Brazzil - Year 11 - Number 170 - February 2000

MUSIC: Stokowski's Brazilian Adventure

POLITICS: THRIVING NEPOTISM

HEALTH: ORES WITHOUT PRESCRIPTION

SHORT STORY: MECO" HY 010CliCIO TU/

TRAVEL: !GURU TARS UP CLOSE

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Samba or medicine? The freshman from medical school, Noel Rosa, had to make this tough decision. Fortunately for the Brazilian music he chose the first option. Thanks to that, MPB (Brazilian Popular Music) got some of its finest treasures including "Conversa de Botequim," "Feitico da Vila," and "Palpite Infeliz."

The most important samba composer of the 1930s left hundreds of songs and revolutionized the genre, announcing samba de roda and showing the way to bossa nova. And he did it all in a brief nineyear period, since he would die from tuberculosis too much too young, having lived a mere 26 years. In a play and in several reissues of his work, the musician has again become the toast of the country.

Autobiographical, Noel in his lyrics talked about his disputes with his mother, his experiences in the corner cafĂŠ, his love affairs, and his enemies. "That's the way I do my stuff. With situations, episodes, and real life's emotions," he once said. In this issue we bring Noel back to life with a significant sample of his work. Hope you will enjoy reading his tales as much as we did gathering them.

RM 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 almost two months 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@brazzil.com Publisher and Editor: Rodney Mello Assistant Editor:Helena Grillo Art&Design Director: Marina Yoshie

(marinayoshie@hotmail.com) Entertainment Editors: Sam & Harriet Robbins Book Review: Bond° Wyszpolski Music Editor: Bruce Gilman Brazil Bureau Chief: Marta Alvim

11

Cover tel Rosa His legac lives on Cover by Sahel o Campos

Contents 01

Carnaval The boobies have it

II

Nation Whose anthem is this?

03

Behavior Singing that tune

11

USA Adopted and abandoned

21

Politics Calling all relatives

22

Health Unprescribed prescriptions

24

Impressions Busing around

21

Short St

"Eleigeies in Quiboco" by Dioclecio Luz

33

Travel lguagu's charm

31

Poetry Orides Fontela, Zen poet

42

Music Stokowski's Brazilian streak

54

Movies Male role

Departaments

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06 Rapidinhas 18 letters 49 Cultural Pulse 51 Classifieds 52 That's Brazilian

WWW. agell .COM BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

5

Favorite Parts In an explicit challenge to the Catholic Church and groups of Salvador (Bahia state) residents, the Bahia Carnaval exCOMILIO tended into Ash Wednesday this year with a crowd of 10,000 people following the lead of singer-composer Carlinhos Brown through the streets of Barra and Ondina neighborhoods. The week before, archbishop Dom Geraldo Magella Agnelo had made an appeal that the Church's day of penance E was respected and Emtursa, Bahia's tourism authority, had schedule the Carnaval celebration to end on Tuesday night.

However, all of this didn't dissuade Brown and thousand of revelers to extend the party, which started at 10 AM and continued for close to three hours. "The Church need to be uplifting and not something lethargic that takes you down," stated the musician.

For Alvaro Reis, president of Associacrao de Moradores da Barra (Barra's Association of Residents, the revelry was in violation of an agreement between the association, the trios eletricos, and City Hall. Brown, the leader of the group Timbalada, says that the party that he invented is already a Salvador tradition, even though it only has three years. Now there are people threatening to go to the courts to prohibit the party happening again next year.

Fabiana Andrade, 22, the belle who used to date soccer star Ronaldinho, seemed to be all over during the Carnaval.

With naked breasts and very little else hiding his privies Fabiana was showing it all in three different escolas de samba, two of wh ich became champions: Imperatriz and Imperio Serrano. She was candid about what was hers, and what had been approved by the hand of a surgeon: "I added some silicone to my breast four months ago, my the buns are real and my own."

Fabiana is living proof that Brazilian male interests are shifting from the old buttock fixation to the anatomic part favored by their American counterparts. The Carnaval parades in Brazil were a mirror of that, with scores of women parading bare breasted. The issue apparently is so momentous that weekly newsmagazine /sto E dedicated its cover story to the subject matter.

"With or Without Silicone - the New National Preference" it proclaimed on a recent cover over a picture of a top-less girl.

According to the magazine, exhibiting their bare boobies is a way for women to show their power, the same way feminists 40 years burned their bras in protest against male dominance. Women want to feel desirable, sensual, pretty, wrote the magazine, adding: "In this Carnaval, the squalid and anorexic model was forever retired. Women invest in exuberance and fill the streets with cleavages and toplessness. The fashion now is bountiful breasts, be they silicone prostheses or not."

Brazilians seemed engaged in a new game this past Carnaval: guessing who had or who had not had a silicone implant. It wasn't that many seemed interested in hiding it anyway.

One of the hottest ticket in town, TV presenter Joana Prado, better known as Feiticeira (Witch) praised the work of her surgeon after Sao Paulo's daily, Jornal da Tarde, published that her left implant had ended up under her arm while rehearsing the samba at escola de samba Salgueiro.

"How these people make up foolish stuff. I've never had any problem with my prostheses. The surgery vvent smoothly and it was a big boost to my ego."

The preference battle between breasts and buns seems to be placing younger men against the older generation. Some celebrities have joined the fray to guarantee that the buttocks remain the main object of desire. For renowned cartoonist Ziraldo this invasion of boobies is just a fad. Writer Ruy Castro declared "I am for bunda (buns) and I won't change my mind."

Talking to isto E psychologist Jacob Pinheiro Goldberg said American males prefer larger breasts due to the matriarchal model of the US, w h i le in Brazil this change of tastes has more to do with a female movement to grab power. "Buns were exploited to the limit," Golberg explained. "But TV presenter Tiazinha was the apex and the beginning of the end for beauty standard. The Brazilian man always had this need of self-assertion, a fixation on the buttocks, as if he wanted to possess a woman without watching her in the eyes. Today, on TV, while the cameras insist on focusing on the derrieres, the dancers wish most of all to show their breasts. It's the power between male and female that is changing in Brazil.

The woman shows her breasts to win her space. Breasts are object of desire, instrument of pleasure, and the image of the maternal figure."

6

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

-

A proof that buns are still hot is the summer hit song Melo da Popozuda (The Big Butt Girl Song). The refrain: Vai popozuda/Levanta a sua bunda/Oh! Raimunda" ("Go, big-butt girl/Raise your ass/Oh! Raimunda).

The Olinda (state of Recife) Carnaval continues to grow in popularity. There were 1.5 million revelers in town this year, double the size of last year's crowd. There, Carnaval continued unabated passed midnight of Ash Wednesday. One of the main attractions was the Bacalhau do Batata bloco (Carnaval group), which was created 28 years ago by Isaias Ferreira da Silva, a waiter better known as Batata. The idea is to unite all the professionals like himself who have to work during the days of Carnaval and cannot join the fun. As in other years, Carnaval in the Olinda-Recife metropolitan area had is tragic component. There were 30 murders during the four days of partying and 15 people killed in traffic. By comparison, last year there were 36 homicides and 37 in 1998.

In Rio, the world-famous escola de samba competition once again gave its top prize to Imperatriz Leopoldinense, the same club that was champion last year. The escola edged its competitor, BeijaFlor, the runner up by a mere half point, getting 299.5 points from a possible total of 300. The choice of the best is made by a panel of experts who give scores from 0 to 10 in several categories. Imperatriz almost had a perfect 10 score, getting 9.5 only for mestre-sala (master of ceremony) and porta-bandeira (standardEu wero 6 maisviver feliE bearer). Imperatriz, which spent $700,000 for its parade less than the $850,000 from Beija Flor— Ad75-1..110 81 E DA IMPERATRIZI is sponsored by bicheiro (illegal animal lottery game chief) Luiz Pacheco Drumond, the Luizinho, who is also president of the Liga Independente das Escolas de Samba (Samba Schools IndepenD.amax "o6co e dent League), the association that stages the annual Carnaval parade. ma. madiler The directors of Beija-Flor complained about the jurors, saying that they should be chosen by the school themselves and not by the league's president, "because the jurors are friends of the League's leaders." To which Luizinho replied: "These protests are fallacy. Carnaval is a big surprise that is on the jurors' hands."

Abuse of alcohol, high speed, and dangerous passing were the main causes responsible for the 108 deaths during the four days of Carnaval on the Brazilian federal roads, according to Federal Highway Patrol. There were also 926 people that were injured in a total of 1471 car accidents, despite a concerted effort by 3.500 patrolmen in 2,000 cars.

Is it "everything goes" during the Carnaval days? Not exactly. The police and the Catholic Turrsta suico roklba tam ern CO(.1aCal)(11111 Church still .have their say. Pressure from Rio's church hierarchy, for example, prevented the use , ofreligious images during the escolas de samba parade. Model Angela Bismarchi, 27, was almost .

HIE E 31A5E.$.09.TE 0 arrested because he was not wearing anything besides painting in the color and shape of the Brazilian flag. She was parading for escola de samba Porto da Pedra, and only was spared detention because a friend wiped out the flag's yellow lozenge painted on her belly.

0 DIA

More Men Please Rio has become the city of the women. The last census data show that every passing year it grows the disparity between the number of men and women in that city. While in 1990 there were already 314,000 more women than men in Rio, this difference had gown another 29,000 women in 1996. The imbalance can be seen all over, and women have been complaining about this. In some neighborhoods like Tijuca and Copacabana, for example, there is an excess of 20,000 women. With this disparity men more than ever are in the driver's seat here.

"There are few men in Rio." said Camila in a interview with daily news, Jornal do Brasil. "They are not even in the military college parties anymore. Even there you find more girls than boys." Camila, who is 18, has been without a steady boyfriend for two years now, the same happening with her twin sister and a friend of the same age. If for younger women getting a boyfriend can be hard, for women past 40 this can be an impossible task.

El Turf, Dado Bier, Ilha dos Pescadores, ATL Hall and Terraeo Rio Sul are some of places where the younger crowd go for the sport of flirting. It's not unusual to find two women for each man in these places. Some men even swear that there are five women for every man in other public places like beaches, clubs and shopping malls. For the older folks Dado Bier can also be also be a great place besides other known spots as Arroba Point, Rock in Rio, Base, and W. No wonder Carioca (from Rio) men are so spoiled. At least, that's the picture you get from listening to most of the women who repeat: "They don't want anything serious." Other women complain that very rarely a man is caring and affectionate, or that most of the time they are insincere, while others are still more drastic: "they are all either rogues or gays." There is an e-mail message making the rounds in Rio that reads in part: "Cool men are ugly; pretty men are not cool; pretty and cool men are gay; pretty, cool and heterosexual men are already married."

This gender-inequality is not always in favor of women. Until age 14, there are more men than women in Rio, some 13,000 more. But starting at age 15, the gap gets bigger and bigger the older people get. From 15 to 19 there 6,000 more women while from 40 to 44 this grows to 36,000. From 75 years of age on there are two women for every man on the same age bracket.

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Together with the French La Marseillaise, Brazil's national anthem gets top votes from musical experts for the excellence of its melody. While to the French it is a "call-to-arms" battle hymn, the Brazilian anthem is a pastoral song talking about "smiley pretty fields". What some experts are not able to explain is why the author of such a musical jewel, Francisco Manuel da Silva (1795-1865), did not produce other praiseworthy pieces. The answer might be that da Silva did not compose the Hino Nacional Brasileiro, that is, he borrowed from his master, Father Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia (1767-1830), a priest who excelled as a classic composer.

This controversy is not new, and accusations that the Brazilian national anthem was plagiarized have become more frequent since 1995 when "Matinas de Nossa Senhora da Conceicdo," a religious composition was sung during Juiz de Fora's (state of Minas Gerais) Colonial Music Festival. The audience, made up mostly of music experts, was amazed to discover in the homage to the Virgin Mary, a good portion very similar to the national anthem. Chronologically is quite possible that this borrowing really happened and several experts have been trying to establish the truth. Although not dated, the "Matinas" was written in 1821 or 1822.

In an interview with weekly newsmagazine Veja, maestro *RIM**.

Marcelo Antunes Martins, who will soon release the first commercial recording of "Matinas", accuses Silva of crass plagiarism: "Soon after composing "Matinas", Nunes Garcia became sclerotic. He was incapable of recognizing his own compositions. Francisco Manuel da Silva took advantage of his master's disease to copy the theme."

For maestro Sergio Dias, however, there is no case of plagiarism, but a mere homage from a student to his master. Others say that there was only a coincidence since both composers, Nunes Garcia and his disciple, were influenced by the Italian opera through the companies that started going to Brazil in 1821.

The Brazilian national anthem has a colorful story that involves even Don Pedro I, the Portuguese prince who on September, 7, 1822 declared Brazil independent from Portugal and then became the first emperor of the new country. It was Dom Pedro, a composer himself, who wrote the first Brazilian national anthem, a song still sung in schools now known as "HinodaIndependencia"(Independence Hymn). As for the official anthem it only got its definitive lyrics in 1922, thanks to the sometimes convoluted poetic style ofJoaquim Osorio Duque Estrada (1870-1927). In one ofthe older versions, Ovidio Saraiva de Carvalho e Silva made references in his text to the monarchy and to a wise reign.

Hino Nacional Brasileiro Music by Francisco Manuel da Silva Lyrics by Joaquim Osorio Duque Estrada

Brazilian National Anthem

Ouviram do Ipiranga as margens placidas De urn povo herOico o brado retumbante, E o sol da liberdade, em raios falgidos, Brilhou no ceu da patria nesse instante.

The peaceful banks of the Ipiranga Heard the resounding cry of a heroic people, And the dazzling rays of the sun of liberty Bathed our country in their brilliant light.

Se o penhor dessa igualdade Conseguimos conquistar corn bravo forte, Em teu seio, O liberdade, Desafia o nosso peito a prOpria morte!

If with strong arm we have succeeded In winning a pledge of equality, In your bosom, oh liberty.

Our hearts will defy death itself!

O Patria amada, Idolatrada, Salve! Salve!

Brasil, um sonho intertso, urn raio vivido, De amor e de esperanca a terra desce Se em teu formoso ceu risonho e limpido A imagem do Cruzeiro resplandece Gigante pela prOpria natureza Es belo, es forte, impavido colosso, E o teu futuro espelha essa grandeza, Terra adorada, Entre outras mil, Es tu, Brasil, patria amada!

Dos filhos deste solo Es mae gentil, Patria amada, Brasil!

Deitado eternamente em berco esplendido, Ao som do mar e a luz do ceu profundo, Fulguras, 6 Brasil, florao da America, Iluminado ao sol do Novo Mundo!

Oh adored Fatherland, Cherished and revered, All Hail! All Hail 410 Brazil, a sublime dream, a vivid ray Of love and hope to earth descends, and Where in your clear, pure, beauteous skies The image of the Southern Cross shines forth.

Oh country vast by nature, Fair and strong, a brave colossus, Your future mirrors this greatness.

Oh land adored Above all others, It's you, Brazil, Beloved fatherland!

You are the gentle mother of the children of this soil, Beloved land, Brazil!

Laid out eternally in the splendor of nature, In the sound of the sea and the light of heaven, May you shine, oh Brazil, flower of America, Illumined by the sun of the New World!

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Do que a terra mais•g Teus risonhus, *ides carve." tern rnais times, "Nossos bosques tern mats vide," "Nossa vida" no teu seio "mais anioree 6 paths runadai Idolanida, Salve! Salve!

More towers put forth- it our smiling eields Than Mille most gosuns lands; , "More life is to he foki.nd "More love in our lives" in ` your embrace.

Oh adored Fatherland, Cherished and revered, All Hail! AltHaill

Brasil, de arnor etemo sOa shribolo 0 labaro que ostentas estreladO E diga o veode-louro dean fiernula - paz no futuro $16iia ao passado -

May the star!: flaunt by you, Brazil; become symbol.

And May the green-geld always - Peace in tbe future and in tire past,-

Mas se ergues dajustica a claim,. forte, Veras que urn filho teu ntle foge You lve Your children, 'A luta adore - you, • ' Nem tone, quern te Went Neidter fearlb fi , PrnPrin ntortn,. , , Terra adoradal Oh brid adored Entre outras mil oval! others, tu, Brasil Itls you, Brazil, 6 patria amada ,Beloved fatherland!.

Dos filhos deste solo Es mae Patna amada, Brasil!

Hino da Independenela Music by Dom Pedro I (1798-1834) Lyrics by Evari.sto da Veiga (1799-1837)

You are the gentle mothet Of thechildrenoftins soi HeloVed land,' .

Brazil!

Independence gyinn

Já podeis clti a Mhos You already ',ark , phildneti oldie motherland, Ver contente a alga inndl, See how happy is the gentle mother Já 'aim a Uberdade, •Freedom has already risen No horizonte do Brasil In the horizon of Brazil Brava gente brasileva, Longe vi temor servil, Ou ficar a Patna livre, * Ou morrer pelo Brasil

EtinveBrazthan nokide Oeirld.eyoUr servile fear May the fatherland be tree Or we will die for Brain

Os grilhOes clue nas forjava, The shreivd ploy of Da perfidia astute arclil, -Forged shackles torus .

Flouve mao mais poderosa There was a more powei Zombou deles o Brasil Brazil mocked them Brava gone

Brave people

Nao temais impias falanges Donot fear impious phalanxes Que apresentam face hostil That present hostile demeanor Vossos peitos, vossos bra9os, •Your chests, your anns, Sao muralhas do Brasil Are Brazil's walls Brava gente, Parabens, 6 Brasileiros!

JA corn garb° Javelin, Do universe entre as nacees Resplandece a do Brasil

Brave people...

Oznigratulations, oh Brazilians!

With juvenilegallantry Among the universe nations That of Brazil sparkles Brave people...

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Behavior Stardr Search ario OS (Rio residents) have much music in the 's bars and clubs. Sit be found, n the posh bars of Zona Sul and Tijuca, hut they are even more common in the poor suburbs and the West Zone. Despite this overabimdance of brooners the %wheat° des MAsicos do Estado dd Rio -State's Musiciang Uni denounced ice as harmful to their The poblem is that all these singers*

:who, for little less than one dollar, are ablet video m hines called videoke and have a'shot crowdofunknowns. Videokes are animoved " araoke" system; in Which the lyrics ofa song are presented on a 'screen with the syllables underlined at the precise moment they are supposed to be sung. Atthe*Ofitheperformancethn,singer gets a score that goes from 40 to 99. "ft is a shame that professionals nechanical inusle and amateurs V said vit r Neto, the president Of the Musicians ,.Union. in an interview with daily Jornal do Brasil.

To what singer-composer Lobo added: "It s really , a shame Matte plague of videoke is spreading over a city with a bohemian tradition as in Rio. We can Understand this fevethappen in in orientalCallies like Japan and Korea. After all g;',e ' ''OO.di ldi eteil More rigorous, and people are repressed, ' a need to let it out. But here? There are so many lessmediocre ways to deal, with daily Stress. , The owners'of places with videoke are,uad , s aliklabl ecstatic with the Success of the singing machine At the ilitril 8000' bar, in B -da Zgt1,9E‘ a ,. for ex , le make tines at the door, . ,get shot at 4:113 siengPtheir singing talent. Wyheambsoide, t the can datefor becoming 1 urs s titheis 'getshisiher turn. Not on y.the anonymous have caught. the fever. At Rhapsody in Lagoa , Rodrigc, de FraiMs, teen-age students are at . to-elbo, with ter TV and soccer stars at &chance for musical dom. That's the place where celebrities such as TV'S bad girl Tiaantha, model Susatia ; Werner soccer ' onaldinhols , .,ex), and hot bap star Maria F it clindido use 0 go for . ,. . . singing practice.

In the poor suburbs the fad has became drt in., the pockets of the poor, and that's where the m° deokeimachines end up. These people are:' to v:kolw bars with enticing signs that say ' '"t °m • feel whit it is like . to be 7niar'":jhedreamtobee Mger is at had,aidake4 _ who lives inside you." Like gamblers.some blue collar orkersspendheirwhole salary buyingt eis' kens fo 'he machines. `Once I got so excited oom reoth nean y II should. When was time to leaveI *Pentnm e:A peth fhad There, e manydar g.eob eft tisca esutsoback home," said cleaning lade cleaning yvFery who usually;ends aro $25 raric* e she goes a videoke ofmnneY for a day's woSite. d°esiwtmake this kind ..."1 9

Red Tape The American Nightmare Joao (sic) Herbert and Djavan Arams Silva don't know each other, but these two youngsters, who live in the US, share a very similar story and might end up being deported to Brazil, a country they barely know and whose language they cannot speak or understand, even though they were born there. Herbert, who lives in Ohio and Silva, from Massachusetts, were adopted when they were small kids by American couples. Herbert was 7, in 1986, when he left Brazil; Silva was 10, when adopted in 1987.

In 1996, Herbert and Djavan had problems with the law. The first one tried to sell a small amount of marijuana to an undercover police agent, the other one resisted during a police raid. Both were sent to jail and suddenly found out that they were not Americans as they thought, since their parents never applied for their naturalization.

To complicate matters, Brazil does not want to get them back on "humanitarian grounds". In a interview with daily Folha de Sao Paulo, ambassador Mauricio Cortes Costa, in charge of the Brazilian consulate in Boston, said that Brazil recognizes the Brazilian citizenship of both, but that adoptions are irrevocable acts: "They can't return to Brazil because they don't speak Portuguese anymore and they don't have family or friends in the country. They would have a hard time to adapt themselves."

It was in January that the Immigration and Naturalization Service contacted the Brazilian authorities to get the necessary documents for the deportation procedures. However, the Itamaraly (Brazilian Foreign Ministry) instructed Brazilian diplomats in the US to not issue those documents. Arguing that an adoption cannot simply be revoked and that the kids were taken from Brazil more than 10 years ago by couples who promised they would treat the adoptees as their children. Brazil also argues that no other civilized countr), besides the US, requires that an adoptee be naturalized by their parents to become a citizen of the country they are taken to.

In response to the Brazilian stance, the INS has announced that the Brazilian-born youngsters might be indefinitely in jail until a third country accepts them. Herbert himself is puzzled by all this: "1 was born Brazilian, became American and now they want me to turn into a Brazilian again. I have already paid for my crime and I cannot stand this anymore. I feel like I don't have a country. that 1 do not belong in any place. I'm afraid I will become a beggar if I have to go back."

Herbert. now 22, is a first-time offender was initially sentenced only to probation and community work. Jim Herbert, father of Joao, says that he never naturalized his son for personal reasons. He wanted that Herbert himself would choose what he wanted to be when he grew up. But he is not taking chances anymore, and has already applied for citizenship for Daniel, another Brazilian boy he adopted. Jim visits his son almost daily in jail. "He is my son, and I want him with me," he says.

As for Djavan Silva, who has been depressed for some time now, the situation is even more complicated. The couple that adopted him abandoned him in jail and does not want anything to do with him.

Under the title "A Foreigner at Home" the Washington Post, on March 5, published an article about the situation of several children, adopted by Americans who are or have already been deported to their country of origin. The piece starts with Herbert's story: -The Americanization of Joao Herbert began in 1987, when an 8-year-old boy from Brazil flew north to become the adopted son of a small-town Ohio insurance salesman and hairdresser. Blessed with an ebullient spirit, he embraced his new family. his new home, and his new world. English quickly replaced Portuguese. Football eventually supplanted soccer. By high school, his father boasts, he could nail a field goal from 50 yards.

"Unfortunately, by then he'd embraced some less desirable aspects of American youth, too. Herbert fell in with the wrong crowd, partied with booze and pot. And just two months after high school graduation in 1997, he sold 7.5 ounces of marijuana to a police informant in his hometown of Wadsworth."

Commenting about the situation to the Post, Nancy Morawetz, the law professor who runs the Immigrants Rights Clinic at New York University, said: "There's something particularly appalling about sending back someone who was adopted. Aren't we engaged in an amazing fiction, to say that this group of people, who were raised in this country, who believe that they're part of this country, that suddenly they're strangers?"

It totally invalidates the whole adoption experience," said Susan Cox, vice president of Holt International Children's Services. "These actions have an impact on our responsibility as the receiving country, on our integrity, on the promises we've made to the sending countries."

i0

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

There has been a revival of Noel Rosa's life and work. But who is this artist whose music is so greatly loved by young and old more than 60 years after his death at only 26, and how did such a young man come to write songs with such emotional depth?

KIRSTEN WEINOLDT

a shirt factory and Marta de Azevedo, a teacher, little Noel was born December 11, 1910 in the chalet on Rua Teodoro Silva in Vila Isabel, Rio de Janeiro.

It was a difficult birth, during which the little boy was taken with forceps, and as a consequence, Noel suffered a broken jawbone, which left his jaw forever crooked and deformed. He also suffered partial paralysis of the right side of his face, which left him timid in public, never letting other people see him eat.

Forever worried about her oldest son, Mrs. Marta begged him not to stay out late in the street, but to return to the house.

Knowing that Noel would surely go to a party on Saturday night, she hid all his clothes. When his friends arrived to pick him up, Noel shouted, "With what clothes?" (Corn queroupa?)

Thus his mother involuntarily inspired his first great hit recorded for Carnaval in 1931, where it sold 15,000 copies. He was self conscious about his face, but at the same time, he accentuated the deformity in the caricatures he made of himself, and under the influence of drink and musical numbers, he would let his hair down allowing his intelligent and sarcastic humor to surface.

He rarely had any money—just what he received from his compositions and some help from his mother. But everything he made was spent on his Bohemian lifestyle with women, drink, and smoke—exacerbating a chronic lung condition and leading to tuberculosis.

While Noel was still very young, his father left Vila Isabel, Rosa's Rio neighborhood, and went to work on a coffee farm in Aracatuba, while his mother opened a school in her house to support her children. Taught in his mother's school, Noel entered the Maisonnette School and then Sao Bento, where he stayed until 1928. His nickname was Queixinho, Little Jaw. He started playing the mandolin by ear and soon went on to the guitar, which he learned from his father, but as a whole, he was mostly self taught. While he was still in Colegio Sao Bento, he benefited from a decree by President Gettlio Vargas, who had assumed power during the revolution of October 1930, providing dispensation for the evaluation and approval of students. Noel Rosa thus got his bachelor's degree.

At about sixteen years of age, he had already composed a song and was becoming known for his guitar playing and fre-

Although he left this world May 4,1937, Noel de Medeiros Rosa is not forgotten. On the contrary, there seems to have been a renaissance of his life and work in the past several years. His songs have been the object of several artists who chose to dedicate whole CD's to his music. Johnny Alf, pre-bossa nova musician and singer known for his jazzy harmonies, reTres Apitos Three Whistles corded a CD filled with the beautiful songs, and about the same time, Ivan Lins launched two CD's with Rosa songs Quando o apito When the whistle Da fabrica de tecidos From the cloth factory as well as the history of each one of them printed in the liner Vem ferir os meus ouvidos Comes to offend my ears notes.

Eu me lembro de voce I remember you Cristina Buarque, sister of Chico, has with Henrique Mas voce anda But you are Sem diivida bem zangada Without a doubt quite irritated Cazes also contributed to the recent Noel Rosa revival with E estd interessada And want to a CD with 15 cuts, many of which are less known songs.

Em fingir que ndo me ye Pretend you don't see me que atende ao apito You, who listens for the whistle Voce One must mention the mammoth collection by Almir De uma chamine de barro From the clay chimney Chediak,Songbookoff oel Rosa, well over an hour of songs Por que nao atende ao grito tao aflito Why not pay attention to the distressed cry Da buzina do meu carro? From the horn of my car? recorded by a great many Brazilian singers, such as Chico Voce no inverno You in the winter Buarque, Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil, Maria Bethania, Sem meias vai pro trabalho Go to work without stockings Ndo faz fe com agasalho Have no faith in sweaters Gal Costa, Djavan, and others. And recently, at a grand Nem no frio voce cre Nor believe in the cold Brazilian concert in London, Caetano Veloso sang Rosa's Mas voce d mesmo But you are the same Artigo que nao se imita Article with no equal 0 X do Problema, The Crux of the Problem. There also exist Quando a fabrica apita When the factory whistles re-mastered CD's of Rosa, himself, originally recorded on Faz reclame de voce It advertises you Nos meus olhos voce le In my eyes you read 78 rpm records, and Rosa was excellent at interpreting his Que eu sofro cruelmente That I suffer cruelly own music, the hallmark of which was his irreverent and Com cinmes do gerente impertinente With jealousy of the impertinent manager Que dá ordens a voce Who gives you orders colloquial style.

Sou do sereno I live in the night So, who was this Noel Rosa whose music is so greatly Poeta muito soturno Am a very gloomy poet loved by young and old more than 60 years after his death Vou virar guarda-noturno Who will be night watchman E voce sabe por que And you know why at only 26, and how did such a young man come to write Mas voce nao sabe But you don't know songs with the emotional depth of someone much older?

Que enquanto voce faz pano That while you make fabric Faco junto do piano Beside the piano, I Son of Manoel Garcia de Medeiros Rosa, manager of Estes versos pra voce Make these verses for you.

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BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Feitio de Oractio In the Form of a Prayer

by Vadico and Noel Rosa

Programa Case, i ut he also performed as a singer alongside Marilia Batista, Imirante, Joao de Barro, and others.

He joined wi h Lamartine Babo and Mario Reis in the group Ases do S ba, which performed in Sao Paulo, where they achieved so e success, encouraging them to do a tour of the south. In • orto Alegre, they performed at the Cine Teatro Imperial long with pianist Noma, Mario Reis, Francisco Alves, an mandolin player, Peni Cunha.

He left bell d six recordings with Marilia Batista and some duets with Joao Petra de Barros, I. G. Loyola, Arthur Por isso agora For that, now La na Penha you mandar To Penha* I'll send Costa, Ismael Si a, and Leo V ilar. Noel did not have a good Minha morena pra cantar My dark woman to sing singing voice, b t he knew how to interpret his own songs, Corn satisfacao With satisfaction and through the ichness of the poetry of his compositions E corn harmonia With harmony- —" Essa triste melodia This sad melody he managed to ye some cases of great success during his Que é meu samba ,Which is my samba time.

Em feitio de oracao In the form of a prayer Noel Rosa's mportance was already clear during his life0 samba na realidade Samba in reality time. Not only as the volume of 250 songs in a time span Nao vem do mono nem la da cidade Does not come from the hill, nor from the city of 8 years impr ssive and enviable, the genius of the musiE quem suportar uma paixao And he who bears a passion Sentira que o samba entao Will feel that the samba then cian and lyricis was immense—as attested to in the words Nasce no coracao Is born in the heart of Orestes Barb • sa, writer, to Nassara, "You know some*The church of Nossa Senhora da Penha is located on a hill in Rio, and it is trathing, Nassara? The guy without a jaw is a genius." ditional for the faithful to crawl on their knees to the top to offer their prayers.

