Brazzil - Year 13 - Number 183 - May 2001

MUSIC: Olodum Drumming up Passion www.brazzil.con

Year 13 - No.183

15AlillQVINIANIIII ATTORNEY AT LAW/ABOGADO/ADVOGAD MEMBER, STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA

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BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Pedro Oliveira is a Carioca (Rio resident) who lives with his wife Marta and 11 children in a little shack without floor covering in Santa Cruz, a Rio suburb, the poorest in the city, according to a new UN study. There is another baby on the way and four of the older have already abandoned school without ever finishing their basic education. Three of the children are already helping with the expenses doing odd jobs, but all the money they make amount to no more than $100 dollars a month. Electricity alone consumes $30.

Francisco Crespo is also Carioca. He is an IBM executive, his wife Noemia is a lawyer and their four children are in college or have already graduated from college. Everybody speaks at least two languages at the Crespo's house. They live in the exclusive neighborhood of Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, the best place to live in Rio, according again to the same UN survey. Every Crespo has its own car, except for the younger daughter who is till a minor.

Between the Oliveiras and the Crespos there's a 100-year gap. At the present pace it would take Pedro a century to reach the same living standard as Francisco. While Pedro lives as if he were residing in one of the most impoverished African nations, Francisco's way of life does not differ from a wellto-do person in the US or any other developed country. The Oliveiras and the Crespos, Franciscos and Pedros, unfortunately this is a common portrait of Brazil, where opulence lives side by side with misery. Learning about it, hopefully, will help us deal with it.

RM Send mail to: P.O. Box 50536 - Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 Ads/Editorial: (323) 255-8062 Fax: (323) 257-3487 Brazzil on line: http://www.brazzil.com E-mail: brazzil brazzil.com Publisher and Editor: Rodney Mello Assistant Editor: Leda Bittencourt Book Review: Bondo Wyszpolski Music Editor: Bruce Gilman Brazil Bureau Chief: Marta Alvim

Cover Opulence and misery: a sto of two worlds

Coltelts

m, •1:61,0,Maavn,ik.

Behavior All the nude beaches in Brazil Memory Maria Clara Machado, playwright emeritus Education Funny bits of a sad situation

11

Nation A cry for help from Indians

11

Politics At last, crime with punishment?

21

Travel On Burle Manes gardens

21

Opinion Time to end disunity in Bahia

23

Impressions Maceio then and now

21

Short Story "0 Vampiro" by Marcia Denser

32

Travel Belo Horizonte = pretty horizon

35

Music Olodum, redefining percussion

41

Music Richard Boukas and his Brazilian mission

52

Special Inside our torture chambers

Departmeuts

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06 Rapidinhas

47 Cultural Pulse 49 Classifieds 50 That's Brazilian

C0M BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

5

The Right ti Rare Arms and All the Rest

L..

After six years offighting in the Justice system, Rio's naturists are ecstat ic since winning in March the right to call AbricO, in the Recreio dos Bande it-antes area (south zone); their own place for baring it all on the sand. Even tilotigli the fight went on for so long, the naturists were caught with their pants down having to improvise cardboard handet; t ten signs placed on sticks buried in the sand, so people inclined to sunbathe on the nude would find their new sanctuar, in Rio and those wanting to keep their clothes on wouldn't be shocked.

Our intention now is to create an infrastructure in the area announces' Pedro Ribeiro, 42, president of the Asso,eiacao Naturista de AbricO. The first thing we will do is place an official city sign, indicating that this is a naturist area.'

Defending his naturism views, Ribeiro wrote in Rio's daily 0 Dia: "Ifwe really followed the Brazilian tradition, we'd all be naked because the real Brazilian, the Indian, already practiced naturalism 'i.ong before Brazil was disco \ ered, as and reported by Caminha. Today he is dressed, languishing in a culture that -1s not his own. Clothes are only for she protection against bad weather. Why wear clothes on a clean beach with a hot sung There is nothing in the Brazilian law indecent assault'', but doesn't define it. The legislature saying it is a crime to be naked. The Penal Code talks at: Out understood 60 years ago that customs change with the times and cannot be tied by permanent laws. And costumes only change when taboos are broken."

In 1994, Rio's Diana Oficial (Official Daily), the paper in which the city's new laws are published announced that AbricO had become officially free territory for nud:StS. But lawyer and ex-seminarian Jorge Beja took it upon himself to fight against the naturist space. He went to court arid won an injwiction against the nude beach. Alfredo S irk is, who as Environmental Secretary had encouraged the creation ofFtio's nudist area, commented about the court injunction, "these people are exposing Rio de Janeiro to ridicule, they want to transform the city irto an Islamic province.

