticized in my mind since I was last there. My guidebook describes Cumbuco as 'a long flat beach 36
with summer houses, hotels bars and restaurants.' It adds almost apologetically that 'it is not one of the most beautiful beaches in Ceara: I remembered differently. I had arrived, after a night of dancing and drinking, just before dawn. The town was still sleeping and as the sun slowly began to crawl into the sky we climbed high into the lonely dunes. The colors slowly began to change from dark velvet black of night tc the pinky yellow of dawn. The only scund was the click click of my camera and the distant sigh of the sea. Stretching for what seemed like miles away below us was our solitary footprints. Watching the sunrise in such a place was almost a spiritual experience—one which I have carried with me ever since. For months afterwards I kept a photo of the sun's first rays glittering on the azure water of the Lagoa de Parnamirim on my desk. No one ever quite believed that this was Brazil. We walked down in the early light to the surf to watch the local fishermen pulling in their exquisitely handmade wooden boats. We chatted for a while, about the day's catch and about the beach, but they were keen to return to the sea. I felt I had taken up too much of their time anyway and helped push the boat into the surf. As the boat slipped away they waved and laughed that ii was a little strange to meet an English man so early in the day. I crept back to my hotel; the churches were
already filling up for the day's first service. Breakfast was being served, but before my head hit my.pillow I was asleep, dreaming of white sand beaches. Two years later, Cumbuco was still as beautiful, the beach still made me hold my breath—as if breathing would shatter the
illusion of blue su and white sand. But progress was obvious. On the dunes the locals were practicing the national Cearense pastime of 'esquidunda,' They assured me it was easy, simply climb to the top of the dunes with a plank of wood and than slide down to the bottoak--which should preferably end in a lago I believed them, but the lure of an ice-col beer was too much and I retired to a shady bar for a beer. I would be wrong to paint a picture idyllic beauty in Ceara and my Brazilian friends, who have taken on the role of my mentors with unpa,tiallel zeal, would not be happy for me to do this. They were from the beginning keen for me to see all aspects of the city. It is with a mixture of sadness, frustration and desperation that they will tell you that the Northeast has massive social problems (this is painfully apparent to anyone who strolls round the city and is continually accosted by painfully poor children), poverty, unemployment and housing shortages are rife. The education system is decaying, some say beyond repair, and a significant percentage of the population lack what most of us would consider basic sanitation. Health care is woefully inadequate and begging, or child prostitution, is sometimes the only alternative. And yet, the people remain spirited. These are not the dispassionately poor and broken people I have seen in my travels to other countries. They may be poor, but the spirit that is uniquely Brazil still throbs in their veins. One afternoon we drove through the outskirts of town towards the favelas, which cling to the hills surrounding the town. Our trip, on a beautiful afternoon, took us along the main coastal road, past sun burnt tourists, past the busy craft market where you can buy delicate lace articles fora good price and out ofthe city. We climbed into the hills and the 5-star hotels, where we couldn't even afford a beer, vanished and gave way to poorer, more modest dwellings. The opulence of the high-rise developments gave way to a more understandable, almost rural community. We stopped at a small bar. Just a few tables on a dusty street corner. Soon we were sipping cold beers. "Don't go to Brazil," my parents had warned me. "Don't leave your hotel," warned another old South American hand. "Don't do anything," warned another cautious friend, "especially don't go to the favelas ." But I felt safer here then I often did on the mean streets of London—something I was still chewing over a few weeks later when I lost my pager and wallet to BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
a qu ick-fmgered pickpocket on the London underground. The local people had stopped their football game and were huddled round a book. They were studying the latest textbook from the Universidade Aberta (Open University). Since 1972 the government has been trying to address the problem of poor educational standards by using TV and radio. The programs, which are universally popular, concentrate on primary and secondary levels of education. One especially successful course consists of 235 radio and TV programs, which aim to qualify schoolteachers. The statistics are horrific, 40% of adults have insufficient language skills to read a newspaper, only 2 out of every 10 children make it through elementary school whilst educational funding is continually cut, but on this particular balmy night, in the poorer part of town I saw nothing but hope for these children. Of course, coming to Brazil for a short time and coming here to work for an extended period is a totally different proposition. It is easy to romanticize and view a country's faults through rose-colored spectacles when you are only passing through; to live with them on a day to day basis is more of a challenge. I am pleased to say that my memories of Bra-
zil have stood the test of time well, aside from the odd ugly skyscraper, w ch has appeared were! remembered a be utiful rustic bar, things are very much s I had left them. I am very much look ng forward to exploring further this fan stic country, to learn the language and try to understand the life ofpeople here on e edge of paradise.
philip@dem.ufc.br
INTERNATIONAL TOURS LOS ANGELES INC. THE BEST OF BRAZIL FOR A VERY LOW PRICE OW
$375 $519 $545 $545 PORTO ALEGRE/CURITIBA/IGUAZU $545 $545 VITORIA/FLORIANDPOLIS $545 $545 BRASiLIA/CUIABA $545 $545 VISIT BRAZIL 5 COUPONS $440 OW
RI
$279 $399 $445 $445 $329
$341 $539 $629 $669 $399
We have discounted prices tor Mexico, Central and South America, Asia, Europe and Australia. Please call us for quotes. PRICES SUBJECT TO CHANGE WITHOUT NOTICE 688W. BAKER ST. - SUITE 3 COSTA MESA, CA 92626 (714) 668-1175 (ENG.) (714) 668-0515 (SPA.) 2130 SAWTELLE BLVD. SUITE 112 LOS ANGELES, CA 90025 (310) 575-4544 (ENG. ONLY)
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
FRON
RI
RIO/SAO PAULO RECIFE/SALVADOR/BELO
LIMA SANTIAGO, CHILE BUENOS AIRES MONTEVIDEO TOKYO-JAPAN
Philip Blazdell grew up in West London and left initially for a position in Japan. He is currently employed at the Federal University of Curl where he is a professor of environmental and ecological materials processing. He is a regular contributor to several travel magazines. He plans to spend the next three years in Brazil. He still travels extensively whenever possible and loves to receive feedback from other travelers or readers. You can email him at
321 E. 2ND ST. - SUITE 1001 LOS ANGELES, CA 90012 (213) 613-0943 (ENG.) (213) 613-1521 (SPA.) 9841 AIRPORT BLVD. - SUITE 506 LAX, CA 90045 (310) 641-4894 (ENG. ONLY)
10-SP
$510* (RI)
• PLUS TAX - RESTRICTIONS APPLY
OTHER DESTINATIONS AVAILABLE. PLEASE CALL US, AND COMPARE OUR PRICES AND OUR SERVICES. THEY STAND ON THEIR OWN MERIT AND YOU ARE THE JUDGE. RRZI TOUR
BRAZIL TOURS WORLD WIDE SERVICES Established 1963 - Same Ownership
Visit us at http://www.braziltours.com -ASTA
1-800-927-8352
14TAN
"Tel.: (818) 990-4-995 Fa
(818) 990-3114.
mail: bfoster734@aol.com 14615 Ventura Blvd.. Suite A, Sherman Oaks, California 91403 37
Postcards from Rio de Janeiro They are into this quality certification process here big-time. Man, it is just sensational. I went to one of these stations the other day, when I went on a sales trip with an amigo in his car in Niteroi. JOHN MILLER
My Bicycle What would I do without my bicycle? It is just so valuable and a lot of fun. It is total freedom. The great part is Rio de Janeiro is so well catered for bike riders especially in Zona Sul and towards Centro. Now Marta is just so protective, and really worries about me on my bicycle. That's nice, but gees, it's a bicycle for Christ's sake. I do not ride very fast most of the times, but sometimes I like to race down a hill in Leblon or Sao Conrado. Also I use the bicycle to make deliveries of wine in Leblon, Ipanema, Copacabana, Lem e, sometimes to Lagoa and Gavea. I can carry about 12 bottles maximum Without losing stability and control, and any more than this! will hire a boy to deliver by bus or get the customer to collect. I am a penny pinching stiff, so for short deliveries I go by bicycle. Now Marta wants me to wear a helmet so she bought me one of those white plastic helmets, tres-chie, NOT. Man,! hate this helmet; it makes me look like Uncle Fester in the Adaths family. And it is just so dangerous. Let me explain. In late September I had a long delivery run, to Gavea, Lagoa, back to Leblon, and Ipanema then home. I head off about 3:30 PM with the wine (1 mixed dozen) in my haversack, and this bloody helmet. I can see the storm clouds building up in the south, I will have to finish this delivery in less than two hours I think, or else I am going to drown. So today lam riding a little faster than normal, not much, but I am cranking the shaft up a notch or two. I am sweating; it is dripping off me by the time I get to my second last delivery in Ipanema about 5:30 PM. I am just about finished, and peddling through the back streets of Ipanema, although it is peak hour and there are a few cars about, and some gridlock. The sweat pouring off my brow is running in my eyes, it is so hot with this blasted helmet. Suddenly I cannot see properly because of the sweat in my eyes; a car cuts in front of me at an intersection and just props dead still
due to the gridlock, and wham, I plough into him (not him in to me thank Christ). I actually just take a big tumble over the back of the car. I somehow manage to fall and use my hands and knees as a cushion for the rest of my body to land on. I get up and carefully lift and scrape the outer four layers of my knees and hands that now cover the road and put them approximately back on my body (I'll wash the dirt out later). Time to check the important things. My bike is built like a tank, so no problem there. Double check the wine is ok (that would have been a real bummer, all is ok). The driver gets out and apologizes; I hand over the business cards. "Hey Fernando, you want to apologize, buy some Aussie wine?" This is all because ofthis bloody helmet. About three later Marta asked where is the helmet? I said it was stolen.