Alongside lmirante and Bando dos Tangards, he introduced the "kitc en" like the percussion with cans made in quented get-togethers at Bar dos Cem Reis near his house. the recording "Lat. na," Canned Food, as well as in the percusIn 1929, when he finished high school, he prepared to get sion instruments l. ethepandeiro, reco-reco,cuica, and surdo, into medical school, but without putting aside his guitar and ser- among others* in he performances. enades. In fact, the only thing that really came of his medical In addition to is interest in and fondness for percussion school days was the samba Corardo, Heart, although with instruments, No 1 Rosa also had a fascination with the anatomical errors. Eventually, the music won out over the medi- malandros, those living on the fringe of society with their cine, and he never finished his studies. So, while the world of cunning and crim behaviqr. They came from the morros, patients lost a doctor, the world of music lovers gained one of hills of Rio and broiighttheirownstyle usic with them. Rosa the great songwriters of all times. incorporated their styl posing into his own, marking Young Noel Rosa "hung out" with the sambistas of Estacio definitively the disse e of samba as music de Sa and of the morros (hills), learning from them the rhythm of quality, contribnti concept that samba de negro, thing of the and style oftheir compositions and songs. About the same time, was mitsica negra, bla • the barbarian. some students at the Colegio Batista and inhabitants of Vila negro, or coisa de barbaro • his talent to realize in his songs Isabel had formed a musical group called Flor do Tempo, Flower On the other hand, Noel of the Time, which performed at family and other functions. a brilliant social chronicle of o de Janeiro, which was becomInvited to record in 1929, the group was revised and renamed ing rapidly urbanized. He portrayed social injustice throughBando dos Tangaras. The members of the group were Joao de Barro, A lmirante, Alvinho, and Henrique Brito in addition to Rosa who, despite his young age, was already well known Meu BarraeAo My Shack as a good guitarist. Thus, he participated in the first recordby Nod Rosa ings of Bando dos Tangaras. It was during the same year that Faz.hojz: quase nth. ano St a year he composed his first songs, Minha Viola, My Viola, an Que eu nao voulisit embolada, a Brazilian expression denoting poetry set to music, Meu barra;ao IA da Pc Penha Que me faf so me suffer and Festa no Ceu, Feast in Heaven, which he recorded on the mesrnO, eh int of crying record Parlophon. mbrartiale r the happiness que eu sentt In spite of a very short life, Noel Rosa became one of the ilth I used to feel 0 forte I ue nos prendia The strong bond of love which held us most fertile composers of his time, perhaps of all time. Within 10 ha quenftenha Now there is nobody a period of less than ten years, he came to compose some 250 ttn4pde'la da Penha Who longs for Penha Do clue en 7juro que nao! More than I, I swear there isn't songs, among them numerous successes, which are now Nao Iia quem possa There is nobody who considered Brazilian classics. After the initial recording, he Me fazeerperder a bossa Can make me lose the knack returned to the studio to record the first of h is great hits, "Corn SO a saudade do barracao Just the longing for the shack Mr0",eio la da Penha But there came from Penha Que Roupa?", With What Clothes?

Hoje uma pessoa Today somebody In July of 1931, he debuted in the review Mar de Rosas, Que trouxe uma noticia Who brought some news Do meu barracao From my shack Sea of Roses, by Gastao Penalva and Velho Sobrinho, whose Que alto foi nada boa Which was not good repertoire included the sambas "Cordiais Saudacoes," CorId cansado de esperar Already tired of waiting dial Greetings, "Mulata Fuzarqueira," Funloving Mulatto Saiu do lugar Left the place Eu desconfio I'm afraid Woman, and "Mao no Remo," Hand on Oar, all by Noel Rosa.

Que ele foi me procurar He went looking for me The first two were recorded by himself, and the last, made in Nab ha quem tenha Now there is nobody partnership with Ary Barroso, was sung by Silvio Caldas.

Mais saudades Id da Penha Who longs for Penha Do que eu — juro que nao! More than I, I swear there isn't After a couple of engagements at Radio Educadora and Nao ha quem possa There is nobody who Mayrink Veiga in 1931, Noel started at Radio Philips, where Me fazer perder a bossa Can make me lose the knack S6 a saudade do barracao Just the longing for my shack from February 1932 he worked at stage manager of the

Quem acha vive se perdendo Por isso agora eu you me defendendo Da dor tao cruel desta saudade Que, por infelicidade Meu pobre peito invade Batuque é urn privilegio Ninguem aprende samba no colegio Samba': é chorar de alegria E sorrir de nostalgia Dentro da melodia

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Who thinks he keeps getting lost For that now I'll defend myself From the pain, so cruel, of this longing Which, from unhappiness Invades my poor breast Drumming is a privilege Nobody learns samba in school To dance the samba is to cry with happiness Is to smile with nostalgia Within the melody

13

Ultimo Desejo Last Wish

by Noel Rosa

Nosso amor que eu nao esqueco E que teve o seu comeco Numa festa de Sao Joao Moire hoje sem foguete Sem retrato e sem bilhete Sem luar, sem violao Pert° de voce me cabo Tudo penso e nada falo Tenho medo de chorar Nunca mais quero o seu beijo Mas meu ültimo desejo Voce nao pode negar Se alguma pessoa amiga Pedir que voce Ihe diga Se voce me quer ou nao Diga que voce me adora Que voce lamenta e chora A nossa separacao As pessoas que eu detesto Diga sempre que eu nao presto Que meu lar ë urn botequim Que eu arruinei sua vida Que eu no mereco a comida Que voce pagou pra mim

Our love, which I don't forget And which had its beginning At the Feast of Sao Joao Dies today without fireworks Without portrait and without notice Without moonlight, without guitar Close to you I fall silent I think of everything and say nothing Have fear of crying I never want your kiss again But my last wish You can't deny me If some person, a friend Asks that you tell her If you want me or not Say that you adore me That you lament and cry At our separation To the people I hate Say always that I'm no good That my home is a bar That I ruined your life That I don't deserve the meal That you bought for me

out the country, politics, and love affairs, as well as the cultural changes brought on by mass media, in particular "talkies" and radio.

Some radio and newspaper reporters came up with their own nicknames of him, such as the "Bernard Shaw of Samba," "the philosopher of Samba," and those referring to his physical deformity. In his work he left behind a cultural history of the late 20's into the mid 30's. The influence ofRosa is felt throughout Brazilian cultural life. Examples can be seen in the work of Chico Buarque, the different theater productions dealing with his life and work, as well as the numerous re-recordings by Brazilian and foreign artists alike.

Anguished Mind

It was some time later when Noel was traveling and left a song with Ze, so that he might complete it and prepare it for recording. He was none too happy when he returned and found that the song had been recorded—not only without his name— but naming his enemy, Kid Pepe, as co-composer. His response and revenge was the one he always managed best, he composed "Seculo do Progresso," Century of Progress.

Another feud, which caused a great "musical controversy," was short but with a lot of commentary. This feud was with composer Wilson Batista in regards to a samba of his, "Lenco no Pescoco," Scarf. in which he elevated the criminal element to a level, where Rosa felt it did not belong. He was severely criticized for this in a newspaper article by Orestes Barbosa and in a song by Rosa, "Rapaz Folgado," Cheeky Devil. Wilson responded with "Mocinho da Vila," The Little Boy from Vila, in which he came down on the composer and his neighborhood.

This inspired Rosa to write one of his most beautiful songs "Feitico da Vila," see lyrics. Wilson Batista was not beaten and composed "Conversa Fiada," All Talk, for which Noel Rosa had an answer in "Palpite Infeliz," see lyrics. But instead of acknowledging his inability to compete with Noel Rosa, and at the same time perhaps recognizing a long term advantage from the feud, Wilson wrote Frankenstein da Vila referring to Noel's physical appearance, but the latter did not respond. One day, they ran into each other at Café Leitdo. Wilson showed Noel "Terra de Cego," Land of the Blind. Noel wrote a different lyric for the song, and thus was born "Deixa de Ser Convencido," Don't Be So Cocksure. Thus ended the famous controversy.

Noel Rosa was a scathing critic of the customs and politics of his time. He was fascinated with the shady side of life, while suddenly turning into its severest critic. He was unhappy with the exploitation of poor composers by those, who bought songs.

This influenced Ismael Silva to free himself from Francisco Alves. He was able to rise above the frivolity of Wilson Batista, perhaps because he recognized a budding composer, who would still be writing beautiful songs.

As a boy, he wrote pornographic lyrics for the national anthem. As a man, he continued in the same vein through his

Noel Rosa, however, was also a tormented man, who could not picture himself living a life without the Bohemian lifestyle, the criminal element, the bars and cabarets, the brothels. Since the beginning ofhis adolescence, he had frequentedthese houses of ill repute, like the ones in Mangue. He was also intimately familiar with all the greatest drinking places. This was his way of loving life, and even though he knew that the tuberculosis was destroying his lungs, he never abandoned his cigarettes, drinks, or lifestyle.

He was an insatiable seducer, always involving himself with several women at a time. The cost of this was a forced marriage to Laurinda, whom he did not love, after which he declared himself a mortal enemy of marriage. He had an intense love affair with Ceci, for whom he left as the last composition—among many written for her—"Ultimo Desejo," Last Wish, in which he remembered the day they met at Festa de So Jodo, at the Cabaret Apollo, creating a kind of samba-testament. Their relationship was a long and tumultuous one.

He had some famous feuds going with two well known malandros at the time, Kid Pepe and Ze Pretinho. Rosa had worked in partnership with Kid Pepe on "0 Orvalho vem caindo," The Dew Comes Falling, but had no desire to continue—a fact that made the "gentleman" very angry, and he went on to make threats against Rosa. Ze Pretinho, with whom Noel was cultivating a sincere friendship, freed him from the threats by letting Kid Pepe know that he was carrying a revolver.

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BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

artist living life wit intensity, pressed for time.

The question of hat is better, living with intensity or for an extended period, i the thread that goes through the film. Poeta da Vila (Village's P et, as Rosa is often called) is about that.

Set in 1930's Rio de Janeiro, it portrays a young man, 22 years of age. Noel lived a ohemian lifestyle, fragile, drank a lot and did everything to ex ess. He contracted tuberculosis, which at the time had no po sibility of cure, and that led to his early demise. Van Steen ees the parallel in our times in the premaInspiring Noel ture deaths of many rtists he, himself, has known from AIDS. And the s enery, of course, Rio, the Marvelous City, Noel Ros 's city with its casinos, the fringe element Pela Decima Vez For the Tenth Time in their hite suits living their most glorious moby Noel Rosa ments. In e cabarets of Lapa, Mario de Andrade and Jurei fiat) mais amar I swore not to love anymore Madame ata seated at the same table, while in the Pela decima vez For the tenth time room nex door Cartola is playing snooker with Araci Jurei nao perdoar I swore not to pardon 0 que ela me fez What she did to me de A lmei a and Villa-Lobos. It is this mythical Rio 0 costume é a forca The habit is the strength that Van teen wants to depict.

Que fala mais alto Which speaks more strongly The lm will portray Noel with his facial deforDo que a natureza Than nature E que nos faz dar provas de fraqueza And makes us test weakness mity as w at he was—an incredibly seductive man— who wra ped women around his little finger with his Joguei meu cigarro no chao e pisei I threw my cigarette on the floor and stepped on it grace an charm. Two of them stand out in his life: Sem mais nenhum Without another one aquele mesmo apanhei e fumei I picked the same one up and smoked it Laurind the wife, and Ceci, the singer whom Noel Atraves da fumaca Through the smoke met a wek after his marriage and with whom he fell Neguei minha raga I denied my race Chorando, a repetir Crying, repeating hopelessly in love.

Eta 6 o veneno She is the poison Asa tep in the preparation for making Poeta da Que eu escolhi That I chose Vila, Va Steen tested his ability, directing the short To die'without feeling Pra morrer sem sentir Corn Qu Roupa?, in 1996. It won a prize for photogSenti que o meu coracao quis parar I felt that my heart wanted to stop raphy at e Festival Gramado. Van Steen feels that Quando voltei When I came back made with musicians. a film a ou E escutei a vizinha falar And heard the neighbor talk Que ela so de pirraca That she just out of spite Therefo , hechose Luis Felipe de Lima to play Noel.

Seguiu corn urn praca Carried on with a soldier is a musician and In addif Ficando la no xadrez Staying there in prison Pela decima vez For the tenth time , playing and singperform Eta esta inocente She is innocent g poser, Luis Melodia ing Noe1 R Nem sabe o que fez Doesn't know what she did. er and best friend of will pla Pa e story. Translatedfrom Noel's, d the n ., lo by Luiz Carlos Merten Ricardo Van Steen, one of the major directors of shorts and an article in Esta o de Sao commercials in Brazil, is preparing to confront the challenge v?e'ring Noel of his first feature length film. If everything works out as planned, he intends to start in July of this year on the life ofNoel Sem Tosta- o Crise nao é Boato—Cancoes de Noel Rosa Rosa, not his whole life, but rather the last two years, when he already knew that his life was ending due to illness. Steen has with Cristina B argue and Henrique Cazes. On Kuarup E-mail www:kuarup,eum.br worked on the project for six years, four of those on the screen- Producg3es play—an adaptation of Joao Maximo and Carlos Didier' s bi- kuarup@kuarun.cum.br Tel (021)2201623 Fax (021)2200494 ography.

Buarque with Arising from the great f He says of the book, "The book is wonderful, although a bit e of Henrique in hard to read, a thesis on Rosa and his time." For years the di- the unive ssamba and rector has been paying for the rights to the adaptation and the image of Noel Rosa. He ht Pal hapPy figures he has already invested some $60,000.

The total production cost is estimated at beo are you who don't know what you're saying? iz Quem é voce que no sabe o tween $3 and 3.5 million. So far he figures that My God in Heaven, what an unhappy thought Meu Deus do ceu, que palpite infeli Hooray for Estacio, Salgueiro, Mangueira, Salve Estacio, Salgueiro, Mangue he and producer Carlos Dantas of Movi&Art, Oswaldo Cruz and Matra* Oswaldo Cruz e Mati have collected 40% of the total and expect to Which always knew very well Que sempre souberam muito That Vila (Isabel) doesn't want to suffocate anyone finish raising the funds very shortly.

Que a Vila nao quer abafar ning Only wants to show that it also makes samba S6 quer mostrar que faz samba tambe Van Steen admits that he is a little worried about the challenge of making a feature film Fazer poema la na Vila é urn Oinqued To make a poem in the Vila is child's play Ao som do samba danca ate.6 arvoredb The sound of samba dances to the grove after "telling stories in 30 seconds," referring Eu já chamei voce pra vor I already called for you to see to his commercials. In an interview, he talks Voce nao viu porcine nao qu s You didn't because you didn't want to Who are you who don't know what you're saying?

Quem é voce que nal) $ilbC o que about the manner in which Swedish director, Ingmar Bergman, said he made his films as A Vila é uma cidade independente Vila is an independent city Que tira samba mas no quer tirar patente Which has samba but doesn't want the patent if he were constructing one of those great caPra que ligar a quem 'A) sabe Why pay attention to someone who doesn't know thedrals. Van Steen is concerned that he will Aonde tern o seu narir Where his nose is Quem é voce que nao sabe o que dir Who are you who don't know what you're saying? leave something that his son can be proud of. .Neighborhoods of Rio, famous for their samba schools It is Steen's intention to paint a picture of the ad-libs with Marilia Batista, such as in the song "De Babado ;" his improper excuses to Ademar Case for his tardiness, as well as the many titles he gave to the same song "Cem Mil Reis," A Hundred Thousand Reis (Brazilian unit of currency). He counted on the inattentive ear of the radio show host and thus won the bonus for the most unpublished songs in a week on his program.

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

15

Feitico da Vila Spell of the Vila*. more than 15 years with the Conjunto Coisas Nossas, Group of Our Things, the duo has put together a view of the many facets of "0 Poeta da Vila."

The chronicler, who has not lost his current-day appeal, the humorist, the creator of parody, the anti-romantic, the innovator of form, and finally the genius, who in only 26 years and little more than 8 years of musical works, influenced forever Brazil's popular music. The above from the Kuarup webs ite The CD consists of 15 cuts, among which are several medleys—bringing the grand total to almost 30 songs. The classics that "everybody" knows, are there: "Tres Apitos," "0 X do Problema," "Quem Da Mats," "Ultimo Desejo," and "Feitico da Vila." But there are also some less known songs, which make this CD an even more interesting project—something to widen the Noel Rosa horizon of every MPB (Musica Popular Brasileira—Brazilian Popular Music) fan out there.

These other songs include "Mulato Samba," Mulatto Bully; "Para me Livrar do Mal," To Free Me from Evil; "Triste Cuica," Sad Cuica; "Seculo do Progresso," Century of Progress, and "Voce por Exemplo," You for Example, and others.

Songbook 'Noel Rosa is the simple title of a recent CD with Johnny Alf and Leandro Braga on Lumiar Discos, www.lumiar.com.br produced by Almir Chediak who has given us so much in his collection of "Songbooks" in book and CD form.

Says Chediak about the CD: "One of the objectives of this fourth Letra e Mitsica is to call attention to the excellent composer that was Noel Rosa. When you speak of him, you gaickly highlight his lyricist side, which is so worthy of admiration, but Noel created such beautiful and innovative melodies. Those who set out to compare his work to that, which had been produced until then, will see that they are looking at a creator who revolutionized music.

To interpret Noel Rosa, here is Johnny Alf, another great creator and innovator of MPB, composer, singer, and pianist, who is known, among other things, as the precursor of bossa nova. Alongside Johnny Alf is arranger and pianist Leandro

Fita Amarela Yellow Ribbon

by Noel Rosa

Quando eu morrer Nao quero choro nem vela Quero uma fita amarela Gravada corn o nome dela

When I die I don't want crying or candle I want a yellow ribbon With her name on it

Se existe alma, Se hd outra encarnacao Eu queria que a mulata Sapateasse no meu caixao

If there exists a soul If there is another incarnation I'd like it if the mulatto woman Tap-danced on my coffin

Nao quero fibres, Nem coroa de espinho S6 quero choro de flauta Violao e cavaquinho Estou contente Consolado por saber Que as morenas tao formosas A terra urn dia vai corner NA° tenho herdeiros Nao possuo urn s6 vintem Eu vivi devendo a todos Mas nao paguei nada a ninguem Meus inimigos Que hoje falam mal de mim vao dizer que nunca viram Uma pessoa tao boa assim Quero que o sol Nao visite meu caixao Para minha pobre alma Nao morrer de insolacao 16

I don't want flowers Nor crown of thorns I just want choro with flute Guitar and cavaquinho I'm content Consoled to know That the earth will one day eat The dark women so beautiful I don't have heirs I don't own a penny I always owed everybody But I never paid anybody My enemies Who today speak badly of me Will say that they never saw A guy as good as me I want the sun Not to visit my coffin So that my poor soul Doesn't die of sunstroke.

by Vadico and Noel Rosa

Quem nasce la na vila Nem sequer vacua Ao abracar o samba Que faz dancar os galhos Do arvoredo E faz a lua nascer mais cedo La em Vila Isabel Quern e bacharel Nao tern medo de bamba Sao Paulo cla cafe Minas dá leite E a Vila Isabel cid samba A Vila tem Um feitico sem farofa Sem vela e sem vintem Que nos faz bem Tendo nome de princesa Transformou o samba Num feitico decente Que prende a gente 0 sol na Vila e triste Samba tato assiste Porque a gente implora Sol, pelo amor de Deus Nao venha agora Que as morenas vac, logo embora Eu sei tudo que faco Sei por onde passo Paixao tido me aniquila Mas tenho que dizer: Modestia parte, meus senhores Eu sou da Vila!

Who is born there in the vila Doesn't even hesitate To embrace the samba Which makes the branches Of the grove dance And the moon rise earlier There in Vila Isabel He who has graduated Has no fear of the bully Sao Paulo gives coffee Minas gives milk And Vila Isabel gives samba The Vila has A spell which is pure Without candle without a penny Which does us well Having the name of a princess* Transformed the samba Into a proper spell Which captures the people The sun in the Vila is sad Samba doesn't help Because the people beg Sun, for the love of God Don't come now That the dark women will soon go away I know all I do Know where I'm going Passion doesn't annihilate me But I have to say, modesty aside, My friends, I'm from the Vila *Portuguese word for town is vila, which also refers to Noel Rosa's neighborhood, Vila Isabel.

Braga, one of the great tale has devoted himsel to the essentially himself contribute CD—Noel—Rosa d

merging in recent years, who 9f extreme good taste uage." Johnny Alf e last cut on the Samba."

As we speak, a musical g the theaters in Brazil, most recently in Sao Paulo, au ed and directed by Andreia Fernandes. Itportrays, in son • ce, and comedy, Noel Rosa' s life from the difficult start the much too early death of tuberculosis. One walks awa ith a feeling of elation, not at all the tragedy that his birth an short life might indicate. There is little indication that this m as hindered by his handicap. The musical has a wonderful c of actors and singers, most notably Marcelo Serrado as No Edsa m a itenegroasa rna/andro, whose great baritone voic ieroom.Thewonderful Maria Odette G oel's mother, whose str is const rise unconditional support ye bee Noel. Says the author an th val, for samba, has accompanied me ' since I 'ic of Noel mixes with the memories of my infan mer vacations, an uncle whose face always lit up with a a e smile, when he was listening to a samba

by Noel. Were thpyjust my remembrances? I don't know. Aren't those recollecti&s common to so many other people's childhood? Noel plays a definitive part in my history, but also in the history of samba. I decided to write a text, which would be an homage to this great composer and to this marvelous city, berth of the samba, which lives in the soul of its people.

"I started reading about Noel and Rio de Janeiro of the 20's and s, a happy city, festive, which always commemorated, wi sic, Carnaval, and the feasts of Penha and of Sao Joao.

A oel, I always encountered the marked man, gloomy, Si ,and ugly, very ugly. A Noel, who did not combine, definitively, with the irreverence of his sambas—with Carnaval. But in the biography of Noel, written by Joao Maximo and Carlos Didier, the man physically marked co-existed with the BoheBRAZZiL - FEBRUARY 2000

mian, the mischievous protagonist of many stories, many loves.

It was from reading this that I imagined a Noel, also happy, seductive, full of life, a womanizer, and... handsome.

"Noel—Fettle° da Vila is a musical to pay homage to the great composer. As the author, I raised the question of emphasizing certain aspects of his personality, such as the irreverence and his Bohemian nature, I sought to emphasize his passion for the samba, for the women, for the night and the dawns. A Noel, who wandered the deserted streets, the favelas (shantytowns) and Lapa, as naturally as someone staying home. The result was a personage in love with life, seducer, happy, and... handsome?

Yes, handsome. Handsome in his Spartan existence and in his simplicity. Handsome because the samba found, in his soul, a definitive home.

"To validate this concept, the cast was not chosen as a function of physical traits of the historic characters. To interpret Noel's women, for example, were chosen actresses who would represent types of Brazilian women. Marcelo Serrado interprets Noel, representing the beauty and joviality of the soul of the composer.

"For the show were selected more than fifteen of Noel's songs. The musical arrangements were made in a manner that captured the original tempo proposed by the composer. Meanwhile, seeking again to emphasize certain passages of his life, many times the songs, during the show, are separate in time and space from the chronology of his compositions. Many facts, songs, and important figures are also not represented in the text.

Noel knew numerous people and composed almost 300 songs.

To mention them all would be impractical.

"Left out are Lamartine Babo, Ary Barroso, Braguinha, Wilson Batista,... "Palpite Infeliz;" "Cor de Cinza," Color of Gray; Sorriso de Crianca, Smile of a Child... and finally, an enormous gallery of curious facts, marvelous people, and musical pearls.

Noel—Feitico da Vila presents a look at this story—our own story—which could and should be told in numerous ways. I

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sought, only, to b ng back a smile.., that same, wide smile which marked, in y girl's heart, the happiness of samba."

On the Stage Noel of the Sta e by Joao Maximo, co-author of the comprehensive biogra hy of Noel Rosa.

Few figures in in3 have as much identification with the stage as Noel Rosa. t is probable that not even he was conscious of this fact. He did ot have time. Or the footlights of Rio were not sufficiently bri liant to cry out to him: "Attention, Noel, the place for your sons is here, on the stage." Perhaps it was the lack of time, since e lived only 26 years, 4 months, 22 days, and 15 hours, lirni 'Jig his experience as composer for the theater to some attem ts in reviews staged on Praca Tiradentes at the beginning ofth 30's (or the three pseudo-operettas for radio, which were never ired). Or maybe, since there was almost no tradition for music ltheater in Brazil, Noel hardly perceived that hia poetic vein wa so theatrical.

Let's look at y of his lyrics. Those that narrate episodes, those that speak o • ersonalities, those that get into philosophical tirades. Noth in could be more theatrical. Strictly speaking, Noel, Luis Peixot , Lam artine Babo, Chico Buarque, and Aldir Blanc are the mo theatrical of the lyricists in Brazil. Chico Buarque is undoub edly the most complete, the one with the most accomplishments, in part because of his monumental talent and in part because he stubbornly, returns and bets on the musical theater and writes for it. And he has had more time than Noel, and certainly, mo e consciousness.

But the theatri quality of Noel is not just poetic. It is above all a factor of wh s he was, a little bit of Chaplin, a bit oftimid villain, a bit of p ket philosopher, a little bit of clown of the bars and street co ers of a Bohemian' Rio de Janeiro, which no longer exists. A li le bit of all that and a lot of himself, happy Carioca (from Ri ), who always knew that he who laughs best, laughs last. (It is ecessary to think of Noel Rosa laughing and making people la gh, as he was almost all his life, and not of Noel Rosa with s d eyes, grim poet of the last times).

In short, the e Noel Rosa is more than a great personage of the musical co edy, especially if he has his own music and poetry to serve h • he is the symbol, the myth, the icon. For lack of time orb cause the theater did not know how to make him the right kin • of offer, he missed the train that would have taken him to the .tage.

Any show, w ich undertakes this—and tries with intelligence to approxi ate Noel of the theater, be it as author, be it as personage—c. 't help but be a formidable force in the sense of resuscitating evocation, which the poet with the short life couldn'tconsum . The show we have here has that force. Which lasts longer than he poet and which is quite as theatrical as he.

Amen. *Pandeiro: T boinine. Reco-reco: A watched instrument (often made of bambo s or metal) that is scraped with a stick and produces a crisp sound. Cul a: Small friction drum with a thin stick inside attached to drum sic' . A moistened cloth is used to rub the stick, and one hand applies p ssure to the drum skin, producing grunting, groaning, and squeaking oises. Surdo: Drum played in samba with a wooden stick topped by ye vet-covered, wooden head. Stirdos come in three sizes and function as the bass in the samba bateria. From Brazilian Saund by Chris lvcGowan and Ricardo Pessanha.

In addition thank my Car! into Rosa and translate the s

Kirsten U.S. in 196 Orpheus many cultu

he above mentioned sources, I'd like to

ca friend, Jose Fabiano, whose insight lode Janeiro of the 1930's, helped me gs. einoldt was born in Denmark and came to the She fell in love with Brazil after seeing Black ears ago and has lived immersed in Brazilian e ever since. Her e-mail: kwracing@erols.com

17

place. I love being an American but some Americans could 1 learn from the Brazilians: "In all life's experiences keep on It was really great to know a little bit more about dancing, don't worry, be happy!" Thanks to Jerine Watson playwright Dias Gomes's work. Brazilians are orphans for sharing her beautiful experience. Brazil is great! again after losing him. He was one of the greatest Brazilian Miscelle writers alive. Now I just want to say thanks for the text Via Internet about him.

Claudio Teixeira While traveling throughout Brazil in 1991 I found Via Internet myself very much enjoying Antarctica in the larger bottle.

Unfortunately, I have not been able to locate it anywhere in I am an American who studies cultures for my univerthe USA since my return. I have seen other Brazilian beers sity. I am in Rio, but I will go to Bahia in a few days and I but, not Antarctica. This raises the question in my mind would love to write for you guys, I study photojoumalism. about the possibilities of exporting it to the US. I would be lam planning on studying capoeira in Bahia and I could do interested in exploring this possibility with someone. Antan article about that, or on Afro-Brazilian culture. What do arctica is truly a very great product and I have missed it you need help with? since as I have missed just being in Brazil.

Jihan Abdalla David James Hanson Rio de Janeiro, Brazil lookinsouth@excite.com

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You are invited to participate in thLsdialogue.

Write to Letters to the Publisher P 0 Box 50536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 or send E-mail to brazzil@brazzil.com

First let me congratulate you on producing such a good little magazine. I love hearing about Brazil, but isn't the "wide-eyed foreigner" genre running a bit thin? Three articles by the same author in the last edition is too much!

(But at least he didn't write about his adventures in Rio.) What about some other voices? There are 600 000 Brazilians in the U.S., 170 000 in Japan, 160 million in Brazil, etc.

Surely, there must be some interesting stories out there.

Brennan McBride.

Via Internet

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I've been meaning to write for more than a few issues... Just a quick note to let you know how much I've enjoyed John Miller's "Postcards from Rio." Having been there a lot (but never living there for any length of time) I always find the "Postcards" insightful, interesting and just plain funny (often hilariously so). To John Miller, keep up the good work and best success with your day to day encounters with the always wonderful (but sometimes crazy) Cariocas!

Jim Connolly Denver, Colorado

I am a first year medical student looking into doing research this year with my school over the summer. After reading certain articles in Brazzil, 1 came across the efforts being made to make more people aware of STD's. AIDS, and condom use. I am truly interested in helping out. My school is sponsoring research projects and I would love to do something in Brazil in regard to women's health or sex education. We are open to plan whatever kind of project we would like.

Johanna Martinez JM053Nani@aol.com I! I came across your website in doing some research on the people of the various quilombos in Brazil. I am looking for any and all information related to their culture and history, especially the current culture. I have discovered that there is far more information on the history of the people than there is on the people and how they live today.

Many of the resources I have found are in Portuguese, however the translations that I have gotten are wooden and literal to the point of being almost unintelligible.

Any suggestions on a better Portuguese to English translator would be invaluable to me. Any guidance and/or information that you can give me on this topic would also be greatly appreciated. lam trying to prepare a fairly extensive report on this group however there does not, as yet, seem to be a lot available to me through the usual means.

Kettle J Brown Via Internet

IiI'II'!iil.I'I 14l I visited Rio to see my friend Claudia and her family.

I loved it there. The people were so beautiful and kind. They have such a love of life and family. I want to go back sometime. 1 just can't do it right now ($). But lam homesick for my second home, Brazil.

Michelle Godwin Sandy, Utah

Thanks for your article on Fortaleza. I have a son living in Fortaleza for two years. He's been there a year already and -he loves it. Ifs nice to know that the place and the people are so nice and beautiful.

Via Internet Ill fillaathal I've found Brazzil very interesting, but there are some questions that I'd like to know: "Who are the people in your country (Brazil)? How many are they and why?