Beja says that he is ready to wage more battles against the naturists and the Municipal Secretary of Env ironment. He has already appealed to Rio's 7th Court, which authorizedthe nude bathing. "Let them enjoy themselves for now because this immoral bash is coming to an end very soon," Beja says. "Mynew appeal will he beard in September and my chances of success are almost 100 percent."

To celebrate the victory, on the first weekend after the good news was announced, there were around 50 nudists, in appropriate attire, occupying the sand space among rocks and vegetation in a little corner bordering the clean. isolated Grumari beach, for some the best beach Rio has to offer. The first test to see how the new law was holding worked fine.

A sunbather who felt offended and called the police to remove the naked bathers was told by the officer that there was nothing he could do since the place was to be shared with the nudist crowd now. At Abrico most visitors are couples and approximately 90 percent of the men and women are more than 40 years old.

Despite the Camaval image of everything goes in Rio reflected in news, Cariccas (Rio's residents), and Brazilians in general, have had and are having a hard time establishing nudist beaches and a nudist perspective in the country. Europeans are much more open to the concept and even the repressed and Victorian Yankee society offers more opportunities for naturists than does Brazil. The pioneer work of AAFP,(ASsociacao Arnips da Praia do Pinho---Association Friends of the Pinho Beach), a group of naturists from Santa Catarina state, started in 1986, FBN(Federacalo Brasileira de Naturismo- — Brazilian Federation of N aturism), the organization that coordinates the development of Brazil s nudism mOVement, was only created on January 15, 1988. All of this stresses even more the importance of Rio's nudists' victory in the courts.

'According to the FBN there are 350,000 Brazilians who practice nudism among the 70 million who have adopted it around the world. The pioneer of nudism in Brazil was actress Dora Vivacqua, better known by the nickname of Luz del Fuego. In 1949, del Fuego, who used to walk naked in Rio, created the Fartido Naturista Brasi le iro (Brazilian Naturist Party). In 1954 she foundeil the Clube Naturista Brasileiro, in Ilhado Sol in Baia da Guanabara. She was killed by her home's caretaker.

BRAZZIL - MAY 2C",1

Night Beaches, Places,

farina.

Recant° Paraiso, in Pirai, 40 miles from Rio. • Rinclo Clube Naturista, in Guaratingueta, 100 miles from Sao Paulo.

Here's a list of all the few places in Brazil wb • Amazonat Resort, jungle area, 100 miles from Manaus, e encouraged, welcomed or just merely allowed to azonas state. their clothes in public.

Rama Nat, in Extrema, Minas Gerais state.

Santa Catarina, in the south, which received a strong in-SolardeGuatatiba,svww.solarguaratiba.com.br, in Pedra de tie/lee of European immigrants, offers the most options for nudists. It has Praia do ?Mho, the first official naturist beach Guarallba, in RI'°' in 'Ma as well as the beaches of Galbeta and Pedras has.

Nudism Associafin s temperaturesnftheno Despite the options in the area are few and with Tambaba, in the state FBN (Federacao arasileira de Naturismo -Brazilian a and Ma.ssarandupid, Bahia aturis Federatiorl) littp://vvsvw.naturis.corn.br/fbn/ • dex.httn, .created .January 15,1988 to coordinate the naturism Official iturftst beaches ovement m Brazil.

• • AAPP—(Associac) Amigos da Praia do Pirtho—AssociaImp://wsvw.pratadopmho.corn be, Santa Praia doPmho, . tion Friends °Minh° Bach), created in 1986. They meet at Praia Catarina state: Brazil's first official nude beach. .brasilnet.netlallesf, in do Pinho in the Camboria resort, state of Santa Catarina. More Galhet as, an200mernbers. Address: AAPP,CaixaPosta1272,Baineario Fl riandipolis. Santa Catarina.

Camboriu/SC - CEP 88.330-000.

Giho <Ic Bet, in Bnzios, Rio de Janeiro.

A.PENA—Associaeao Pernambucana de Naturismo. AdAbrie6,http://www.abricacorn.br, in Recreiodos Bimdet, dress. APENA, Caixa Postal 7485, Recife/PE-CEP 50.722-970. s, Rio de Janeiro.

•CAN--Associacao Carioca de Naturism. With more than Barra Seca, littp://www.barraseca.contbr, in Linhare 1 members they meet in a ranch in Rio de Janeiro Address.

Espirito Santo. , Caixa Postal 4055, Rio de Janeiro/RJ - CEP 20.001-970.