ISO-9002—and good old fashion servi Yep, they are into this quality certification process hi big-time. Now one of the big petroleum companies has been hammering away at the service stations on this front, and a few petrol stations have finished ISO 9002 When this happens, the service station attendants wear this really great plastic coverall all with ISO 9002 plastered all over it. So what is like? Man, it is just sensational. I went to one of these stations the other day, when I went on a sales trip with an amigo in his car in Niteroi. He was low on fuel and pulled into one of these service stations just to top up the tank, nothing else. Anyway, we pull in and man, I think it was the pit crew from Formula One racing team practicing here on how to give good fast service. There are six guys working our car, one on the pump, one on the tires, one under bonnet, one doing the windscreen front and back, and two guys with huge pearly white teeth selling icy cans of Coca-Cola or whatever. Now, Yuri (the guy in the driver's seat), just hands over $R15 (about $8) and I buy a can of coke, that is $R16 total, and six guys worked us over. When was the last time you had service like this? 1920. Nah, NEVER! Another example. One of the big supermarket chains in Rio is Zona Sul. Marta and I had a Festa de Cachaca e Cerveja (Liquor and Beer Party) one night in October for about 50 people. A lot of work goes into running a party as you know, and at the last minute I forgot to get some plastic cups. So I race around the comer to Zona Sul and no cups in this store. The manager comes over and says wait a minute. He pulls out the mobile phone, two phone calls, asks me how many cups, ten minutes later a guy on a bike comes up to the store with 200 plastic cups from the other Zona Sul store down the road. It cost about $10. Ever have this happen at Safeway or Woolworths? Brazilian service, awesome some days, other days, well, I l'iltt.sr think I'll leave that for other people to write about
Bob Marley & The Wailers Bob could not make this episode, but his band did. When I was finishing high school, Bob Marley and the Wailers were a huge influence on my musical tastes. It was also a great time for calypso cricket, and I guess the two just seemed so compatible. Anyway, 20 years later, I get to see the Wailers in 38
BRAZIL-DECEMBER 1999
akirOMMNPINAR0400
AWFIMORMIMA
SN0
Rio de Janeiro. They are not young any more, they have anew What happens, i you go to a company, which has a licen lead vocalist of course (Bob died 14 years ago I think), who from the gove ent, that is authorized to say your documents sounds pretty similar to Bob. are authentic, en they see your documents (for example a The Wailers are playing at the Metropolitan, an indoor passport, or wed mg certificate), they photocopy them, then" concert venue in Barra da Tijuca, holds about 4,000 people, stamp them that ey are legal, official, originals, legitimate. standing room only. It is under a Shopping center. Cost: $10 Then you can these photocopies of the documents (with per head. the official stam s that say they are legitimate) and get•themj So it is Saturday 28th September, and Marta, Rob, my through the syste for whatever process you desire. Portuguese tutor, Tamara, and a girlfriend head off at 9:00 PM In my case, th s process is about gaining a more perman to the concert. We arrive just in time for the traffic jam, park residency status ( d eventually onto Green Card type status).., the car (sort of), and head over to the gates. We join the queue So Marta works Me system (for about three days of standing to get in, and in about three minutes flat we are guardians for in line with me just watching and tagging along), meeting about ten under-16 teenage girls who want to go to the concert, bureaucrats. I am bored shitless, but the number of people have tickets, but need to show the security people that they are involved is just mind boggling. At the end, you think you have in good hands. No problem. Marta, Rob and I just play the made it. Nup, wait another twelve months, but in the interim,f roles of parents, uncle or whatever for this scam. you get this piece of paper with a number on it that says you The crowd is reasonably well behaved in the line, but it can stay as long as you behave yourself for 90 days and comel gets a bit intense for a while as there is a bit of checking to do back again in 90 days to renew. to get in, usual metal detector stuff. Finally we get inside, and Now that tha 's completed you think you are in the cle. it is just a beautiful feeling, a good mixture of teenagers, and No way, Jose. 'That's just the start. You have yet to get a CPF adults, this is family night, the Wailers fan club spans a couple (IRS card). Then you may try to get your Identidade (ID). of generations. Lots of people in the traditional colored clothes What about a work book (carteira de trabalho)? Do you want of red, black, green and yellow, plenty of guys that look like a driver's license (carteira de motorista)? How about opening they could do a stand in on an Iced Tea commercial. a bank account (conta bancaria)? Would you like medical' It is a capacity crowd, but everyone is so well behaved. insurance (seguro sande)? Video store card? Man, the system.' You can buy alcohol inside, beer, cachaca, everyone is just so How much more of this is there? % well behaved, no one drunk, but as usual enjoying to the maximum. And as you know the Wailers and Rastafarian Lochness Scottish Pub Restaurant culture has a lot of involvement with maconha (marijuana), so Lord Jim's Was an institution Bar in Ipanema for many'. it is just everywhere. The place is just one big Bong! Man, it years as a watering hole for the ex-pat community people. is so chilled out in here, you could get high just breathing the Times change, and Lord Jim's has changed hands, and so have exhaust fumes from the air conditioning vents. And it is pretty the frequenters. 'lids is a frequent event in Rio. Pubs, bars, warm in here. restaurants, discos come and go with great regularity. Bars can OK, show time is about 11:30, and it is incredible, all the go from being the most popular bar in Rio in one month, to great songs. "Stand up", "Freedom", "I Shot the Sheriff', desert the next. Loyalty is the most sought-after thing amongst "Trenchtown Rock", "The Redback on the Toilet Seat" (joke), restaurant owners. all the numbers made so very popular over the years. Lochness Scottish Bar Restaurant was opened in the Now, one part of this I did not expect was just how well Paddington of Rio, Botafogo, some years ago. It does fairly behaved the crowd was. Tamara wanted to go to the front of good trade on a Friday & Saturday. Lochness Bar has the bag the concert, and I said this would be impossible, based upon pipes playing on most Friday nights, stirring music for Anglomy experience of concerts in Australia. She says no, so Saxons, but not even remotely understood by the Carioca (the Tamara and I head to the front. No sweat, right to the front, no expressions of pain on my wife Marta's face when she hears pushing, no panicking, no aggression, just very good Karma, this music is something to see). but so much maconha. The band is even tossing joints to the This bar is loaded with ex pats from the Commonwealth. crowd. Also a lot of Car(ocas that have spent time in London, and the The concert finishes about 2:30 AM. Everyone is very usual Royal Nay boys in town for R&R. One of the really happy. I have been assigned the task of getting autographs of charming things bout talking to Cariocas in English, is you the band. Now a little Aussie knowledge helps here. The can tell where t ey learned English by their accent. Hence, crowd waiting to get autographs is pretty thick, so I am at the those Cariocas ho lived in the USA talk with an American back, 4 deep, about a 10 minute wait coming up. But! use the accent, those wh • learned in London with an English accent, magic words and scream at one of the Wailers: "Viv Richards those who learnt in Brazil, have a Carioca accent. is God!" I had a complete set of autographs in less than 30 Anyway M. & land couple of amigos went to Lochness seconds. Cariocas are just staring at me, wanting to know in October one F 'day night. It's I 0:30 PM and the bar is in full what I said. A couple of them ask me what I said, and pretty swing. Anyway, I am chatting away to a couple of British soon they are all saying "Viv Richards, Viv Richards". Man, sailors, and one ays to me: this is just so much fun. The Wailers drummer is beaming at "See that si ver-haired elderly gentleman in the me and winking away. with the other g y, is that who I think it is?" We head off, typical post concert traffic, boy, do! need to I say, "Look, I have never met the guy, but! think yeah, it eat a lot of pizza now. I have a serious case of the munchies. him, right age, d he does live here, that is for sure". I wonder what caused that? Must be all that dancing. Eat at So whispers tart to do the round and all the British sailors' home dial a pizza. Bedtime: 5:30 AM. Make love for eight are wondering ha w to approach the guy. seconds. ZZZZ77777777777 So I walk o r and extend my hand, "Boa noite, ,Se Ronaldo. My nane is John Miller, my father knew you when My Visa you lived in Au alia and you were working as a laborer on They have this process of registering documents in Brazil. the construction of Tullamarine Airport. Can we talk for a 42"„"voymetal momm re=4,1 AlP BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
39
moment?". Ronald says, "Good God man, never say that name in my presence again. You know of course that the British detective who kidnapped me in Rio de Janeiro was also called John Miller. You have taken 2 years off my life. And I do not have too many to spare." So We start to talk a little about the time he spent in Australia. About his memories of six o'clock closing, the times he spent on Yeppoon Beach, traveling around Australia, his son who playedAussie Rules football. How his wife died recently. The bars and discos he has owned in Rio de Janeiro. He asksnbout the Australian wine of course and is naturally curious.1 said that Australia was a vastly different dining experience to those of the sixties, the influence of the Italians, Vietnamese, Thais, etc. He fondly remembers dining in Little Bourke Street Melbourne at a Chinese restaurant. By this stage, a few more sailors have got up the gumption to talk to SenhorBiggs, and they are moving in for autographs and T-shirts that he sells.! decide it is time for me to leave him with his little business in peace. I am sure we will have more time together at some stage.
tooth in about four weeks time. "Any allergies, Senhor?" Ummmm, yep "German dentists in Brazil". She looks at me with a puzzled expression. Alexandra then, hits me with the first of two elephant tranquilizer dart gun bullets, and! can feel my mouth going numb, plus the whole side ofmy head, neck, and lam starting to lose control of my right shoulder and arm when I start thinking about losing control of my other bodily functions (what happens if this novocaine gets that far down my anatomy?)..! could swear that she could remove my right eye and would not feel it Marta and Alexandra are jabbering away ince I do not exist, meanwhile I have the cold sweats, and wondering where are the certificates on the wall that says Alexandra is a dentist? This could be the local McDonald's attendant for all I know. Gee, do anesthetics make you paranoid or what? OK, so in go the wads of cotton a la Marlon Brandi in the Godfather, in comes that stupid gadget that makes the sucking noise inside your mouth that never removes the saliva, and more "abra mais" . Now the day they can make one of the dentist drills without the high pitch whine will be a big step forward in dentistry. And why do they not ever A Visit to the Dentist issue you with earplugs. The whining commences, bits ofold Let me put this into context. I was given a book to read filling and teeth, the smell of burning something or other,! recently, about Nazis in South America, pulp fiction stuff; am really freaking now, man, Get me out of here quickly. written in the seventies when all these types of books were so Marta is just so kind in a firm way, and is reassuring me that popular, and well, supposedly based upon fact, but you know, everything will be all right. That's OK for Marta; she has hard to believe. So I read it, and it was ok, the best pieces were perfect teeth. about describing the geography of Paraguay, Bra41 and I get a break after 10 minutes to gob up the contents ofmy Argentina. The central character was a German doctor of a mouth (I hope this conjures up a pretty sight because I am very dubious background who did villainous things in the pretty freaked out now). Now it's time to put the temporary concentration camps in the Second World War. And yeah, I filling in and Alexandria works the paste into my mouth into have read Marathon Man and saw Dustin Hoffman in the film some form of a tooth. Perspiration forming on her brow, me version. Dentists and me are never comfortable, even it'll have too, she is working overtime to get this in place before it sets had very few problems with my teeth, but! guess lam not too rigid. different from most people on this front. Now, just to diverge a little, you know when you go to a Anyway, a very old filling of mine works its wayl loose hairdresser to get your hair done, at the end the barber passes during one of those infamous chiorascaria afternoons nd so the mirror around toisee if you like the workmanship. Why it is time to go see the dentist. Marta comes along with ne as don't dentists do this? the dentist does not speak English, and! figure with a hand in We finish with me mumbling if we can take the cotton my mouth and screaming, my Portuguese is not going to wool out now and if I can keep the old filling as a souvenir. sound too good. So it is off to the Copacabana Public Clinic. Cost: $15 per 45 minutes work. MMMMMmmnunmm. No OK, so we arrive and check in. The place has all the usual one is making money, that's for sure. I am not complaining, standard cream tiles, very clean, not too much screaming and and my temporary filling works a treat. Next I mumble: "Ah, whaling taking place, so I figure this may still be OK. We fill Alexandra, do you like wine?" in some paperwork, and then we wait about three minutes, and That night, there was considerable dribbling of beer and we are told to go in. Thank Christ it is not some old German cachaca from the side of my mouth till the Novocain wore dentist I am deeply relieved. off. The dentist's name is Alexandra, a Carioca, and I make some jokes, Partuguese Lessons and! sit down in the usual "Jason You know in the movie & play My Fair Lady there is this reclining" rocking chair. She speaks wonderful scene where Eliza Doolittle is practicing to speak very little English, so! explainl to her "proper cultured" English and professor Higgins is getting that screaming in pain like this her to practice her "H" and rid herself of the East London "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh" accent It goes like this: means the same in English as it is in "Of Hartford, Hereford, and Hampshire, Hurricanes Portuguese. hardly ever happen". The spotlights go, it's "abra mais" (open wide) time, and Of course, Eliza has a little trouble at first with this and she dives in with the instruments, and starts poking around. it comes out like this: Some Portuguese equivalent to "this may hurt a bit" sends me "Of artfod, erefod, end `ampsheer, urricaims, ardlee flaying around on the chair, and Marta chides me for being ever appen". such a big baby. OK, diagnosis is over, this is a big job, icanal This would be almost perfect pronunciation in Portulevel stuff; need to do this in two steps, a temporary filli4 for guese. The leading "h" is silent in Portuguese. the next four weeks, then a proper block mould for the entire Let's move onto 'The rain in Spain falls mainly on the 40
BRAZZIL-DECEMBERM9
plain". By the way, professor Higgins in Rio is a girl named Tamara. She gives me Portuguese lessons 2-3 times a week, and Marta is a sort of surrogate mother to her. Tamara is a really cool Carioca. Loves a beach. So shall we begin with the lessons this month. OK, how about the days of the week. Sunday domingo Monday—segunda-feira Tuesday--tqrca-feira Wednesday—quarta-feira Thursday—quinta-feira Friday—sexta-feira Saturday—sabado See easy as pie. Took me a month to remember that. Now how about the seasons: Spring—primavera Surruner—verao Winter—inverno
Autumn— ook, I knew it last week, it's umm, on the tip of my tongue, yeah, can you give me a clue, it's like, sounds like, ummmm, gees, my mind's gone a blank, OK, I give in, you tell me. T am, can I have a beer now, por favor? Now I remember: o tono.