What is the age breakdown (old vs. young)? What percent work as farmers, soldiers, traders, professionals, etc?

Where do the people live and why? What is the typical family size, roles in the family, housing, education, etc? Do the Brazilian people value peace or conquest? I would be very thankful if you could answer my questions!

Via Internet I I ' I am fascinated about the Brazilian culture and all it has to offer. I have a dear friend from the country, so I would love to learn the customs, language, anything at all!

Maureen A. Christian Easton, Pensylvannia Are you guys sending issues to the Emerson College Library in Boston, Massachusetts? This coming Thursday I need to deliver an essay on "Transculturation Linguistic", and your magazine is the perfect example of it, but hard to find. There it will be great for others who also in the future may want to conduct other researches related to Brazil.

Von Rommel/ G. Fernandes Boston, Massachusetts 11.1111111.Lia1l1 Iailidamm I'm interested in buying the cook on the life of Chiquinha Gonzaga, can you tell me a little bit more about her life, if she divorced Jacinto? I want to purchase the book, can i get more info about it.

Janice Via Internet

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Why all the fuss, even in Australia, topless bathing has been permitted for many years. Power to the people who defy this draconian act The Catholic Church needs to evolve out of the Dark Ages and get on with their own issues and stop repressing the people. They failed in the Inquisition to stop the natural will of the people. Do you think they will ever get the message. I've been to Rio for Carnaval when fib dental was the fashion, what's different?

Larry Crouch Australia, Via Internet .111.11111111alaija lam a big fan of Paulinho da Viola and I would like to congratulate Bruce Gilman for the article "Pure Samba".

It's very rare to find such good research about this subject.

How does he get all this information?

Joao RF Brazil, Via Internet

I too had the privilege of living in Brazil, Rio, in the City of Ipanema. Oscar Niemeyer designed the apartment we lived in as well. It was beautiful and the penthouse above our apartment had an Olympic pool. I was in my teens and now much older, I have found those who have traveled to Brazil and have enjoyed its beauty do find it a fascinating 18

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BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Old Ways Congress has been discussing whether elected officials should hire their own relatives. A congressman explained why he hired his own mother: "She put me on this world, and I only hire people I can trust... who could I trust more than her?"

ADHEMAR ALTIERI

Brazil, it seems, will always have its share of people who work hard to maintain perhaps the most beaten cliche ever used to describe this country—that favorite phrase of any photo spread showing glistening downtown skyscrapers and shanty towns a stone's throw away: "Brazil, Land of Contrasts". Yes, Brazil certainly is that, and although much has happened to eliminate or diminish just the type of contrast that led to the phrase, numerous powerful pockets of resistance remain.

They're responsible for holding back this country on several fronts, to a degree they would like everyone to believe they're unable to grasp. In fact, a close look at who "they" are usually reveals there's no ignorance involved at all.

"They" are perfectly able to grasp what they do, "they" are at both ends of the political spectrum, and quite often "they" do it because they like the status quo.

Over the past few weeks, there were numerous examples of this ongoing battle one can now witness on a daily basis in Brazil, between old and new. This is not to say that everything new is good and everything old is bad, although recent examples would appear to favor the new.

One such example deals with the now very public dispute between AmBev— the would-be result of a proposed merger between Brazil's top two breweries

Empty congress 20

(Brahma and Antarctica)— and Kaiser, the third-place brewery accused of opposing the merger for "global" reasons, on orders from one of its shareholders: The Coca-Cola Company.

Here are a few more recent examples, which together exemplify the dilemmas Brazilian soThe Yell of the Excliided ciety and its institutions must overcome. These also illustrate how entrenched some of the old ways really are: ignoring the jobs created through construction and refurbishing of gas stations, 1) Self-serve? Not in Brazil... additional sales of various types of merFor several months, gasoline dis- chandise, delivery to and maintenance of tributors announced they were about to those stores, equipment sales, and the list introduce self-service in gas stations goes on... throughout the country. Unemployment rates being as high as they are, the 2) Surrealism may be the word... frentistas—people who make a living The past weeks saw Congress dedipumping gas, opposed the novelty with cate a fair chunk of time to a discussion support from labor organizations and about whether elected officials should be left-wing opposition parties. able to hire their own relatives as aides, Negotiations ensued, but no progress or to fill positions in their staff. The diswas made. As the date for self-service to cussion was sparked by a proposal that start approached late last year, the issue would prohibit the hiring of relatives alhad become a target of political exploi- together. tation by all sides. President Fernando Some of the reactions are quite reHenrique Cardoso settled it by decree, markable. Lower House president Michel announcing a nationwide prohibition of Temer of the government-allied PMDB self-service gas pumps "to preserve thou- party, said perhaps there should be "a limit sands of jobs". It went over very well of two" relatives. More than that would with low income sectors of society, but be improper, ofcourse... A member from the consequences are worth examining. the Brazilian northeast, where nepotism On average, frentistas make about is the norm, went on national television R$400 a month (about US$250), and to explain why his own mother was emrunning a household on that is as possible ployed with public funds: "She put me on in Brazil as it is anywhere else. Antici- this world, and I only hire people I can pating the arrival of self-service, gas trust.., who could I trust more than her?" station owners invested heavily in conPerhaps emblematic was an explanavenience stores. Clients would come into tion by congressman Gerson Peres of the the store, pre-pay and then fuel their ve- government-allied PPB party: "It is the hicles. This trend has actually been duty of a father to help his children. blamed for the departure from Brazil of Damned be the father who doesn't. If a the 7-Eleven chain—analysts say the father won't help his own, then it would company left when it couldn't reach an be best ifthe children weren't born at all." agreement with any of the major gas The proposal to prohibit hiring relatives distributors, which chose to set up their is yet to be voted on... own convenience stores.

With the self-serve prohibition, sta3) The end ofpoverty is surely near... tion owners must continue to payfrenBrazzil readers may recall quite a tistas, and witness the torpedoing of the commotion back in August of 1999, when main strategy behind the idea of the controversial, hard-edged president of convenience stores in gas stations: Congress, senator Antonio Carlos Magacustomers tend to buy something lhaes of Bahia' s PFL party, proposed a when they come inside the store to new tax to create an anti-poverty fund, "to pay for gas. Now, without a reason eradicate poverty once and for all". In a for customers to step inside, the fu- heavily overtaxed society, where in spite ture of hundreds of brand spank- ofrecent improvements tax collection and ing new convenience stores is in revenue allocation are still terribly unfair some doubt. Worse than that is the and disorganized, the last thing anyone notion that pumping gas is still a wants to hear about is a new tax. viable occupation. In fact, keeping The issue went away for a few months, frentistas pumping away means and appeared to be gone for good... until BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

last week, when it resurfaced with a new twist. Seems the government sat down with members of Congress, plus senator Magalhaes, and arrived at a version that all could live with. Instead of a new tax to generate funds, the government agreed to divert and commit funds from other areas—including funds obfouled through the privatization of state companies, directly to the new antipoverty fund. Once approved, the fund will have R$4 billion a year (about US$2.3 billion) to spend.

This issue made a comeback because it was too good an opportunity to miss for senator Magalhaes and the government. In its original form, the senator would be the only "benefactor", which explains much of the criticism he received. At the time, president Cardoso, the senator, and members of the left-wing opposition, all battled in the media over who was "first with the idea" of creating such a fund. In its revised form, the new "authors" are the senator and the government.

This, of course, incensed the left, which ended up off the stage on a topic where left-wing involvement is a point of honor.

Workers' Party (PT) and PPS (former Communist Party) senators tried to defeat the proposal at the Commission level, and stop it from reaching the floor of the senate for a vote, where given its proponents, victory is a shoo-in.

But the Commission vote was 123 in favor.

Will it work? The International Monetary Fund's representative in Brazil, Lorenzo Perez, doesn't think so. He says he's concerned that the fund may harm Brazil's debt reduction efforts.

Brazil already spends significant amounts on social programs, and what it needs to do is spend more efficiently, not increase the amounts, he concluded. Finance minister Pedro Malan responded quickly, with a pinch of nationalist rhetoric: the IMF representative "is not fully aware of the proposal's nature, importance and reach", and the allocation of budget revenues "is not and never was a topic of discussion with the IMF". According to Malan, how Brazil spends is not a matter subject to IMF approval or assessments.

Indications are that Mr. Malan isn't laying it all out as clearly as he could. His predecessor, former finance minister Mailson da Nobrega, described the proposal BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

as an "accounting trick", designed to hide a government decision to increase spending: "It would have been better if the government simply stated it was going to spend more, since its fiscal performance has been better than expected".

Net result: for $2.3 billion a year, senator Magalhaes and president Cardoso will get to say, at appropriate campaign moments, that they care about the poor.

Finance Minister Malan, who acts more and more as if he might take a run at the presidency in 2002, gets to claim part of the credit for the fund's existence—he was directly involved in the negotiations, and was first to defend it against IMF criticism. Whether Brazil's destitute can actually look forward to better days is a whole different story.

Adhemar Altieri 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 (http:// 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

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Eighty million Brazilians, more than half the population, self-medicate regularly according to the Brazilian Pharmaceutical Industry Association.

The government confirms that two out of three sedative sales occur without a medical prescription but on the recommendation, often inappropriately, of friends, family, magazines or the neighborhood pharmacist.

KATHLEEN BOND

When Maria de Lourdes Ferreira Gomes suffered a hysteria attack in a hospital in northeastern Brazil, a doctor hastily prescribed a tranquilizer pill and injection without an examination. "I spit the pill out," remembers Lourdes, "but couldn't do anything about the injection because they were holding me down."

Ferreira Gomes, who was suffering from the shock of a friend's heart attack, knew about tranquilizers. She had recently "been doped on pharmacy pills" after her mother's death. "I can' t remember who came to the wake, and almost slept through the funeral," she says, "I resent that I wasn't fully present to mourn and say good-bye to my mom."

Brazil is the 4th largest consumer of sedatives in the world.

22

The South American giant is addicted to these anxiety relief substances that are commonly known as remedios and easily available in almost any pharmacy without a prescription.

Because their effects are short-lived, increasing dosages are necessary, leading to overuse and addiction. Long-term side effects may include memory and reason loss, diminished reflexes, stupor, and constant drowsiness.

Brazilian priest Aroldo Ramos, founder of the drug treatment program Amor-Exigente (Tough-Love) makes a link between systematic use of sedatives in families and the rise of illicit drug use by adolescents. He believes that many Brazilians today avoid suffering at all costs, which can lead to drug abuse. "Ifthere are always tranquilizers at home, young people learn quickly to use drugs to lessen pain," he warns. "The problem begins with the medicine cabinet which is full of drugs."

The fever of "legalized" drugs principally attacks women who are responsible for 75 percent of the national consumption. A SA() Paulo School of Medicine study shows that 24.6 percent of women and 11,7 percent of men have mental health disturbances. Researchers caution, however, that results may mean that men are less likely to discuss mental problems, or more likely to seek escape through alcohol or marijuana use.

Homemakers are the most vulnerable, with 31.6 percent complaining of problems of nervousness. "The work of a homemaker is hardly recognized, not valued monetarily, rarely appreciated, and unending," analyzes Professor Josimar Franca, Director of the Faculty of Mental Health Sciences in Brasilia, the capital.

Low-income women, especially in their 30s, show more signs of neurosis due to economic insecurity and endemic violence, both at home and on the streets. "With all the stress in daily life, some women are very nervous and rely heavily on tranquilizers in order to remain calm and in many cases sleep at night," comments Maria Madalena da Costa, a social worker who has accompanied women's groups in Paraiba for the last two years. The dismal state of the national health system fuels the tendency to self-medicate.

Quality of health care is often horrific with per capita annual government investment in health hovering at $91 compared to $385 in neighboring Argentina and over $2,200 in the majority of the northern European nations. Waiting lists in the public system are infamous with poor Brazilians queuing up before dawn for routine visits and specialized treatment delays typically stretching months.

This reality coupled with high unemployment makes selfmedication at the corner pharmacy an attractive option. Brazil hosts more than 48,000 pharmacies, a 40 percent increase from 1998 figures. According to the World Health Organization, the country needs only 25,000 to adequately serve the needs of the population. Profits in the industry, twice those ofthe household appliance industry, doubled between 1994 and 1997.

Eighty million Brazilians, more than half the population, self-medicate regularly according to the Brazilian Pharmaceutical Industry Association. The government confirms that two out of three sedative sales occur without a medical prescription but on the recommendation, often inappropriately, of friends, family, magazines or the neighborhood pharmacist.

When Glicia Geronimo Rangel was feeling depressed, her doctor prescribed a tranquilizer during a 10-minute office visit.

Uncomfortable with the medicine's strength, she never touched the medication. Her fiancĂŠ, Juliano, was having trouble sleeping because of a new job. He quickly finished off the packet and easily refilled it at the pharmacy without a prescription.

Besides sedatives, Brazil's auto-medication spree includes the widespread use of "uppers" such as the anti-depressive Prozac and amphetamines, only 20 percent of which are prescribed by a psychiatrist. In a dramatic shift from past practice, general practitioners are liberally orientating their patients towards their use. "Anti-depressives are for depression, which has a clinical definition. But there is now an openness to using them to cure sadness, frustration, or exhaustion," says psychiaBRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

trist Artur Guerra, head of the Psychiatric Department of the Clinicas Hospital in Sao Paulo. Sales of Prozac jumped 43 percent between 1995 and 1997. It is so easy to obtain without a prescription that reports of socialites giving Prozac to their pets surfaced in 1997.

Brazilians ingest 20 tons of amphetamines annually, making the country the world's leader in consumption. China follows at a distant second with eight tons. Originally used by German soldiers in World War II to ward off hunger and exhaustion, today amphetamines are gulped down primarily by women to curb appetite for weight loss.

In general, the medical profession has contributed to this addiction. Researchers posing as patients seeking weight loss in Recife and Sao Paulo in 1997 visited 107 doctors. Less than a third required a medical exam before prescribing amphetamines. Only one doctor denied the patient's request by refusing to prescribe an "appetite moderator".

Pharmaceuticals industry tactics are also part of the problem. Drug companies offer monetary rewards to pharmacists and counter attendants for high sales. Some pharmacies offer price club discounts for frequent purchasers. Advertisements for drugs such as the worm medicine Zentel have at times promoted unnecessary treatments. Worms are not contagious but some Zentel campaigns encourage the treatment ofthe entire family of the patient. The drug companies also target doctors to boost sales. One physician received 69 ads, 452 free samples and 25 presents during a 21-day period.

Self-medication is not limited to sedatives and "uppers".

Medical studies show that a healthy person needs between 3 or 4 prescription drugs a year. On average, Brazilians consume 11 prescription drugs with at least eight without any medical orientation. Experts agree that advances in medicine have played an important role in the prevention and treatment of tuberculosis, pneumonia, syphilis and countless other diseases that a century ago plagued humanity. The problem is that people need

drugs only in rare situations but often seek them inappropriately for instant relief. "Nature resolves 90 percent of human health problems without intervention by a doctor" affirms Daniel Sigulem, Professor at the sao Paulo School of Medicine.

Antibiotics are among most misused medications. "Some of our clients seek antibiotics for chronic back ailments," observes Efu Nyaki, co-director of AFYA, an alternative health center for women in Joao Pessoa. "The source ofthe pain is stress in 95 percent ofthe cases, but many women run to the pharmacy for quick relief. Antibiotics, of course, have no effect on back pain." But the inappropriate use of antibiotics and other drugs has detrimental consequences including intoxication. Over time repeated use, even in small doses, builds bacterial resistance making subsequent courses practically ineffective.

Brazil is not the only country with a self-medication habit.

The types of drugs available for self-medication, however, vary greatly from country to country. In the US and most European nations, over-the-counter drugs are limited to aspirin, vitamins, and stomach ailment medication. Antibiotics, contraceptive pills and cortisone-based asthma medicine strictly require a medical prescription.

Alternative health centers are one response to Brazil's addiction to pharmacies. AFYA provides psychological counseling, as well as courses in therapeutic massage, mental health, sexuality, exercise, healthy cooking and plant medicine.

"Brazil's government fails to meet the health needs of the majority of the citizens. Self-healing gives women confidence, which can be a stepping stone to demanding their rights," Nyaki says, "Women who learn to heal themselves will also have healthier families and hopefully pass the gleanings on to their communities."

By Kathleen Bond, Maryknoll Mission Association of the Faithful. You can reach the author at katiaflavio@uol.com.br

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On the Road d, was a man of few words. A year ago I may but I was coming to know these people. In e truth, it was a relief not to see fake smiles ye a nice day on every smile.

GREGORY SHIBLEY

"Cuarenta minutos," announced the motorista. He was outside and had his cigarette lit before the motor could stop its grumbling, and he walked off to the restaurante without rubbing his back or wiping his forehead. The rest of us grabbed a few bills from wherever we kept our money hidden and bumped politely down the aisle, everyone letting everyone else go first.

Stepping off the bus, the air outside hit me hot and fresh. Music was playing from somewhere.

The movimento around me of other passengers from other buses woke me up, and I realized suddenly how hungry I was.

"Arrozciomacarraofrangotrereal!"

"Arrozfeijciomacarrilobifetrereal!"

Men in black pants and white shirts were standing within the sea of moving bodies. They held each a stack of aluminum foil trays, and they barked at us to partake of their fare. The restaurante would probably be a little more expensive, I reasoned, and there would be a wait. I wanted instant gratification. So I approached one of them and said, "E al amigo, o que é que tern "Tern frango, tern bife. Arrozfeijeio-macarraofrangotrereall Arrozfei—" "Da urn de bife, por favor."

"Tres real."

I gave him his tres real, and he gave me one of the foil trays and a plastic fork from his back pocket. I held my meal, warm and heavy in my two hands, and moved through the people who were still debating what they would eat. I picked a spot near the bus, sitting on the curb, my back to the movimento and facing out at the bright, open land. I peeled back the top of the foil tray and saw what I had gotten: mostly rice, a small handful of spaghetti, and a little piece of chicken, not beef. I poked my fork through the rice and discovered a thin layer offeijao at the bottom. Oh well. Sei M. After many hours of sitting in an air-conditioned coach, it was just nice to shovel in some hot food and sit in the heavy sunshine.

The sun in Brazil is different than the one I grew up with. It's stronger, heavier, like a brick wall falling all over you. It's always there, even when you can't see it. Even on cloudy days you know it's around somewhere, and you can see it coming off from its people, whether they're walking or dancing or having a beer at a buteco or asking you for change. It gives life and soul to everything, keeps things as they are, but no one can stay in it forever, and you must struggle to get out from under it.

After my meal, I repaired to the shade of a beer stand in front of the bus and amid the bustle, which was by now thinning as people were being fed. I recognized the motorista standing next to me, already having eaten and now standing coolly, only his toothpick moving. The beer was one seventy, and I had with me a one, a twenty, and a fifty centavo coin. "Tern troco ncio?" The motorista next to me threw down two ten-cent pieces for me. They clattered on the ,glass countertop, and the moo slapped them with his palm. "Valeu," I told my driver. "0, leva quanto tempo pra chegar la?"

"Chegamos em Recife as oito horas da manila Tci indo pra onde?"

"Ate Recife. De la vou pegar onibus pra Porto de Galinhas. Tenho urn amigo que mora M." I poured some beer into the small glass and called, "0 mop, por favor cla mais um copo at" But the motorista said he didn't want any. He asked me where I was from.

"California," trying to pronounce it like a Brazilian, "Estados Unidos. Faz urn ano que tou aqui.

Quasi urn ano."

"Interccimbio?"

"MTh, tou trabalhando e passeando. Dou aulas de ingles, sabe?"

24

"Forty minutes' driver restaurant bustle "Ricebeansspaghettichicicen threeReais!"

"Ricebeansspaghettibeef I threeReais!"

"Hey, friend, what do you', got?"

"Chicken and beef RicebeansspaghettichickenthreeReais! Ricebea— "I'll take beef please "Three Real."

beans Whatever corner bar "Got no change? young man; "Thanks," "Hey, how long until we get there?"

"We'll get to Recife at eight o'clock in the morning. Where are you going?"

"Recife. From there I'll take a bus to Porto de Galinhas. I've got a friend who lives there."

"Another glass here, please."

"United States. I've been here for a year. Almost a year."

"Exchange program?"

"No, just working and traveling. I've been teaching English, you know?"

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

"Sei. Ta gostando?"

"Tou. Voce é de onde?"

"Brasil," he said flatly. I got the feeling he wasn't really paying attention.

"Sim, mas..."

"Ribeirao, Sao Paulo."

"Ribeirao Preto?"

"Isso. Ce conhece?"

"Conheco urn pouco. 0 amigo meu Ia em Porto de Galinhas, ele é de Franca."

"Sei. Sapatos..."

"Isso." "...e basquete."

"Isso mesmo."

This motorista, it seemed, was a man of few words. A year ago I may have been offended, but I was coming to know these people. In many ways, to tell the truth, it was a relief not to see fake smiles on every face and Have a nice day on every smile. I leaned lazily against the glass-top counter as the motorista was. Below my elbows were a tray of pasties, another acoxinhas, and one espetinho de frango that no one would ever eat. I offered one more time, "Nilo quer mesmo da cerveja?" and this time he glanced at his watch, and he consented.

"Da um copo," he told the mop.

I was glad about this. Uma garrafa bem gelada: the great equalizer.

He was a bus driver from the interior and I was a college graduate from North America, but with a tall Brahma and a couple glasses between us, we were just two men having a beer. We talked slowly about Ribeirao Preto and why he and his family had moved to Rio. They lived in a part of Rio I hadn't heard of. A bus bound for Salvador started its engine and honked its horn, and a few people scurried by us to get on board.

"Cigarro?" he offered.

I told him not right now, 'brigado, and he lit one for himself He put the pack back in his shirt pocket and squinted at the sky. Around us were low hills sloping lazily into one another and covered so densely with sugar cane stalks. We'd been passing through them for the last few hours. As far as the eye could see, from one end of the horizon to the other, were these green stalks like a blanket over the sloping hills, and one would sometimes see their tips as being the planet's natural surface through which the highway had been carved some seven feet down.

"Ta gostando do Brasil, entilo?"

"To gostando. TO gostando mesmo."

"Pais born, ne?"

"Um dos melhores." "ce acha? Pois é. Ate melhor do que o seu?"

"Nem melhor, nem pior. Diferente."

"Pots e." He thought about this and remarked, "Tern muito dinheiro la, ne? Ate o cara que lava prato ganha." I nodded, almost sympathetically. "0 problema major do Brasil é a ma distribiucao de dinheiro. Porque tern muita genie corn muito dinheiro, ou pouca gente corn muito dinheiro, e muita genie, 'tendeu?, muito muito muito mais genie corn nada de dinheiro. 0 dinheiro dos que estao sem dinheiro é o dinheiro que esta na mao das pessoas que tern mais. Era pra ser mais dividido. Todo mundo é pessoa igual, nao importa a cor, ou, sei la, o que for ou de onde vem."

I poured out some more beer and let him continue.

"Os politicos sao os piores. Tern alguns que fazem algumas coisas, mas a maioria so quer pegar o dinheiro. Muito roubo. Quem tern poder tern dinheiro, e quern tern dinheiro... 'tendeu?"

"E uma pena," I said sincerely. "0 Brasil tern muito... muito potencial. Tern recursos naturais, tern povo born, tern cultura boa, masica boa—tudo de born. Eu acho que o povo merece mais."

"Concordo."

"Entao, o que vai acontecer? Vai melhorar? Vai piorar?"

"Eu acho que vai melhorar. Piorar nit° tern como, ne?" He drank and lowered his eyes.

"Tern como melhorar? Sinceramente, o que é que vai acontecer?"

"Nat, sei." He said this quietly, more to himself than to me, as if maybe he would know if he thought about it, but there was so much to think about already, and it would be easier if we could just drink our BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

"I know. Are ou enjoying?"

"I am. Where are you from?"

"Yes, but..."

"That's it. D you know it?"

"I know it a I tile. My friend in Porto de Galinhas, he's from Franca."

"Right. Shoe..."

"That's it." "...and bask:tball."

"That's it exactly."

(coxinhas, espetinho de frango: typical fried snacks in Brazil) "You sure yoy don't want any beer?"

"Give me a glass."

A cold bottle

"Cigarette?

Thanks

"You're enjoying Brazil then?"

"I am. I really am."

"Good country, huh?"

"One of the best."

"Think so? Hmm. Even better than yours?"

"Not better or worse. Different."

"There's a lot of money there, huh? Even the guy who washes dishes makes money."

"The biggest problem in Brazil is the distribution of the money. Becayse there are a lot of people with a lot of money, or a ew people with a lot of money, and a lot of people, y'kn w?, a lot a lot a lot more people with nothing.

The money df those who have nothing is the money in the hands of tho e who already have more. It has to be divided more evenly. Everyone is equal, whatever the color or, you know, where he from."

"The politictans are the worst. There are a few who do some things, but the majority just takes the money. Robbery.

Those with t e power have the money, and those with the money... y'k ow?"

"It's a sham ... Brazil has a lot of.. a lot of potencial. It's got natural esources, good people, good culture, good music—eve thing good. I think the people deserve more."

"I agree."

"So then, w at's going to happen? Is it going to get better?

Is it going t get worse?"

"I think it's oing to get better. It's got no way to get worse, right'" "Has it got way to get better? Really, what's going to happen?"

"I don't kn 25

beer and not think about it, and keep going. "Ce vai pra Porto de Galinhas?"

"Vou" "Desce em Cabo e pega kombi de la ate Porto. Custa setenta centavos e é bem mais rapido."

"Cabo?"

"Cabo de Ipojuca."

"Ta born, entelo. Obrigado, amigo."

"De nada. Boa viagem pra voce."

He stepped off to talk to another driver, and I went to relieve myself About fifty meters down, past the restaurant, were the restrooms, one side for mulheres and the other for cavalheiros. Stepping inside, I saw the most pleasant bathroom I've yet to encounter. The floor was tiled with large white squares and the walls in smaller squares, one line of blue squares around the perimeter, about a meter and a half up, like a Christmas ribbon. Along one wall were urinals as far as the eye could see, an equally endless row of sinks and mirrors along an island counter down the middle, and on the other side were the showers, uso grcitis para passageiros. I chose from one of the many urinals and released the tension of a hundred miles.

To tell you the truth, I don't usually wash my hands afterwards, but it felt like a nice moment to do it this time, also to splash some water on my face and reflect in the mirror. It's been a year, I told myself Almost a year now, and you have a couple more weeks to see what you can of this country. Every brasileiro I'd , known had told me at one time or another that I simply must see the nordeste. E a alma do Brasil, I was told.

Opals nasceu la, said others. So after working here and there, from Porto Alegre to Rio to Franca (sapatos e basquete...), I was treating myself to a couple weeks, de ferias, para curtir da alma do Brasil, as it were. There was no better time, having already taken the time to conhecer um pouco do povo e da cultura, aprender urn pouco da lingua—Christ, I'm even thinking in Portuguese—I felt ready and qualified to relax not quite as a native, but something more than just a tourist.

In a few weeks, I reminded myself, wiping my face with a paper towel, you'll be back in San Diego. You'll be eating three dollar burritos and cruising up and down the boardwalk on a skateboard. There will be coffee shops and twenty-four hour grocery stores and the roller coaster at Belmont Park in Mission Beach, only a dollar on Tuesdays and Thursdays. You'll be going to Kahuna's in OB with Big Wave Dave and that crowd, probably crashing on his couch, too. And then.., who knows? It's all so close and yet so far away. I could hardly imagine life without a thirty-five cent cafezinho at a buteco before work, without a prato feito at lunch time or being able to eat a kilo, without hearing Legiao Urbana or Caetano's "Sozinho" every time I go out, without girls dressed in black skirts and shoulderless blouses dancing samba, without Sai de Baixo and churrascos and calcadas in every city with designs of black and white rock and even without favelas and even, for that matter, not being exactly where I am right now in this big white restroom somewhere along the highway between aui and For all my travels, I could never get past any one moment. Some people have the image of a traveler, as I once had, as being someone who can see the whole big picture because he's been to so many famous museums and antique cathedrals.

But if that's all there were to it, my life would only be a series of faded postcards.

Traveling is not about just seeing Paris or seeing Rio de Janeiro. It's every single moment running behind another—everything that happened in Paris, for example, is holding hands with whatever happened just before Paris and whatever happened just after, and they're holding on to whatever happened just before or after them, and they all run along like, like a line of children running through the schoolyard, all connected and yet each with its own little personality and unique expression on its face worth photographing.

But I'd spent enough time in the bathroom for one man. I wadded up the paper towel, gave one last touch to my greasy hair, and stepped outside where the air hit me like a warm blast of reality.

"You're going to Porto de Galinhas?"

"Yeah."

"Get off in Cabo and take a van to Porto. It costs seventy cents, and it's a lot faster."

"Okay. Thanks, friend."

"No problem. Have a good trip." women gentlemen

use free for passengers

, northeast. It's the soul of Brazil , The country was born there ...vacation, to enjoy the soul of Brazil get to know a little of the people and the culture, learn a little of the language

coffee; corner bar lunch plate 1 (a kilo: by weight) barbecues; sidewalks favelas: ghettos over there(near); over there (far) ' (Legicio Urbana; Caetano Veloso: famous band and singer, respectively) (Sai de Baixo: a popular sitcom)

"0 gringo!"

Down the way, standing in front of our bus, the motorista was calling me. As I came closer I saw that he was talking with two Germans, a young man and his girlfriend. I didn't have to be told they were German. They looked German. They smelled German.

"0 gringo, me (16 uma meio. 0 que esses alemaes querem?"

"Hey, how's it goin'?" I said to the German.

"Are you Brazilian?"

"No," I answered. "Hi, what's your name?"

"Klaus."

"Hey, Klaus, can I help with anything?"

"Yes. Ask him please where is the bus for Salvador."

26

"Hey, gringo, give me a hand. What do these Germans want?"

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

"Perderam o onibus pra Salvador."

"Taro fudidos, ne?"

"They missed their bus to Salvador."

"They're fucked, huh?"

"He says he doesn't know."

"Tell him it was number 41307."

"Uh huh."

"0 que ele falou?"

"Falou que foi ntimero 41307."

"De qual empresa?"

"What did he say?"

"He said it was number 41307."

"Which company?"

"Was it Sao Geraldo? Was it a green and white bus like this one here?"

"Yes. It was number 41307. Did it already leave? Maybe it's just getting petrol."

"There's another one over there."

"Tern outro ali, 6."

"What did he say?"

"He said there's another bus over there that's going to Salvador."

"But that's not the right number."

"True."

"0 que foi?"

"Nab ĂŠ o mesmo."

"Claro, mas podem falar corn a motorista. 0 seu onibus neio vai voltar, certamente."

"He figured you could talk to the driver anyway. That other bus is gone for sure."

"Scheisse! That doesn't make sense. He said thirty minutes, and it's only been twenty Look at my

watch!"