PedrasAltas,http://www.quicknet.cotn.br/qnO690/, San CNCS--Clube Naturista Colina do Sol, http:// Catarina. .colinadosol.com.br Ttunbaba, http://www.tambaba.com.br, in Joao P • Founded in 1995. More than 500 members. They built their Paratha state. own quarters in Cohna do Sol, state of Rio Grande do Sul. Massarandupté http://www.naturismo.hpg.com.bn,B Address: CNCS, Caixa Postal 170, Taquara/RS - CEP 95.670000.

CNPA—ClubeNaturistaPedras Altas. More than 100 mem-official nudist beaches rs. Founded in 1994 They meet at Pedras Altas beach in the city of Palhoca, Santa Catarina State. Address: CNPA, AV. Most of the non-official nudist-beaches arn in the No tantiCa, 860, FloriandpolisiSC - CEP 88.095-070. the cant, mainly in the states of Bahia and Pernambuco. I CNPL----Centro NaturistaPortal dos Lagos. Created in 1993. theast, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo havethamost to ol er More than 400 members. They meet at their own clubhouse in uratingueta, state of Sao Paulo, with leisure areas and cabins Arralal (1' Aju closet° orta tiro in Saida, Two° members. Address Rincao, Caixa Postal 65.125, Sao Paulo/ • ions: MN and Pitinga.

CEP 01.390-97 Berreiros. Pernambuco. Three beach vail e: GO1ASNAT—N cleo Goiano de Naturismo. In the state of Varzea do Om, and Praia do Porto. was. Address: GOI SNAT, Caixa Postal 0288, Goiania/GO Ilha Cocaia, in Cabo de Santo; Pernambuco Ilha da Coroa Vennelha, in Nova Vicosa, Bahiastate. •-CEP 74.001-970 Ilha da Croa, in Barra de Santo Ant-Onto, Alagoas state. • GRUNAPA—N oleo Naturista do Para. Address: • UNAPA, Caixa P stal 474, Beldin/PA - CEP 66.017-970.

Praia do Alto, in Ubatuba, Sao Paulo. GNAT—Nncl Naturista de Minas Gerais. Created in Praia da Figueira, in Trindade, dote to Parati, Rio de Address: MON T, Caixa Postal 170, Taquara/RS - CEP Janeiro.

95.670-000.

•Praia Prirtcesa or ?atoll, at Maianden NATES - Congrogacao Naturista do Estado do Espirito aia Brava, in Cabo Frio, Rio do Janeiro Santo Its members meet at Barra Seca beach, an official nudist Praia Seca, Manama, Rio de Janeiro beach in the littoral of Espirito Santo. Address: NATES, Caixa Praia das Fontes, in Beberibe, state of Coará Vitoria/ES - CEP 29.001-970.

PostaL Praia Muro Alto, in Ipoinca, Pernambucd.

NORNAT--NucleoNaturista do Nordeste. Created in 1994. of 'a de Americana in Fernando de Non) • Address: FIORNAT Caixa Postal 4067 Recife/PE - CEP Woo .021-970.

P raia Madeiro, Tiban do Sul, Rio "Grande do Norte.

• PARNAT—AssOciactioParanaense de Naturismo. Created • Praia Aliais, in Estancia, state of Sergipe.

1994.

Quinta Praia, in Morro de Sao Paulo, Bahia.

'Weekly 'meeting at Sitio F'ulano de Tat, in Lana, state of Trancoso, also closet() Porto Segwv. Nudism is practiced Parank Address: PANAT, Caixa Postal 4934, Curitiba/PR at_Praia da Pedra Grande.

CEP 82.520-970.

PLANAT—Ass ciagao Naturista do Planalto Central.

• The Clubs: Where you Pay to Get Naked Weekly meetings at their headquarters in Brasilia. Addresss: 1. Most naturist clubs will only accept couples families PLANAT, Caixa Po rd 8868, Brasflia/DF - CEP 70.312-970. as embers.

RIO NAT—As ociacio Naturista do Rio de Janeiro.

Founded in 1989.Th y hold weekly meetings at their own Clube ofina do Sol, in Taquara, Rio Grande do Std, 40 nu • Solar de Guaratiba, o de Janeiro. More than 200 members. from Porto Alegre Address: RIO NAT, Caixa Postal 136, Rio de Janeiro/R.I - CEP • Safltit Paraiso da Tartaruga, close to Praia do Pinhot iii " -20.001-970.

NIBS, ASSOCIati011S

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BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

7

She is the most important author of children's plays Brazil has ever produced. But she is more than that a) the Brazilian theater, being responsible for the nurturing and formation of several generations of actors at Tablado, a theatrical group and school created by her. That' A why there were so many celebrities and anonymous people, young and oid, in the cemetery Sao Francisco Xavier, to say their last goodbyes to Maria Clara Machado, who diec on April 30, in Rio, from lymphatic cancer.