John iller is an Australian, living in Rio de Janeiro, selling Austr lian wine. 'Postcards from Rio' is a journal of his journey in the land of the Cariocas. For contact: John and Marta Miller Rua Joaquim Nabuco, 106 / Apt 1001 Copacabana CEP 22080-030 Rio de Janeiro Brazil Tel: +55(021) 521 8568 E-mail: milleribl.com.br
CONTINENTAL DELTA KOREAN UNITED VAR1G
TROPICAL
1 (888) 7BRASIL
MONEY REMITTANCE
1 (888) 727-2745
$10
TRAVEL TEL: (510) 655-9904 BRAZZIL -DECEMBER 1999
FAX: (510) 655-9229
E-mail. tropicalgslip.net
4168 PIEDMONT AVE., SUITES C & D - OAKLAND, CA 94611 41
How a guitar teacher turned a fledgeling publishing firm into the cultural powerhouse known as Lumiar Discos & Editora. DAN1ELLA THOMPSON Before he became the music mogul he is today, A Im ir Chediak was a teacher of guitar and harmony. First he taught a generation of singers and instrumentalists such as Gal Costa, Nara Lea°, Tim Maia, Carlos Lyra, Elba Ramalho, Cazuza, Ricardo Silveira, and Moraes Moreira. Then he took on the musical education of their children: Moreno Veloso, Pedro Gil, and Davi Moraes are some musicians' sons who passed through Chediak's hands. Being, also an avid collector of MPB (ntrisica popular bras ileira) discs. Chediak was bound to hit upon the idea of musical education for the multitudes. The dream began to take shape in 1984, with a dictionary of guitar chords. "There was a paucity of educational material for popular music," says Chediak, "Until then, only classic harmony as studied, and it was full of rules. The musician came out educated, but with no basis for playing in night spots." By 1987, with Lumiaralready in business. Chediak published a book on harmony and improvisation that continues to be a success among beginning musicians. Along the way. Chediak conceived the idea of the songbook, a collection of song scores including lyrics, melody, and harmony that would give guitar professionals and amateurs alike ready access to the works of Brazil's best songwriters. That was eleven years ago. The Veloso connection yielded the first Luin iar songbook in 1988, with 135 of Caetano's songs collected in two volumes. Lumiar prides itself on publishing accurate sheet music and lyrics, and each composer it publishes-it still alive—actively participates in finalizing the scores. Working with Caetano. Chediak says, he learned to differentiate between real rhythmic division and what is merely interpretation. In his turn. Caetano, whose lyrics w ere for years erroneously printed even in his own albums' notes, finally got a correct edition of his major works. In addition to songs, the Caetano Veloso songbook contained photos, a biographical text, and an interview w ith the songwriter, as well as his discography as a performer. This format set the mold for future Lumiar 42
publications, and the concept took off to such an extent that Chediak copyrighted the word Songbook, not to everyone's pleasure. He hasn't stopped since. Songbook Caetano Veloso was followed by Bossa Nova (with 312 songs in five volumes); Antonio Carlos Jobim (in three volumes); Cazuza and Rita Lee (in two volumes each). In 1991, a new component was introduced into the formula. In tandem with the three books of Songbook Noel Rosa, Lumiar launched its first CD. It was a revelation. Noel's sambas, all composed in the 1920s and '30s (the composer died in 1937), were displayed in sparkling new settings. On the very first track, Antonio Carlos Jobim and his band turned "Tres Apitos," Noel's declaration of longing for a factory worker, into a Jobinian tour de force. Songbook Noel Rosa showcased stars on the order of Djavan, Gilberto Gil, Gal Costa, Joao Bosco, Maria Bethania, Caetano Veloso, and Chico Buarque in 22 of Noel's best-known sambas. The booklet provided printed lyrics—often regarded as an unnecessary luxury in Brazilian discs. In short, it was a winning combination that Lumiar has since repeated again and again. In 1992 came Gilberto Gil, with two books and three discs. In 1993, Vinicius de Moraes (three books, three CDs) and Dorival Caymmi (80+ songs in two books and four CDs—practically the entire output of the Bahian composer). Carlos Lyra (a book and a CD) and Edu Lobo (a book and two CDs) appeared in 1994. Then Lumiar's production began to assume larger proportions. In 1995 we got Songbook Ary Barroso (two books, three CDs) and the two discs of Antonio Carlos Jobim Instrumental. Jobim's vocal compositions were released on five discs in 1996, followed in 1997 by Songbook Djavan in two books and three CDs, which was followed by Songbook Marcos Valle (a book and two CDs) in 1998. This year's first songbook package, foci° Donato, consists of a book and three CDs (see review). The second, released just before Christmas, is the eagerly awaited mammoth Songbook Chico Buarque, comprising four books and eight CDs (the reviews are mixed). Songbook Joao Bosco and another one of chorc are in the works. Chediak's most ambitious project to date (will it be realized?) is meant to encompass ten books containing the most representative 600 Brazilian songs of the 20th century. Each Lumiar songbook comes with its own tale. Working with Tom Jobim meant six months' worth of fax exchanges between Rio and New York. The melodic richness of Dorival Caymmi's songs suggested more elaborate guitar chords than those played by the composer. When Chediak proposed new harmonies, Caymmi said, "This is how I would have wanted to do it but wouldn't have been able to." With Djavan, the case BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
was reversed. "Djavan has highly complicated divisions that I couldn't smooth out. His music is interpretation. No matter how many times I asked, he always repeated it exactly the same way. His book ended up being a rhythmic reading," explains Chediak. Songbook Djavan took seven years to produce. Along the way, Chediak branched out into non-songbook publications, although Lumiar's entire output continues to be MPB-related. The catalog offers numerous how-to books for singers and instrumentalists, as well as reference works and non-technical books. Among the latter are the works of music critic and historian Sergio Cabral, who chronicled the life and work of musical giants Pixinguinha, Ary Barroso, Elizeth Cardoso, and Antonio Carlos Jobim and wrote the history of Rio de Janeiro's escolas de samba. In the disc realm, Lumiar launched the mini-series Letra & Miisica, paying tribute to the work of four great songwriters who demonstrated excellence in both music and lyrics. These were given expert interpretations by pairs of seasoned performers. The Ary Barroso disc was recorded by Rosa Passos & Lula GalvAo (guitar); Chico Buarque by Joao Nogueira & Marinho Boffa (piano); Noel Rosa by Johnny Alf & Leandro Braga (piano); and Tom Jobim by Leny Andrade & Cristovao Bastos (piano). In recent years, Lumiar has also become home to first-rate musicians who might not otherwise find a quality label in the commercially oriented Brazilian music market. The label's steady roster includes Joao Donato; bossanovista Rosa Passos, who just released her third Lumiar disc, Morada ao Samba(see review); crack pianist and arranger Cristovdo Bastos, who finally got a chance to release his own solo CD, AventdaBrasil; and talented young singer Carol Saboya, the first artist to be launched outright by Lumiar, and whose second disc, Janelas Abertas, is reviewed here. Carol Saboya is the daughter of pianist/composer Antonio Adolfo. "I'm a fan of Carol's," says Chediak, "When she was a year-and-a-half old, she already sang, and I accompanied heron the guitar. Whenever I Changed the tonality, she quickly followed." Chediak's greatest pleasure, he claims, is in being able to help new generations of budding musicians like the I4-year old that appeared one day with his mother in Lumiar's office. "He said that he'd learned to play by himself, using only the songbooks. I asked him to play "Beatriz" (by Edu Laic) & Chico Buarque), which isn't easy, and he acquitted himself very well," concludes the proud publisher. Lumiar's www.lumiar.co
Carol Saboya & Nels on the Uncommon
h & Portuguese):
. . s Jobim Tribute—Focusing
This has been the year of the Jobim Tribute. What with heavyweights like Joao Donato, Gal Costa, Toninho Horta, and Quartet° Jobim-Moreknbaum among those releasing Tudo Tom albums (and subject to polemics as to the necessity for an nth version of "Chega de Saudade") it would have been embarrassing if not foolhardy to bring out yet another new Jobim tribute were it not for the high quality of the offering. The latest contribution, Janelas Abertas, comes from a label that has become a veritable Jobim factory. Having already released similar discs by Leny Andrade & Cristovao Bastos, Rosa Passos, and Joao Donato, not to mention five BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
vocal and two instrumental Songbook Antonio Carlos Jobim CDs and Minha Alma Canta—Jobim's own recordings from Lumiar's other songbooks—Chediak now gives us singer Carol Saboya and guitarist Nelson Faria's interpretations. The good news is that Janelas Abertas is free of clichés. No "Chega de Saudade" here. Nor will you find "Desafinado" or "Corcovado" or "Garota de Ipanema" or "Aguas de Marco." The repertoire was chosen with care, and the songs (see tracklist) are giveen an intimate setting where they blossom quietly into subtl beauty. Carol Saboya made her recording debut last year with the accomplished disc Danca da Voz, for which she won the prestigio s Sharp Award as Female Singer Re elation of 1998. In Janelas Abertas s e is given the opportunity to dem s nstrate again her lovely voice, tec ical ability, musicality, and sensiti ity to the material. The voice, accom anied by Nelson Faria's guitar in low-key and highly appro riate arrangements, never overwhelms the compositions. It i the songs that are given the spotlight in this intelligent produc ion. The result is a disc that should please not only Jobim f s but all who appreciate the art of the song. Janelas Abertas Nelson Faria Interpretam Canciies de him Lumiar Discos LD4I- 02/99; 1999 . Meninos, Antonio Carlos Jobim/ChicoBuarque) 2. Ma Luiza tonio Carlos Jobim) 3. Estrada do Antonio Carlos Jobim/Dolores Duran) tonio Carlos Jobim) 05. Canc odo menor (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius de Nimes) Cammho cruzados (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton endonca)
Carol Sabo tonio Carlos
7. Fotografia ntonio Carlos Jobim/Chico Buanie) 8. Estradabran a (Antonio Carlos Jobim/Vinicius deMo 9. Foi a noite Antonio Carlos Jobim/Newton Mendonca) 10. Bonita (An nio Carlos Jobim/Ray Gilbert) 11. Sem voce (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes) 12. Janelas abertas (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes) 13. Espelho da Aguas (Antonio Carlos Jobim) 14.Chora coracao (Antonio Carlos Jobim/ Vinicius de Moraes)
Songbook Jo& Donato, an Exercise in Brilliance After a protracted period of anticipation, Songbook Joao Donato is finally out in both book and disc form. o A 0 We've been rewarded with a package well worth the wait. Despite his DONATO innovative contributions to b ossa nova and Latin jazz, Donato has remained a well-kept secret throughout his almost 50-year career. A cult idol regarded as a musician's musician, he hasn't received the widespread acclaim due an artist of his magnitude. This songbook package begins to redress a long-standing injustice. The book In addition to gathering 52 of Donato's songs (melodies, lyrics, and harmony chords for acoustic and electric guitar) in a single volume, the bilingual (Portuguese and English) 43
Songbook Joao Donato provides a preface by Lumiar's'publisher/editor Almir Chediak; an overview of Donato's career by the music critic Tank de Souza; an interview between Chediak and Donato edited by Sergio Cabral; and a partial discography of Donato (including disc-cover reproductions). There's also a collection of interesting photos from Donato' s life, ranging from childhood pictures to portraits of Donato's muses—among them his great love, singer/songwriter Dolores Duran, and immortal singer Aracy de Almeida. The artist's career can be traced from its beginnings: the 16-year old Donato playing accordion at the Monte Carlo nightclub; the 19-year old Donato, still on the accordion, at Radio Guanabara in the company of, among others, legendary Epoca de Ouro guitarist Cesar Faria (who's Paulinho da Viola's father) and equally legendary flutist Altamiro Carrilho; a rare 1957 shot taken in downtown Rio, where Donato is shown striding alongside his alter ego, the yet unknown Joao Gilberto, who's wearing black-framed glasses a la Federico Fellini. The pair are also portrayed performing together in Viareggio, Italy in 1963, although the caption dates the photo from 1962.
version is more of an unconscious borrowing than an outright theft (or perhaps Joao Bosco was influenced by "Os Caminhos" rather than by "La Mentira"). Lumiar's songbooks don't include dates for published compositions, thus it's not easy to determine the age of "Os Caminhos" or the true origin of this melody. Gilberto Gil leads off Vol. 3 with a charming voice & guitar interpretation of "Minha Saudade"—by far the best I've heard of this song, co-authored with Joao Gilberto, who failed to appear on these discs despite past promises. Donato can also be heard with Djavan in "Depois do Natal"; with Rosa Passos in a wonderful recording of "A Paz"; with Ed Motta in "Everyday"; with Os Cariocas in "Lua Dourada"; and with Tita in "0 Escafandrista." The Donato tracks alone would be reason enough to acquire this excellent set, but we're fortunate in getting much more in the bargain.
The discs There are three discs in the Songbook Joao Donato set, and they're among the best that Lumiar has produced thus far. As usual with Lumiar's productions, the brightest stars, both vocalists and instrumentalists, have been summoned to perform the songs. However, the Donato songbook is the only one in which the composer takes an active part as pianist and support vocalist in some of the recordings, in addition to having arranged a number of the songs (he participates in a total of 13 tracks). This should be of particular interest to Donato sticklers, who would be glad to know that Donato's compelling compositions receive here proper Donatian arrangements that embellish his songs without interfering with their, simplicity. I was hard-put to single out any outstanding song or performance, owing to the uniformly high quality of the offerings. Vol. 1 is off to a roaring start with Gal Costa lending her incomparable voice to "Simples Carinho" and Chico Buarque giving "Brisa do Mar" all the intimacy it deserves. They are followed by Edu Lobo in "Nua Iddia"; J.T. Meirelles & Ed Motta in a rollicking rendition of "Bananeira"; Joao Bosco letting loose unexpected harmonies in "Mentiras"; and so it goes. Donato accompanies Luiz Melodia in a fine rendition of "Coisas Distantes," one of the songs he co-authored with Joao Gilberto. The composer also does the honors as pianist in the chachacha "Nasci Para Bailar," sung here by Wanda Sa. The disc concludes with the early and memorable composition "Mu ito a Vontade," uniting Donato on piano with Ivan Lins on vocals. Nana Caymmi expertly opens Vol. 2 in "Ate Quem Sabe," followed by Caetano Veloso & Donato in "0 Fundo" and Daniela Mercury & Guinga in "A Ra." The composer makes four more appearances on this disc. He accompanies Arnaldo Antunes in "A Bruxa de Mentira" and Joao Bosco in "Nossas Oltimas Viagens." The final track is "Doralinda," sung by Donato Jr., with his father providing the syncopated piano accompaniment. The curiosity in Vol. 2 is "Os Caminhos," sung by the veteran radio queen Emilinha Borba, with Donato on piano. Donaio is such an outstanding composer that it's hard to accuse him of plagiarism. Yet "Os Caminhos" is almost a dead ringer for the Mexican bolero "La Mentira" (aka "Se te olvida"), composed in 1965 by the late great Alvaro Carrillo. "La Mentira" is the same composition that influenced Joao Bosco's "Latin Lover," so it may be possible that Donato's
01. Simples carinho (Joao Donato/Abel Silva) Gal Costa 02. Brisa do mar (Joao Donato/Abel Silva)—Chico Buarque 03. Nua ideia( Joao Donato/Caetano Veloso)--Edu Lobo 04. Bananeira (Joao Donato/Gilberto Gil)—J.T. Meirelles & Ed Mona 05. Mentiras (Joao Donato/Lysias Eni o)— Joao Bosco 06. Maria Sutpresa (Joao Donato/Caetano Veloso)—Adriana Calcanhoto 07. Coisas distantes.(Joao Donato/Joao Gilberto/Lysias Enio)--Luiz Melodia 08. Emorio (Joao Donato/Gilberto Gil)— Sandra de SA 09. Nasci para bailar (Joao Donato/Paulo Andre Barata)—Wanda Sá 10. Os verbos do amor (Joao Donato/ Abel Silva)—Emilio Santiago 11. Sambou, sambou (Joao Donato/Joao Mello)—Joyce 12. Fim de sonho (Joao Donato/Joao Carlos Padua)—Rosa Passos 13. Cade voce? (Joao Donato/Chico Buarque)—Angela RO RO & Antonio Adolfo 14. Muito a vontade (Joao Donato/Lysias Enio)—Ivan Lins & Joao Donato '
44
Songbook Joao Donato Volume 1 Lumiar Discos LD 43-04/99; 1999
Songbook JoAo Donato Volume 2 Lumiar Discos LD 44-05/99; 1999 1. Ate quern sabe (Joao Donato/Lysias Enio)—Nana Caymmi 2. 0 fundo (Joao Donato/Caetano Veloso) Caetano Veloso &Joao Donato 3. A ra (Joao Donato/Caetano Veloso)— Daniela Mercury & Guinga 4. A bruxa de mentira (Joao Donato/ Gilberto Gil)—Arnaldo Antunes & Joao Donato 5. Café corn pao (Joao Donato/Lysias Enio)—Marcos Valle 6. Terremoto (Joao Donato/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)—Elba Ramalho 7. E proibido afinar o piano (Joao Donato/Nilo Batista)— Eduardo Dusek 8. Chorou, chorou (Joao Donato/Paulo Cesar Pinheiro)— MiOcha 09.Nossas Animas viagens (Joao Donato/Joao Bosco/Aldir Blanc)—Joao Bosco & Joao Donato 10. Amor perfeito (Joao Donato/Moraes Moreira)--Moraes Moreira BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
11.Sambolero (Jodo Donato/Carmen Costa) Carmen Costa 12.Os caminhos (Joao Donato/Abel Silva)-Emilinha Borba 13. Quem diz que sabe (Jac, Donato/Paulo Sdrgio Valle)Johnny Alf 14. Doralinda (Joao Donato/Cazuza)-Donato Jr.