"Porque Ia gritando?"

"Falou que a motorista tinha duo trinta minutos, mas saiu depois de vinte."

"Ele provavelmente deixou os alemeies pra tras.. Eu dexaria."

"Why are you smiling? What did he say?"

"Uh..."

"What happened?"

"It's not the same one."

"Sure, but they can talk to the driver. Their bus isn't going to come back, for sure."

"Why is he yelling?"

"He said the driver told him thirty minutes, but he left after twenty."

"He probably left them. I would,"

"0/ha a namorada dele. Que gordinha. Imagina o bundeio branco."

"Para."

"Look at his girlfriend.

Little fat girl. Just imagine "What's he saying?" her big white ass."

"Uh, he figures you should go talk to that other driver. Show him your ticket. You sh uld be all right. "Stop."

You want some help talking to the driver?"

"No, thanks."

He trotted off toward the bus, and she trotted dutifully along. "Turistas," I said to my motorista, shaking my head, "fora do contexto." He laughed and slapped me on the back, and we boarded the bus.

The bus woke itself up, and we were on our way again. I was back in that seat I'd had since Rio, and there was a little bit of trash that I'd forgotten to throw away on the otherwise empty teat next to me.

Again the side of the highway fluttered past, and again I lost myself in those thought with which one entertains himself on those long bus rides. And as always, there was the rattling of th motor, the mild wafts of chemical nausea from the WC in back, the ghosts of fellow passengers ouncing back at me as a constant foreground/background to the passing scenery. After a while, we eft the cane fields behind us. Now there were mostly dead and dying trees, living ones standing a one and keeping quiet, weeds and low plants of unknown name and manner swarming upon t e brown and copper floor in an unending patchy mass, like multitudes with nothing to do but jitter in the late afternoon wind. As it got darker, I was making friends with the guy behind me. I stood up in the aisle as we talked. He had long curly hair to his shoulders and big round eyes never more tlian half-open.

He was one of those guys who has probably neither voted nor been angry in his life. We talked about ourselves and each other, and he responded to everything I said by smiling, nodding, and saying, "Pode crer."

"Ta falando bem portugues," he told me. He was going to Maracaipe which he said was close to

Porto de Galinhas. He told me about the surf competitions there and how a person can camp out on the beach anywhere he likes and how everyone smokes pot and relaxes. He told me I should hang out with him there for a few days. Did I have a surfboard? No, but you can rent them there. "Talvez," I said. Everything was perfect at the moment, and I was in no mood to make decisions. "Talvez mesmo."

"Pode crer."

At the next stop, by the time the reading lights had been turned on inside the coach, again as we had before. I picked up a bottle of 51 and some tonic water. My new frie got a 300m1 of Coke. We grabbed a few plastic cups full of ice from the lanchonete got going again, just a few minutes later, we got to know another guy who'd bought and we passed the bottle of 51 among us to mix with our refrigerantes. It was nightti of nowhere, and still the road went on.

"Tourists... out ofplace."

"Right on."

"You speak good Portuguese."

"Maybe," "Just maybe."

"Right on."

e all got out (51: a type of local alcohol d behind me made from sugar cane) d when the bus ome guaranci, e in the middle

Gregory "Gringo" Shibley is originally from California and has spent the last fe years traveling.

He has been in Brazil for the last year, working on both his writing career and his tolerance for alcohol. You can contact him at gshibl y@hotmail.com BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

27

1,0 PREFEITO

de densidade, ter peso especifico tdo irris6rio. Eleuborio era revoltado Olhou para o seu pe esquerdo e consigo, por ter urn estomago perfeito, disse: raidor, capaz de liberar rapidinho a —Se ndo fosse o fedor voce comida, tornando-o cagador profisganhava o premio Nobel de beleza. sional, quanto mais botava por riba Falou assim, sorrindo, corn a mais descia por baixo, nem demorando boca cheia de mau-halito, cu de gato, nas tripas para suadesgraca, que queria usando todos os seus dentes, como ter uma prisdozinha de ventrizinha, urn se fosse o homem mais feliz do enchimento, na falta de gordura que mundo, sentado na cama, esperando fosse de bosta, clesde que ndo o fizesse que os sapatos se achegassem aos ser o que era, magro, e, portant°, dito seus e sabido na cidade, fraco.

Together with two other policemen, Seu nome? EleubOrio. Home—Eh mundo de bosta.:. Prague a nagem ao pal, Eleusio e a mde, Da. gente tern que trabalhar, caralho?

Ofrenio went to the place and confirmed Esbornia, que Deus ostenha em seus Disse e jogou o dinheiro na cama condominios. the fact: three chickens presented signs onde dormia Shirley, agarradanos seus Agora Eleuborio esta all, arnasonhos de mulher-dama, pensando no that they had been sexually abused. A dia em que ia ter dinheiro suficiente nhecendo na casa de uma puta, moca de muitos dotes camaristicos, pquco para pagar a um homem paratrepar do blackie, that Mrs. Marciana called Laura; jeitinho se importando corn a conversa que ela queria. Dormia moca: alheia, a igrejistica e a familiar, e a white one named Maria LOcia and still a boca entreaberta, o corpo recolhido mesmo a da rua. No fundo, no buraco num desenho de feto, os cachos aloude cisterna onde se esconde sua alma another one with a naked neck, known as rados cobriiido suacara cor de bronze. de bagre, dentro de sua cabeca de EleubOrio abriu a porta e foi pro Maria Helena. homem-macho, cabia-lhe bem esta mundo. fama, de sujeito ocupado em se DIOCLECIO LUZ Sentiu na cabeca o sol quente das ocupar da mulher de casa, esposa dez horas e trinta e cinco minutos de casadaconforme as leis da sociedade Quiboco. "Vamos passar mais dois local, estadual e nacional, e cuidar da outra, a amante, mulher de anos sem chuva neste deserto", pensou agourento. "Ndo vai sobrar volume e muito peso, como convern a sujeito de poder, e ainda, nem tripa de calango pra esse povo corner corn areia e pau seco". vez ou outra, outra e outra, uma rapariga como aquela, de dotes Atravessou a principal avenidae parou na barbearia. Seu primo, razoaveis, de boceta quase fechada, recem-chegada que era ao Vegelio, passava a navalha na madeira leve, amaciando o fib. oficio da putaria.

—Voce é o On ico hornem que conheco que alisa cara de macho 0 prefeito era ele. Ele merecia. A ele cabia o poder e a fama. e ninguem diz que é perobo—disse para o outro.

Todo mundo sabia: Vegelio nab respondeu. Pegou o pincei e espalhou a espuma —Em Quiboco so ha uma lei, a minha—repetia EleubOrio aos amarela na cara marrom do primo. Olhou bem nos olhos de moucos, aos amigos e, principalmente, aos inimigos.

EleubOrio. 0 prefeito disse, sorrindo: Ajeitou o bigodinho. Diante do espelho estufou o peito. Estava —Voce nab td pensando em me matar, td? alegre por causa dos pelos cobrindo a boca, firmes e negros, —Eu? Que nada? SO ia dar um talhinho na goela, o bastante para mucum brilhoso. Era a sua epifania. Mas, nem tudo no mundo era ficar vazando ate que morresse sozinho por al; Por conta sua, perfeito, ele tristecia diariamente por the ser faltosa a gordura que compadre. Ou de Deus. faz ser o que sdo os homens de poder. Enchia o peito de ar, o Voce ate parece o primo Ermenildo, pistoleiro de agenda batraquio, para esconder sua indignacao diante da natureza, ela, cheia—disse EleubOrio.—Ele vive dizendo que nao mata ninguem, imune aos churrascos, as macarronadas, aos banquetes, as comi- sO faz os furo, quem mata é Deus. lancas, as cervejas, fazia-o ser magro, vergonhosamente despoj ado Quando o prefeito saiu da barbearia o sol estava mais quente 28

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

ainda. Ate as pedras rolavam de fininho, inclusive as mais grafidas, buscando a sombra das algarobas para fugir do inferno.

Sua natureza estranha, porem, fazia-o imune a fome solar.

Mesmo empalitozado chegou seco e fresco ao trabalho.

2, A PREFEITURA Ele gostava daquilo. Todos os dias lembra a primeira vez que cruzou aquela porta. Urn primo the entregando o gabinete do prefeito, o rebanho the acompanhando,os puxa-sacos lustrando seu ego mondrquico. Estava feliz corn aquela folia. S6 tido lhe agradou saber que a oposiedo, sabedora do modo, digamos, indecente, como levara aquelas eleicoes, riscou nas paredes do predio urn poema do maldito Rilke: justica no mundo ndo ha Quem a justica achar poderd?

Porque As leis da injustica Toda justica é submissa.

Diabo de tinta subversiva. Ficou Ia o poema, radiativo, brilhando no escuro, duro, imune aos querosenes, thinners, aguas e sabeies existentes.

Ate que desistiram. Mas Eleuborio, lido. 0 primeiro ato do novo administrador foi aprovar recursos para pintura completa da prefeitura. Oficialmente, naempreitada foram derramados 490 mil galoes de tinta, 580 latOes de querosene, 2 mil pinceis. Foram contratados 850 homens para o servieo. A oposiedo mostrou que corn esse material dava para pintar metade do planeta terra. A oposiedo tambem estranhou que as sobras de tinta, querosene e pincel tenham ido para as obras assistenciais da mulher de Eleub6rio, Orelia. Ainda questionou sobre a legalidade desses homens contratados pela prefeitura trabalharem na construed° de um novo armazem para o prefeito. E s6 na semana seguinte descobriram que a loja de material de construed° que venceu a concorrencia para venda dessatralha pinturista era dele, EleubOrio.

Foi o seu primeiro processo. Mas, feito da couraea que reveste os deuses, etrazendo no sangue o DNA que sua familia desenvolveu na regiao, tao firme e imune ao tempo quanto a serra que protege Quiboco dos furac6es, EleubOrio tido levou aquele processo a seri°.

E nem os outros muitos que se sucederam. Afinal, desde o inicio dos tempos, desde quando o primeiro lagarto abestalhado trocou o mar pela terra, a justica sempre esteve do lado de sua familia.

Crente natradicao, manteve o metodo que herdou de sua gente boa, especial.

Em quatro anos de mandato seu patrimonio aumentou duzentas vezes. EleubOrio gostava de saborear estas lembraneas. Ao entrar na prefeitura neste final de mandato, sentiu que aquilo tudo era seu e dos seus: dos muitos parentes empregados—tantos que se metade deles trabalhasse, seria bastante para fazer a prefeitura funcionar.

Sorriu ao entrar na sua casa, a prefeitura.Viu a nova secretaria, novinha, came tenra, e ficou tentado, na duvida se era pra corner hoje ou depois de amanha. Ndo admitia frescura. Se ndo presta para comer de que serventia tern uma secretaria, entdo? la para rua se se mostrasse modema, arredia. Exonerada--que ndo queria mulher incompetente the servindo. Mas hoje ndo ia ser possivel: —Caralho!—disse baixinho, ao espalhar sua bunda na cadeira—Hoje tern a bosta do comicio.

S6 faltavam cinco dias para as eleicOes em Quiboc6. Sua intenedo era eleger o secretano de Finaneas, Abalvino, conhecido na cidade por ter urn cerebro menor que o da pulga mais burra encontrada no planeta. 0 professor de biologia do colegio, inimigo escarrado do prefeito, afirmou certa vez que Abalvino era urn fenomeno da natureza, talvez o elo perdido entre o homem e o fungo. "Se fosse levantada sua arvore genealogica se comprovaria que ele e de fato bisneto de urn angico; ele esta mais para abacate que paragente", disse o cachorro do professor. "Chamd-lo de ameba ja é urn grande elogio".

Mas, e para que EleubOrio e sua alcateiaprecisaria de gente corn cerebro controlando as finaneas do municipio?

Entrou seu chefe de gabinete, Galdino. Ndo tinha passado dos trinta masse o cristdo disser que tem cinquenta anos ndo é mentiroso BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000 .

tido.

— E entdo?—p rguntou EleubOrio, espiando no seu jeito de caminhar, arrastan •o os pes, curvado, corn os olhos esticados, apalpando cada coi a, pegando sem pegar, grudando. EleubOrio achava que qualqu r dia desses ele sairia dali comendo as folhas da samambaia, ass mindo seus dotes de lagarta. E uma lagarta pamasiana-burocra a: —0 juiz mereti simo esta ai fora. Quer falar corn vosmisse— disse Galdino.—D sde cedissimo.

—Ta bem, ma a entrar esse bosta.

Quando o vent soprava mais forte em Quiboc6 dava para ver o juiz cercado de n yens Ia em cima. Tdo magro, o coitado, que era inutil andar co os bolsos cheios de pedra: o vento jogava ele para cima de todo j ito. Subia num vupt!, e descia suave, corn a cara cheirando ace e maresi a, a roupa suj a de areia e urn cardume de caranguejos que aziam morada em seus cabelos compridos. Dal muita gente achar q e o ceu era urn mare ia existia tudo isso que, contam, existe nos •ceanos.

— Doutor Emil .0 Roberto, seja bem vindo a essabodega, onde mijo de lagartixa s mistura corn processos, projetos de pontes e ilumindrias alim ntam os ratos da nossa cidade, onde as reinvindicaeoes da opulaedo sao zelosamente guardadas corn as sobras da nossa ca tina no albergue mais confortdvel das nossas mais amadas barat S. —Voce anda m ito sincero, EleubOrio, isso ndo é born. Espero que esse habit° tido ultrapasse as fronteiras deste nosso recinto. E que nossos inimig s na casa legisferante ndo venham a saber de discurso similar.

EleubOrio apon ou a cadeira A sua frente. Olhou para magreza do outro e se sentiu s timamente bem. Havia ali alguem mais fragil que ele. Talvez Qu bocO fosse o Arlie° lugar do mundo em que o poder lido era adipo o. A taxa de colesterol era baixa. E o juiz, corn seu aspecto de gaf nhoto domesticado, dava-lhe este prazer.

—Apareea mai vezes aqui, meretissimo. E sempre born the ver--deixou escap r EleubOrio.

—Venho a trab lho. A labuta, senhor prefeito. A labuta!

—E vivam asp tas!—acrescentou EleubOrio.-0 que temos, porra?

Enquanto o jui abria sua pasta, o prefeito lembrou a conversa tida e havida all hd quase urn ano. Na epoca, as disputas entre as duas faceoes politi as tinham se tornado guerra onde valia bala e facdo. Os mortos, e caminhados sem pompa, matados por dentro e por fora, a maion corn as tripas largadas nas ruas, jd contavam mais de 30 em me os de dois meses de disputa eleitoral.

—Precisamos f er alguma coisa ou ndo vai ter quern vote nas eleieOes—disse ao j rz naepoca.—Pelas minhas contas, ate chegar o dia, nessa porra essa cidade, a gente mata 300 comos, e eles matam 150 da noss tropa. Ou seja, vai faltar quorum. Voce que juiz, pago para j izar, encontre uma soluedo que resolva o problema, porra!

Dois dias depor , e dois mortos e dez feridos, Ermirio voltou.

Abriu a pasta e mos rou o mapa da cidade: a avenida principal, os dois mercados atul ados de tralhas e vozes, o matadouro de onde o sangue escorre n ma hemorragia que nao se acaba, o campo de futebol onde o Palmeiras e o Corinthias local costumam se digladiar na busca de uma bola aparentemente metafisica. A igreja, dominando a praea; o carro do prefeito, importado, humilhando as gentes comuns e as autoridades outras... Um carro no mapa da cidade? Sim, seu o • ala, vermelho, brilhoso, sem uma ruga sequer, um arranhdozinho esta, onde nenhum passannho jamais cagou parando coffer o ris ode morrer baleado pelo capanga de EleubOrio, pago pela Prefeitur para cuidar do bicho, é o unico carro no mundo que faz parte de u mapa, conforme decreto de autoria de sua excelencia, o prefe to, EleubOrio.

O juiz retomou corn a soluedo: —Habemus p em! Eis a escapatoria: dividir a cidade em espacos de atividad politica. Cada qual atuaem seu campo. E assim as refregas tido aco tecem mais.

—Que porra é efrega, caralho?—indagou EleubOrio.

—Do lado de c , a praea e a avenida, ficam corn nossa gente.

Tambem o espaeo tras da cadeia e a area em frente ao futebol.

—E esses pica os marcados de vermelho...—interrompeu 29

Eleuborio.

—Al esta liberado para os adversdrios politicos.

Eleuborio sorriu. Cumprimentou o juiz pela nobre decisdo. So osso, so quitina—ndo o imaginava capaz de pensar. Acredita Eleuborio que a inteligencia brota da gordura. Esta bem que ele, corn seu bigode e seus antecendentes ilustres, seja uma excecdo, mas duas assim, na mesma cidade, é um desaforo ecologic°, ou fisiologico, como queiram.

Aquele era urn problema resolvido. Acabaram as brigas.

Isto aconteceu no ano passado. Agora o juiz vinha corn outro problema. Os adversdrios querem acabar corn as sacanagens politicas que, todo mundo sabe, representam uma tradicao para o partido e para aquela regido em especial.

Explicava Ermirio Roberto: —Eles ndo querem que os Pereira votem. 0 mesmo igualmente Dona Zefilda e seus filhos, todos eles, nenhum deles. Ainda os Maciel que moravam na subida da ladeira de Santo Antonio. E nem mesmo a curriola de avers e bisavos de Elfidio Barreto.

—Isso 6 uma galinhada!--esbravejou Eleuberio.

—E baseado em que esses pebas querem proibir esse povo de votar! Por acaso eles sac) Deus?—pergunta, tambem indignado, o amebiase, candidato a prefeito.

—Porque é defunto, seu Abalvino. Porque essa gente tudo já morreu, virou comida de minhoca, p0 que alimenta a jaqueira do cemiterio--cospe Eleuborio.

—Sim, mas mesmo morto eles sempre votaram. Parente pode votar pelo ausente, é o que sempre digo. 0 fato de ndo existir jurisprudencia ndo caracteriza o dolo--justifica o juiz.

Todos olham para ele. No fundo ninguem acredita naquela conversa. Mas foi o que sobrou.

0 juiz, doutor Ermirio Roberto, todavia, tern problema major que esse: querem impedir a Prefeitura de colaborar corn o candidato da situacdo.

—A questdo é que a lei ndo permite que a Prefeitura produza nem guarde chapa de candidato em suas instalaceles—disse o juiz.—Alguem vazou estas informacaes para os nosso inimigos e eles, estou sabendo, vem me procurar para que eu faca cumprir a lei.

Eleuborio ndo era sujeito de meias palavras, meias verdades, meia conversa. Era inteiro: urn homem de mentira. Sabidamente urn canalha, urn patife, urn crdpula. Mas, inteiro. Nele rid° existiam duas partes. Era so uma. Na cidade ndo existiam duas versOes, era sO a dele que valia. Por isso, tudo aquilo que o juiz falava soavalhe como estrombOtico, estropetico, estapurdio, onomomastico, escroto.

—So tern uma solucdo--acrescentou o homenzinho de preto, magro, corn a roupa fedendo a naftalina importada—primeiro, criar notas frias que justifiquem o gasto corn a grafica, segundo, quanto ao material impresso, tirar daqui o mais rapidamente possivel.

Os reformistas queriam mudar o mundo. Era uma coisa que Eleuborio ndo admitia. Ele nao aceitava que mexessem uma pedra daconfiguracdo cOsmica-politica-social legada por seus avos. Tava Id no colegio, o nome de seu avo paterno, Osmualdo Liberio; o mercado pablico foi batizado para homenagear seu aye' materno; sua extinta aye, Clotilde Amarelia era conhecida como rua principal da cidade; cada inseto, passarinho, porco e bode que comia na praca rendia homenagens ao seu finado tio-avo, Anfibio Eleuterio.

0 mundo era muito born assim. Para que esse vexame em alterar?

Por que essa vinganca contra Deus?

Irado cuspiu na cara do amigo juiz: —Solucao de merda esta me trazendo vossa meretrissima.

—Ndo é meretrisssima, é meretissima...

—0 caralho !—rosnou o prefeito.—Ndo you fazer nada disso.

No maxim° you juntar tudo numa sala do almoxarifado, onde guardo as tracas e percevejos de nossa augusta casa Executiva. E pode ir que já basta de trabalhar por hoje.

Eleuborio deu as costas para o juiz. Abriu a revista onde fartos seios e ancas tdo grandes quanto jacas, estavam au, corn seus perfumes e seus sabores: doces sorvetes, doces mangas rosa. E mais nao falou ate que a porta se fechasse e a autoridade judicidria, corn seu odor cretaceo, e depois seu pensar quinhentista, estivesse bem longe dal i, ruminando desgracas, azares, dificuldades, trambolhos, 30

a puta que o pariu.

3, 0 DELEGADO Ofrenio, o delegado, sujeito de muita galhosidade, so viu Ariosmar e depois seus irmaos quando ele mesmo bateu na porta da delegacia e, fumando seu cigarrinho de fumo fulero, corn a cara amarela que carregavaem riba do pescoco hd mais de 30 anos onde brilhavam dois olhos no meio da noite, ele mesmo, anunciou: —Voce tern urn minuto marcado no seu relogio para soltar meu primo que tai, cozinhando no meio dos seus vagabundos.

Disse e continuou Ia. Parado. Olhando pro delegado.

Ofrenio ndo era homem de ter medo. Gostava de fazer luto nos outros. Era fortaleza segura, garantida por uma carabina boa e meia duzia de capangas, assassinos de pouco valor, gente que fazia servico barato, mas au i eram respeitados como soldados, corn direito a puta e saldrio.

Os irmaos apareceram Ia tras. Distancia de um peido. Os cinco tais. Todos pareciam tdo pacatos, tdo evangelicos. Quietos all. At6 Ofrenio chegou a pensar em brincadeirinha deles. Essa gente ndo era tao braba assim, ora, porra. Um berro e disparavam pelo meio da cidade, regurgitando suas poucas arengas.

Mas tinha Ia o menor deles. 0 mais novinho. Ponta de rama. levantou mdo e mostrou urn galdo. Que porra era aquilo? 0 meninorapaz mostrou para o delegado que o galdo estava vazio.

—Gasolina, caralho!—berrou Ofrenio, arrebitando o nariz, diante da mesma cara de anjo de Ariosmar.

Mas chovia. Chovia? Ndo era tempo de chuva. Entdo?... E aquele gotejar cardiac°, caindo de cima das telhas, all, pingando ao seu ladinho, e ele corn os pes metido natal agua da chuva. Chuva?

—Gasolina, caralho!—repetiu, tentando sair da pop onde se amontoava o inflamayel.

Viu os outros galties amontoados junto dos irmaos de Ariosmar.

E o reflexo dos vagalumes, e das luzes, e dos fareis na rua, e do campo de futebol aceso Id no fim da avenida, mostrando que tudo em volta estava coberto pela gasolina. Ate o teto da delegacia.

E na sua frente Ariosmar, corn o cigarro no bico.

Jogou o cigarro no seco. Pegou outro no bolso. E perguntou, ciente, angelical: —Tern fogo, seu filho de rapariga?

Ofrenio ndo era homem de ouvir desaforo. Seu lugar tava reservado no inferno ha muito tempo, corn direito a cargo public° e posicdo. 0 cao que se cuidasse para ndo perder o mando. Ofrenio tinhatalento. A cadeia lA atras era ocupada por pulgas e carrapatos.

Era seu jeito de trabalhar. Na sua opinido de educador, ladrao born é ladrdo morto. Ndo gostava de sustentar bandido atras das grades.

Ou dava urn sumidouro no sujeito ou rebentava de porrada o bastante para que ele morresse sozinho.

0 rio Tiete, quepassava frindo e largo naquelas bandas conhecia seu metodo de acao. Vinha Ofrenio corn o ladrdo e ocupava a ponte.

0 sujeito, trazia umapedraamarrada no pescoco. 0 delegado ainda falava: —Vou Ihe dar uma chance, seu filho da puta. Sabe rezar?

—Sei. —Pois, reze a melhor reza que conhece. Se ela for boa a gente joga voce no rio e a reza faz a pedra boiar. Se ela ndo for boa voce desce pra fazer companhia aos outros que estao IA embaixo, contando os peixes e falando da vida alheia.

Entao jogava o sujeito da ponte corn a pedra amarrada no pescoco.

Nem esperava o resultado.

—Vamos embora, cambada de corno. Vi pela cara dele que esse ndo era homem conhecedor de reza forte. Essa pedrando vai boiar.

Perda de tempo a gente ficar aqui.

E saiam todos rindo, mangando do acontecido.

Agora aquele au, metido a besta, a boca mordendo o cigarrinho de cheiro de bode, tranquilinho como se estivesse deitado numa varanda, na beira da praia, privilegiando-se do vento e da maresia aliadora, os olhinhos dizendo vem cá minha nega... Na mdo o isqueiro de metal, nao quer acender.

Ofrenio 6 macho mas ndo é radical.

Amofinou: BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

— Espere. Calma. MA° acende essa porra. A gente solta o homem.

Grita para o outro Ia dentro: —Elpidio! Abre a porteira do tal que foi preso hoje. Deixa o homem sair.

0 outro, Elpidio, ele mesmo, inocente do sucedido cá fora, metido na televisdo, matador de uns vinte naquelas bandas, duvidou da ordem.

—Mais assim, seu chefe, no mole, ndo vamo nem dar uns tabefe nele, quebrar umas costelinha, chutar os ovos do corno?... Seu chefe, vdo acabar dizendo ai fora que a gente ë mole.

Ariosmar so ouvindo. Ficando seri°. 0 sorriso escorreu daboca e caiu no chdo molhado. 0 isqueiro resolveu acender. Justo agora.

—Porra!—berrou o delegado.—Eu disse agora, caralho! Abra essa porta e manda o homem para cá, porra! JA! Ouviu-se uns passos Id dentro. Um barulho de chaves, um murmirrio de ratos correndo--coitados, espantados do sono—a porta se abrindo.

E I oguinho o outro estava Ia. Inteirinho. Nem umadobra na cara, nem bract) quebrado, nem sangue escorrendo. Aquilo era milagre genuino. Daquela cadeia, todo mundo sabia, ndo se saia inteiro.

—Voces demoraram—falou o ex-prisioneiro, espiando a cara branca do delegado.

---E a chuva, primo--disse Ariosmar.

—0i, choveu?...

—Num ta vendo?... Hoje deu pra chover gasolina... Melhor a gente ir pra casa logo antes que essa bosta pegue fogo.

Sairam caminhando, devagar, conversando...

—Primo, já lhe disse, fumar faz mal a sande.

--E, eu you parar corn essa bosta—disse Ariosmar. Depois, displicente, como se ainda estivesse estirado na rede, na beira-mar, contando os vagalumes, ouvindo o cantar do grilo, assim, baiano, jogou o cigano no chdo. Mas ele s6 caiu na pop e se apagou.

0 delegado entrou zangado. Zangado? Zangado uma porra.

Entrou brabo na delegacia, mordido do Cdo. Chutou a mesa onde juntava papeis, rosnou feito onca, e foi atender o telefone, que berrava Id do seu canto, nervosinho, todo histerico.

—Que é, porra?—disse Ofrenio, brabo, espumando pelas yentas, cheirando a enxofre, hidrofobo.

Do outro lado era o prefeito. assim que atende telefone, seu merda? Venha logo na prefeitura. Tern assunto para voce.

Chamou o ajudante e saiu disparado no rumo da Prefeitura.

4,0 PADRE 0 delegado, ele cá fora tdo leonino, tao bubalino, tdo canino, entrou pisando leve, mais parecia candidato a miss. Topou, do lado de fora do gabinete do prefeito, corn os adversdrios politicos. A secretaria mandou que entrasse.

0 magricela do prefeito discutia corn Abalvino, o candidato.

—Mas é preciso fazer alguma coisa. Ndo podemos deixar que esses filhos das putas facam cumprir a lei so porque a lei existe, ora. E dai?... Voce é o candidato Abalvino, pensa numa solucdo.

Ndo era o seu forte: — Eu ndo gosto de pensar. Acho que é falta de pratica. E estou velho para aprender—disse.

Depois acrescentou, achando-se um sabio: —Eu sou homem de acdo. E nao de filosofia.

—Acdo? Muito bem, entdo aja, porra!—disse Eleuborio.

0 juiz, Ermirio Roberto, estava ali. Ouvindo tudo aquilo, na sua leveza de homem nascido sem ossos e muito pouca carne. 0 coracdo, no entanto, estava apertado. So ndo tinha urn enfarte, uma enfisema pulmonar, um miasma, sei Ia porra, porque era muito magro para essas coisas. Tinhaalertado ao prefeito e seus cnmplices para que nao fizessem da prefeitura deposit° de material de propaganda do candidato. Fizeram jeito de muro. Os adversdrios souberam e agora estavam ali, na porta, corn uma ordem judicial para vasculhar a prefeitura.

0 chefe de gabinete entrou esbaforido.

—Doutor Eleuborio, se me permites VossaExcelencia, mas os outros Id fora estdo dizendo que se o juiz nao acatar a ordem que BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

veio da capital eles interfonam corn a imprensa. Ndo quer° me vanglorizar ndo mas o indice meteorologic° preve terremoto caso nAo adotemos uma solucionativa corn urgencia.

—0 que voce acha disso, padre Leonardo?

0 representante de Deus na terra tomou urn susto. Queria ficar la no seu cantinho, quietinho, encolhido, cuidando das suas unhas e de sua alma pecad6ra. Por que o chamaram ali? So por ser cumplice do prefeito? Mas °Linos tambem sdo. Cade odono do supermercado, os outros fazendei os, o delegado? Ndo, o delegado estava Mas... Seu negOci era cuidar de ovelhas, e ndo desse gado ruim, brabo, que se espa ava por tudo quanto e canto, nao respeitando cercado nem com ndo.

Padre Leonar o tinha fama de homem de opinido: estava sempre do lado do poder. Quanto ao sexo, fazia urn esforco para ndo se tornar vead . Por isso vivia pecando do outro lado—era quase um tarado. N falta de mulher atacava os bichos: cabra, mula, egua, vaca. Numa erta epoca teve predilecdo pelos galindceos.

0 delegado se lembra. Ndo foi um caso dificil de resolver.

A mulher denu ciou: suas galinhas vinham sendo estupradas.

"I-id urn tarado de g linhas nesta cidade", disse Dona Marciana, que tern 53 anos, é yin a, mde de cinco filhos, dona-de-casa, residente na rua General Se eriano Augusto, numero 35.

Acompanhado de mais dois policiais, Ofrenio esteve no local e confirmou o fato: és galinhas apresentavam sinais de que haviam sido submetidas violencia sexual. Uma pretinha, que Dona Marciana chama se Laura; uma branquinha, batizada por Maria Lircia; e outra do iescoço pelado, conhecida por Maria Helena.

Tinham nome de Lente as tais, coitadinhas.