Songbook Joao Donato Volume 3 Lumiar Discos LD 45-06/99; 1999
at home within the musical confines of her songs. Ever so gently, magical bubble that filters out all dissonance and stress, leaving us full of pure joy. Rosa Passos: Morada do Samba Lumiar Discos LD 42-03/99; 1999 1. Beiral (Djavan) 2. Esmeraldas (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 3. Pequena musica notuma (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 4. Roseira (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 5. Primavera (Rosa Passos/Walmir Palma) 6. Morada do samba (Rosa Passos/Walmir Palma) 7. Alma de blues (Rosa Passos/Fernando de Oliveira) 8. Marco (Rosa Passos/S6rgio Natureza) 9. La vem a baiana (Dorival Caymmi) 10. Nada igual (Rosa Passos/Sergio Natureza) 11. Calmaria (Walmir Palma) 12. Saudade da Bahia (Dorival Caymmi) 13. Retiro l(Paulinho da Viola)
1. Minha saudade (Joao Donatogodo Gilberto) Gilberto Gil 2. Depois do Natal (Joao Donato/ Lysias Enio/Jodo Mello)-Djavan & v.. wow.- kreillaiMP 60.4•••• mos Joao Donato 40.1.0.1.1.11. 3. A paz (Joao Donato/Gilberto Gil)-Rosa Passos 4. Naturalmente (Joao Donato/Caetano Veloso)--Zelia Duncan & Lenine 5. Everyday [A Little Love] (Joao Donato/Norman Gimbel)-Ed Motta & Joao Donato 6. Gaiolas abertas (Joao Donato/Martinho da Vila)-Leila Joao Donato's Discography Pinheiro The following partial list was extracted from Donato's 7. Daquele anlor, nem me fale (Joao Donato/Martinho da complete discography on the Sombras.com website, which Vila)-Jodu Nogueira also includes label and format information, participations in 8. Amazonas (Joao Donato/Lysias En io)--Veronica Sabino other musicians discs and in collections, and album covers: & Leandro Braga http://www.sombras.com.br/joaodonato/j.oaod.htm#discografia 9. Flor de maracuja (Joao Donato/Lysias Enio)Dominguinhos Altamiro Carrilho e Seu Regional (1949) 10. Entre urn sim e um lido (Joao Donato/Abel Silva)-Ze Donato e Seu Conjunto (1953) Renato Os Namorados (1953) 11. Lua dourada (Jodo Donato/Fausto Nilo) Os Cariocas & Os Namorados (1953) Joao Donato Os Namorados (1954) 12.Lugar comum (Joao Donato/Gilberto Gil)-Leny Andrade Donato e Seu Conjunto (1955) 13. Fonte da saudade (Joao Donato/Lysias Enio)-Elza Cha Dancante-Donato e seu Conjunto (1956) Soares Muito a Vontade [Sambou Sambou] (1962) 14. 0 escafandrista (Jodo Donato/Tita/Edson Lobo)-Tita A Bossa Muito Modema de Donato e Seu Trio (1963) Bud Shank/Donato/Rosinha de Valenca [Bud Shank & His Brazilian Friends] (1965) Piano of J do Donato-The New Sound of Brasil (1965) Donato/D odato [Joao Donato] (1969) Rosa Passos Sings Rosa Passos A Bad Do ato (1970) After a three-year absence, we have Rosa Passos again. Not Quern Q em (1973) that she was gone-she released an Ary Barroso disc in 1997 Lugar Co um (1975) and a Tom Jobim/JoAo Gilberto tribute in 1998. But fans of Leiliadas Joao Donato Ao Vivo no People (1986) Rosa Passos the songwriter have been deprived of her compoCoisas ra Simples (EMI; 1996) sitions since 1996, when she released her last Velas album, Café corn do--Jodo Donato & Eloir de Moraes (Lumiar; 1997) Pano Pra Mango. Donatom S6 Danco Samba (Lumiar; 1999) It's an auspicious return. The Bahian singer/guitarist, who's Songbook oat) Donato (Lumiar; 1999) been called `Joao Gilberto in skirts,' is probably the foremost
female bossanovista in the world today, celebrated for her intimist vocals, superb ability with rhythmic division, and the not inconsiderable feat of hav ing given bossa nova a fresh new sound. Now she returns with a polished jewel, Morada do Samba, in which eight of the songs were composed by her. Collaborating with guitarist and arranger Lula Galvao-her recording partner for a number of years-and with musicians of the first line like pianist Gilson Peranzzetta, bassist Jorge Helder, drummer Erivelton Silva, and a host of distinguished instrumentalists, Rosa submerges us in a balmy pool of sophistication, good taste, mellow swing, and wellbeing. Rosa sings of new passion, of small everyday scenes, of nature, of Bahia, and of music-topics that are very much BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Rosa Passos' Discography Recriacdo Chantecler; 1978) Amorosa (1988) Curare (Velas; 1991) Festa (Velas; 1993) Pano Pra Manga (Velas; 1996) Letra & Musica Ary Barroso (Lumiar; 1997) 40 Anos dd Bossa Nova-Rosa Passos Canta Antonio Carlos Jobim (Lumiar; 1998) Morada do Samba (Lumiar; 1999)
Carol Saboya's Discography Danca da Vo (Lumiar; 1998) Janelas Abe s-Carol Saboya & Nelson Faria Interpretam Cancaes de ntonio Carlos Jobim (Lumiar; 1998) Daniell4i Thompson is a writer and preservationist living in Northern alifornia. She can be reached at danivAjps.net. 45
JEFFERSON DE SOUZA,
Music
Explosive Material Mona Gadelha is an accomplished songwriter and a mature singer. Ten years after arriving in Sao Paulo, the musician released her first album. The long wait was worthwhile. Mona Gadel ha, the album, features special guest appearances by such great musicians that clearly state the respect that the artist has won in the Sao Paulo music and show business scene. Now comes her second album. It's natural to expect Cenas & Dramas to be more successful than the first album. Mona is singing and composing better than ever.
Mona Gadelha's cradle was Ceara (A state in the Northeast of Brazil. In Brazil, the Northeast is a cultural melting pot similar to the Mississippi delta, with strong grassroots music and a rich folk tradition, that has had considerable influence upon Brazilian culture). But that does not matter at all. Her music is not the kind that can be bound by geographical locations. It is hardly—or even not at all—regional. Which, let us say, cannot be but on the positive side when we take it into account. Mona, as she became known at first among friends and soon in the music and show business environment, is rather an urban, cosmopolitan artist that reaches beyond boundaries. Perhaps this explains her earlier involvement with rock music in the mid-70s in Fortaleza (capital of Ceara state), then a stronghold of the most traditional kind of mainstream MPB (Brazilian Popular Music). Mona had her debut at the First Rock Festival of Ceara in 1974. She was the only female performer at the event and right away became the muse of Ceara rock music. The fact is that she made it to the local scene and formed the groups Kaleidoscopio and EmocOes Perigosas (The translation would be "Cheap Thrills" although the word "Perigosas" means `Dangerous'). In 1979 she was featured in the Massafeira collection, a double album featuring 20 artists that brought together two generations of Ceara musicians. The recording of the blues that Mona had written and was included in that collection, "Cor de Sonho", had the participation of well-known and widely respected musicians Robertinho do Recife (guitar) and Tali° Mourao (piano). Curiously enough, this track became a hit on local radio stations in her native Fortaleza. The collection Massafeira also served the purpose of bringing Mona to the south of Brazil. After her trip to Rio de Janeiro—where the recordings were made—during which she took advantage of the opportunity and recorded backing vocals for Ednardo (local Ceara artist who achieved nationwide success) in the album that takes his name for a title, she realized that her career as an artist would have to take place in the south, mainly around the Rio-Sao Paulo axis. Nevertheless, it took her six years to pack up for good. Before that, she successfully pursued a bachelor's degree in Social Communication Science at the Federal University in Ceara. Meanwhile, she was featured in several collections and performed in many shows. One of these shows, entitled Emocoes Perigosas, was staged all over the Northeast in '84, with successful reviews and billings. Ten years after arriving in sao Paulo, Mona has finally made it to her solo album by Movieplay. The long wait was worthwhile. Produced by Alexandre Fontanetti, Mona Gadelha, the album, features special guest appearances by such great musicians that clearly state the respect that the artist has won along this decade in the Sao Paulo music and show business scene. It is easy to understand why a debut album can rely on the 'little help' of so many good friends: Mona is an accomplished songwriter and a mature singer. Her album is a well-balanced mix of pop and MPB (Brazilian Popular Music)—in case we are allowed to say there is any kind of difference between them. Mona Gadelha is a great promise for Brazilian music. Let no one say they have not been warned. Jefferson de Souza is a music critic.
45
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Bluesy Mona
Deus* Twilight of a Ci (Mona adelha) (Mona Gad6 )
SERGIO BARBO ,
The meeting of composer and interpreter Mona Gadelha with musicians Andre MagalhAes and Alvaro Faria resulted in a series of involving songs tied together by a subtle intentional concept that defines the new album of the artist from Ceara. Not that they have composed something together, but that they have worked around a vibrant singularity in the production and arrangements of this new album. Mona Gadelha is releasing her second album, Cenas & Dramas, filled with electronics intervention combined with simple and relaxed rhythms. Cenas & Dramas is trip hop, distorted and melody guitars with tons of ballad, blues and vaudeville. It is a pure reflex of the consistent life of this singer who was born in Ceara and lives in So Paulo. More cosmopolitan, she comes with her second album, maturing the ideas of the first one, Mona Gadelha, which brought songs like "Cinema Noir", broadcast in some national radio stations and MTV. The video clip debuted in other countries like Mexico, Spain and Portugal, confirming the versatility of the artist. It's natural to expect this album to be more successful than the first one; Mona is singing
do
a bora de it enil No imp Mebateunifriof
destination g for etiotion um dia v you hear ,t noon Esse voz aota Nrai saber que hat em mhn you will lcillov that there is a dream in m Um sonho onde morn in which you live Pra quern COITC11 Atris E jipassou muito suf'oco Aillat é muito mais S6 cama 6 Mgt° pouco Amore paeiencia Carinho, awned° Amor 6 como um blues Ouvindo 0 coraca0 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
For somebody who fought and Who already suffered a lot to love is much more only bed is not enough love is patience, caress, attention love is like a blues listening to the heart
acd.:cOmposing better than ever. The compositions depict facts of life: home desertion, passion, disillusionment, and loneliness. Such themes match perfectly with the "bluesy" voice of Moms Cinema is another motive of her songwriting. Songs- like :“Cine Insane )3110,57, "Mais :um Roniance" and Vai pra Guerra?" suggest short rwayie stories. By the way, ‘`Crepiisculo unta Dense", is a suggestive song that mixes trip bop arld pop with a Brazilian stress., -The songs 'on the album have many accents, as well is scenes and drama; they are destined to become hits. In a productive scene of Brazilian female 'Voices, Mona Gadelha is an artist-who deals in a way not orthodox to MPB, pop lock, and blues. Although those are her influences, Mona has her own unique style. Produced by Andre Magalhaes (Aquilo Deu Nisso's ,drummer) and Alvaro Faria (awarded VU studio producer of publicity soundtracks), the new album has the special participation of Lek) Nazario, Toninho Ferragutti, Cesar Maluf, Mauricio Pereira, Paulo Padilha, Claudio Faria, Emerson Vilani
ir Everything vitheego
Ricardo Cunha. Besides her own songs, Mona sings the compositions of Edvaldo Santana and Lobao, and new talents like Fernando Pereira, Marcos Andrada e Wilson Ferreira (Vultos, a band from Sao Paulo in the 80's), the fellows Lacio Ricardo and Siegbert Franklin (author of the album cover & partner of Mona Gadelha.) Sergio Barbo is a critic and music researcher. Mona Gadelha's comments about the songs on the album Cenas & Dramas: 1. Crepusculo de uma Deusa (Mona Gadelha)—When I watched Sunset Boulevard (Crepasculo dos Deuses, Gods' Twilight in Portuguese) I was very impressed with the interpretation of Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. I started thinking about fame and decadence. I wrote the song almost like a lullaby to "put stars to bed". 2. Mais um Romance (Mona Gadelha)—Born with a nostalgic intendment of "disco music," but the arrangement of Alvaro Faria brought another language and more sensuality. 3. Johnny Vai pra Guerra? (Mona Gadelha)—A dialogue with teenagers. I made it thinking of a 17-year-old friend who wanted to leave his parents. 4. 0 Amante (Mona Gadelha)—A joke with infidelity—this feeling that sometimes assaults all of us human beings. 5. Farsantes Amantes (Marcos Andrada/Wilson Ferreira) Music from the time of the band Vultos, pioneer of rock music in Sao Paulo in the '80s. It was released in a Vultos LP and we decided to record it again with another arrangement. I even went to one of their
the lights went off eannotstayhereaion ut you it's so awful 't make sense, it no pleasure, th don't get me wr want to hurt you omes and goes me so, so ig to sleep feel teliness can ca mg that the fault Wes miriennly mine y over, it's over n is so sad that I don remember mu, to have yo' antmoreofthetWc o too much king of you to appear at the window If lin the morning , and don't leave anymo old me, hold me
concerts whent first arrived in Sao Paulo in '86. 6.Bem-Me-Quer (Onde Voce Anda?) (Siegbert Franklin/Mona Gadelha)— This is one of my partnerships with the singer, guitarist, and designer Siegbert Franklin from Ceara. When we were teenagers in Fortaleza, we created the rock band "Kaleidoscepio". That was the end of the '70s and we were having fun being rebels in Ceara. 7. Ouvindo o Cora* (Edvaldo/ Gildo Passos)--Edvaldo is one of my favorite composers. When I made my first Minim he prepared a cassette with several songs I liked. The first one I recorded was "Sinai". This is blues, absolutely impassioning.
•e voce anda? Where are you eu corer* fica louco Myheartgetscrazy respire teu olhar If it doesn't breathe your look Ondevoce arida? Where are you? Minha voz Sc acaba My voice faits nap fate o sett nome If it doesn't sieal4your name quanto tetripo• voce vai ficar longe? And how long arewou going to stay amigos dizem que en The friends say Ja nao sou a mesma I'm not the same anymore otognifia beijo seu rosto On the photo I kiss your face Do quarto imagine From the beclroori I imagine sua voz na sale your voice in the living room ioda manha ett penso And every morninjg I th* Que you te encontrar I'm going to meetryou a, num lugar qualquer In the street, in any place u do ltot ell !"„CC C back
8.Duro (Fernando Pereira)—Fernando is another composer I adore. This is the first time he has recorded and I feel honored by that. I had a cassette with many of his songs, but "Duro" was suggested by Alvaro Faria. These are lyrics I would like to have written. 9. Cine Insane Blues (Liacio Ricardo)—Lticio Ricardo is a singer and composer from Ceara. Together with Siegbert Franklin they were the legend rock group "Perfume Azul" in Fortaleza. We did many shows together and I am happy for being able to record him. That's my homage to the generation that initiated a pop-rock scene in Ceara. 10. Por Tudo Que For (Lobao/ Bernardo Vilhena)—I adore the songs of Lobao and this is one of my favorites. I played this song for Andre on a cassette—just voice and acoustic guitar. He suggested doing this, with fewer instruments and in a lower tune. Mona's Webpage: http:// www.uol.com.br/monagadelha • How to contact Mona: outubro@uol.com.br or Tel:(+5511) 5584-8108 (talk to Silvania Barbosa). All this material was translated from the Portuguese and organized by Marcos Borges, a Brazilian screenwriter/designer graduated in journalism. He lives in the Black Forest in Germany, where he works in the Media Village design studio. Some of his screenplays can be found in his homepage: http:// 1nborges.homepage.com. Or you can get in touch with him at marcosborges@hotmail.com BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
nisce about the adventures they lived gether during the military dictatorsh p. Written by Paulo Faria, directed by Eli a Carneiro and Paulo Faria. With Bri Fioc a, Nara Gomes and Manuel Boucinhas. Cen ro Cultural Sdo Paulo. Dom Apocalipse 1,11—Inspired by e Bible. When in search of New Jerusale , John is visited by an angel who announ es the end of the world and wants him as witness. Directed by Antonio Arafijo, w th Joelson Medeiros, Kleber Vallim, d Luciana Schwinden. Presidio do His 6dromo. 0 Amor de Madalena por Jesus (Mag alena' s Love for Jesus)—The New Tes ament's story ofChrist and Magdalena tra sposed to our days. Written and directed sy Leo Lama, with Adriana Londoho, Luci a Magiolo, and Paula Cohen. At TBC. Amigos Para Sempre (Friends for Ever Monologue in praise of actress TO ia Carrero's career. Facts of her life mix d with poems of her friends including 1 te Vinicius de Moraes and Manuel Bandei a. Written by Ionia Carrero and Luis Art ur Nunes. Directed by Luis Arthur Nun s. Teatro Renaissance.
ooks best sellers FICTION 1 A casa dos budas ditosos, Lux6ria, Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro. Objetiva, R$ 19 2 Historias brasileiras de vett°, Luis Fernando Verissimo. Objetiva, R$ 27 3 0 testamento, John Grisham. Rocco, R$ 29.50 4 Ramses, vol. 5, sob a Acdcia do Ocidente. Christian Jacq. Bertrand, R$ 30 5 A eterna privaciio do zagueiro absoluto, Luis Fernando Verissimo. Objetiva, R$ 19.50 6 Musashi vol. 2, Eiji Yoshikawa. Estacao Liberdade, R$ 48 7 Hotel Brasil, Frei Betto. Atica, R$ 19.90 8 Ramses vol. 4, a dama de Abu-Simbel, Christian Jacq. Bertrand, R$ 30 9 0 fantasma de Manhattan, Frederick Forsyth. Record, R$ 20 10 Um longo candnho para casa, Danielle Steel. Record, R$ 22
NONFICTION RIO Coracdo Brasileiro (Brazilian Heart)—The story of four friends who keep their friendship from childhood to their forties. Written and directed by Flavio Vilarinho, with Daniel Dantas and Cristina Pereira. Teatro Vanucci. Um Certo Olhar: Pessoa e Lorca (A Certain Regard: Pessoa and Lorca)—Actor Raul Cortez mix song and dance together
with poetry by Spanish Federico Garcia Lorca and Portuguese Fernando Pessoa. Directed by Jose Possi Netto. Teatro da Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim. Antonio—Monologue inspired by the fantastic word world of late Argentinean writer Jorge Luis Borges. Dreamer lady finds a man ready to take her away. Directed by Almir Ribeiro, with Helena Varvaki. Teatro do Museu da Republica A Prosa do Nelson (Nelson's Chat)— Twenty actors tell dramas and tragedies portrayed by playwright Nelson Rodrigues in his writings. The texts were selected and adapted by Luiz Arthur Nunes, Demetrio Nicolau and also directed Nara Keiserman. Teatro do Planetaria
SAO PAULO Sabiti (Song-Thrush)—Two friends remiBRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Just-released American movies:<>An a and the King (Ana e o Rei), The Story of s (A Historia de Nos Dois), Cookie's Fortune (A Fortuna de Cookie), Velvet Goldmine (Velvet Goldmine), Double Jeopardy (Risco Duplo), Inspector Gad et (Gadget - Inspetor Bugiganga), Vir s (Virus), Toy Store II (Toy Store II), Te Messenger - The Story Of Joan of Arc (Joana .D 'Arc), The world is not enou h (007- 0 Mundo Ndo E o Bastante), Ghost Dog (Ghost Dog), Cookie's Fortune (A Fortuna De Cookie), The Winslow Boy (Cadete Winslow), 0 Trapalhdo e a Luz Azul (The Bungler and the Blue Light)—Brazi1/1999— Trapalhdo Didi and an aspiring rock singer get into another dimension trying to save a princess's life. Directed by Paulo Aragao and Alexandre Boury, with Renato Aragdo, Dede Santana and Christine Fernandes.' Iremos a Beirute (We Will Go to Beirut) Brazil/1999—A woman promises to choo e among the youngsters from an indoor s cer team, who fell in love with her, at t e end of the game. But the game never ends and she is still undecided 20 years later. Directed by Marcus Moura, with Giovanna Gold, Ilya Sdo Paulo, Guilherme Karam, Marya Fernanda Mota, Conceicdo Senna, and Claudio Jaborandy. Xuxa Requebra (Xuxa Waddles)—Braz 1/ 1999—Nena, ex-student of a dance scho 1 decides to prepare a group to win a dan e contest and this way this school from bei g bought by a drug trafficker. By Tizu a Yamasaki, with Xuxa, Daniel, El e Maravilha, Vinny, Fat Family, Ter a Samba, Banda Cheiro de Amor, a d Claudinho e Buchecha.
1 Noticias do Planalto, Mario Sergio Conti. Companhia das Letras, R$ 35 2 Chico Buarque, Regina Zappa. Relume Dumara, R$ R$ 15 3 0 livro de ouro da mitologia, Thomas Bulfinch. Ediouro, R$ 29 4 As melhores piadas do Planeta e da Casseta tambem, vol. 3, Casseta e Planeta. Objetiva, R$ 14 5 Ela e carioca, Ruy Castro. Companhia das Letras, R$ 33.50 6 A Viagem do descobrimento, Eduardo Bueno. Objetiva, R$ 18 7 Cronicas de um fim de seculo, Zuenir Ventura. Companhia das Letras, R$ 25 8 Capitdes do Brasil, Eduardo Bueno. Objetiva, R$ 24.50 9 Estacao Carandiru, Drauzio Varella. Companhia das Letras, R$ 26 10 208 maneiras de deixar um homem louco de desejo, Margot Saint-Loup. Ediouro, R$ 9.90
BUSINESS/ECONOMY 1 Assim é que se fala, Reinaldo Polito. Saraiva, R$ 24 2 Macroeconomia moderna, Gilberto Tadeu Lima e Joao Sicsu. Campus, R$ 39 3 0 longo amanhecer, Celso Furtado. Paz e Terra, R$ 14 4 Globalizacdo e globobagens, Paul Krugman. Campus, R$ 34 5 Ah, se eu soubesse, Richard Edler. Negocio, R$ 29.80 6 Economia global e exclusto social, Gilberto Dupas. Paz e Terra, R$ 27 7 De liderpara Wier, Paul Cohen e Frances Hesselbein. Futura, R$ 39 8 Marketing Digital, Marcio Chleba. Futura, R$ 22.50 9 A crise do capitalismo, George Soros. Campus, R$ 34 10 A globalizacdo da pobreza, Michel Chossudovski. Moderna, R$ 22 According to Jornal do Brasil, http:// www.jb.com.br 49
TABLETS MA RTA'S BED & BREAKFAST HOTEL "RIO DE JANEIRO" With TV, stereo, fax, e-mail, laundry, air-conditioning, large balconies and views 150 Meters to Copacabano and lpanema beaches
PORTUGUESE EN/1)Q QNSINIA [qt ATTORNEY AT MY/ABORADO/ADVORADO MEMBER. STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA
(818) 986-1295 e-mail:eqlaw@pacbell.net
IMMIGRATION MATTERS BUSINESS VISAS DEPORTATION DEFENSE DIVORCES
For reservations contact John &Marta Miller
Tel.: +55 (021)521-8568
E-mail: millerj@gbl.com.br
SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CALIFORNIA
Jr
BARBARA MAGLIO to 8, from
AXE Fl a We bring you infectious energy, a driving rhythm, and the most innovative Brazilian instrumental music
im
TOUCHDOWN FREIGHT INC BRAZIL CARGO SPECIALIST AIR/OCEAN / HOUSEHOLD GOODS
BEST SERVICE + BEST RATES
TEL: (310) 973-7112 E-maillfi@touchdownco.com FALAMOS PORTUGUES
(714) 668-1175 (ENG.) (714) 668-0515 (SPA.) BM E : Brazilian Music Enterprises
(561) 391-1057
http://www.hrazmus.com
TROPICAL TRAVEL BRAZIL NEVER SO CLOSE (800) 577.4582 TEL: (510) 655-9904 FAX: (510) 655-9229 E-mail: tropical@slip.net
4168 PIEDMONT AVE., SUITES C & ID OAKLAND, CA 94611
(415) 587-4990 CERTIFIED TRANSLATIONS (TRADUcA0 JURAMENTADA) Legal, Medical, Scientific, Busi ness Documents
and School Transcripts
Certified by the California Judicial Council and filed with the Brazilian Consulate Sinre 1981
IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY
STEVEN R. LAN DAAL Merle,Ameman Immligumon luviers Assnalla
Portuguese
General & Computer
E-mail: bjmaglio@compuserve.com
FAX: (310) 973-7113
THE BEST OF BRAZIL FOR A VERY LOW PRICE
Brazilian CDs, Songbooks & Historical Recordings and more!
Fax: (561) 391-2174
(310) 839-3788
INTERNATIONAL TOURS LOS ANGELES INC.
LANGUAGE SERVICES
• GREEN CARDS THROUGH MARRIAGE & FAMILY • EMPLOYMENT VISAS FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION MONTHS PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE
or call 1 800 621-4199 1 360 468-3616
I ALSO HANDLING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS I
Going to Rio?
WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THIS GALAXY
1316 3rd Street - Suite 311 Santa Monica, CA 90401
Tel: (310) 395-2828
NEEDS
VOLUNTEERS FOR Let an English-speaking native COT"OCO show you the Wonderful City Customized tours Individual or Groups
PROOFREADING WRMNG MAINTAINING MAILING LIST 8 EVERYTHING ELSE
(serious inquiries only)
323-255-8062
Riotur accredited tour guide
brazzil@brazzil.com
E-mail:krioka@yahoo.com
I I WANT MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING IN PLEASE SEND ME A MEDIA KIT. COVPR CONTACT: ADDRESS: CITY, ST, ZIP: PHONE: PRODUCT:
E-IV'AL: RETURN THIS FORM
TO:
BRAZZIL - PO BOX 50536 LOS ANGELES, CA 90050
Call (323)255-8062 or E-mail: brazzil@brazzil.com
For Ad, call (323) 255-8062 or E-mail: brazzil@brazzil.com 50
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
P N MARKET Motorista part-time Santa Monica area. Buscar a escola menino de l0 anos. Segunda a sexta 5:30 te 7:30 PM -10 horas semanais -$300 mensais - ita (310) 450-7501 [158]
a
an e
Looking for part/full time job. Housekeeper/ba Ysitter experience. I have fluent English/compu er skills. Marlene (310) 836-2458 [158]
mce mous
brazzil-ADS (3231 255082 ; unless I ppur um y $ Money $ International Sales Marketing. NEVER has it been so easy to make thousands of dollars on a weekly or even daily basis. Free training, no selling, consumable products. Call me and I will share my "Fortune" quest secret (800) 242-0363 [1751]. We speak Portuguese and English [163]
a ering Atencao, brasileiros: fazemos comida para congelar, salgadinhos, jantares, pequenos/grandes grupos. Call Joy (562) 438-3415 1165]
asses Business English -American teacher with M.B.A. and corporate experience. High-level, individualized instruction at rapid pace for executives/professionals in NYC. Contact D. Griffith (718) 624-2971 [170] Concord English Language Center -Just $498 for 4 weeks. 25 hours of lessons every week. Los Angeles. Tel: (213) 381-6644 - Fax: (213) 381-7114 - www.concordelc.com [168] English teacher (Aulas de Ingle's). Professor experiente (americano), todos os niveis, gramatica, conversagao, ingles profissional, expressoes idiomaticas, g irias e outras necessidades, classes individuais ou para grupos. Aprenda rapidamente. Chame por Ben (415) 759-6042 San Francisco [165] Portuguese Courses in Salvador da Bahia, Dialog°, http://www.brazilstudy.com, E-mail: dialogo @brazilstudy.com, fax: 01155 71 336-6329 [155] Portuguese Lessons, all levels, very affordable. Call Luciana (415) 421-3665 [165]
Or a BRAZIL - Wildlife Refuge - 130 acres Atlantic Forest, near Recife. Also tropical fruits. Excellent income from tourism. Price: $100,000. (310) 832-4367 [156] / I ere Housekeeper needed to live in. In the San Diego Area, beautiful horse club. Private Estate. Call Dino (760) 749-4068 [160]
ALISON RIDDELL & DONNA BROWER CASTING We are currently casting a film: Lost Brazilians. This is a project by the producers of the Japanese fi m Shall We Dance. Shooting would begin in April 2000 for 6 weeks, locations being in Tokyo and Sao Pau o. We are after actors, men and women and 1 child Ago speak Portuguese. If you fit into the following categories please fax your photo and résumé to Fax (310) 979-8350 or Tel: (310) 979-8393 Woman: aged 25-30 yrs. full figured, sexy, yet maternal - Child: 8-10 yrs. mixed Oriental and Portuguese, or Caucasian - Men: 18-22 yrs. similar to Ricky Martin, seducer of women - 35-40 yrs. chubby and happy go lucky type. Will play a DJ, so knowing how to rap like one is a plus. - 30-35 yrs. bartender. Big build, cheerful. - 25-40 yrs. Brazilian gang membeis. All types. Thank you! [168]
Brazilian Music in its totality. Samba, bossa nova, chorinho, baiao, axe, and more. Merchant Express (954) 785-5991
iewspapers ' agazmes Jornais e revistas do Brasil. Recebemos jorne is dierios e todas as principals revistas, incluindo masculinas e femininas. Tel. (954) 785-5991
ersnna Homan see s man Americana loura, 29, filha de brasileira e alemao, gostaria de con hecer urn rapaz negro, 25-34, morando em Los Angeles, para amizade e talvez mais. Pode escrever/mandar retrato a 1111 Sartori Avenue, Torrance, CA 90501 [156] Brasileira, atraente, procura americano 40-50. Foto para 140 Del Paso Ct, Fairfield, CA 94533 [172] Brazilian mulata lady—a knockout at 35—seeks young nice looking young boy 18+. Preference o dark skin. Forgood times. Letter and pict to: Cida, PO Box 894, Wildomar, CA 92595 [165]
ORM
an ee s Oman African/American Male, 40, Engineer, handsome, affectionate, romantic, in Houston, desire to meet Brazilian lady 25-35, send letter with photo; Wilfred Edwards, PO Box 2025, Missouri City, TX 77459, USA E-mail: wilfred.edwards@usa.net [166] Brasileiro-Americano, 36 anos, romantic° e atraente, procurando relacionamento corn brasilei a ou americana. (818) 344-1881 [166] Seeking beautiful, professional, English-speaki
brazzil-ADS 13231255-8082 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Carioca woman for best friend and marriage. Write to: Jodaps, Box 1492, Morrobay, California 934431492, USA [163] Swedish gentleman, widower, 58, well educated, speaks Port., seeks independent, warmhearted, educated lady with humor, and good professional status in Brazil, USA or anywhere. Write Bjorn Gunnarson PO Box 17242, Stockholm, 10462 Sweden - Email:bjorn_s@dataphone.se [164] Americano, 38, atraente, romantic° e sincero. Procura brasileira 18-45. Envier foto para 2440-16th St, No. 179, San Francisco, CA 94103 [158] Seeking Bay Area single Brazilian women to meet nice, single, attractive American men in the Bay Area for friendship, romance, and marriage. No fee. Send color photo and profile to Love Connection - 964 Howard St, San Francisco, CA 94103 Suite 20(160] Seeking ladies 18-45 years old to correspond with American men for friendship and companionship. FREE for all ladies. Write: TigerLilies, 2709 Lookout Dr., Suite 5206, Garland TX 75044 USA [160]
semen an see s man Brazilian bottom, 33 y/o, 55", 123Ibs, white skin, seeks black, young top man who wanna move to Brazil and share a whole life. Valdeck - Phone 011 5571 981 1990, valdecka@hotmail.com [163] Very handsome, professional, 40's WM seeks sincere, VGL/black/Brasil man. Truly love the music from Caetano to Nana to Gil and more! Maybe we can make music! I'm real thing! (323) 227-8935 [158]
en a The ideal apartment for vacation or business Beautiful air-conditioned studio apartment with all new appliances and parkay floors, in the heart of Copacabana, located on quiet tree-lined street, around the corner from shopping area and restaurants, just 2 blocks from the beach. Building is clean, well managed and has 24-hour security. Perfect for one or two people. $45 per day during low season and $55 during high season. Monthly rates also available. Tel. (718) 658-4987. E-mail: rio988@gateway.net [164] Rio de Janeiro - Apartment for Rent • Great Area! - Beat Hotel Prices! (510) 236-3684 [164]
• FEIRA LIVRE RATES: 500 a word. Phone is one word. • DISCOUNTS: For 3 times deduct 5%, for 6 times deduct 10%, for 12 times deduct 15%. • POLICY: All ads to be prepaid. Ads are accepted at our discretion. Your canceled check is your receipt. Please, include address and phone number, which will be kept confidential. • DEADLINE: The 25th of the month. Late material will be held for the following month if appropriate. •TO PLACE AD: Send ad with check, money order or your Credit Card number (plus your name and expiration date) to:
BRAZZIL P.O. Box 50536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536. 51
atitatissiNb Fogo e Paixio (310) 450-4586 a MIMI Writ Nilson A. Santos (213) 483-3430
Vanya's Sweets (954) 785-0087 Via Brasil (305) 866-7718
WM
• Pliphdais Or, Jorge Macedo (305) 271-7311 Dr. Mario Sanches (305) 541-7819 Dr. Ned Franzon (305) 776-1412 • Mileitbis &dra Brazzil (323) 255-8062 The Brazilian Sun (305) 933-3633 Florida Review (305) 374-5235 Real Estate Simone Bethencourt (954) 704-1211
Plifillar/1110111, Elizabeth Almeida, M.A. (310) 281-7536 Dr. Jefferson Si (213) 207-2770 Tania Haberkom, M.A. (310) 840-5380
• PONIMIS
'J t'
Brazil
(323) 255-8062
•Illei
fedi
,
Cent 21 Tania Sayegh (562) 865-2992
1 Nis
Culture Planet (310) 441-9808 Zebi Designs (310) 391-6530
Bossa Nova (310) 657-5070 Brazilian Tropical (714) 720-1522 By Brazil (310) 787-7520 Café Brasil (310) 837-8957 Carmen Banana (310) 837-4545 , ipanema Grill • (323) 933-7254 Italia Bahia (310) 657-6306 Rio Braz. Churrascaria (714) 739-2000 Zabumba (310) 841-6525
• IMO*
Cosmo Auto Parts (213) 259-9818
Brazilian Int. Affair, (310) 854-5881
•URN
Banco do Brasil (213) 688-2996
Brazilian Way (800)471-6333 ATW Travel (800) 529-2990 Brazil Air (800) 441-8515 Brazil Tours (818) 767-1200 Cheviot Hills Travel (310) 202-6264 " South Winds Tr & Tours (acq 533-3423
Boston • Mugs Livraria Plenitude (800) 532-5809 Consulado do Brasil (617) 617-542-4000 Sylvio P. Lessa (617) 924-1882
• fat I Fria* 4EV.V1 Brasil Brasil (617) 561-6094 Jerry's Cachaya (617) 666-5410
• Aits ftpifr
• INN, Vera° Brazil Bikinis (818) 887-1776 Joy's Catering (562) 438-3415
•bstrutin
• Ginn
Approach Student Ctr (617) 787-5401 Braz. & Amer. Lg. Inst. (617) 787-7716
• OW
• PINBMINS Brazzil (323) 255-8062 The Brazilian Monthly (617) 566-3651 Bossa: Braz. Jazz Guide (617) 262-9997
• Intwaats Café Brazil (617) 789-5980 lpanema (508) 460-6144 Tropicana (617) 567-4422 Pampas Churrascaria (617) 661-6613
Chicago • 1110110 Consulado G. do Brasil (312) 464-0244
• iriinlitlus Portuguese Lang. Ctr. (312) 276-6683
Dallas •intstraits Fogo de Chao (972) 503-7300
• Mil *icy Brazil Brasileiro (972) 594-8894
Los Angeles • MMUS Varig (800) GO VARIG
• Arts Icralts
Bakari Art Studio (213) 731-3700 Creations (310) 693-2844 52
Samba Collection (562) 438-3996 Brazil•Cal. Chbr of Corn. (310) 657-3161 Brazilian Sociocult. C. (310) 370-0929 Centro Cultural Gaucho (323) 256-6548 MILA • Samba School (310) 202-8091 Mov. Social Humanista (310) 281-6652 SambaLa -Esc. de Samba (562) 438-3996
• fisulato
Brazilian Consulate (213) 651-2664
011sinst
Gilberto Henriques (213) 464-0524
• Mir Prmulin Brazilian Nites Prod. (818) 566-1111 Samba & Saudade (323) 634-7811 Sayegh Promotions (562) 863-3463
• flit &Prank
Cachaya Pitu (714) 731-7788
• 1111111NW Hands of Care Mas. Thar. (213) 937-3835
• histattlai
Brasil Brasil Cult. Ctr (310) 397-3667 Modern Lang. Center (310) 839-8427
• Wind Art Snip ArtMedia (310) 826-1443
• Dini Mins Meiojas & Ferraz (310) 360-0901
• LUES Finance Plus Mort. Corp. (310) 585-8911
Friniflmrs- 34,
Boteco (954) 566-3190 Brazilian Tropicana (954) 781-1113 Porcio (305) 373-2777 Steak Masters (305) 567-1718
#112,1 MHO
Brazilian Wave (305) 561-3788 Discover Brazil Tours (800) 524-3666 Euroamarica (305) 358-3003 International Tours (800) 822-1318 Luma Travel (305) 374-8635 Monark Travel (305) 374-5855 New Port Tours (305) 372-5007 Br Online Travel (888) 527-2745 Via Brasil Travel (305) 866-7580
•
New York N. Jersey atibles c
••11, Brazil PI & Production (562) 437-6404 !