—Temos que Mandd-las para exame no IML—disse urn dos policiais, acostumtrdo a assistir os jornais na televisdo.

—0 principal suspeito é o galo--foi logo avisando o outro policial.—Onde se encontra o elemento?

—Marcos Augusto é inocente, eu garanto—disse Dona Marciana.—Ele sernpre foi carinhoso corn as meninas. Jamais faria uma coisas dessas. Nem teria motivo.

— Tern razdo, minha senhora—observou o delegado.-0 suspeito é urn homem sim. Percebe-se pelo, digamos, pelo exagerado diametro do orificio na vitima. E tambem pelapeca usada para cometer o crime. Eis a pedra em que ele se sentava para abusar sexualmente das penosas.

Ao lado encontrou as marcas dos sapatos de um homem.

Presumiu: A nnite ele tirava as galinhas do sono para forcd-las ao ato. 0 delegado, mesmo corn o pouco cerebro de que dispunha, descobriu rap idinhp a verdade. Por que? Porque no passado tambem ele tinha essa pratica, digamos, cultural. Sempre hd riscos de acidentes, quando Se namora umaeguapor exemplo, ou uma vaca, umajega, mas fora sso, é ate aconselhado, dizem, pelaOrganizacdo Mundial de Sande 0 delegado nao via problemdtica na cultura— ele, que tambem seguiu a tradicao, namorando corn as cabras que criavam, a vaca jersey do vizinho, a egua do finado Osmervino.

Ah, porra, ai foi piixAo porque a danada da éguajá the procurava na rua, conhece do seu cheiro, se oferecendo-se, eqiiina, escandalosa. Depi is de velho no entanto, o delegado, feito quase todo mundo, foi a reciar as peles, bocetas e peitos de mulher de verdade, que sdo em mais gostosas que as tetas bovinas ou a pele das caprinas.

Sentou-se na edra. Vasculhou na sua memOria quern ainda mantinha o costu e depois de maduro. Apareceram tres nomes.

S6 tres. Pensou qu m seria capaz de forcar uma galinha a fornicar.

Olhou por cima d cercado baixinho e viu a igreja, branquinha, brilhando naquel manha tao bonita.

No dia seguin e, no confessiondrio, onde baratas e ratazanas passavam o dia di cutindo novela e futebol, o delegado se sentou, ocultista, aguarda do o padre Leonardo. Ndo demorou muito, so o tempo de urn b i caminhar tres metros, ouviu pelo ranger da madeira que o ou ro estava Ia, na escuta.

—Padre eu es ou para pecar—disse, sonso, angelic°.

—Como assi , filho?

—Descobri u criminoso e penso em divulgar seu nome. E born que a c,idade saib corn que esta convivendo, ndo acha padre?

—E justo, me filho. Para que possamos separar o joio do trigo.

Mas, é algum cri e terrivel? Caso de assassinato?

31

—Nao, padre, trata-se de abuso sexual. Algum pervertido anda comendo as galinhas de Dona Marciana.

— Ah... E um ladrao de gal inhas ?...—gaguej ou o padre, eclesiasticamente.

—Mo. Ele nao rouba, come la mesmo.

- —Mas.„—gaguejou quern nao era gag o—Mas ... Cotner galinha é... E... proibido?...

—Pelo cu é, seu padre. Ainda mais sendo dos outros. Cu dos outros, ou das outras, tern dono.

—E... Quem é o criminoso?...

—Voce!

—..• — Mas, claro... Posso arranjar outro bandido como culpado...

Talvez Ze de Preta, que é urn vagabundo, alem do mais é negro.

0 senhor sabe, negro gosta de fazer isso...

—E verdade.

— 0 problema ilk) sou eu. Trabalho pela patria, padre. Sou urn nacionalista, urn humilde servidor pitblico. Já os outros meganhas, n'ao. Vivem do dinheiro... SO trabalham se tiver dinheiro. Sao uns mercenarios. Precisam de dinheiro para falar; querem dinheiro para se calar...

—Quanto?

Isso aconteceu no ano passado. Fizeram o acordo sem brigas.

Nas pazes divinas.

Era sabido que esse padre estava do lado certo. 0 lado do poder.

Diziaparatodos que era urn homem apolitico.Ninguem acreditava.

Cada vez que a familia do prefeito ia a igreja pagar seus muitos pecados, aproximar-se de Deus, padre Leonardo citava o trecho biblico que os donos de QuibocO gostavam tanto, Romanos 13: ,.„1.

"Todo homem se submeta as autoridades constituidas, pois nao '9 ha autoridade que nao venha de Deus, e as que existem foram estabelecidas por Deus. De modo que aquele que se revolta contra autoridade opoe-se a ordem estabelecida por Deus".

Nao existiam brigas entre ele e o prefeito, o delegado, e satands—se e que o diabo existe... No maximo algumas discOrdias.

1..

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Mas era sempre possivel urn acordo. "Quando a gente quer ganhar deve tratar bem o adversario", era sua sapiencia matinal, repetida ap6s cada rezume.

Agora, ali, urn ol hando para outro, prefeito, candidato a prefeito, o delegado, toda essa gente, sabia, eram amigos. De certo modo foram eles que inventaram o veneno da cobra. Havia uma solidariedade entre os da especie.

Eleuborio insistiu: —E entao, como vamos sair dessa?

Padre Leonardo olhou para Eleuborio e escamoteou: —Nao sei tido.

0 outro cuspiu no chao. Olhou zangado pela janela aberta. Seu Odio era fao grande que afastou as nuvens que se arnontoavam sobre a praca, aprontando as chuvas esperadas au i ha mais de meses.

—Isso aqui é urn laboratorio de analise de fezes. T6 cercado de merdas.

Cuspiu mais uma vez.

— Ta bem—disse o prefeito, olhando para o delegado--manda esses merdas entrarem.

To be continued...

The original title of the this short story is "Eleicoes em Quiboc6".

From the book Genie Sobrenatural, published by the author, November 1997, Brasilia.

Dioclecio Luz, 47, is from Serra Talhada in Pernambuco's backlands.

He is a journalist and a writer. Among his books there are Genie Sobrenatural and 0 Diabo Modernista. These short story books can only be bought directly from the author. Luz has contributed to weekly newsmagazine Veja and daily Carreto Braziliense. You can contact the author at dioclecioluzgbol.com.br

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Neither words no hoto ails. They must be see

• . ...

-justice to the Igq9U--1-d 'heard-They're whaWM '

mantic poets had in nilnd wheri7 .spoke o awesome and sublime.

PARQUE NACIONAL DO SUPERAGUI Comprising the Superagui and Pecas islands inthe Baia de Paranagua, this marine park was created in 1989.1t is renowned for its mangroves and salt marshes and also contains a great ariety of orchids, dolphins, jaguars and parrots, threatened with extinction as the Mata Atlantica shrinks.

The principal island of the park, the Ilha do Superagui, is the most visited. Boats disembark at Vila Superagui, a fishing settlement with a population of about 200. There is a small pousada (Pousada Superagui, charging $10 per person), a basic restaurant and some small general stores. Some of the families rent rooms in their simple, wooden houses. There iS no electricity.

To maintain the environment and to make sure the local ,culture remains relatively undisturbed, all visitors must report to the IBAMA checkpoint, about two km from the village.

Beaches away from Vila are deserted. The longest is Praia Deserta, a 20-km-long strip of fine, white sand The water is calm, but swimmers need to watch out for the stinging jellyfish, which appear when the water gets warm.

The trip, apart from Guaraquecaba, is interesting, as the boat passes through mangroves and provides a great view of one of the world's best-preserved salt-water lagoons. It takes about 2 1/2 hours, depending on sea conditions, and is made in small fishing boats. The cost is around $30 for the round trip, made on the same day, or $10 if you go on the larger boat, which leaves on weekends at 6 am and returns at around 3 pm.

This boat anchors in front of the old municipal market. For reservations, phone 482-1275.

The closest town to the Parque Nacional do Superagui is Guaraquecaba, which is a bit of a dump. It's accessible by bus from Curitiba or Paranagua.

An alternative route to Superagui is via Paranagua, but you need a bit of patience and a lot of luck. The diesel depot for boats in Paranagua is on Rua General Carneiro, near the old Mercado do Café, and it's possible to meet men from the island refueling their boats for the return voyage. You can identify their boats by the words `S.AGUI' painted on the bow or stern. How much they charge you for the ride depends on how plentiful the fish were and the price of diesel.

PARANA BEACHES Descending the Serra do Mar from Curitiba, you get a good view of the Parana coast. The broad beach runs BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

unmterrupted from Ponta! do Sul to Caioba. With the notable exception of Ilha do Mel, these are unspectacular beaches, hot and humid in the summer and too cold in the vs inter There's plenty of camping and numerous seafood barracas, and each town has a few hotels. Unfortunately , the condominium blight is spreading.

Praia do Leste This small, unattractive town has a couple of hotels, and the closest beach to Paranagua, a bit more than half an hour away. The beach is open and windy, and there are some beach breaks for surfing. You can check your luggage in at the rodoviaria ($0.50), if you want to go for a swim.

This is the place to catch buses south to Guaratuba. These get very crowded on summer weekends, so get there early.

Pontal do Sul The end of the line, this is where you get off for the Ilha do Mel. The bus stops three km from the canal ,,vhere boats leave for Ilha do Mel. In betWeen are sunimer homes and lots of ' , open, unused beaches.

ILHA DO MEL The Ilha do Mel, an oddly -shaped island at the mouth of the Baia de Paranagud, wasn't discovered by the Portuguese until the 18th century. In 1767, to secure the bay and its safe harbors from French and Spanish incursions, King Dom Jose I ordered a fort built. Since then, not too much has happened.

The few people on the island w ere ordered out during WWII, in the name of national defense Most significantly, the island is now part of the Patrimonio Nacional, vvhich has prevented it from being turned into more cheesecake for the rich.

The island is popular in the summer because °fits excellent beaches, scenic walks and relative isolation. Its undoing might be that it is becomins, too popular. 1 lowever, it is administered by the Institut° d Terras e Cartografia Florestal (ITCR), which intends to preserve the island more or less as it is.

Unfortunately, they can't stop the sea from making changes.

By the time you read this, erosion sill have opened a channel at Nova Brasilia, cutting the island in tw o. You'll see lots of houses crumbling i.cto . the sea as you walk from Nova Brasilia to the fort.

From January t Carnaval, and during Easter, the island is very popular with a young crow, d, but there is still a lot of beach, and always room for an eNtra hammock. If you're 33

traveling up or down the Coast, it's crazy not to visit 'mantic had mind spoke the awesome at least for a day. Many people end up staying mu° d : when., they et.

Orientation Thousands of years before they were `discovered' by The island has two parts, connected by the beach at va whites, the falls were a holy burial place for the Tupi-Guarani Brasilia, where most of the locals live. The bigger part is an and f'araguas tribes. Spaniard Don Alvar Nufies, also known ecological station, thick with vegetation and littlelfyisited, as Cabeza de Vaca (presumably because ofhis stubbornness), except for Praia da Fortaleza. On the ocean side are the best happened upon the falls in 1541 in the course of his journey beaches—Praia de Fora, Praia do Miguel and Praia Grande. from Santa (.'atarina, on the coast, to Asuncion. He named the faldls lli, thee S Inadiil ltos a de Santa Maria. but this name fell into disuse All are reached by a trail thattravers es the beaches and coves, an and the steep hills that dividethem. The bay side is muddy and name or Iguacu, meaning Great Waters in covered with vegetation, Boats from Pontal do Sul go to either Tupt-Guaran4vvas readopted. No agreement has been made Nova Brasilia or Praia dos Encantadas Spilling—in Brazil it's Iguacu, in Argentina: Iguazu and Brasilia, the larger settlement, provides access to the trio uay: Iguassu„ln1986 the international commission ' comfortable, expensive pousadas Ericantadas, on the southSi declared the region taking with the Pantanal) a west side of the island, is a bit smaller, with only eight e site. d pousadas. During the summer, Encantadas is themost popular ith a population increase from 35,000 to 190,000 as a and crowded, while Brasilia and nearby Praia do,Farol are the of the Itaipti dam Fonst;u r ction, the Brazilian border surfers' favorite hangouts, because they're close to Praia lace which can be Grande. Out of season, Ilha do Mel is a very tranquil place u t iceuiptar, it."CiudaddPel Este On Paraguay) zahrdT ofi) tisiFt,(:pw The entire island can be walked around in et :aI (in Argentina) is muchmore by far the best walking is along the ocean side( mellow. southern tip of the island up to Praia da Fortale Orientatio Bichos de pi are prevalent on the island, so her The falls are roughly 20 kme ast of the junction of the on your feet when you're off the beach. iá and Iguacu rivers,whieb form the tripartite Paraguayan, Beaches razilian and Argentine border (mar ked by obelisks).

The best beaches face the ocean toward the The Ponte Presidente Tancredo Neves bridges the Rio Grande is a 20-minute walk from Nova Brasilia and a uasu and connects Brazil to Argentina. The Rio Parana, hour walk from Praia das Encantadas. According to jell forms the Brazilian-Paraguayan border, is spanned by surfers, it has the best waves in Pttrani, and on e Ponte da Amizade; 15 km upstream is Itaipu the world's weekends, boatloads of surfers come across. The walkin est hydroelectric project. excellent along this stretch, too. Praia da Fora, close to P Thefalls are unequally divided between Brazil and das Encantadas, also has good waves. gentina, with Argentina taking the larger portion. To see Other Attractions them properly you must visit both sides—the Brazilian park ' Points of interest include the GratesE das Encantada for the grand overview, and the Argentine park for a closer small caves at the southern tip (Ponta neantad a) where, look. Travelers should allow at least two full days to see the legend has it, and beautiful mermaids enchant all who come falls. Even more time is required if you want to do it at a near them. The fort, Fortaleza de Nossa Seihora dos leisurely pace, or visit Ciudad clel Este or the Itaipu dam.

Prazeres, was built in 1769 to guard the bay at Praia da The best time of the year to seethe falls is between August Fortaleza. From inside the fort, a trail leads lip to the WW 11 and November. If you .come during the May to July flood gun emplacements and a magnificent view of the whole area. season, you may not be able to approach the swollen waters The Farol das Conchas lighthouse, built in 1872 on the, on the catwalks. It's always wet at the falls. The area gets over orders of Dom Pedro II, stands at the island's easterly point, two meters of rain annually, and the falls create a lot of at Praia do Farol. The fisherfolk on the island regularly catch moisture. Lighting for photography is best in the morning on hammerhead sharks, which they call 'Formula Ones'. the Brazilian side and in the late afternoon on the Argentine side.

Festival Ilha do Mel goes crazy at Carnaval. Last year's attendance Information was estimated at 20,000.

Tourist Office For places to stay and eat, read the book.

Foztur maintains six information booths, all with the same information: maps, lists of hotels with a one star and up , OTHER BAIA DE PARANAGUA ISLANDS rating, and tourist newspapers with English-language There are several other islands in the Baia de Paranagu descriptions ofthe attractions. All the staff is very helpful and that can be visited, but you'll have to do some scraping around most speak English. Some also speak Italian, Spanish and to get there, as there are no regular boat services.

German. There are booths at Rua Bar5o do Rio Branco, in the The Ilha dos Currais is known for its bird life, and the Ilha city (open from 6:30 am to 10 pm), at the rodoviaria (6 am to da Cotinga for its mysterious inscriptions and ruins. The Ilha 6 pm), at the airport (9 am until the last plane), at Ponte das Pecas and the Ilha do Superagui make up the Parque Presidente Tancredo Neves, on the Argentinean border (8 am Nacional do Superagui. to 6 pm), just before the Ponte da Amizade, on the Paraguayan border (8 am to 8 pm), and at the entrance to the city, on FOZ DO IGUACU highway BR-27 (7 am to 6 pm).

Arising in the coastal and mountains of Parana and Santa Teletur (1516) maintains a 24-hour information service Catarina (the Serra do Mar) at the modest elevation of 1300 with English-speaking operators. meters, the Rio Iguacu snakes west for 600 km, pausing The Falls—Brazilian side behind the Foz do Areia Cruz Machado and Salto Santiago Although the Brazilian side has a smaller chunk of the dams and picking up a few dozen tributaries along the way. It falls, the Brazilians have the Grand View across the churning widens majestically and sweeps around a magnificent forest lower Rio Iguacu to the raging falls. The Brazilian park is stage before plunging and crashing in tiered falls. The 275 larger, with 1550 sq km of rainforest, but the Argentine forest falls are over three km wide and 80 meters high, which makes is in better shape. them wider than Victoria, higher than Niagara and more Walk to the observation tower by the Floriano falls, then beautiful than either. Neither words nor photographs do them over to Santa Maria falls. There's also a new walkway that justice; they must be seen and heard. They're what the gives an even better view of the Garganta do Diablo (Devil's

34

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

'Throat), or Tour (Argentina) If you can spare the cash, treat yourself to an outrageously Therettanore o the 550-sq-lan Argentine park than just beautiful helicopter ride over the waterfalls. For $50, you get waterfalls. If You intend to do a forest tour, do if on the seven minutes of intense pleasure in the air. The choppers will Argentine side; tney do a better job of protecting their take up to three passengers, but it's best to sit by the edge of parklands than do the Brazilians, and there are guides at the the bubble. You can extend the ride to see Itaipu dam too. visitors' center in the park. If you can, arrange the tour the Helisul Taxi Aereo (523-1190) operates from Hotel das evening before, and pick up a wildlife list and study it. Try to Cataratas, right at the waterfalls on the Brazilian side, from arrive at the park before l am (when the entrance fee of about April to October, between 9 amend 5 pm; and from November $I is waived) or in the late afternoon, the best times to spot to March, between 9 am and 7 prn. Travelers flying into Foz birds and wildlife Go in a small, nature-loving group and bring binoculars or Puerto Iguazit with accommodating weather and pilots, can see the falls from the air. and a tape recorder (to record the sounds ofthe forest). You'll You can catch a boat to the Garganta do Diablo from near see fantastic butterflies (they congregate about pools of urine the observation tower. Sometimes the boat operators have an and on sweaty handrails to sip salts), parrots, parakeets, b rds,lizards,three-cm-tong ants, odd sense of humor—they'll cut the engine and float to the woodpeckers, h beautifully colore spiders and all sorts of orchids, lianas and edge of the falls vines.

The Falls—Argentine side The Argentine side is noted for its close-up views of the We saw two species of toucan, but there are four species falls and the forest The entrance to the Argentine park is 18 km , the ,park. Our guide explained that their long beaks are . thit. There are three separate walks on. the deeepuve,' from Puerto Iguaz , a ually so light and spongy that the birds are , Argentine side: ePasseios Inferiores, the Pas seios Supenbres bck-heav dthrefore clumSy flyers. The toucans eat fruit, chic an eaves of the =hi (Ceeropia adenoptts) and the Garganta do Diablo, which should be saved until laSt ,. ,.

Arnba leaves are used to make a medicinal tea which is for dramatic effect. , The Passeios Inferiores is aview of the falls from below on, good for coughs., Other creature the park include monkeys, deer, sloth, a 1.5-km circuit, Take the boat to Isla San Martin (the boat service operates , from 8 am to 5:30 pm, and is , free) for anteaters, raccoon , jaguar, tapir, caiman and annadillo, but as in other tropical rainforests, large animals are not very spectacular close-up views of the falls.

The Passeios Superiores' concrete catwalks behind the abundant and tend to be nocturnal. You can see them on ' until floods isplay ttt the narus al history Museum at the Argentine park terfalls used tck g0 as far as Garganta do Diablo, es y headquarters. w afaew years back swept, them over the edge: The,e patho'gonl , The foliage i lush and lovely: 2000 species of plants as far as the Salto Adan y Eva. There's a dirt road running a few km from the park stacked in six di erent layers, from forest-floor gasses, entrance to Puerto Canoas. (There used to be a shuttle bus, but ferns, and hnshes low, middle and high tree canopies. The when we were there, the service had been suspended 'forest coVer,„ in , dition to harboring a wide variety of indefinitely—check to see.) From here you can take a hair- animals and inse , protects the soil from erosion, maintains raising boat ride out to Garganta do Diablo, where 13,000 humidity and moderates temperatures. Tarzan vines, lianas cubic meters of water per second plunge 90 meters in 14 falls, and epiphytes connect and blur the distinction between the forest levels; arranged around a tight little pocket.

Festlikat The view at the preeipice islYpnotizing. ViSiters Will be e Foto' no ourado (Dorado treated to a multi sensoriexperience: roaring falls, huge rainbow in the* ek of October. arcs, drenching mist and, in the distance, parrots and hawks us No cruising over deep, green forest. Watch for the swifts, which ,Ciudad del is mostly an unattractive jumble of highdrop like rocks into the misty abyss, catch insects in midair, shoot back up, and dart behind the falls to perch on the cliffs. pressure shops u g US dollars. But, if you have an hour or o to spare, you an quickly reach 'real Paraguay' on one of the colorful., corn ortable and inexpensive local buses that The Itaipil Dam Flow did Brazil ever manage to run up such a huge foreign leave from just he and the main trossroads at the far (west) debt? Pert Of the answer i by engaging in mammoth projects end of the main s eet. Just stay on the bus to the end of the the world's largest hydroelectric works. The $18 journey, then co back! like billion joint P Brazil I ian-Paragua n venture has the capacity to We caught 0 7 and soon reached dirt oath. Smallgenerate 12.6 million kilowattr nOugh electricity to supply ched roofs, outdoor the energy needs ofParaguay and southern Brazil. The concrete holdings had new used in this dam could have paved itwo-lane highway from Ovens, horse cartS d COWS in the front garden. There wasn't another white fac to he seen—it Moscow to Lisbon.

Fortunately the dam will net affect the flow of,water z felt much more thi dwori d' tharithe sophistication ofsouthem Iguacu as the Parana and Iguacu rivers meet downstream ofthe Brazil. We felt we ad reached the 'real' Latin America at last. e for those who are heading for Bolivia, falls. The ltaipu darn has, however. destrqed Sete Quedas ' Of course thiX is ht of our more conventional visit to Brazil. (the wbrld's largest waterfall, with 30 times the water spilled but twas,a,

by Iguacu) and created a 1400-sq-km lake. Local weather, and For flikee!tg: tay and to eat as well as getting around, plant and animal populations have been altered, and the read thhook. complete environmental repercussions of these changes will not be felt for decades. Guided tours of the Itaipu dam are given six times a day: at 8, and 10 am, and 2, 3 and 4 pm. The Excerpts from Brazil - A Travel Survival Kit hour-long tours are free of charge. Theitaipu dam is 19 kut 3rd edition, by Andrew Draffen, Chris from Foz. McAsey, Leonardo Pinheiro,and Robyn Ciudad del Este (Paraguay) Jones. For more information Across the Ponte dalkinizade, at Ciudad del Este,you call Lonely Planet: (800) 275-8555. play roulette or baccarat at the Casino de L este, or purehaSeuro Copyright 1996 Lonely Planet Publications. to $250 of duty-free imported goods (no great deals) or some Used by permission. nifty Paraguayan lacework and leather goods. f

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

35

Rides Fontela: A Sketch The last time I saw her, she regarded the grass and the trees as cause for awe, even while compulsively picking at the raw, overscratched flesh on the back of either hand. Finally, to avoid further damage, I put one hand over hers; she was unprepared for any such gesture. Pure Zen she was. But only as an apparition; inside there was the chaos.

JOHN HOWARD

Orides Fontela, the Sao Paulo poet, recently dead, received wide recognition during her ifetime, having established, in her relatively small production, a unique poetic idiom, pure as the classics she admired. She now will be translated into other languages, collect much commentary, eventually gain readers of poetry unaware or uninterested in her legendary, intractable eccentricity. Contemporaries, even those who tried to shore up her talent against her untenable person, she offhandedly consigned to the "burgues" out basket, were it but on the basis of their regular job, middle-class demeanor, too-fashionable front. Unhappy graceless genius, tormented mystic, impoverished fount of an arcane automythology, terror of the Paulistana literati, maker of delicate snowflake symbolisms, helpless, hopeless, she lived in a tiny Ap not far from the downtown Boca do Crime ("mouth of crime") the city's oldest red-light district, a noisy, polluted, unsightly, overbuilt decadence. Where was the nearest tree, bird? What the source of her favorite words: silence, white, pure, water and sea, star and space?

Inside what in other space-times would have been a mountain cave, a desert hut, a forest lean-to, the visitor would find an Orides with no job, phone, or car, no TV, CD, or PC, no flower, art object, trinket or memoir, nor any optimism, housekeeping, posture, or savoir-faire. Her realtime windows admitted little light. The webby broom, accouterment to her "pure crystal of time," "huge golden birdiess sky," "white petals/of the flower which navigates/the splendid/waters."

We are used to thinking of poetry as in at least a minimum way an extension of the poet's person and history, or viceversa. That opulent poetry is by that opulent woman; that pretentious verse a pretentious man. Was not T. S. Eliot himself the picture of an Anglican minister? Alan Ginsberg, a unified exponent?

If you once understand an author's character, the comprehension of his writings becomes easy. I Longfellow) But more than one thinking spectator had to doubt our brilliant writerbe this depressive waif, that designer ofIoveliness an unkempt misfit. How relate the "silence beyond the whiteness," the "sweet living petals," to their impossible antipodes? No, I would not, even today, should t see proof that one of the rulers of this surrealist land, a conniving descendent of the Duke, desiring anonymity, not wishing to embarrass the bottom line of his personal empire with his poetry, had fed her these brilliant scintillating obscure diamonds, find it entirely improbable.

Orides, the dear: we first picked each other up during an 36

autograph nite at a bookstore. The same occasion she surprised everyone by wasting her drink at a surprised admirer, who probably said a careless word. Legend. An impressive performance, said to be eventually headed for rehearsal on stage and screen.

Sin is the writer's element. (Francois Mauriac) Thereafter, we visited. I'd go over to her Ap where, like everything else she had nothing of, she never had any food or drink worth offering. She often didn't have that much to say either, and could sit for longer in silence than any woman I've ever known, except when getting worked up over the statelessness of existence. The couple of times I had to ask her to quiet down, she didn't object. One had to steer the conversation into poetry, which she wouldn't mention otherwise. Her English was slight, but she liked to discuss its poets. She admired Emily who, she supposed, had "died a virgin," and enjoyed verbally translating some of Wallace Stevens. Or she'd bus over to one of my various addresses. At the time I was into graffiti, and she'd come along to watch the action, but was no good at all with a spray. Readers of her poetry might find some indication ofher method oftransforming experience by considering a short poem inspired by a graffito she especially liked:

Deus se come-se. (God eats Hiself) Her poem: UROBOROS Water returns to the fount.

(UROBOROS A agua volta fonte.)

Though much of her demeanor was cathartic, Orides eventually paid her way.

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

The last time I saw her, in a borrowed back yard, she regarded the grass and the trees as cause for awe, even while compulsively picking at the raw, overscratched flesh on the back of either hand, emanating angst like a castaway might to a passing native canoeist who spoke another language, had not an extra seat. Was it the spirit of poetry trying to tear its way out of prison? Finally, to avoid further damage, I put one hand over hers; she was unprepared for any such gesture. Or had she arrived as crawling through the urban guerilla war zone, ducking snipers, avoiding the pits, insulting, offending her allies, daring them not to help, not publish her, to even meet with her? Pure Zen she was. But only as an apparition; inside there was the chaos, a drama which cast the immaculate image of her poetry in direct conflict with the murky details of her personal history. You could look an original poet in the eye behind the thick heavy dim glass; she'd look away, as if it had never happened before. You could speculate that this person, lost darling, was in fact an intricately-constructed disguise on that very spirit of poetry incognito who, which, Medusalike, protected her archetypes behind a shield of confusion and despair... but could it also be the other way round? Surely, if one looked deeply enough, one would ascertain how this mourning song, this alba, is the mute, dramatic sound of one hand clapping: a flame in dense silence keeps watch

(uma flama no denso silencio vela)

And so, into the sophistication of the SAo Paulo critical establishment, its roots in the Iberian Inquisition and African voodoo, Orides came like a diamond wrapped in layer after layer of city newspaper, which she wouldn't read even had she the price of one. Her second-greatest pleasure in life was her habit of badmouthing even the outer fringe of the execrated burghers, the elite, the "system," the middle class, other writers, almost everything existent which was not becoming essence. All that is to be expected, but how could she not want to knock the game's opponents, however subtly, in her writing?

All the world knows me in my book, and my book in me.

(Montaigne) It may be that existence was just too terrible and terrifying, too destructive, for Orides to relate it in any way to the creative act. In her tiny hermitage, where few visitors came, where little sound admitted, even little light, where distractions were minimum, she would sit in a meditation tending towards contemplation, withdrawing deeply into a silence safe from her own self and her knowledge of what it had meant to be born an Orides Fontela.

But the memory — a text pul sating — but the memory —rite of the blood — but the memory — always the memory ("Centaurs")

(Mas a memOria — texto pul sante — mas a memoria — rito do sangue — mas a memoria — sempre a memoria —) ("Centauros")

There are enough references in the poems, and there were enough books on the shelves, to indicate Orides' interest in mysticism. Her book Alba'("Aubade'), from which all relevant quotes are taken, was prefaced by a verse from Saint John of the Cross, the 1 century Spanish mystic:

e

BRAZZIL-FEBRUARY2000

Que bien se yO la fonte (How well I know the fount que mana y corre, which surges and flows, aunque es de *oche. yet night has fallen.)

Contemporary society seems to offer few openings for mystical types. poetry may continue to be one, when circumstances pernit, but it is a risky marriage. "Vigil," a word not uncommon in the literature of mysticism, appears in several of the poeIns, is the title of one which begins Absolute moment: living bird attent to.

(Momento pleno: passaro vivo atento a.)

Besides her gomic sense of humor, the verse illustrates what even a sup rficial reading of the same literature will indicate an esse ial technique of mysticism: the absolute attention to nothin ness during which the mind-spirit, emptied of all that is conti gent, opens up a virtual space for that which is not. The connec ion between a poet's retreat into the silence of mysticism and n advance into the buzz of society (it may be the other way round) is of course the word, which, in its ambiguousness, standing as it does with feet planted in both essence and existence, provides an interface between mind and matter. For goodl reason did another mystic write "In the beginning was the Word," for the word, stripped of opportunism and ego, in the clafrity of its being-in-itself, is contiguous with the beginning of luman life — the presence of reflective mind in the world of natter. With her poetry, Orides takes her readers into the h art of symbolism, conciliable with original Mind, collective pnconscious; her spoken words, alas, often belonged to the Material world of contingency, the politic of her time. Carryini through life, as she did, an irregular physical self, it must have impressed her as somehow regrettable, the Word having beep made flesh.