Miami - S.Florida a RIM Transbrasil (800) 872-3153 Varig (800) 468-2744 Vasp
(800 732-8277
• MIR,
Joel Stewart (954) 772-7
• MO Banco do Brasil (305) 358-3586 Banco Nacional (305) 372-0100 Banco Real (305) 358-2433 Banespa (305) 358-9167
• Chris t Assactatkat ABFC • As. Bras. da Flor. (407) 354-5200 Cim. Com. Brasil- EUA (305) 579-9030 ARARA • Amazon. As. (813) 842-3161
• Cianlits
Consulado do Brasil (305) 285-6200
• MA*
Hadimo de Si (305) 262-8212
• fest I All Braz. Imp. & Exp. (305) 523-8134 Brazil by Mail (954) 472-7163 Guarani Esteves (305) 345-1540
-
4,9
Luso-Brazilian Books (800) 727-LUSO algal Brazilian Ch. of Corn. (212) 751-4691 Brazilian Corn. Bureau (212) 916-3200 Brazilian Trade Bur. (212) 224-6280 4.CUM* Brazilian Gen. Cons. (212) 757-3080
*SOWN BBJ (Br. Bus. Junction) (212) 768-1545
• fest Magid, Amazonia (718) 204-1521 Coisa Noses (201) 578-2675 Merchant Express (201) 589-5884
Frilluthes Brazzil (323) 255-8062 The Brasilians (212) 382-1630 Brazilian Voice (201) 955-1137 OCA Magazine (516) 596-1853 Portugal-Brasil News (212) 228-2958 Samba Newsletter (718) 937-0574
• Submits Brasilia (212) 869-9200 Brazil 2000 (212) 877-7730 Brazilian Pavillion (212) 758-8129 Cabana Carioca (212) 581-8088
Indigo Blues (212) 221-0033 Nascimento (212) 755-6875 S.O.B. (212) 243-4940 Tapaj6s River (201) 491-9196
• friffifilitiliirt Barb Tour Service (201) 313-0996 Odyssea Travel Service (212) 826-3019
San Diego • ' Car Mania Auto Repair (619) 223-7748
• alit 1 isisckihns .
Clubs Bras. San Diego (619) 295-0842 Sunday Night Cl. Brazil (619) 233-5979 • Brazil Imports (619) 234-3401
alftritsittnes
Vigo-California (800) 994-VIGO
San Francisco •ifitattrang Varig (650 794-1998 Laura Basaloco-Lapo (415) 288-6727 Manoel Fads (510) 537-3533 Nilson Auto Body (415) 255-6717 Matts Auto Body (415) 565-3560
•„linty &Wu . Bibbo (415) 421-BIBO Carmen's International (415) 433-9441 Neyde's (415) 681-5355 B.A.S.O. (415) 661-2788 Bay Area Brasilian Club (415) 334-0106 Capoeira institute (510) 655-8207
Ciagitev:, Micronet (415) 665-1994 Stefan Hemmerich (510) 548-1310 Brazilian Consulate (415) 981-8170
-lust issirmilts Aquarela (510) 548-1310 Birds of Paradise (415) 863-3651 Ginga Brasil (510) 428-0698 Escola Nova de Samba (415) 661-4798 Samba do Corayao (415) 826-2588 Samba, Swing & Suor (415) 282-7378 Roberto Sales, DDS (510)451-8315
•
PRIMOU
Eyes For Talent (650) 595-2274 F. B. C. Events (415) 334-0106 Nativa Productions (408) 287-9798 Evergreen Market (415) 641-4506 HOC imp. Wholesale (408) 947-8511
• listratin
Portuguese - A. Frame (510) 339-9289 Portuguese Lang. Serv. (415) 587-4990
Ratttairs
•
Brazil Express-Vigo (415) 749-0524 West Brazil (415) 695-9258
• link Celia Malheiros (415) 738-2434 Fogo na Rodpa (510) 464-5999 Ricardo Peixoto (415) 752-9782 Voz do Brazil (415) 586-2276
wlecusits Emiliano Benevides (41476541r . Dr. Guilherme Salgado (415) 832-6219
• Prittin
M. C. Printing (510) 268-8967 • Mllionilitir,3% Brazil Today (510)526.1115 Brazzil (323) 255-8062
*listsimilftitnigsr Café do Brasil (415) 626-6432 Café Mardi Gras (415) 864-6788 Canto do Brasil (415) 626-8727 Club Fusetti (415) 459-6079 Joao's Restaurant (408) 244-1299 Muzzareia Di Bufala (415) 346-2284 Nino's (510) 845-9303 Terra Brazilis (415) 863-5177
• DIMON
,
Port. Lang. Services (415) 587-4990
• PIM Aguas Brazil Express (415) 749-0524 Paulo's Travel (415)863.2556 Rio Roma (415) 921-3353 Santini Tours (510) 843-2363 Travel Americas (415) 334-0404 Tropical Travel (510) 655-9904 Tucanos Travel (415) 454-9961
ashington DC Transbrasil (202) 775-9180 Varig (202) 331-8913 Vasp (202) 822-8277
• lugs Banco do Brasil (202) 857-0320 Banco do Est de S. Paulo (202) 682-1151 ,
• Mils 1 isstchilior Braz. Am. Cult Int (202) 362-8334 lost of Brazil. Business (202) 994-5205 Embaixada do Brasil (202) 238-2700
• Iftslaustts
Amazonia Grill (202) 537-0421
• friviti AlMils Intern. Discount Travel (703) 750-0101
BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
Brazil Air
SETE RAZOES PARA VOCE ADQUIRIR 0 CATALOGO # 1 DAS SETE NACOES!
Travel Services
1) Lista de: advogados, medicos, publicagoes e todos os comercios & servicos da nossa comunidade ao seu alcance 24 horas por dia, 7 dias por semana, 365 dias por ano, em 10 estados Norte Americanos.
Excellence is a habit. Tony Banos, Owner 42 years travel industry experience. Fala-se Portugues.
2) EstatIsticas oficiais, intormagOes comerclais, educacionais e secioculturais sobre Angola, Brasil, Verde,Guine-Bissau, Cabo Mocambique, Portugal e Sao Tome e Ptincipe em port./ing.
SOT# 2032791 -40
AIR $ 590*
3) Lista de universidades nos Estados Unidos COM Departamento de Lingua Portuguese, contendo nome, enderep, telefone e fax.
RIO DE JANEIRO HOTEL PACKAGE 6 nights • Based on double occupancy p/p 5284*
4) Representayees diplomaticas e cameras de comercio intemacionais da nossa comunidade, em nossos respectivos paises. 5) Informagees keis sobre cada um dos 52 estados e territerios Norte Americanos (em portugues e ingles), incluindo: capital, clime, populaceo, turismo e etc...
* Low Season • Plus applicable taxes.
(800) 441-8515
6) Lista dos consulados e embaixadas da nossa comunidade corn cuss respectivas jurisdicees em todos os Estados Unidos.
10700 SANTA MONICA BLVD., SUITE 15
7) Guia Internacional • segio corn indice independente, destinado ao auxilio do intercembio comercial e social, entre a nossa comunidade e empresas estrangeiras. OUR GUIDE 98-99 AINDA MELHOR! COM PAPEL LUSTRADO
Los ANGELES, CAUFORNIA 90025. (310) 441-8500. FAX (310) 441-8502
& MUITO MAIS INFORMACOES. VISITE-NOS NO www.ourruide.com PRECO ANDAL: Apenas,‹ $1 .95 Oferta de Lancamento! Procure nas maiores lojas da nossa comunidade. Par correio, adcione $3.00 para as custos de envio. Ease Dedidos para: Diretorio de Lingua Portuguese P0. BOX 5446, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33310-5446 - USA Tel: (305)374-0096/Fax: (800)300-1178, e-mail: nossoguia®ourguide.com
E-m ail :Tonyb an os@brazi I ai r. com
http://www.brazi I a i r.com © Brazil Air 'Ravel Services, 1999
BrasileiroCom Voce BrasileiroComoVoce BrasileiroCom
MERCHANT
3 razdes que vao abrir o seu sorriso... 0 *
Consulta gra s
b<
1 Raio X gratis * Prestacoes a partir de U$10.00
0
Fr 0
0 (1.)
900 E. ATLANTIC BLVD, #6 POMPANO BEACH, FL 33060
cr) 4F1
0 0 o <
TEL: (954) 785-5991 BRAZILIAN MUSIC IN ITS TOTALITY
Dr. Gilberto Henriques (323)464-0524
laa co
Email: cicntiata@datast.net
1777
Samba, Basso Nova, Jazz, Rock, Chorinho, Lambada, Baido, Freya, Ax6 Music, World Music, and more.
. Vine St. #407
Hollsod CA 90028 (7 7: opoitaits-eis tuopoltaitsuig ?,00AotuoDo"
CD'S AND TAPES MAIL DELIVERY AVAILABLE Daniel° Mercury, Olodum, Banda Mel, Roca Negro, Alcione, Caetano, Djavan, Milton Nascimento, Clementina de Jesus, Beth Carvalho, Margareth Menezes, Rosa Maria, Leny Andrade, Elza Soares, Marina, Elba Ramalho, Tania Alves, Ivan Lins, Joao Gilberto, Tom Jobim, Vinicius de Morals, Toquinho, Roberto Carlos, Nelson Ned, Legido Urbana, Chico Buarque, Paralamas doSucesso, Bard° Vermelho, Elis Regina, Nara Ledo, Cartola, Maria Bethonia, Gal Costa, Noel Rosa, Carmen Milanda, Gilberto Gil, MPB-4, Adoniram Barbosa, Morelli] da Silva, Wagner Tiso, S6rgio Mendes, Martinho da Vila, Jair Rodrigues, Jorge Senior, Zeca Pagodinho, Bezerra da Silva, Nand Vasconcelos, Luiz Gonzaga, Alceu Valenca,Cazuza, Leila Pinheiro, Nelson Cavaquinho, Villa Lobos, Waldir Azevedo, Dilermando Reis and many others... BEtAZZIL - DECEMBER 1999
gious lives. Third, and more simply, women's different psychological and moral development, whatever its source, may lead them to interpret many issues and topics, including religious symbols, differently than a "male-defined" norm. If women experience religion and religious symbolism differently than men, this could have important consequences for a project ofreligious-cultural change such as the Popular Church. It could lead women to interpret the new, liberationist religious symbolism in distinctive and unexpected ways. Indeed, this possibility might be particularly strong in the case ofliberation theology, when a doctrine developed almost exclusively by men is propagated in communities composed of a majority of women. The question of what happens in the CEBs when doctrine becomes lived faith, then, can be restated much more specifically: What happens to the doctrine of intellectual male clerics when it becomes the lived faith of working-class laywomen? Asking this question is essential to understanding the probable effect of liberation theology on culture and politics, as it leads us to clarify how women's attitudes and political behavior are changed by their experiences in the CEBs. It may also lead us to ask whether this experience changes women's perceptions ofthemselves, their roles, and male-female relations—whether women's religious and political. experiences in the CEBs may not contribute to changing
A A
All Things Brazilian!!
tombola Samba School The PREMEIR Samba School in the United States!
& Samba Collection Catalog on the Internet
Join our Samba Sc/tool Dancers and Percussion!
Month! Classes & Shows at Ton s Restaurant
www.sambacollectioacom
701 Lon , Beach Blvd. . 7th Street 1
'
7-Shirts
. tOlit Cavaquinhos Dec. 31 (Sat)' II I' Years at Tony's - 8 pm -2 am Brazilian Crafts 5 (Sat) - S mbaLa at Tony's Restaurant - 8pm - lam ir Feb. Brazilian Music Mar. 2 (MO - mbala leaves for Rio de Janeiro! Worldcup Shirts Mar 11 (Sat) - SambaLa parades in the Sambadrome!!!
,.
Brazilian Drums Brazilian Videos Custom Clothing Worldcup Clothes & Souvenirs • Parade in Rio Carnoval with Unidos do Mundo! • We take care of your flight and registration! Carnaval Costumes for Sale/Rent
Calendar
Go to Rio 2000 & Samba with Ica • See details at kwvw.rioz000.org
SambaLa is founder and International Coordinator of Rio 2000! Don't miss it!
www.sambala.or
we sell feathers!, CALL our hodine at: I
tel: (562) 438-3669 53
• ; er o an. Mackie 1984 and 1985; Heaton and Cornwall 1989). More over, a static model of religion as a source of gender-role traditionalism ignores religions' evolution. Religious institutions, like others, accommodate and sometimes encourage changing social trends, including changing gender roles (Thornton 1985). Finally, as others have noted with respect to religion's political impact, religious traditions and symbolism are rich, complex, and multifaceted. Their very complexity may facilitate women's use of religious symbols and concepts for personal and political empowerment, even within male-dominated churches. Feminist spirituality is only one possible religious route to personal empowerment for women. Women take advantage of the complexities and contradictory messages in even quite conservative religions to map out and legitimize new and empowering dimensions for their lives. Women "returning" to orthodox Judaism, for example, may utilize its rigid constructions of gender roles in ways that empower them rather than reaffirm patriarchal values and practices (Kaufman 1985). Similarly, American women Pentecostal preachers exploit the "tension between the God-given inferiority ofwomen, submissive to men and the belief in equality before God" to pursue nontraditional roles (Lawless 1988b, 145-46). Latin American Pentecostal women also seem to follow such a path (Brusco 1986). Reform Catholicism, as embodied in liberation theology, cannot
GENDER: MEDIATING CHANGE, CHANGING RELATIONS? In recent years women's numerical predominance in the CEBs has received increasing recognition, so that it is now common to find references to the CEBs as primarily women's organizations, or to have note taken of women's day-to-day responsibility for carrying on the work of the Popular Church. At the same time, feminist scholars have increasingly noted the origins ofmany urban workingclass women's movements in the Popular Church. The church is, according to some feminist scholars, one of several major strands that fed the growth of a regional women's movement during and prior to redemocratization (Jaquette 1991, 6). Yet despite this growing recognition, analysis of women in the Popular Church remains rare. The empirical fact of women's predominance and the relative neglect of women's roles point to a serious gap in our understanding of the Popular Church. They would alone not be enough to instify a focus on gender issues. There are, however, also compelling theoretical reasons for looking at women in the Popular Church.