The poetry waS, in a very real sense, Orides' religion, to use that word as meaning re-, back + ligare, to bind: its genius is to re-unite the bel1ever with something lost, a primordial actstate-condition which has been told of in the mythologies of many cultures, variously named Eden, Atlantis, the Golden Age, the "good old days." Literature is said to fundamentally consist of variati ins on the themes of the departure and the return, to and fro this paradisiacal consciousness, lost and regained. Evelyn nderhill, in her definitive study, Mysticism2, defines the practi e as ". . .the art of establishing (a) conscious relation with the bsolute."

A first step, ay the experts, is the renunciation of the psychic complica ions induced by competitiveness. The friend Emily wrote Renunciation is a piercing Virtue — The letting go A Presence fo an Expectation — Although On es had studied well such traditions as The Bhagavad-Gita, a asic text of Indian mysticism, which advises that one "perfo every action.. .free from all attachment to results," she could ot quite bring herselfto completely renounce that which she ew had to be renounced, and therefrom suffered certain c nsequences, but late in life she appreciated an adagium of W Race Stevens, "After one has abandoned a belief in god, po try is that essence which takes its place as life's redemption ' Roswitha K mpf/Editores(Sao Paulo, 1983) 2 E.P. Dutton Co(New york, 1961), p.61 John Ho ard has published the translations of several Brazilian poets, nd several poems of his own. He has an MA in literature fr m California State University. Several of his Sao Paul graffitos can be seen on the Internet at "Art Crimes/Th Writing on the Wall. You can reach him at jodeho5@hotmail.com 37

rarEAVE Tided

7cued4

Translation by John Howard

Que bien se yo la fonte que mana y cone, aunque es de noche.

San Juan de la cruz

ALBA

AUBADE A urn passo do passaro res piro.

ALBA

One step from the bird I in hale.

AUBADE

Saber de cor o silencio e profand-lo, dissolve-lo em palavras.

To know the silence by heart — and profane it. Dissolve it in words.

VIGiLIA

VIGIL

Momento pleno: passaro vivo atento a.

Absolute moment: living bird attent to.

Tenso no

Tense in the

instante — imewel voo — plena presenca passaro e signo

instant motionless flight absolute presence bird and sign

(atencao branca aberta e vivida).

(white open and vivid attention).

Passaro imovel.

Passaro vivo atento a.

Motionless bird.

Living bird attent to.

CLIMA

CLIMATE

Neste lugar marcado: campo onde uma arvore imica se alteia

At this marked spot: field where a single tree rises

Entra furtivamente a luz surpreende o sonho inda imerso na came.

The light enters furtively surprises the dream still immersed in the flesh.

II Abrir os olhos.

Abri-los como da primeira vez —e a primeira vez sempre.

II To open the eyes.

Open them as for the first time — and the first time is always.

III Toque de urn raio breve e a violencia das imagens no tempo.

III Touch of a brief ray and the violence of images in time.

e o alongado gesto absorvendo todo o silencio — ascende e

and the elongated gesture absorbing all the silence — ascends and immobilizes itself

IV Branco sinal oferto e a resposta do sangue: AGORA!

IV White sign offered and the blood's answer: NOW!

(som antes da voz pre-vivo ou alem da voz e vida)

(sound before the voice pre-living or beyond the voice and life)

neste lugar marcado: campo imoto segredo do cisma o ser celebra-se

at this marked spot: immotile field secret estrous distrust being celebrates itself

—mudo eucalipto elastic° e eliptico.

— speechless eucalyptus elastic and elliptic.

POUSO (II)

RESTING PLACE (II)

Dificil para o passaro pousar manso em nossa mao — mesmo aberta.

Rare for the bird to alight gentle on one's hand — even if open.

POEMA

POEM

Saber de cor o silencio diamante e/ou espelho o silencio alern do branco.

To know the silence by heart diamond and/or mirror the silence beyond the whiteness.

Saber seu peso seu signo habitar sua estrela impiedosa.

To know its weight its sign — inhabit its merciless star.

Saber seu centro: vazio esplendor alem da vida e vida alem da memOria.

38

To know its center: empty splendor beyond life and life beyond memory.

BRAZZIL-FEBRUARY2000

Dificil dificil Para a livre vida repousar em quietude limpa densa

Rare so rare for a free life to realight in quietude clean dense

e inda mais dificil — contendo o voo imprevisivel —

and much rarer still — containing the unpredictable flight —

maturar o seu canto no alvo seio de nosso aberto mas opaco silencio.

to mature its song in the target breast of our open but opaque silence.

CISNE

SWAN

Humanizar o cisne é violenta-lo. Mas tambem quem nos dira o arisco esplendor — a presenca do cisne?

To humanize the swan is to violate it. But then who'll tell us the unsociable splendor — the presence of the swan?

Como dize-lo? Densa a palavra fere o branco expulsa a presenca e — humana— e esplendor memoria

How to say it? dense the word wounds the white expels the presence and — human — is splendor memory and blood.

And remains not the swan : the word — the word even-so swan.

COMPOSICAO

esperas

pauses

tecem-se verbos atentas claras luzes

words are schemed clear attempts lights

tecem-se formas jogos maduros redes

forms are schemed full-blown games snares

tecem-se tempos para um so ato infindo.

times are schemed for a single endless act.

BODAS DE CA A

THE WEDDING AT CANA

Da pura agua criar o vinho do puro tempo e trair o verbo.

From pure water to create the wine from pure time to extract the word.

II Milagre (antimilagre) era tornar em ág a o vinho vivo.

II Miracle (antimiracle) it were to make water from living wine.

III A agua embriaga mas para alem di humano: no amor simples.

III Water inebriates but beyond the human: in simple love.

IV Para os anjos a agua. Para nOs o vinho encarnad sempre.

IV For the angels water. For us the blood-red wine always.

COMPOSITION

AS TROCAS

THE EXCHANGES

Compor os pomos — exatamente — ate que os signos — deiscentes— transfigurem-se.

To compose the pomes — exactly — until the signs — dehiscent — transfigure themselves.

Urn fruto por urn

Compor os pomos Ate a anarquica primavera.

To compose the pomes until the anarchic spring.

Compor

To compose

sangue.

Resta nao o cisne : a palavra — a palavra mesmo cisne.

acid° urn sol por um sigilo o oceano por urn nficleo o espaco por uma fuga a fuga por urn silencio

transpor

space for an escape the escape for a silence

to ranspose

Ate a rosa imica — mnitiplo espanto.

until the single rose — multiple fright.

TRAMA

PLOT

Tecem-se voos campos dOceis

Flights are schemed docile fields

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

A fruit for an acid a sun for a secrecy the ocean for a nucleus

— riquezas por u ma nudez.

—wealth for nudity.

CACA

HUNT

Visar o centro ou, pelo menos, o melhor lado

To seek the center or, at least, the best side 39

(o mais fragil).

(the most fragile).

Astacia e tempo (paciencia armada e — na surpresa do golpe rapid°

Astuteness and time (armed patience) and — by the surprise of a quick attack —

colher a coisaque, apreendida, rende-se?

gather the thing which, apprehended, surrenders?

Mao: desnatura-se ao nosso ato.

Ou foge.

No: it denatures itself by our act.. ..

Or flees.

A MAO

THE HAND

A mao destroi imagens descristaliza signos

The hand destroys images decrystalizes signs

e a luz de novo desabitada pulsa serenamente em frio impeto.

and the light once more uninhabited serenely pulses in cold impetus.

II A mao destrOi-se furtando-se textura do ser e do silencio

II The hand destroys itself sneaking itself away to the texture of being and of silence

e — naufragada a forma — subsiste uma estrela sobre as Aguas.

and —the form shipwrecked — one star subsists over the waters.

TROVOES

THUNDER

Troviies invadem casas coisas quebram loucas graficos

Thunder invades houses things breaks dishes graphs windows.

vidros.

Anulam o superfluo: articulam um campo para o destino.

It annuls the superfluous: articulates a field for destiny.

Trovoes transportam raizes a altas distancias nuas tentando armar uma for corn o que resta — ainda — do silencio.

Thunder transports roots to great naked distances trying to set up a flower with what remains — still — of silence.

PROMETEU

PROMETHEUS

A Lei cinzenta — ave de

The Law of gray — bird of rapina —

vôa mas pesa: desce e busca o Sangue 40

prey — flies but is heavy: descends and seeks for the Blood

o Sangue: agravo o Sangue: gravidade.

the Blood: grievance the Blood: gravity.

Peso da Lei peso do Sangue

Weight of the Law weight of the Blood

— destruicao rubro-cinza.

— crimson-gray destruction.

TOURO

BULL

No verde campo o touro qual noite exposta em claro dia

In the green field , the bull as if night exposed on a bright day

no verde chao da irrealidade a violencia: o sangue contido (ainda).

on the green ground of unreality the violence: the blood contained (still).

II No verde dia (tabula) a morte? A VIDA

II On the green day (fable) death?

LIFE

— tAo brutalmente VIDA que a tememos.

— so brutally LIFE we fear it.

CENTAUROS

CENTAURS

Centauros derrubam Idolos

Centaurs overthrow idols

centauros derrubam-se centauros centauros.

centaurs overthrow themselves centaurs centaurs

Mas a memaria — text° pul sante — mas a memaria — rito do sangue —

But the memory — a text pul sating— but the memory — rite of the blood—

mas a memOria —sempre a memoria —

but the memory — always the memory —

absorvendo o impeto floresce.

absorbing the impetus blossoms.

PEIXE

FISH

Gira forma obliqua no espelho cor capturada em fria plenitude.

Turning oblique form in the mirror color captured in cold plenitude.

Gira

Turning BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

na transparencia a

in transparence the forma

apenas forma: sem

amo

merely form: no fuga.

escape.

Apenas forma: ciclo ritmo submerso sem asas para o tempo.

Merely form: cycle submersed rhythm with no wings for time.

UVAS

GRAPES

Mesclados: o mel e o mal

Mingled: the honey and the evil

a vida: madura impura

life: mature impure

doces-pobres bagos

sweet-poor drupes

em que o gozo do mel inclui o mal

in which the delight for the honey includes the evil

em que o gosto de podre aguca o fruto.

in which the taste of rot excites the fruit.

MITO

MYTH

Bizancio: grande ceu dourado sem passaros.

Byzantium: huge golden birdless sky.

Bizancio: os mosaicos sem tempo luz imota.

Byzantium: timeless mosaics immotile light.

Bizancio: o eterno helianto — a estrela fixa.

Byzantium: the eternal helianthus —the fixed star.

MOSAICO

MOSAIC

Os anjos fortes eretos.

The strong erect angels.

Faces neutras vests claras asas tranquilas imotas.

Faces neutral vestures luminous tranquil wings immotile.

Os anjos.

Inamoviveis.

The angels.

Irremovable.

PENELOPE

PENELOPE

0 que fag() des faco 0 que vivo des vivo 0 que amo des

What I do I un do what I live I un live what I love I un

BRAZZIL-FEBRUARY2000

love

form (meu "sim" traz o "tido" seio.)

(my "yes" brings a "no" in the breast.)

RELOGIO

CLOCK

Hora dos peixes hora dos naufragos hora do es pesso concreto abismo

Time of the fish time of the shipwrecked time of thick ened concrete abyss

hora das algas lentas flu tuantes hora das ondas brandas in findas

time of the slow floa ting algaes time of the waves gentle un ending

hora dos peixes densos obscuros na obscuridade l'quida.

time of the fish dense obscure in liquid obscurity.

AS PARCAS

THE PARCHAE

As Parcas fiam nada tecendo

The Parchae spin nothing weaving

tecendo o nada em lento fib branco? Nem branco:

weaving the nothing in slow white thread? Not even white:

apenas pura perda, sussurro de lento canto que auto-esvazi-se

just pure loss, murmur of slow chant which autoempties itself

e — inutil — tomba evanescendo-se na transparencia

and — useless — tumbles self-evanescing in the transparency.

Apenas isto: Parcas vigilam.

Cintila o mar.

That's all: Parchae keep vigil.

The sea scintillates.

See book and translation in its entirety in our Website: http:// www.brazzil.com/ p36feb00.htm

Published by permission of the author. Originally published in 1983 by Roswitha Kempf/ Editores(Sao Paulo).

41

Once upon a time, an

American record company

got its hands on some rare

and wonderful Brazilian

music and made it even rarer.

This is the story of my hunt for Native Brazilian Music.

DANIELLA THOMPSON I. Allegro brillante: Rio de Janeiro, 1940 In the summer of 1940, Hitler was in command of most of western Europe.

Germany seized Norway and Denmark in April. By May, the Wehrmacht had swept over Holland and Belgium in a Blitzkrieg campaign and was proceeding around France's Maginot Line to trap Allied troops at Dunkirk. France surrendered on 22 June 1940, and Hitler marched triumphantly into Paris. The British were forced to withdraw from Continental Europe. A Nazi invasion of England was imminent.

The United States had not yet entered the war but was keenly desirous to ensure that its southern neighbors refrain from aligning themselves with Germany. The latter was a very real possibility, as Brazilian president Getillio Vargas had been flirting with fascism since he established his Estado Novo dictatorship in 1937. Vargas even sent a "present" to Hitler: Olga—the wife of Communist leader Luis Carlos Prestes—a German Jewess, and pregnant at the time. Olga gave birth in a concentration camp and died in a gas chamber. ' Presiding over a neutral power, his hands tied by an isolationist congress, Roosevelt had few courses of action open to him.

(Brazil and the United States did not sign a military accord until May 1942, and it wasn't until August 1942—after five Brazilian ships had been torpedoed by German submarines a few miles from the Brazilian coast—that Brazil declared war on Germany and Italy.) One thing the President could do was to activate the "good neighbor" policy introduced in his first inaugural address in 1933.

The US Good Neighbor policy manifested itself in various ways, one of them being cultural. The best-known American cultural missions to Brazil were made by Walt Disney in 1941 and

by Orson Welles in 1942. While in Brazil, Disney discovered Ary Barroso's samba "Aquarela do Brasil" and included it—now titled "Brazil"—in his animated film Saludos Amigos (1942), propelling the song to international fame. A second Disney film that owes its existence to the Good Neighbor policy is The Three Caballeros (1945), which did the same for another Ary Barroso song, "Na Baixa do Sapateiro" (renamed "Bahia"). Both films featured the animated talking parrot Ze Carioca, a malandro figure based on the real musician Jose do Patrocinio Oliveira (1904-1987), who participated in several Hollywood films as a member of Carmen Miranda's band and released some albums as Ze Carioca.

Orson Welles' Good Neighbor mission was less successful.

42

At the instigation of Nelson Rockefeller and John Hay Whitney, he went to Brazil in 1942 to make an anthological film "especially for Americans in all the Americas" and titled It's All True. With no script in hand (and perhaps with too much input from countless American and Brazilian functionaries), Welles spent close to six months and a great deal of money improvising his way through the film. He delved into the samba world for the episode "Carnival in Rio" and reportedly spared no expense in his quest for the authentic. Sambista Raul Marques (1913-1991) told how during the filming of a batucada, the pernada tripping contest turned violent, but the director egged the contestants on and continued shooting until the bitter end. Several participants were injured, and the singer Grande Otelo was hospitalized. When people complained ofthe violence, Welles said, `I'll pay for everything."

Tragedy dogged the production almost from the start. The second episode Welles was directing, "Four Men on a Raft," focused on a celebrated 1,650-mi lejangada voyage made by four fishermen from Ceara in the northeast to the then federal capital, Rio de Janeiro, with the object of calling Vargas' attention to their miserable living and working conditions and pleading for government benefits. Welles re-created the voyage with the jangadeiros playing themselves, but during the shooting their leader, Jacare, drowned when the craft overturned in Guanabara Bay. The same day, Welles' studio, Ric°, pulled the plug on his budget and ordered him home. Welles struggled on with a skeleton crew and eventually shot a silent, black-and-white documentary-style story.

Owing to studio conflicts, he was never allowed to finish It's All True. (For a long time it was believed that the film had been lost.

Then, shortly before Welles' death in 1985, some footage was found in the Paramount vault. Eventually it was edited and released as a documentary in 1993.) Moreover, while in Brazil, Welles was unable to oversee final cuts of his second feature film, The Magnificent Ambersons. That film ended up badly butchered in the cutting room. Welles' career, at its all-time peak before the Brazilian interlude, suffered a blow from which it would never fully recover.

But before Walt Disney and Orson Welles, Brazil got Leopold Stokowski. In the summer of 1940, Stokowski (1882-1977) was still the music director of the Philadelphia Orchestra, which he'd been conducting with innovative flair since 1912. To moviegoing audiences, the maestro was better known for his participation in the films The Big Broadcast of 1937 (1936), with Jack Benny, George Burns, Benny Goodman, and harmonica player Larry Adler; One Hundred Men and a Girl (1937), with Deanna Durbin and Adolphe Menjou; and above all Disney's groundbreaking Fantasia (1940). In the gossip columns, the conductor was chiefly recognized for his multiple marriages (one to heiress BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

Gloria Vanderbilt) and for having been Greta Garbo's lover.

Stokowski founded several orchestras, including the All-American Youth Orchestra (AAYO), which he conducted in concerts and recordings during 1940 and 1941.1t was this orchestra that in the summer of 1940 sailed with him on board the ship Uruguay for a Good Neighbor tour of Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, and a few Central American countries. Their first port of call was Rio de Janeiro, where they played concerts at the magnificent Teatro Municipal on the evenings of 7 and 8 August.

Stokowski was a self-professed aficionado ofBrazilian music.

Prior to sailing, he wrote to the Brazilian composer Heitor VillaLobos, whose works he'd been championing since 1 p27, and solicited his help in collecting and recording "the most legitimate popular Brazilian music." The maestro explained that because of his great interest in the music ofBrazil, he would pay all expenses involved and even specified the types of music desired: sambas, batucadas, marchas de rancho, macumba, emboladas, etc. The proposed recordings were intended for release by Columbia Records. They were also to be played at an upcoming PanAmerican folkloric congress (which never took place).

Villa-Lobos complied with the conductor's request and turned for help to his friends, the sambistas Donga, Cartola, and Ze Espinguela, who rounded tip the cream of Rio's musicians.

Perhaps only a man of Villa-Lobos' stature and his close connections to the choro and samba worlds could have assembled such a dream team for Stokowski. Indeed, any poster announcing the following lineup would be an avidly sought collector's item today: Pixinguinha—Alfredo da Rocha Vianna Jr. (1897-1973).

Brazil's greatest choro composer and flutist, pioneering arranger and tenor saxophonist. Author of such classics as "Carinhoso," Tempo," "Pagina de Dor," "1 x 0," "Rosa," "Ingenuo," "Naquele Tempo," "Lamentos," "Cochichando," and Vivendo," among many others. Co-founder of the legendary ensembles Os Oito Batutas (1919), Guarda Velha (1932), and Velha Guarda (1954). In the Stokowski recordings, Pixinguinha played his brilliant flute on various tracks, as well as singing a duet with Jararaca.

Donga—Ernesto Joaquim Maria dos Santos (1891-1974).

Son of Tia Amelia; began to play with Pixinguinha at ha Ciata's house in 1916, where he co-authored the first recorded samba, "Pelo Telefone," which became the Carnaval hit of 1917. Composer of "PatrAo, Prenda Seu Gado" (with Pixinguinha & JoAo da Baiana), "Quando uma Estrela Sorri" (with Villa-Lobos & David Nasser), "Benedito no Choro," and "Seu Mane Luis"(with Baiano).

Co-founder of Os Oito Batutas (1919), Guarda Velha (1932), and Velha Guarda (1954). Donga's conj unto regional provided much of the accompaniment in the Stokowski recordings.

Jolio da Baiana—JoAo Machado Guedes (1887-1974). Son of the baiana Tia Prisciliana (or Perciliana). Began parading in Carnaval groups while still a boy often; member of the legendary ranchos Kananga do Japao and Deixa Falar. For many years the most important percussionist in Brazil, he is credited with having introduced the pandeiro into samba and choro and turned the knife and plate into rhythm instruments. Composer of the sambas "Batuque na Cozinha" (resurrected by Martinho cia Vila), "Mulher Cruel," "Pedindo Vinganca," and "0 Futuro E uma Caveira."

Noted singer of Afro-Brazilian corimas. A lifelong friend of Pixinguinha and Donga and co-founder of Guarda Velha (1932) and Velha Guarda (1954).

Cartola—Angenor de Oliveira (1908-1980). Co-founder of the samba school Estaclo Primeira de Mangueira and one of the most outstanding samba composers and performers of all time.

Author of the immortal "As Rosas NAo "Acontece," "Alvorada," "0 Sol Nascera," "Sim," "0 Mundo E um Moinho," "Disfarca e Chora," "Os Tempos Idos," "Ao Amanhecer," "Tive Sim," and "Cordas de Aco," to name a few. At the Stokowski sessions, where he made his first vocal recordings, Cartola was accompanied by Mangueira composer/guitarist Aloisio Dias; a group of Mangueira percussionists including Pregui9a, China, and Negro; and the samba school's pastoras, a feminine chorus made up ofNeuma, Ceceia, Nadir, Omelia, Guiomar, Nesilia, and Neguirtha.

Ze Espinguela—Jose Gomes da Costa (died 1944). Pai-desanto and important samba pioneer. When samba was still illegal, Espinguela hosted rodas de samba at his house following the macumba ceremonies. Headed the Bloco dos Arengueirosin the morro of Mangueira (first Carnaval parade: 1927), from which emerged the seven founders of the samba school Estaclo Primeira de Mangueira, Espinguela among. them. Invented the samba school competition in 1929. In 1940, assisted Villa-Lobos in the BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

creation of the o d-style Carnaval group Sodade do Coral:).

Popularly known as Pai Alufa, he was accompanied in the Stokowski recordi gs by the vocal/instrumental/dance group that usually performed at his parties, be they sacred or profane. These were the only voc I recordings made by Espinguela, also known as Jose or Ze Spin Ili. Ze da Zilda Jose Goncalves (1908-1954). Mangueira composer first kno n as Ze Corn Fome (Hungry Ze) for his habit of stashing enorm us quantities of food from friends' parties in his guitar case. Lat r he formed a duo with wife Zilda and received the new nicknam . Co-author of "NA() Quero Mais [Amar a Ningueml" with C ola and Carlos Cachaca.

Jararaca an Ratinho—Famous northeastern comic duo of composer-singers. ose Luis Rodrigues Calazans "Jararaca" (18961977) and saxophi fist Severino Rangel de Carvalho "Ratinho" (1896-1972) spre d their humorous cocos and emboladas all over Brazil. Later t ey were the stars of a popular radio program.

Jararaca's marcha `Marrile Eu Quero" is one of the most popular Carnaval tunes of 1 times.

Luis Americ no—Notable choro composer (1900-1961) and important clar netist and saxophonist.

Also particip ting were singer Janir Martins of the Radio Nacional (the onl female soloist), Donga's conjunto regional featuring singer M uro Cesar (real name: Jose Nascimento), and the men's chorus if Oda) Villa-Lobos. In his biography Of Pixinguinha, Sérgii Cabral mentions additional illustrious names associated with th recording session: Paulo da Portela (founder of the Portela sam a school), A ugusto Calheiros, and guitarist Laurindo de Alme da. Two other legendary sambistas, Ataulfo Alves and Carlos Cachaca, were invited but didn't show up (Carlos Cachaca, lifelong employee of the Federal Railways who never missed day's work, had to be at the Central do Brasil train station that lc ht).

Where were t e recordings made?

Columbia had a recording studio in Rio de Janeiro, and that would have been t e natural place to hold the sessions. But the Columbia office i Brazil wasn't even notified. Instead, the musicians came ab ard the ship Uruguay, where the great salon was outfitted with recording equipment courtesy of Columbia.

Present during th recordings were not only the artists, but members of the pr ss, musicians of the AAYO, ship passengers, and even the capt n. In short, it was as much a social gathering as a working sessi in, and recording conditions in the crowded salon were far fro ideal, as can be easily ascertained from the albums Columbia r leased. The sound engineer was American— quite unfamiliar •th Afro-Brazilian music and instruments— and he had to conte d with recording at least forty numbers in one session. This was inly the first intimation that Brazil's "Good Neighbor" wasn't signing much importance to the music.

On Thursday, 8 August 1940, The newspaper 0 Globo announced on pag .

"Samba, Sto owski's attraction!

During eight onsecutive hours, the famous conductor rec s rded close to 40 Brazilian popular tunes."

The previous ening, after his concert at the Teatro Municipal, Stokowski had returned to the ship to oversee the recordings.

He retired exhaust d at 3 am, but the recordings continued until daylight. Accordin to some accounts, the session was resumed on the following ni ht, but no information is available as to what might have been r rded then.

What was reco ded on the night of 7 August and the morning of the 8th?

At least two d tailed accounts exist, drawing on newspaper reports of the peni d. The accounts don't match perfectly.

In his biogra hy Pixinguinha, Vid Obra, Sergio Cab al quotes 0 Globo: "First, the m acatus and the frevos compos d by Pixinguinha. Then choro solos b Luis Americano nd his conjunto. The ung portion began ith Janir Martins, aRadi • Nacional 43

singer possessing a good voice and good samba interpretation, and Jose Goncalves, in Seu Mane Luis. The same Jose Goncalves recorded the samba de breque Uma Festa de Zes. The EstacAo Primeira de Mangueira, samba school, then sang four Cartola productions, all of the most legitimate flavor of our morros. Jararaca and Ratinho performed a desafio at the microphone and interpreted the difficult embolada Bambo no Bambu. To follow, Augusto Calheiros relived the modinhas of Catulo da Paixao Cearense. Into the scene entered the veterans of Sodade do Cordao (an attempt by Villa-Lobos to resurrect, in 1940, ancient Carnaval manifestations) in an impressive presentation of monotonous melodies, at times noisy, others of the black magic. After four such recordings, two marchas de rancho by Donga and Davi Nasser were committed to wax: Meu Jardim and Quando uma Estrela Sorri, recorded by the Estacao Primeira de Mangueira with soloist Mauro Cesar. Composed by the same authors, the sambas Samba da Lua and Sofre Quem Faz Sofrer were recorded by Janir Martins & Jose Goncalves and

by Mauro Cesar, respectively. Then came the number that caused the greatest sensation of the night: the flute solo of Pixinguinha in Urubu Malandro. All present were enthusiastic, not only with the picturesque music but with the superb execution of Pixinguinha, to the point that one of the orchestra's section leaders said, 'That is one of the best flutists I've ever heard!"

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The researchers Marilia T. Barboza and Arthur L. de Oliveira pieced together cot newspaper reports replete cz- with inaccuracies, omissions, and duplications to produce the following list of tunes, published in two of their biographies, Filho de Ogum Bexiguento (about Pixinguinha) and Cartola-Os Tempos Idos: 1.

Seu Mane Luis (partido alto by Donga & Cicero de Almeida) Meu 2.

Amor (samba do morro by Cartola & Aloisio Dias) Festa Encrencada 3. (samba de breque by Jose Goncalves) Passarinho Bateu 4.

Asas (toada by Donga) 5.

Sapo Dentro do Saco (embolada by Jararaca) Orime (macumba by Ze Espinguela) Hoje E Dia (macumba by Ze Espinguela) Afoche (candomble by Ze Espinguela) Samba da Lua (batucada by Donga & David Nasser) Intrigas no Buteco do Pad i lha (choro by Luis Americano) Tocando pra Voce (choro by Luis Americano) Luis Americano no Lido (choro by Luis Americano) Bole-Bole (maxixe by Jose Goncalves) Caboclo do Mato (fantasia on macumba by Joao da Baiana) Quequerequeque (fantasia on macumba by Joao da Baiana) Pelo Telefone (samba by Donga & Mauro de Almeida) Bambu (embolada by Donga) Primeiro Amor (samba do morro by Cartola & Aloisio Dias) Apanha Limao (samba by Jararaca) Jose Barbino (maracatu by Pixinguinha & Jararaca) Na Praia (modinha by Raul Moraes)

22. Saia da Morena (embolada by Donga) 23. Tristeza (samba do morro by Cartola) 24. Quem Me Ve Sorrir (samba do morro by Cartola & Carlos Cachaca) 25. Ranchinho Des feito (samba-cancdo by Donga & David Nasser) 26. Cambinda Velha (frevo by Pixinguinha) 27. Urubu Malandro (variations on samba by Pixinguinha) 28. Amarra a Vaca (embolada by Jararaca) 29. Alma de l'upi (modinha by Jararaca) 30. Taco Tacto (desafio by Jararaca) 31. Sofre Quern Faz Sofrer (samba by Donga & David 'Nasser) 32. Romance de urn Indio (samba by Donga & David Nasser) 33. Curimach6 (macumba by Ze Espinguela) 34. Camandaue (candomble by Ze Espinguela) 35. Meu Jardim (marcha de rancho by Donga & David Nasser) 36. Ranchinho Desfeito (marcha de rancho by Donga & David Nasser) 37. Acoroag6 (candomble by Ze Espinguela) 38. Canide-lone (Amerindian chant elaborated by VillaLobos) 39. Nozani-Na (Amerindian chant elaborated by Villa-Lobos) 40. Teiru (Amerindian chant elaborated by Villa-Lobos) "Ranchinho besfeito" is listed twice, the second time as a marcha de rancho- According to Barboza and Oliveira, the song was recorded twice, but it could be that this marcha de rancho is "Quando uma Estrela Sorri" (by the same authors), mentioned in the 0 Globo report but missing from the list above.

On Friday, 9 August, with at least forty tunes recorded (some say a hundred), Stokowski bid adieu to Rio de Janeiro and left for Sao Paulo. What did he give the musicians for their work? Only his enthusiastic compliments.

H. Scherzo poco allegro: Native Brazilian Music Columbia Records released Stokowski's Uruguay recordings later in 1940 tinder the title Native Brazilian Music. Of the forty tunes recorded, only seventeen saw the light of day, in two albums, each containing four 78-rpm discs.

The albums' liner notes announced: "Here in this album of Columbia Records you have the authentic music of Brazil.. .superbly played by native musicians... selected and recorded under the personal supervision of Leopold Stokowski.

These significant recordings were made during Maestro Stokowski's tour of South America with the All-American Orchestra. At. the various stops of the tour, Dr. Stokowski listened to the native folk and popular music as interpreted by the musicians of our Good Neighbor states. For recording purposes he chose what he thought was best and most typical.