Gender as a Filter for Religious Experience Liberation theology's impact is likely to occur through gradual, diffuse changes in culture. ther than through a dramatic im-
simply be dismissed as a bearer of patriarchy. In order to assess a religion's potential for empowering women, we must seek to understand the messages and opportunities it provides for them, and the space it may provide for women to develop their own critiques and variations on religious themes. Returning to the feminist critiques of religion outlined above, we can see that there are two broad mechanisms through which religion is thought to shape gender roles: ideas and organizational structures. We need to look at each of these areas systematically in order to see what possibilities the Popular Church offers for women's empowerment. Specifically, we need to ask about ideas: what messages does religious symbolism convey about gender ' roles? What are the religion's overt teachings concerning gender and family? In regard to structures: what roles and opportunities are available for women within the religious organization? What kinds of extra religious roles does the religion encourage women to take on? Are these in the private or public sphere? Answering these questions with respect to the Popular Church produces a portrait of mixed messages, but it is also one that opens at least some poSsibilities for women to redefine their gender roles.
Women in Christian Base Communities: The Debate There are, then, theoretical as well as empirical reasons to analyze the interaction of religion and gender in the base communities. As the foregoing discussion suggests, that analysis may usefully be approached from two directions. First, what role does gender play in the interpretation ofreligious ideas and activisin in the CEBs? Second, how, if at all, have the base Communities Contributed to the development of gender consciousness and the empowerment of women? The two questions are related in a variety of ways. For example, gender may affect women's mobilization in CEB-sponsored political and social movements; at the same time, participation in such public-sphere activities may have an impact on women's roles and self-image. It is also important to pay attention to the possibility of differences in women's religiosity and to ask how the nature oftheir religious lives and beliefs may be reflected in their attitudes toward gender relations. For these deeply religious women, it would be a mistake to assess a degree of "gender consciousness" in a vacuum, just as it is a mistake to make assumptions about CEB Members, political consciousness without considering their religious beliefs. Daniel Levine's admonition to "take religion seriously" and "work outward from religious beliefs" applies as much to the assessment of gender attitudes as to the assessment of political beliefs These two questions—how gender mediates religious beliefand how religion influences attitudes about gender roles-- have usually been treated separately. In part this may reflect a division of labor between scholars of religion, who focus on the first, and feminist scholars, whottend to focus on the second. In practice this division is not nearly so neat, but it may be useful to separate the two questions here in order to describe the range of conclusions advanced so far. Extremely little research has focused on the questions ofwhether and how gender might play a mediating role in the base communities. Yet these questions are crucial not only to understanding women's experiences per se, but also to developing an interpretation of the Popular Church's political and social impact. Thus far, two schools of thought have emerged in the literature. One suggests that women's high level of participation in the base communitieS constitutes evidence of religious traditionalism. Women are historically the main constituency for religious groups of all types and have especially been the target of movements to reassert traditional religious values. Because they are the bearers of religious tradition, women's higher level of participation may itself indicate religious
morals, and traditions in the home and community (Stevens 1973). The sexual division of religious labor may have implications for the way women perceive the church, religious symbolism, tradition, innovation, and so on, as well as for their higher levels of participation. The broader cultural division of labor into a private, female sphere and a public, male one may also have an impact on women's religious experience. This possibility is glimpsed in descriptions of women as not only more actively religious but also more emotionally involved and seeking particular kinds of solace from religion: We came together, men and women, but the women had many more troubles and pains to talk to God about. The misery is the same for everyone, but women live with it day and night, seeing the. children cry from hunger, watching their stomachs swollen with worms. To them falls the care ofthe children with diseases that can be cured, to them falls seeing the children die without being able to do anything. The women are the ones who know everyday that there is not enough, that there are only tortillas and salt.... She feels more deeply all the had things and even ends up feeling guilty about them.... Sunday, in the chapel, everything could be forgotten. (Golden 1991, 41) Here, members of a Salvadoran base community posit religion as "gendered" no, only in terms ofquantity but also in terms o the quality of the religious experience. Thk source ofdifferenti al religious experiences they suggest, lies in the different roles mer and women fulfill in a g.,ender-based Ii' (,: 'ration ahd
traditionalism, if women are more likely to bring u amtionai consc, vative religious values to the Popular Church. From this perspective, gender is a mediating variable and one with specific consequences it deradicalizes and traditionalizes the Popular Church. Other scholars have also hypothesized that gender acts as a filter for liberationist messages, but as Daniel Levine points out, we have little evidence ofjust what this filtering process consists of (Levine 1991). Some studies have suggested specific ways in which women reinterpret liberation theology, usually noting that they do so in ways that make its political content more compatible with presumed female values such as cooperation, community, and nurturance of children (Drogus 1990; Levine 1992; Burdick 1992). Much more attention has been paid to the question of hov. participation in the base communities affects women's gender consciousness. Three major positions have emerged. Some writers, including many liberation theologians, portray the base conununities as a unique experience offering empowerment to poor women They stress the opportunities for leadership and the egalitarian atmosphere that the communities offer women (see Hewitt 1991,63: Goldsmit and Sweeney 1988). Similarly, Daniel Levine points out that the groups certainly offer opportunities to otherwise marginalized women, and that these may lead to changes in their self-image anc family lives (Levine 1992). Renny Golden concludes from research, in El Salvador that faith motivates and empowers women, althougl she is not specific about the attributes of the base communities that contribute to this process (Golden 1991). In contrast, although feminist scholar Sonia Alvarez recognize, that the church played a role in the evolution of the women': movement by gathering women together for political action, shr contends that the church has stymied their development of gender consciousness She admits that the church may have empowerer women as citizens. She argues, however, that church doctrine symbols, and practices remain sexist, and that the church has opent hindered women's discussion of feminist issues and has excluder women from leadership roles (Alvarez 1990, 1991). Finally, W. E. Hewitt stakes out a midrange position. He argue: that the CEBs do provide substantial opportunities for women tc. develop leadership skills, new roles, and a nascent gender con sciousness. While the Popular Church has not contributed directly to the empowerment of women and opportunities are limited, hr finds that many women are able to overcome obstacles and use their experience in the CEBs to take on new roles. He concludes thar women's opportunities are limited, but more substantial "than many feminist observers would admit" (Hewitt 1991, 66). Thus, we have at least some propositions to consider wit] respect to both the gendered nature of religious belief in the Popular Church, and the church's impact on gender attitudes. The research to date, however, has generally not been informed by the specifi . theoretical considerations outlined above. Moreover, the conclu sions reached have often been rather reductionist in nature, ii treating certain attitudes as typically "female," rather than exploring possible differences among women. Finally, commentaries havr generally focused on the implications of the liberationist church for women's liberation and have only rarely linked conclusions abou, the degree of women's gender consciousness with insights abou their religious beliefs and political convictions. Yet base communities, despite the predominance of women, are not gender. consciousness movements. They are religious organizations wit political implications. It is impossible to draw valid conclusion, about their members ' experiences and attitudes unless we appreciat, fully the religious dimensions of their lives. This text was excerpted from the first chapter of Wainer Religion, and Social Change in Brazil's Popular Church by Carr Ann Drogus, University of Notre Dame Press, 1997. 226 r
Speak Brazilian Portuguese like a Diplomat!
What sort of people need to learn a foreign language as quickly and effectively as possible? Foreign Service personnel, that's who. Members of the United States diplomatic corps are assigned to embassies abroad, where they must be able to converse fluently in every situation. Now you can learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese, just as these diplomatic personnel do—with the Foreign Service Institute's Programmatic Portuguese Course. Tens of thousands of dollars were spent by the United States government in developing this course. It's by far the most effective way to learn Portuguese at your own convenience and at your own pace. The Programmatic Portuguese Course consists of a series of tape cassettes and an accompanying textbook. You simply follow the spoken and written instructions, listening and repeating during the pauses on the tape. By the end of the course, you'll find yourself learning and speaking entirely in Portuguese! This course turns your cassette player into a "teaching machine." With its unique "programmatic" learning method, you set your own pace— testing yourself, correcting errors, reinforcing accurate responses. This Programmatic Course comes in two volumes, each shipped in a handsome library binder. Order either or save 10% by ordering both:
Also available: O Fast-Track European Portuguese. 6 cassettes (6 hr.), 346-p. text, $155. O From Spanish to Portuguese. 2 cassettes (2 hr.), 91-p. text, $45. Latin American Spanish (FSI): O Basic Spanish Vol. 1. 12 cassettes (17 hr.), 464 text, $185. O Workbook for Spanish Vol. 1. 128-p., $7.95 O Intermediate Spanish Vol. 2. 8 cassettes (12 hr.), 614-p. text, and manual, $165. •
Workbook for Spanish Vol. 2. 201-p., $14.95
•
Spanish Advanced Level Part A, 12 cassettes (13 hr.), 614-p. text, $185.
O Spanish Advanced Level Part B, 12 cassettes (13 hr.), 472-p. text, $185.
To order by phone, please call
toll-free 1-800-243-1234 Brazilian Portuguese (PSI) 1:1 Basic Portuguese Vol. 1.
16 cassettes
(19 hr.), 783-p. text, $225.
El Intermediate Portuguese Vol. 2. 18 cassettes (16 hr.), 618-page text, $225. The Foreign Service Institute's language courses are unconditionally guaranteed. Try it for three weeks. If you're not convinced its the fastest, easiest, most painless way to learn a language, return it and we'll refund every penny you paid. Order today!
Credit-card orders call toll-free 1-800-243-1234, fax toll-free 1-888-453-4329, e-mail: info@ audioforum.com, or mail check or money order. Call or write for our free 52-page Whole World Language Catalog offering courses in 101 languages. Our 28th year.
2LJDIcIcoRum® THE LANGUAGE SOURCE Suite P931, 96 Broad St., Guilford, CT 06437
SPANISH 30 Cassettes ▪ Triple Bonus S295.00
FRENCH 30 Cassettes Triple Bonus $295.00
GERMAN 30 Z7,assettes Bonus $295.00
II
ITALIAN 30 Cassettes +te Bonus $295.00
JAPANESE -30 Cassettes Triple Bonus - $295.00
MANDARIN.
CHINESE 30 Cassettes Triple Bonus 5295.00.
RUSSIAN 30 Cassettes Triple Bonus
8295.00
101AZ ILIAN
PORTUGUESE 30 Cassettes Topic Bonus $295.00
I
Learn Foreign Languages... Incredibly Fast! Conversing in a foreign language is a major social and business asset... and brings new life to the worlds of travel, entertainment and relationships. The technique of accelerated learning, as conveyed by these proven foreign language courses, allows anyone to comfortably converse in a new language within 30 days.
Now Over 30 New Courses! Hard-to-find language programs are no longer hard to find! We now publish all U.S. Foreign Service Institute language courses. A typical Course includes: • Cassette Album (12-18 hours) • 250+ page Text • Language Dictionary Just $225.00 per course
CI Amharic 1 Arabic, Saudi O Bulgarian 1 Cantonese O Czech • French Level II O French Level III
Greek O Hebrew 1 Hungarian O Persian 1 Thai 17.3 Ukrairian O Vietnamese
ceelerated learning, developed by famed learning expert Dr. Georgi Lozanoy, is based on the premise of involving both hemispheres of the brain in the education process. The analytical or logical left side of the brain, when properly activated with the musical or artistic right side of the brain, both increases the speed and heightens the retention of learning. Utilizing these untapped mental capacities of your learning ability is the basis of this unique, highly effective course. You will learn the language stressless/y, as a child does, by hearing new vocabulary and phrases in alternately loud, whispered and emphatic intonations, all accompanied by slow rhythmic music in digital stereo. This perfect combination of music and words allows the two halves of the brain to work together to dramatically facilitate your assimilation of the new language. The first 15 (memory) tapes of this 30-tape package help activate the learning capacities of the brain. The second 15 (study) tapes are the very same tried and proven tapes used by the Foreign Service Institute to train career diplomats. This marriage of two concepts literally gives you two courses in one, providing the hest of both worlds in language instruction. Best Value! With a total of 32 cassettes plus study materials, this program represents the hest \ alue as today in language instruction. Compared to other programs, the Accelerated Learning Series outperforms them with twice the audio and 20 times the study material. To correctly converse in a foreign language, you must understand the meanings and intent of the native speaker. If, after 30 days of listening to the study and memory tapes, you are not comfortably understanding and conversing in your now language, return them for trfull relitnd.
136PE44M1E6
lhala Professional Cassette Center 408 S. Pasadena Ave ,Dept. BR Pasadena, CA 91105
Please add $14 S&H. CA resident, add 8.25% sales tax.
Triple Bonun You will also receive: • Two 90-minute Vocabulary Tapes • The I 00-page How to Learn A Foreign Language !iiMMIC:1:1R • The Lonely Planet Dictionary & Phrase/wok
CALL FOR ADDITIONAL LANGUAGE COURSES.
To preview products or order online, visit the world's largest language bonkstore! • Arabic to Zulu...over 120 language choice S' *Translation Software • ESL Courses • Best Price Pinisleur Courses = • Children's Language Courses, • New BBC Video Courses
Charge the full price of any course — $295.00 — or make 5 interest-free payments of just $59.00.
1. 418006 85•AUDIO CALL TOLL-FREE 24 HOUR OR FAX YOUR ORDER TO 1•626•585•81