Plans for fflese records were laid when arrangements were first completed to record, exclusively on Columbia Masterworks, the All-American Orchestra under Leopold , Stokowski." law.21 Pixinguinha's acclaimed flute solo in "Urubu Malandro" was one of the mliny casualties, most probably owing to poor audio quality. Bu4 truncation wasn't the only deficiency of the albums. A mere sik of the seventeen tune titles escaped butchery on the disc labels.10f the composers' names, a scant three were correctly spelled. As for the performers, they were mostly ignored. In Volume Two, the song order was mixed up. And considering Stokowski's zeal for "the most legitimate native Brazilian music," the descriptions attached to the compositions are disappointingly inadequate. I've reformatted the label information for easier reading, although the spelling and the order remain as they were on Columbia's discs: Native Bram ian Music-Volume One (Columbia album BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

C-83) 36503 C83-1 (CO 30165) Grupo do Rae Alufa: Macumba de Ochoce (Jose Espingucla); Macumba with Vocal Ensemble 36503 C83-2 (CO 30166) Grupo do Rae Alufa: Macumba de Inhancan (Jose Espingucla); Macumba with Vocal Ensemble 36504 C83-3 (CO 30150) Regionale Orchestra: Samba Concao (Wasson-Donga); Samba with Vocal Refrain 36504 C83-4 (CO 30151) Regionale Orchestra: Caboclo do Matto (Cetulio Marinho); Samba with Vocal Ensemble 36505 C83-5 (CO 30154) Guarda Vilha Orchestra: Seu Mane e Luis (Ernesto dos Santos); Samba with Vocal Duet 36505 C83-6 (CO 30156) Ernesto dos Santos with Orchestra: Bambo du Bambu; Samba with Vocal Refrain 36506 C83-7 (CO 30155) Jararaca e Rattinho: Sappo no Sacco (Jararaca e Rattinho); Embolada with Ensemble Vocal 36506 C83-8 (CO 30147) Regionale Orchestra: K Keni K K (Yoad Machrado Cudo j); Samba with Vocal Ensemble Native Brazilian Music—Volume Two (Columbia album C-84) 36507 C84-1 (CO 30152) Alfredo Vianna e Calazans: Ze Barbino (Alfredo viana e Calazans); Vocal 36507 C84-2 (CO 30153) Luis Americano: Tocanda Pra Voce (Luis Americano); Instrumental 36508 C84-3 (CO 30148) Regionale Orchestra: Pelo Telefone (Donga); Zamba with Vocal Chorus 36508 C84-4 (CO 30149) Regionale Orchestra: Passarinho Baleu Asa (Donga); Zamba with Vocal Ensemble 36509 C84-5 (CO 30163) Mangueira Chorus: Quem Me Ve Sorrir (de Oliveira); Zamba with Vocal Ensemble 36509 C84-6 (CO 30193) Brazilian Indian Singers: 1. Teirii 2. Nozani-Na (Villa-Lobos); Chants 36510 C84-7 (CO 30190) Grupo do Rae Alufa: Cantigo de Festa (Jose Espingucla); Cancao with Vocal Ensemble 36510 C84-8 (CO 30167) Brazilian Indian Singers: Canide loune (Villa-Lobos); Vocal Columbia never released Native Brazilian Music in Brazil, and for forty-seven years, the only known copies there could be counted on the fingers of one hand. The music historian and critic Ludo Rangel was one of the lucky few who owned the albums— he received them from a friend in New York into whose hands they had fallen by chance. Rangel eventually donated his albums to the Museu da Imagem e du Som (MIS, the Image and Sound Museum), where they disappeared in mysterious circumstances.

Most of the musicians died without ever having heard the recordings. Few were paid for them. Cartola received a paltry 1,500 reis, enough for three packets of cheap cigarettes, ayear and a half after the recordings. In an interview he gave Sergio Cabral in 1974, Cartola said that he finally heard "Quem Me Ve Sorrir"— his first vocal recording—in Ludo Rangel' s home a good twenty years after the Uruguay sessions. Two other participants in the same recording had to wait until 1980 to hear it on tape: Aloisio Dias and Dona Neuma Goncalves Silva. Dona Neuma, born in 1922, is the daughter of Mangueira's first president Saturnino Goncalves and the grande dame of samba. In 1940 she was eighteen and one of the pastoras who provided the electrifying vocal backup in "Quem Me Ve Sorrir." In a 1981 interview with filmmaker Roberto Moura, Dona Neuma still remembered fondly and described in great detail the delicious food served on board the Uruguay 41 years earlier.

Neither the government of Brazil nor any other Brazilian entity has ever made an effort to recover these recordings. In 1987, during Villa-Lobos' centennial, Museu Villa-Lobos (MVL) in Rio de Janeiro released the sixteen Native Brazilian Music sides on an LP produced by Suetonio Valenca, Marcelo Rodolfo, and Jairo Severiano, with liner notes by the music historian Ary Vasconcelos. The music was transferred not from the original matrices, whose location (if they survived) remains unknown, but from 78-rpm discs donated by the collector Flavio Silva.

This also was the first time that the compositions, their authors, and the interpreters were correctly identified, the exception being Pai Alufa (Ze Espinguela), whose group inexplicably BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

retained the moniker Grupo do Rae Alufa, a la Columbia (I've reverted to the cortect name): Native Brazilian Music—Vol. 1 (C-83) 1. Macumba de Oxossi (DongiIJose Espinguela) Ze Espinguela& 3rupo do Pai Alu a. A macumba in raise of OxOssi, or a of the forest an the hunt, syncreti ed as St. Sebastian i Rio de Janeiro and as St. George in : ahia. reShort call sponse phras s in Yoruba, sung by a male soloist a d a female chorus and accompanied by powerful drummi g (possibly #6 in the list of 40 tunes).

2. Macumb de lansa (Donga/Jose Espinguela)--Ze Espinguela & Grupo do Pai Alufa. A macumba in praise of Iansa, female srixá of the flaming sword, syncretized as St. Barbara. Mal soloist and female chorus accompanied by drumming (u identified in the list of 40 tunes).

3. Ranchinh Desfeito (Donga/De Castro e Souza/David Nasser)—Ma ro Cesar. A simple Samba-cancelo, sung in Orlando Silv 's vocal style and accompanied by Donga's conjunto regi nal and Pixinguinha's outstanding flute (#25 in the list of 4 tunes).

4. Caboclo di Mato (Getulio Marinho da Silva "Amor")-Joao da Baia a & Janir Martins. Corima featuring short phrases of mal call & female response, flute improvisations

by Pixinguinh , and Joao's famous pandeiro (#14 in the list of 40 tunes).

5. Seu Mane Luis (Donga)—Jose Goncalves (aka Ze da Zilda) & Janir Martins. Humorous samba in a male-female duet, accompanied by Donga's regional with Pixinguinha's flute solo and percussion (#1 in the list of 40 tunes).

6. Bambo do Bambu (Donga)—Jararaca & Ratinho. Typically fast-paced, tongue-twisting embolada, accompanied by a regional ith Laurindo de Almeida's guitar. (#17 in the list of 40 tune.).

7. Sapo no S co (Jararaca)—Jararaca & Ratinho. A classic rapid-fire em olada, sung in duet and accompanied by a regional, this was one of the few previously recorded (in 1929) tunes in luded in the Columbia albums (#5 in the list of 40 tunes).

8. Que Qu re Que Quet (Joao da Baiana/Donga/ Pixinguinha Joao da Baiana & Janir Martins. Macumba carnavalesca eaturing male call & female response, with Joao's pande o and Pixinguinha's flute improvisations.

Previously rec rded in 1932 as "Que Quere" with authorship attributed to t e three musicians, it was probably composed

by Joao alone (#15 in the list of 40 tunes).

Native Brazil an Music—Vol. 2 (C-84) 1. Ze Barb no (Pixinguinha/Jararaca)--Pixinguinha & aracatu featuring brass & percussion Jararaca. A instrumentals interspersed with male-duo vocals. A rare vocal recordin by Pixinguinha (#20 in the list of 40 tunes).

2. Tocando ra Voce (Luis Americano)--Luis Americano.

A choro in thr e parts [structure: a-b-a-c-a] with clarinet solo accompanied y a regional (#11 in the list of 40 tunes).

3. Passarinh Bateu Asas (Donga)—Jose Goncalves (aka Ze da Zilda). amba with male solo & male-female refrain, accompanied y Pixinguinha's flute and Donga's regional.

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This famous composition had been recorded by Francisco Alves in 1928 (#4 in the list of 40 tunes).

4. Pelo Telefone (Donga/Mauro de Almeida)—Jose Goncalves (aka Ze da Zilda). The celebrated samba, with male solo & female chorus, Pixinguinha's brilliant flute, and Donga's regional (#16 in the list of 40 tunes).

5. Quem Me Ve Sorrir (Cartola/Carlos Cachaca)--Carto la & Mangueira's Chorus. Another classic samba sung by Cartola and Mangueira's high-voiced pastoras, with expressive grunts, Aloisio Dias on guitar, and powerful drumming

by Mangueira percussionists (#24, in the list of 40 tunes).

6. Teiru/Nozani-Ná (Traditional/Heitor Villa-Lobos)— Choral Quartet of Orfao Villa-Lobos. Two Amerindian chants, slowly and deliberately intoned by four teachers of the Orfao Villa-Lobos. "Teiru" is a funeral chant for the death of a chief, collected by Roquete Pinto in 1912. In 1926, Villa-Lobos made it the second of his Tres Poemas Indigenas.

"Nozani-NA" is included in Villa-Lobos' Cancaes Tipicas Brasileiras (1919). (#39 & #40 in the list of 40 tunes).

7. Cantiga de Festa (Donga/Jose Espinguela)—Ze Espinguela & Grupo do Pai Alufa. Corima featuring male solo & female chorus, drumming, and clapping (#7 in the list of 40 tunes).

O. Canide Ioune (Traditional/Heitor Villa-Lobos)—ChoMs of Orfao Villa-Lobos. This Amerindian chant, collected by the traveler Jean de Lery in 1553, is the first of VillaLobos' Tres Poemas Indigenas, published in 1926. It is sung by the teachers of the Orfao Villa-Lobos. (#38 in the list of 40 tunes).

III. Andante vivace: California, 1999 I first heard about Native Brazilian Music from Paulo "Pauleira" Malaguti. In April 19991 was interviewing him for an article about his vocal group, Arranco de Varsovia (Brazzil, May 1999). Arranco had recorded Cartola & Carlos Cachaca's samba "Quem Me Ve Sorrir"—now better known as "Quem Me Ve Sorrindo"—on their CDs Quern E de Sambar and Samba de Cartola, and Malaguti described his first encounter with the song: "In 1993 I was given one of these [MVL] records that were released here and was very impressed with the whole album and particularly with this specific track. The blending of a very delicate melody and poem, the sound of the pastoras with the early Mangueira drumming, made a deep impression on my understanding of the history of samba. So I used exactly the same form as the original recording, making my own polyphony for the intro and harmonizing the main melody. This melody is so well done that it makes It easy for the arranger to create the other voices to accompany it. This song remains for us at Arranco a very powerful greeting card when we make short appearances. This is the song that we first showed Beth Carvalho, and she was sincerely touched by our singing. We recorded it again on our second album in a slightly different version."

In early May, I acquired the newly released CD Cartola—O Sol Nascera (Revivenido RVCD-131), which contains Cartola compositions recorded between 1929 and 1968, including the rendition of "Quern Me ve Sorrir" from the Stokowski sessions.

The contrast between Cartola's delicate singing and thepastoras ' strongly African—tinged accompaniment was captivating, and my curiosity, always active, was powerfully piqued. At this stage, all I knew about the Stokowski recordings was that they were made in 1940 on board the Uruguay, and that Villa-Lobos rounded up Cartola and the "Mangueira crowd," Donga, Jararaca & Ratinho, Luis Americano, Ze Espinguela, and others to record "many different things" (in Malaguti's words).

Later that month I flew to Rio de Janeiro, where the collector Valfredo Guida let me hear the entire MVL album and gave me a 46

tape dub with a hand-written track list that specified titles and composers but not performers. I treasure the tape, but the whole matter might have rested right there were it not for another friend's action.

Toward the end of July 1999, I received an e-mail from Jim Braun, who programs and presents music shows on KBOO radio in Portland, Oregon. Jim wrote that he was sending me a tape dub of "a 78-rpm Columbia album called Native Brazilian Music—Volume I (I think there never was a Volume 2), which has some stuff I'm sure you'll find interesting," As a footnote, Jim added, "Re the Native Brazilian Music album: on every side's label it says 'Recorded under the personal supervision ofLEOPOLD STOKOWSKI.' I don't believe it, but I suppose they thought it would help in the marketing." I told Jim to believe it and sent him what little information I had. He replied, "Thanks a million for the Stokowski info; it couldn't have been more timely, since I'm planning to air all eight sides on my next show this Friday—from cassette tape, of course, since KBOO doesn't have a 78-rpm turntable." Few of the titles of Jim's eight recordings matched the list I got with my Rio tape, and it was only after I'd read further and listened to Jim's tape that I realized the recordings were identical.

Just that week, I was reading Pixinguinha's biography Filho de Ogum Bexiguento, freshly acquired in a Rio sebo. And there, on page 102, was laid out the story of the Stokowski sessions, including a list of forty tunes recorded on board the Uruguay.

Forty tunes, when only seventeen had been released on sixteen sides.

Now genuinely excited, I seized Cabral's Pixinguinha, Vida e Obra, then Cabral '5 As Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro, and learned much of what you've read thus far. Painstakingly, I pieced together information from disparate sources to identify the seventeen Native Brazilian Music tunes, their composers and performers.

It dawned on me that somewhere, perhaps in the Columbia vaults in this country, there might be languishing 23 neverreleased recordings made by some of Brazil's greatest musicians.

Did anyone know about them or have a clue as to their whereabouts?

By sheer coincidence, I was just completing an article about the samba group Familia Roitman (Brazzil, July 1999). The group's guitarist, Felipe Trona, told me he was working at Museu Villa-Lobos on a temporary basis, and I sent him a series of questions that he forwarded to Marcelo Rodolfo, the museum staffer involved in the release of NBM Daniella Thompson—Has MVL ever released these recordings on CD? If so, is it available for purchase?

Marcelo Rodolfo—Unfortunately not yet.

DT—What ever happened to the other 23 recordings made for Stokowski on board the ship Uruguay on 7 and 8 August 1940? Columbia never released them.

MR—We have no idea.

DT—Were the masters ever returned to Brazil? Do they still exist?

MR—We also don't know. Museu Villa-Lobos issued in 1987 an LP version directly from those known 78-rpm albums.

Sorry if we couldn't help you much, but we think you can get more information about the recordings from Suetonio Valenca.

He is an expert in Brazilian music and was one of those responsible for that release.

We hope you get success in your investigation.

It was time to launch an all-out-attack. I sent an_ e-mail to Paulo Malaguti and asked him to contact Suetonio Valenca. I also posted a query to the Brazilian music e-mail list Saudades do Brasil, asking if anyone knew how one might go about looking for old recording masters in Sony's Columbia vaults. The only immediate response came from Jack O'Neil, owner of Blue Jackel BRAZZIL-FEBRUARY2000

Entertainment—an American label that has released a significant amount of quality Brazilian music. Jack wrote: "Sony Brasil is very well organized and can find just about anything you ask for. Sony/ Columbia US is the complete opposite. If it is older than 10 years, they cannot find anything."

The next day he added: "You should forget about dealing with Sony USA; they will have no records about this release. You should deal with Sony Brasil; maybe they can make a copy for you on DAT or CD. Sony Brasil was the only label that still knew what they had in 78s when we were licensing. It sounds like a great disc."

Jack's news was not what I had hoped to hear, but buoyed by his interest, I told him the whole tale. He replied, "What a great story. This is what makes the world go around," and advised- that there's a reliable way to transfer music from 78s to CD, concluding: "Ifthey were never released in Brasil, then you have to find someone in the US that will track them down. Sony Special Products are a licensing division, but if you tell them you are interested in licensing, maybe they will dig around for you. It's a process that usually takes about 6 months."

Again, Jack's information was both encouraging and discouraging. There might be away to locate the original masters, but becoming a producer was the last thing I wanted to do.

In the meantime, I heard from Malaguti: "I talked to Suet6nio right this moment, and he is very willing to help you. I think he possesses the original Columbia records, and he says that the masters must be at Columbia up to this point. I couldn't get into much detail on what your interest is, but he was curious and gave me his e-mail for you to get in contact. You should rush because he will be out of town tomorrow on a trip to Prague for some radio programs he made."

So I wrote Suetonio Valenca a long e-mail, suggesting that perhaps a label like the Brazilian Revivendo, which specializes in reissuing historic recordings on CD, might be interested in releasing NBM. Somewhere along the way, my interest had shifted from the mere desire to hear all forty recordings to the conviction that this treasure should be unearthed and released on disc. But could it be recovered? And would I have to turn myself into a producer to do it?

I was pondering the imponderable when a few days later another reply to my listserv query arrived. This time it was my friend Luca DiDonna, an audiophile collector of Brazilian music.

Luca told me that a recent issue of the audiophile magazine Absolute Sound contained an article about Columbia Records during the '50s, written by Michael Gray of the Library of Congress. An unhoped-for ray of light. I sent an e-mail to Sony's Columbia division. Needless to say, that message has yet to be answered. Next I searched for the Absolute Sound Web site and dispatched an e-mail to its publisher, Mark Fisher, who forwarded my message to Michael Gray. Gray soon got in touch, and I recounted the long tale again. His response: "I was aware that LS had made records with the AAYO in Brazil, but not about the discs of Brazilian music.

"I have many friends at Sony—perhaps you could send me a list of matrix numbers and I can see if the master's survived. Is that OK? "Obrigado (1 think!)"

Another mad scramble. An e-mail to Jim Braun, with instructions for locating the matrix numbers on the eight sides of his NBM—Vol. I. A ninth matrix number came from a photo of one of the Vol. 2 discs, reproduced in Cabral's Pixinguinha (the disc label still bore the legend Volume One, although the side was BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

identified as C84-1—Side 1 of Volume Two). More e-mails to researchers in Rio de Janeiro yielded no helpful information. But those nine numbers were sufficient, and I didn't have to wait long.

Twelve days later, there was an e-mail from Mike Gray: "Do you have a FAX number? I found some material at the Library of Congress today that might be useful, though somewhat disappointing if you're looking for those missing masters..."

The fax arrived the following day—several pages of microfiche listing recor ings from 1941 and '42. There—sandwiched between Eddy Du hin's "Sometimes" & "How About You" and Orrin Tucker's "G odbye Mama" & "You're a Sap, Mr. Jap" on one side and Kate Smith's "America, I Love You" & "The StarSpangled Banner' on the other—were my sixteen NBM sides, botched spelling nd all, although not necessarily the same misspellings as on the Columbia discs. "Passarinho Bateu Asas" (A Bird Beat Its in s), which turned into "Passarinho Baleu Asa" on the disc la el, had become "Passarinho Bazeu Aza" in the Library of Congress archive. A few tunes recovered their legitimate titles. Recording place: unknown. Recording date: 12 March 1941. In the margin of the fax, Mike Gray added, "I also looked at the daily engineering and dubbing reports for 1940/41, but I can't find the original master numbers or the dubbing dates that made the COs. Given your own recording information, the 3/12/ 41 date probably means a date received rather than a recording date. Hope all this helps a little..."

What Mike Gray was telling me ever so gently was that the masters hadn't been preserved—the final insult in a long inventory of injuries.

The next day I heard from the music collector, researcher, and producer Paulo C6sar de Andrade: "Unfortunately I couldn't get the matrix numbers of the recordings. In Brazil, we use recording numbers, not matrix numbers, in discographies. If the recordings made in Brazil are 40 and you can get them, we can produce a box of 2 CDs with the complete historical recordings. I'm crossing my fingers."

My own fingers were no longer crossed. Scratch Plan A. I sent out a flurry pf e-mails to let people know that the NBM masters probably haven't survived. Jack O'Neil replied: "This is what I mean; so much great old stuff is gone. The 78s can serve as a master in the right hands. To release or license a full CD from a major abel is very difficult. They want to manufacture it and ship you finishedproduct for aridiciilous sum o money. I would love to hear this stiff. Maybe if I fall in love with it [I could] hel out."

My own tap recorder possesses only a single recording head, so once again I turned to Jim Braun. He asked an astute question to which could furnish no answer—"Could the masters be resting in Col mbia's vaults unbeknownst to the L of C?"— and willingly agr ed to send Jack a tape of the eight sides in his NBM—Vol. 1. Th nking ahead, he added: "Meanwhile, I've been thinking: if the twoCD set is im ossible, how about a single CD containing the sixteen sides issued by Columbia? Surely a decent copy of NBM—Vol. 2 must be obta able somewhere. I've looked at <rec.music. arketplace.misc> with an eye to advertising t ere, and I've also come across a mailing list of 78 collectors. What do you think?"

IV. Coda Jim Braun se t the promised tape to Jack O'Neil. Jack liked the material and ven said that he love to release it, but he thought it would e impossible to license the rights from Sony, since no one ther knows that the material exists. The owner of Rob Digital, a Br zilian record label focusing on choro, reacted in a similar mann r. As for Jim, in September 1999 he found Vol. 2 of NBM offere for sale on the Internet and bought it (he had 47

acquired his first volume in some garage sale or thrift shop).

Suetonio Valenca eventually wrote back but had no new information to offer beyond saying that MVL should reissue NBM on CD ("should" is not the same as "will"). He promised to send me the liner notes for the MVL 1987 LP edition but never got around to doing so. I was presented with a copy of the MVL LP in March 2000 and incorporated the final details into the article as it was going to press. My overtures to Revivendo have yet to bear fruit.

Jim Braun recently told me that he's ready to make his 78-rpm discs available should any label be willing to release NBM on CD. We're still waiting.

Glossary Batucada: Afro-Brazilian song & dance performed since the 17th century and consisting of sung verses (with choral response) accompanied by percussion instruments. Since the '30s, the term signifies a specific type of samba with strong percussive accompaniment.

Batuque: the rhythm of batucada.

Batuqueiro: competitor or player in a roda de batucada Candomble: Afro-Brazilian religion synthesized in Bahia by slaves from Angola, Congo, Efan, and principally from Yorubaand Fon/Ewe-speaking regions (now Nigeria and Benin); also the music performed during candombM rites.

Choro: instrumental music of 19th-century origin, noted for virtuosity, improvisation, and counterpoint.

Coco: popular northeastern song & dance form whose verses are sung in call-and-response fashion by a soloist and chorus, accompanied by percussion and clapping.

Conjunto regional: traditional instrumental ensemble, playing samba or choro.

Coqueiro: coco lead singer, also known as tirador de coco (coco puller).

Cordao: cordon, a Carnaval group of old times, utilizing IndoBrazilian themes and primitive percussion.

Cord5o de velhos: cordon of old-timers.

Corima: Afro-Brazilian genre related tojongo, featuring soloist & chorus call-and-response singing, dancing, and drum accompaniment. Its variants assume the names of the specific drums used (e.g., caxambu).

Desafio: challenge; poetic dispute between two singers, partly improvised and partly set; practiced all over Brazil, but especially in the northeast. Musical instruments vary, but the most popular are viola, guitar, rabeca (violin) and sanfona (accordion). A current variant of desafio is known as repente.

Embolada: northeastern song & dance characterized by rapid, perpetual-motion melody, frequent refrains, and alliterative, sometimes improvised lyrics with comic, satiric, or descriptive content.

The danced form is known as coco de embolada.

Favela: hilltop slum; many of the major samba schools in Rio de Janeiro were established in favelas.

Frevo: street and ballroom dance from Pernambuco, possessing a syncopated march-like rhythm of violent and frenetic nature.

Jangada: traditional fishing sailboat of the Brazilian northeast.

Jangadeiro: jangada sailor.

Jongo: type of samba, sung by one or more soloists, with choral refrain, accompanied by percussion (tambu, candongueiro, gazunga, etc.). The dance moves in an anti-clockwise circle, with the dancers (alone or in pairs) competing in turns in the center.

Macumba: Afro-Brazilian religion elaborated in Rio de Janeiro by descendants of slaves; also the music performed during macumba rites.

Macumbeiro: one who practices macumba.

Malandro: bohemian figure of questionable character but great charm.

Maracatu: Carnaval group from Pernambuco featuring a small percussive orchestra, call-and-response singing, and unchoreorgraphed street dancing; a relic of African processions. Also the music performed by such a group.

Marcha de rancho: Carnaval march, originally performed by ranchos.

Maxixe: first genuinely Brazilian dance; a fusion of tango, habanera, and polka.

Modinh a: old-fashioned lyrical, sentimental song of Portuguese derivation.

Morro: hill; in the context of samba, a hill on which there's a favela.

Orixa: spiritual entity; divine intermediary between God and 48

humans.

Pai-ele-santo: spirit father; head of a terreiro who officiates at Afro-Brazilian rebgious ceremonies.

Partido alto: improvised samba, characterized by call-andresponse singing and on-the-spot versifying.

Pastoras: feminine chorus in samba. The name is a holdover from the days of the ranchos and their pastoral themes.

Pern a-31a: a samba game similar to capoeirO , in which two opponents dance, attempting to distract and trip each other with the leg Quadra: a samba school's meeting and rehearsal hall; also known as terreiro.

Rancho: old-fashioned type of Carnaval group, inspired by Bahian Christmas parades and incorporating pastoral motifs.

Until the 1950s, ranchos were larger and more important than samba schools.

Roda de batucada: batucada circle, where two opponents compete in improvising verses or in the physical game ofpernada.

Roda de samba: samba circle; an informal gathering where samba is communally sung and played; also known as pagode.

Samba-cancao: samba with melodic emphasis; often romantic and sentimental.

Samba de breque: samba in which short breaks are inserted for the putpose of improvising lyrics.

Samba do morro: authentic samba of thefavelas and their samba schoc Is. Samba de roda: samba that is played in a roda de samba.

Samba de terreiro: mid-year (i.e., non-Carnaval) samba as perlomed in a samba school's quadra. Also known as samba de quadrc Sebo: ised book- or record store.

Terreiro: place of worship for Afro-Brazilian religions such as candemble and macumba. (Also a synonym for quadra, a samba schocl s rehearsal hall.)

Toada: old-fashioned, melancholy & sentimental song, usually consisting of one stanza and a refrain.

Recommended reading Maril a T. Barbozacia Silva and Arthur L. de Oliveira Filho: Filho de Ogum Bexiguento (Rio de Janeiro, MEC/Funarte, 1979).

Martha T. Barboza da Silva and Arthur L. de Oliveira Filho: Cartaaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Os Tempos Idos (Rio de Janeiro, Funarte, 1983, 1987, 1997).

Sergio Cabral: As Escolas de Samba do Rio de Janeiro. (Rio de Janeiro, Lumiar Editora, 1996).

Sergio Cabral: Pixinguinha, Vida e Obra (Rio de Janeiro, Lumiar Editota. 1997) Abel Cardoso Junior: Liner notes for the CD Cartolaâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;O Sol Nascera (Revivendo RVCD-131, 1998).

Daniella Thompson is a writer and preservationist living in northern California.

She can be reached at danivAips.net.

BRAZZIL - FEBRUARY 2000

SAO PAULO Boca de Ouro (Golden Mouth)—Nelson Rodrigues's classic tragedy written in 1959 Title comes from main character who reaf firms his leadership as animal's game bos .by pulling all his teeth and adopting golden denture. Directed by legendary di rector Jose Celso Martinez Correa, with Marcelo Drummond and Silvia Prado.

Teatro Oficina.

Cazas de Cazuza—The dreams and frustrations of a group of residents from an apartment building in Rio's Baixo Leblon.

Musical. Written and directed by Rodrigo Pitta, with Jay Vaguer, Lulo Scroback, and Debora Reis. At Tom Brasil.

Toda Donzela Tern um Pal Que E uma Fera (Every Maiden Has a Father Who I a Savage)—Comedy. A couple of sweet hearts fleesfrom the father who is against the idea of his daughter living with a man before getting married to him. Written by Glducio Gil, directed by Paulo Perez, with Ana Paula Scalabrini and Marcos Holanda.

Teatro Jofre Soares.

Linha de Fuga (Escape Line)—Drama presented in a dark stage. A man and a woman tell about their most intimate sexual fantasies over the telephone. Written and directed by Alexandre Stockler.

RIO Capitu—Based on Machado de Assis's Dom Casmurro, a book many consider Brazil's best novel ever. The story of

Bentinho and his reminiscences on his childhood and jealousy over his wife Capitu. Adapted by Marcus Vinicius Faustini and Walter Daguerre, with Edney Giovenazzi, Alexandre Barilari, and Maria Ribeiro. Teatro da UniverCidade Decadencia (Decadence)—British playwright Steven Berkoff tale of two couples immersed in sex and drug experiments.

Directed by Victor Garcia Peralta, with Beth Goulart and Guilherme Leme.

Viva Barcos (Long Live Barcos)— Hommage to composer Luiz Antonio Barcos with several of his classic compositions as "0 teu cabelo no nega," "Carinhoso," "Rancho da goiabada," and "Tiro ao dlvaro." At Porno da Casa de Cultura Laura Alvim 0 crime do Dr. Alvarenga (Dr. Alvarengas's Crime)—Mauro Rasi rewrites and directs a story written by his father Oswaldo Rasi in the 1950s. A mix of feulleiton and Hollywood movie in the fifties. With Sergio Mamberti and Jaqueline Laurence. Teatro Carlos Gomes.

BFtAZZIL -FEBRUARY 2000

Just-released American movies:Th Beach (A Praia),The Talented Mr. Ripley (0 Talentoso Ripley), Baby GeniuseS (Bebes Geniais), American Beauty (Belez* Americana), The Insider (0 Informante) Summer of Scup (0 Vera° de Sam), The Green Mile (A Espera de um Milagre) Stuart Little (0 Pequeno Stuart Little) Being John Malkovich (Quero Ser Jo14 Malkovich), The Cider House Rules (Regras da Vida), House on Haunted Hi (A Casa da Colina), The End of the Affai (Fim de Caso), The Hurricane (Hurrican - 0 Furaceio), Boyz Don't Cry (Menino Ncio Choram) 0 Viajante (The Traveler)—Brazil/1999 The passage of a salesman though a littl town in Minas Gerais ends up in traged Directed by Paulo Cezar Saraceni, wit Marilia Pera, Leandra Leal, Jairo Matto Ricardo Graca Mello, Nelson Dantas, an Milton Nascimento.

Castelo Rd-Tim-Bum-0 Filme (Rd-Tim Bum Castle, the Film)—Brazil/1999 Based on a successful educational TV sho of same name. Directed by Cao Hamburge , with Diego Kozievitch, Sergio Mamberf , Rosi Campos, Marieta Severo, and Mateu Nachtergaele.

Hans Staden —Brazil/1999—The adven tures of German explorer Hans Stade who in 1554 almost became Indian lunc Narrated in German, spoken in Tupi. Di rected by Luiz Alberto Pereira with Carlo Evelyn. Sound track by Marlui Miranda.

0 Trapalltdo e a Luz Azul (The Bungle and the Blue Light)—Brazi1/1999 Trapalhdo Didi and an aspiring rock singe get into another dimension trying to save princess's life. Directed by Paulo Aragd and Alexandre Boury, with Renato Aragn • Dede Santana and Christine Fernandes.

Hest sellers FICTION I - A casa dos budas ditosos, Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro. Objetiva, R$ 19 2 -A muralha, Dinah Silveira de Queiroz.

Record, R$ 25 3 - Ramses vol 1, o filho da luz, Christian Jacq. Bertrand, R$ 37.48 4 - Alexandros vol. 3, Valerio Massimo Manfredi. Rocco, R$ 28 5 - 0 testamento, John Grisham. Rocco, R$ 29.50 6 - 0 clube dos anjos, Luis Fernando Verissimo. Objetiva, R$ 18.20 7 - A passagem, Ricky Medeiros.

Caminheiros, R$ 14 8 - Ramses, vol.5, sob a AcOcia do Ocidente, Christian Jacq. Bertrand, R$ 30 9 - A filha da fortuna, Isabel Allende.

Bertrand, R$ 38 10 - Um longo caminho para casa, Danielle Steel. Record, R$ 22

NONFICTION 1- Noites tropicais, Nelson Motta.

Objetiva, R$ 39.50 2 - 0 Papa de Hitler, John Cornwell.

Imago, R$ 40 3 - As melhores piadas do Planeta e da Cass eta tambem, vol. 3, Cassetae Planeta.

Objetiva, R$ 14 4 - Noticias do Planalto, Mario Sergio Conti. Companhia das Letras, R$ 35 5 - Kama Sutra, guia de bolso, Anne Hooper. Ediouro, R$ 21 6 -A Viagem do descobrimento, Eduardo Bueno. Objetiva, R$ 18 7- 0 livro de ouro da rnitologia, Thomas Bulfinch. Ediouro, R$ 29 8 - Inculta e bela, Pasquale Cipro Neto.

Publifolha, R$ 18 9 - Estacdo Carandiru, Drauzio Varella.

Companhia das Letras, R$ 26 10 - Capitdes do Brasil, Eduardo Bueno.

Objetiva, R$ 24.50

CHILDREN 1-A casa sonolenta, Audrey e Don Wood.

Atica, R$ 10.80 2 - Pedro e Tina, Stephen Michael King.

Brinque-Book, R$ 16 3 - Sons divertidos, vOrios autores.

Brinque-Book, R$ 21 4 - Minhas ferias, Marcelo Coelho.

Companhia das Letrinhas, R$ 12.56 5 - Quem canta seus males espanta, Theodora Maria Mendes de Almeida.

Caramelo, R$ 27 6- 0 pequeno principe, Saint-Exupery.

Agir, R$ 13 7 - Matilda, Roald Dahl. Martins Fontes, R$ 17.50 8 - Coisas que toda garota deve saber, Samantha Rugen. Melhoramentos, R$ 11.40 9 - Meu cachorro é urn elefante, Ana Maria Machado, Remy Simard e Pierre Pratt. Moderna, R$ 10 10 - Outro como eu so daqui a mil anos, Ziraldo. Melhoramentos, R$ 11.60 According to Jotnal do Brasil, http://www.jb.com.br

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GENDER & SOCIETY IN CONTEMPORARY

OIBIEZE1222:1 DAVID WILLIAM FOSTER

Male Power

Although Brazilian films are as capable as Hollywood productions of casting attractive men and women in starring roles to stimulate a form of visual seduction, the dominance in noncommercial Brazilian filmmaking of a criterion of social realism, means that the protagonist is not routinely stunning in a conventional way.

DAVID WILLIAM FOSTER

Constructions of Masculinity fomem tern que ser durdo- [A man's got to be tough] —ERA SMO CARLOS, SINGER One of the most intriguing propositions of feminist theory has been not only the rejection of the primacy of the masculine, against which men are judged for their adequacy and women for their noncorrespondence, whether in psychological, sexual, or cultural terms, but the proposition that all gender identity is constructed (see Butler, Gender Trouble, for one of the most influential analyses of this proposition). While it has been reasonable for much of the feminist bibliography to concentrate on the construction of the feminine, especially in view of the importance of establishing categorical difference (as opposed to the feminine as viewed as merely the noncorrespondence to the privileged masculine signifier), in recent years, in concert with the rise of queer studies and independently of them, considerable attention has been devoted to how the masculine is constructed and how that identity is maintained, confirmed, overdetermined, and legitimated (see Simpson, Male Impersonators; Katz, The Invention of Heterosexuality).

Such research is grounded in the axiom that, except for physiological sexual markers, all bodies begin as a clean slate. The many interlocking contexts and situations of social life construct, -inscribe," on the body a complex structure of gender identity. Thisgender not only involves the sense of individuals belonging to categories of the masculine and feminine, but also involves dimensions of sexual preference. Such a process does not mean that the gender and sexual identity of an individual is only neutrally constructed and is independent of biology. Rather, it means that social processes interact with the body in complex ways such that it is virtually impossible to determine categorically and to isolate what is the consequence of social conditioning and what is the consequence of the intrinsic "wiringof the body in general and a particular body: e.g., a specific sexual preference may be as much intrinsic to a particular body as it is to factors of social formation. The degree to which this identity conforms to prevailing societal

54

models determines the degree to which a body is in general perceived as normal, and a large part of an individual's social conflicts can derive from the way in which that individual is perceived to be gender/ sexual-abnormal and treated accordingly.

From the perspective of gender construction theory, most individuals live their entire lives confirming in multiple and overdetermined ways their adherence to prevailing models, or they spend a good part of their lives dealing with the consequences of being perceived as deviant or unacceptable simulacra of the models endorsed by the hegemonic ideology of gender and sexuality. Since Western. Judeo-Christian society (at least) is obsessed with gender issues, most individuals, if only unconsciously and in compliance with education and programming they have internalized, seek energetically to insure that their gender behavior, their execution of a well-defined gender role, is consistent with the hegemonic ideology and take pains to correct whatever might be viewed as a deviation from it.

It is very evident that, especially in the modern period, there is an abundant amount of cultural production (which has increased geometrically in the past twenty-five years) that addresses cases of sexual deviancy, particularly what is identified as lesbian and gay or what in general falls under the purview of the queer. This includes any disruption in the fulfillment of compulsory monogamous reproductive heterosexuality. which is something like a keyword definition of what for the majority constitutes the prevailing hegemonic ideology of gender and sexuality. From the point of view of the queer as the nonstraight, prostitutes are deviant because they are not monogamous, and even those who are not reproductive (except when nonreproduction is sanctioned by society, as in the case of religious orders) can be called queer, since they do not comply with the mandate to have children. Especially queer are those who are reproductive without being exclusively heterosexual (some homosexuals and some bisexuals).

Brazil counts some of the first novels in the West to deal with the queer understood as the nonheterosexual: Adolfo Caminha's male-marked Bom-crioulo (translated as Bom-Crioulo: The Black Man and the Cabin Boy, 1895) (see Bueno, "Adolfo Caminha") and the lesbian passage in Aluisio Azevedo's 0 conic° (The Tenement, 1890).

What is less apparent is the far vaster= indeed, dominant—cultural production where gender construction and maintenance are what the text fundamentally is. Or. if they are not central to the text, they are a significant correlative of the main issue of the text. For example, virtually all films based on the traditional love-story formula transmit, even if never in so many words, a confirmation of established heterosexist

BRAZZIL- FEBRUARY 2000

roles, with a tightly circumscribed definition Barrela (see Chapter 3), the viole tly imposed and sustained homosociality of masculine and feminine (see de Laurens, of the jailhouse is crisscrossed w th homosexual rape, literal and displaced, Technologies of Gender). Only in those texts as a form of social control in b •th its horizontal (among prisoners) and in which there is the suggestion of a deviation vertical (between prisoners and t eir guards /jailers /police) dimensions. But from the hegemonic structure might there be homosexual rape is not homoer ticism, no matter how hard it may be to an opening toward explicit commentary, as separate the two at times (rape rn. y be accompanied by desire and pleasure, happens in a film like Vincente Minnelli's Tea and an erotic fantasy may figur - rape or something approximating it as and Sympathy (1956), where a young man's desirable). Barrela leaves no roo for any question of desire, much less love. sexual insecurities lead to accusations that he In the sequence involving male pr stitution, the suggestion that the prostitute is homosexual; when he is seduced by an older is a prostitute because of a possib lity of satisfying same-sex desire can only woman, an act of "generosity" that confirms end up subscribing to the propo ition of male rape as the suppression of him in his sense of normal masculinity, the desire by violent domination. specter of sexual irregularity vanishes into thin Homosocialism is, of course, t e norm in Brazilian society and, as a direct air. In Brazilian films like Bruno Barreto's 0 extension, in Brazilian cultural production; it is especially evident in beijo no Asfalto, discussed in the chapter on privileged realms such as the mil tary, sports, the workplace, and leisure in same-sex identities, homosexuality is also a general. Other men are vital in th maintenance of one's masculine identity. specter, but less as the threat of erotic deviancy Sexual performance with women and their confirmation of one's virility are than as one dimension of power relationships. clearly crucial, and the producti4 n of children is a confirmation of proper Thus, the film is never directly about homomasculinity: a pregnant wife or lover is customarily the proudest, albeit eroticism, but rather about the belief that a transitory, trophy of his masculi ity a man can display to the world. Yet, in public kiss awarded a dying man is sexual in the day-to-day commerce of so.iety, of much more ongoing value is the nature. The consequences of a spontaneous act ability to relate properly and secu ely to other men, who, in their acceptance, that suddenly leaves an individual unprotected provide feedback to the man th. he is sufficiently masculine. Moreover, in the calculus of power relationships turn out although vigilance and enforcem - nt of social conformity, and, in this case, to be the real point of Barreto's film. Since all-important gender conformity, •ccur in all contexts of an individual's life heterosexism and a specific structure of power experience, two are of special i portance: the workplace, where the indirelations are interdependent—the power that vidual spends a large percentag, of waking hours; and places of leisure, one wields and the power that is wielded where a good amount of the rest of the day is spent. against one depend on maintaining a fixed Of these leisure spaces, bars a d sports fields and arenas are particularly position, whether sexual or some other subimportant. Indeed, in much of L :tin America, for most middle and lower system correlative, in the social system—the sectors of society, allegiance t • a soccer team is typically of greater apparent disruption ofthe form has devastating importance than political or reli ious allegiance, and part of the definition consequences on the system. By contrast, Fab io ‘. of gender identity through spo s involves questioning, in ways that are Barreto's film Luzia Homem (Luzia as a Man, either heavy-handedly humorou . or openly assertive and aggressive, the 1987) indirectly confirms the gender system gender compliance (they are all w - ak men) or the sexual preference (they are and the roles it assigns by demonstrating how all fags) of the supporters of ri al teams. It is in this way that one can an exception may be allowed Luzia for purunderstand the strident control/J. sies that surround any hint of same-sex poses of revenge. However, once that revenge transactions in male sports, suc as the general suggestion of displaced is accomplished, she is obliged to return to her homoeroticism made by Juan Jo• Sebreli(Fiabo/y Masas), following the "proper" gender role. Luzia's parents have model of American interpretatio of football, or the outrage in Argentina in been slaughtered by marauding bandits; in mid-1995 over homosexuals am •ng the ranks of the Seleccion Nacional order to avenge their death, she crossdresses as team. That the rule of ten percent was applied (the proposition drawn from a man, since it is only as a man that she can Alfred Kinsey's work fifty years I go on establishing percentages of homogarner the symbolic power necessary to settle sexual and heterosexual activity nd adopted by many gay rights organizathe blood debt of her parents' killers. Revenge tions) only increased the outrage. • n advertising agency, sympathetic to the is a masculine undertaking, and Luzia as a gay rights movement, publishe • the image of gays under the legend woman would have been unable to garner the "Nosotros tambien nos queremos y nos banamos juntos" (We also like/love support of society in her undertaking. Thereeach other and bathe together; n •te the crucial ambiguity of queremos in fore, there can be no question ofLuzia's sexual Spanish), which brought a welc ime sense of comic relief to the rumble, identity, of her sexual persona and its preferalthough discussion continues t • take place as to whether certain signs of ences, and the film clearly shows her resumpaffection and patterns of touching especially in order to congratulate players tion of conventional femininity in her exon successful plays, are appropf ate to the gender image athletes ought to change of male dress for female attire when the maintain and support. debt has been settled: the hegemonic structure naturally and easily reclaims her allegiance.

Jorge um brasileiro Moreover, Luzia's "true" sexual identity is confirmed by the heterosexual relations she The cinematic male bond mi :fit best be described as an unresolvable has with a man during the course of the film. process that (re)produces freeze rarnes.... Built on the bankability of two Luzia is no Annie Oakley, whose male attire male stars, the buddy film negoti,4tes crises of masculine identity centered (as Ethel Merman knew very well) was an on questions of class, race, and - xual orientation, by affirming dominant integral part of a sustained sexual dissidence cultural and institutional apparat . (Fuchs, "The Buddy Politic," 195) unknown to the Brazilian farm girl.

There have been extremely few Brazilian Paulo Thiago's 1989 Jorge u Brasileiro, as opposed to readier treatfilms to explore sexual dissidence, whether in ments drawn from sports or from movies made about the military (e.g., Rui terms of gender role, sexual identity, or the Guerra's legendary 1964 Cine a Novo production Os Fuzis or Sergio conduct and acts of a resistant sexual preferRezende's eponymous 1994 fil about the revolutionary leader Carlos ence. In the case of Marco Antonio Cury's Lamarca—see analysis below), is exceptional in that it deals with masculin-

ity in the workplace. One must hastily affirm that Thiago's film neither questions the project of masculinity nor demonstrates any significant deviation from it: it has neither feminist nor queer dimensions, except to the degree to which one might wish to claim that any film that showcases hypermasculinity does, in fact, veer toward the edges of the gay and the queer. This is because, in conventional gender ideology, man's body is the neutral and privileged point of reference. Therefore, there is no focus on that body unless it deviates from the norm; put differently, the normal body requires no analysis, since it is simply there as the unquestioned and unexamined anchor of the system of gender meaning.

By contrast, the deviant male body and all female bodies are susceptible to scrutiny, precisely to the degree to which they are problematical.

These bodies must be examined, corrected, normalized. The female body is available either categorically to affirm a secure social system through a secure family system or to undermine the family system through its easily occurring lack of proper discipline: chercher lafemme. Because of the exceptional display ofthe female body and the enormous gender, sexual, sociopolitical, and economic semiosis that it is required to bear, cultural production overwhelmingly centers on the woman, as feminist criticism, film criticism in particular, has underscored (see Silverman, The Subject of Semiotics). Gay and queer bodies bear scrutiny because they, like female bodies as a whole, constitute deviations from the norm. Still, it is obvious that what is at issue are forms of sexual dissidence in which there are immediately evident traces of the deviance. Moreover, it is almost always assumed that any form of sexual deviance will ultimately result in overt manifestation, something like the Dorian Gray Principle of Queerness, with AIDS in recent years fulfilling that function: it was not until Rock Hudson was clearly dying of AIDS that it became impossible to deny the long-standing rumor that he was gay, since his public embodiment was so manifestly in conformance with a normalized masculinity (see Meyer, -Rock Hudson's Body-).

Hypermasculinity does present serious semiotic problems. For if it highlights what are considered to be appropriate male features, to be found to a less dramatic degree in regular, everyday men, hypermasculinity calls attention to the male body precisely because of the exaggeration of those features that are most often associated with homoerotic fetishes, such as the sculptured body (highlighted by close-fitting or cut-down clothes), swaggering mannerisms, and a general attitude of cool control and dominance, as one might find in the paradigmatic Tom of Finland drawings. It is for this reason that the hypermasculinity of a Rock Hudson is particularly ironic when viewed from the perspective of an out-of-the-closet gay consciousness and the AIDS epidemic, as is that of the young Marlon Brando, the always young James Dean, and the oiled-body legions that followed Charlton Heston into battle (see the documentary on gays and lesbians in film: The Celluloid Closet [1996], based on Russo's book of the same name). Thus, there is an overdetermination of masculine attributes that results in exactly the sort of excessive display that is the essence of fetishism. How this becomes a problem in Thiago's movie is dealt with below in terms of the disjunction between the title character's body and the average-type bodies of the other actors.

Jorge um Brasileiro is the story of a truck driver who is asked to take on an urgent and dangerous assignment. Based on the novel of the same title by Oswald() Franca, Jr., the film follows the problems Jorge has in fulfilling the time schedule for his delivery. This involves considerable ingenuity on Jorge's part because many of the roads have been washed out by heavy rains; the ways in which he resolves the problems and dangers he confronts provide the large-scale action basis of this film, making it rather unusual as a Brazilian product. Although there have been other road films made in Brazil (Jorge Bodansky and Wolf Gautier's Iracema [1975], for example, is about a prostitute who follows the truck routes during the construction of the Trans-Amazonian Highway in the 1970s), Thiago's film involves considerably more big-ticket action sequences than most productions can afford.

According to the review in Variety (April 5 -11, 1989), Jorge cost $1.5 million; most of the films examined in this study were made for half that amount.

The ideological interest of the film lies in the reasons why Jorge is willing

56

to undertake this special assignment. He and his boss, Mario (played by the American star Dean Stockwellâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;more on this below), were once fellow truckers, working the TransAmazonian Highway together. The film has a number of flashbacks that demonstrate the male bond that exists between them: they were once jailed together for stealing a motor belt they needed; Mario organized a cover-up when Jorge accidentally ran over a man who stepped out in front of his truck; when Jorge's father needed emergency medical attention, Mario helped him to get it. Mario. however, was able to start his own company and to take Jorge on as his lead driver.

-1111' 71 1'1 Jorge's ability to make the delivery on time will result in a lucrative government contract for Mario, and Jorge is willing to delay a much-needed holiday in order to fulfill the demands of a long-standing friendship. Nevertheless, he comes to discover that Mario is simply using him: the class differences that now separate owner from worker have erased any bonds of loyalty Mario may have had for Jorge, who is devastated when he finds out he has merely been used as a dependable employee. In a defiant plot twist that asserts a resistant role for the working class, Jorge goes to Mario's house in his absence; taking advantage of the loneliness of Mario's abandoned but beautiful wife, he seduces her and then walks out. As he is leaving, Mario arrives. Jorge simply walks past him stonily, thereby indicating that no personal relationship any longer exists between them or that any personal relationship that did exist between them is now mediated by the way in which Jorge has just screwed him through his wife in, of course, a macho oneupmanship retaliation for the way in which Jorge feels he has been screwed by Mario.

Class relationship is, therefore, central to this film, and the bulk of the action involves the bond that exists between the lead trucker and his men. Despite some setbacks and dissension, they all pull together in an idealized solidarity that makes this film an important entry in a newly redemocratized Brazilian cultural production that allows itself to be opti4 mistic with respect to the possibility of social agency. It is an agency that is underscored not only by the affirmation of working-class solidarity and what the spectator is led to believe is a functioning boss-worker relationship of trust and loyalty, but by the way in which the laborer is able to avenge abuse when he discovefs that the relationship is not what it seems to be. Jorge is hardly a typical Hollywood sentimentalization of the working class or of class conflict, where, pace John Ford's Grapes of Wrath (1940) or Elia Kazan's On the Waterfront (1954), class conflict either does not exist or is made to seem only apparent and therefore facilely resolvable. The seduction of

BRAZZIL- FEBRUARY 2000

Mario's wife introduces a hard edge of social realism that to walk out of the theater) less out of the relatively circumundercuts any possible suggestion of interclass harmony. The scribed sense in w ich the erotic is understood than because seduction introduces the troubling issue of the abuse of I am intrigued by the degree to which it surpasses my own Mario'; wife. While Jorge does not rape her and while it is particular embod un ent of hegemonic masculinity. Gloria always possible that she is content to be used by a man whose Pires, as Mario' s w fe, Helena, presumably appreciates Jorge's body she apparently has always lusted after, the spectator body in direct sex al terms, which is why she is so apparently witnesses the determined way in which Jorge avails himself willing to be sedu ed by him, but there is no question that the of her with no attention whatever to the consequences for her strength as a lead r Jorge projects derives from the way in and as though such a form of revenge were value-free. which his body an his dress stand in marked contrast to those But what is of primary ideological interest in the film is the of the men over w'ho he exercises influence. Quite literally, showcasing of Jorge and his masculinity and the way in which Jorge's body bulk larger than that of the other characters, and this masculinity is correlated with the issue of class conflict this spatial domin an ce translates, in an easy semiotic displaceand revenge. Such a correlation is not without its own specific ment, into social ower. I do not mean to exaggerate the problems, to the extent that it attaches agency to the sort of features of the Ri elli/Jorge body in terms of some sort of masculinity Jorge projects. This attachment implies that other Brazilian male normâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;as, for example, Arnold forms of masculinity and nonmasculinity cannot have access Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone are for American to such agency. It is also problematical to the extent that it norms. The point s that the main protagonist of Jorge is not underscores a specific physical embodiment of masculinity hypermasculine i I of whatever a Brazilian norm might (e.g., the actor Carlos Alberto Ricelli's overdetermined body be, as the overt co relative of a hegemonic heterosexism. but image) and to the extent that it not only excludes the feminine rather is so in term s of his fellOw workers, who betray the from such an embodiment, but goes on to place the feminine verisimilar and u bidden scars and deformations of the hisat the unquestioning disposition of the masculine, whereby torical workplace. the exploitation of the woman is never questioned. And, It is clear that T iago, despite the singularity ofJorge in the finally, it is -problematical to the extent that the hypermas- specific circumsta ces in which he is shown, meant him to be culine establishes, within the masculine and within the male interpreted as a m del, if not of Brazilian masculinity, then of working class, a naturalized supremacy of leadership. the social agency t at is proper to Brazilian masculinity. If the The visual effect of Jorge's body is an immediately titles of the film an d the novel on which it is based singularize evident feature of the film (on the potential impact of bodies Jorge, they do so with the qualifier of "um brasileiro," a in cinema, see Tasker, Spectacular Bodies). Although Brazil- syntactic detail th at confers on him a Brazilian Everyman ian-films are as capable as Hollywood productions of casting status. This status is reinforced by the fact that the film title attractive men and women in starring roles to stimulate a form appears in the bas "c colors of the Brazilian flag, green and of visual seduction for what is being represented, the domi- yellow. In a socie et in which, to counter the French feminist nance in noncommercial Brazilian filmmaking of a criterion Luce Irigaray's at empt to demonstrate the independence of of social realism, especially in the legendary Cinema Novo the feminine from the masculine (Ce Sexe Qui N 'est Pas Un and its contemporary heirs, means that the protagonist is not [This Sex Which I Not One)), there continues to be only one routinely stunning in a conventional way. The star of Suzana sex, the masculin , against the hegemonic ideal of which all Amaral's A Hora da Estrela, Marcelia Cartaxo, is most social constructs re measured, the normalizing image that effective precisely because of her homeliness in the film.

Jorge portrays mu St be taken at face value.

Ricelli appears to have been charged with projecting a Thus, in all of Jorge's major social interactions, his body hypermasculine presence. Larger and better-fed than most and his actions ar a ground zero against which the others are members of the Brazilian working class and possessing a body measured: (1) the loyalty he demonstrates toward Mario and that can only be the result of gym work rather than hard labor, the willingness w th which he agrees to accept the latter's Ricelli's Jorge also dresses differently from his fellow work- request that he ta e on an urgent assignment, despite how it ers in order to set off his body. A tight white T-shirt and upsets his persona plans; (2) the efficacy of the arrangements hip-hugging jeans constitute gender fetishes in a way in which he makes to exe ute that assignment and the degree of the grungy dress of the other truckers is not likely to, at least confidence he ins ires in the men who work under his guidnot in terms of the range of sexual tastes a mainstream film like ance; (3) the forth ight and manly manner in which he makes love to a Vvoman working in a primitive truck stop (a Jorge is willing to court. Presumably, such a combinat on bar, restaurant, and dance hall) and fetishization of Jorge's dressâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and, through it, honestly onvinces her to accompany him on the road a highlighting of Jorge's body as a fetishâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is without an y hint ofdeceit or betrayal (indeed, the way meant to appeal in an -erotic fashion to the in which t e woman goes along so readily with Jorge, interest of the spectator. Filmmaking under the the result n part of hissuperior lovemaking skills, can aegis of compulsory heterosexism always asbe taken s a model of how the spectator is to accept sumes that a conventional attractive star aphim as an appropriate colossal masculine model); (4) peals universally to the opposite sex, and it is as the unco plicated determination with which Jorge much willing to foreground such a presumed sets out o avenge Mario's betrayal. Rather than universal appeal as it is to suppress any hint of experien ing conflicting sentiments or an ambiguous having considered the degree to which such an decision, Jorge seduces Mario's wife in the same appeal may also be same-sex in nature. This is rirprni take-char e manner in which he saves his former so both to the extent that there may be a level of IN 4C10114.POitAkY friend's cargo. Jorge's body is one of the "spectacular polymorphic sexual seduction in every indifrr 410111111 bodies" th at Yvonne Tasker analyzes in Hollywood vidual and to the extent to which same-sex films. He phrase does not mean that these bodies are appeal is not erotic tout court. spectacular in the sense of being overwhelming.

But it is also rather engaging and fascinating to the extent that it indicates how most spectators fall far Rather, they are isplay texts, bodies as spectacle, bodies short of the gender model the star embodies: I may gaze on invested with an o erdetermined meaning that allows them to Ricelli's body (and the film forces that gaze unless I choose function as the se iotic point of reference for the filmic text.

57

The very fact that this seduction is without problems from his point of designed principally to provide some recovery view and presumably does not matter from the woman's point of view serves of the internal debt; constitutional continuity is to underscore how what does matter is Jorge's social conduct and the example important only to the extent that it favors that he is meant to embody. Certainly, all cultural products are cultural allegories, recovery by providing a context more propiin the sense that ideological values are at play in the exposition of a particular tious for widespread economic penetration than plot, no matter how much it may be based on allegedly unique human the military dictatorships proved to be. The characters. This is especially so if a product is read, or suggests that it be read, fact that Mario is the devious boss, willing to against the backdrop of a sociohistorical context, in accord with the principles exploit a past comradeship, even if it means of film interpretation proposed by Masud Zavarzadeh in his Seeing Films putting his lead trucker in considerable danger Politically. In the case of Jorge um Brasileiro, made during the period of from natural elements and police authority, redemocratization and involving a business deal between a private cannot be overlooked, and his othercitizen and a constitutional government, the ideological context is 0,— ness in the work is fundamentally based difficult to avoid. And as I have insisted, the title itself provides an on the fact that he is an American opening to a specifically allegorical interpretation based on the actor.

Everyman generalization of the indefinite /unspecific pronoun.

The hypermasculinity of Thiago's Thiago's film is particularly noteworthy because of the presJorge, grounded as it is in a complex I = ence of Dean Stockwell (his voice is dubbed by Odilon Wagner). code of heterosexist hegemony, which Rt1.

In the first place, Stockwell has worked in a number of U.S. films includes male supremacy and female well known to Latin American movie connoisseurs, such as David marginalization and dependency, ends Lynch's Blue Velvet (1986). The fact that he is not just another up lending this film an overbearing inconsequential actor demands that some ideological importance mIng-tryr4-t allegorical quality. It provides a stribe attached to his presence in this film. U.S. films have long used dent model for something like a Braforeign actors to provide a dimension of exoticism, and the use of Stockwell zilian New Man during the early years of the (as well as the sound processing, done in the United States by Dolby-sound dictatorship. Significantly, that New Man will has traditional ly been notoriously problematical for Brazilian and other Latin not overcome in any facile, and therefore inAmerican filmmaking) may well have been Thiago's gesture in this direc- consequential, way the forces of oppression tion. that exist in any society that has had a long Whatever the basis of Thiago's use of Stockwell is, his presence opens period of military dictatorship, with the social, up another useful line of inquiry in an ideological interpretation of the film: political, and economic devastation that such a the way in which the foreign actor adds a marked difference to the construc- circumstance brings. The important point of tion of the character he represents. Mario is as Brazilian as Jorge. However, Jorge um Brasileiro that is made via the codes he belongs to a different social domain, first by virtue of his having become of masculinity Ricelli articulates is a measure the owner-boss and second by having become a son-of-a-bitch against whom ofmale social agency, such that, without police Jorge's masculine authenticity defines itself. Since Stockwell is not Brazil- consequences, Jorge may, as the Johnny Payian, he neither looks Brazilian nor, more importantly, handles his body as a check song goes, tell Mario to "take this job Brazilian does. This does not mean that Stockwell is incapable of communi- and shove it." cating with his body. It only means that the way in which he handles his body The world of truck drivers in Brazil is an is that of an American man and actor. Thiago seems not to have been exclusively masculine one, and the homosocial interested in getting Stockwell to look and act Brazilian (except for having bonding that exists between these knights of his voice dubbed by a native speaker of Brazilian Portuguese); I would like the highway gives them a strength of presence to assume that. as a director, Thiago was conscious of what the advantages that they cannot have as individuals. Brazil of Stockwell's not being Brazilian could be for the parameters of meaning in travels by highway, and most of the goods of the film. the country move by long-distance supertrucks, Stockwell's subliminal difference (of course, most spectators would be which also endows the men with a specific aware of the fact that a non-Brazilian is playing the role) adds a dimension social signification. As one of the characters of sinister otherness to Mario's character. In this way, he does not have to play says at one point: "Estradaë coisapara homemMario as sinister, which would have given the film a superficial quality. All (The highway is for men). Thiago's film is he has to do is play Mario as a rather indifferent boss who knows he can count valuable for the modeling of social agency for on Jorge's loyalty. The difference in body between the two men—Ricelli is the working man after two decades in which muscular, while Stockwell is sinewy—and the difference in body language— such agency existed solely for those allied with Ricelli's controlled extroversion vs. Stockwell's detached, at times almost military power. But this is so only if one can vacant, inwardness—is enough to establish a significant distance between look beyond the antifeminism inherent in t1-1,e their two characters that turns out to be charged with significance when we homosociality of the trucker reality depicted, discover that Jorge has been duped by Mario. Moreover, at the conclusion of something that is even more evident in Franca's the film, when the two men cross in the street in front of Mario's house, the novel, which is narrated in the first person. masculine dignity of Jorge contrasts with the well-dressed insignificance of Such a narrative positioning serves to focus on Mario: the spectator is supposed to have no reason for investing any the male protagonist, his seduction of Mirlos sympathy in the latter. wife, and his hypermasculinity, which almost It is a more open question whether Stockwell's presence in the film has threatens at times to become a caricature of another subliminal dimension to it: that of the U.S.A. vs. Brazil. A recurrent itself. theme during the resistance to twenty years of neofascist dictatorship in Brazil was the supporting hand ofthe United States and its avowed opposition Excerpted from Gender and Society in to the spread of communism in Brazil. After the return to constitutional Contemporary Brazilian Cinema institutionalism in 1985, and especially with the neoliberalist project of •by David William Foster, recent years, the ground has shifted to U.S. economic interests and the University of Texas Press, restructuring of Brazil's national economy to support and defend them. This Austin, 1999, 169 pp defense has enormous implications, since neoliberalism in Latin America is

58

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