She would have been 80 on May 3.

The playwright learned of her cancer 18 months ago, and only stopped working two weeks before her death. The last snew she direeted, Jonas e a Baleia (Jonas and the Whale), written by Machado and her niece Maria Clara Mmirthe, is still being shown at Rio's Teatro Tablado.

Actress, director, playwright, teacher, Machada was born in Belo Horizonte, capital of M inas Gerais, in 1921. She was 'years old whenber parents moved to Rio. Her mother died from complications of giving birth when Machado was nine. Neither she or her five sisters were told about the death. Their mother simply never came back from the hospital and her pictures and clothes suddenly disappeared.

Her father was Anibal Machado (1894-1964), author o f A Morte da Porta-Estandarte (The Death of the Standard-Bearer) and foil째 Te.-raira (Tenderness John), a great writer that Brazil has forgotten. She grew up in constant conact with her father's friends: artists, writers, painters, and all kinds of intellectuals I.:minding poets Pablo Neruda, Manoel Bandeira, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and Viaielus de Morals; writers Rubem Braga, Clarice Lispector; painter Di Caval canti and Frencn actor-director Jean-Louis Barrault) who used to frequent her parents' home at Avecida Vieira Souto, in Ipanema.

Maria Clara's work will not end with her passing. Maria Clara Mourthe, 42, her niece who adopted the Caca Mourthe sobriquet, seems interested in continuing the wor< alter aunt at the school-theater Tablado, which has taught acting to more than 5000 students. Among those who practiced their craft on that stage are the likes of Fernanda Torres, Leonardo Bricio, Marcelo Serrado, Claudia Abreu,Guilherme Fonle5, Malu Mader, and playwright and actor Miguel Falabella. From previous generations there are Maria Padilha, Louise Cardoso, and IvIarieta Severo.

Maria Clara was still a little girl when she started playing and experimenting with marionettes. One constant presence among the puppeteers was a friendnamed Maria Ai itc nieta Portocarrero, who would become one of the finest Brazilian actresses under the name of Tonia Carrero. In the '40s she directed marionette plays and wrote her first book: Como Parer Teatrinho de Bonecos (How to Make Marionette Theater)," Commenting on the death of her old friend, Carreto said: "She is more immortal than anyone of us. Maria Clara will stay."

Having won a scholarship from the French government, she went to Paris in 1950 to study theater. From there she traveled to London with another scholarship given by Ur ese act) France she studied with raime Decroux and d irectorJ ean-Lou is Barrault.

She returned to Brazil in 1952. Initially she workei as a nurse and realized she felt great among kids From this came the idea to create a theater group to perform children's plays.

She started an amateur theater group for workers, but he project didn't succeed since the workmen had no time for rehearsal. The failure, however, taught her things for what would become her enduring legacy to the Brazil Ian theater and culture: the school-theater Tablado (Stage). Fifty years later tne experience is still alive where it began, at Patron ato Operario da Gavea, on the south side of Rio. The Tablado has also become a school and passport to the novelas (soap operas) of G lobo network, a most desirable acting career in a aountry where gage actors make so little and movie making has become so rare.

Machado's first play, 0 Bole o Burro no Caminho de Belem (The Ox width& Donkey on Their Way to Belem), was written and staged in 1953. The following year saw her ()Rapt째 das C'ebolinhas (The Green Onions Kidnapping) performed. Maria Clara's most famous text, Pluft, aFantasmurna el aft, the Little Ghost), was written in 1955. Nutt has other unforgettable characters besides the hero who names the play. There are uncle Gerandio, who lives in a trunk; the talkative mother ghost always chatting with cousin Bolh3 Bubble); the little girl Maribel and the son of the Opera's ghost, who has become cellophane paper.

MO has become a child classicbeing staged all aver the world. Among the 29 famous plays written and directed by Machado there are A Bruxinha que Era Boa (The Little WitchWho Was Good), A Menina a o Vent째 (The Girl and the Wind), 0 Cavalinho Azul (The Blue Little Horse), and Cacti as Briixas (Witches Chase). Although Pluft was her most famous work, Machado preferred 0 Cavalinho Azul (1960).

As an actress, Machado appeared in plays he Garcia Lorca, Tchecov, and Thornton Wilder in the first ten years of Tab lado, but she eventually dedicated herself to playwriting and directing. In the '80s she returned briefly back to the stage playing in the comedies Arsenic째 e A lfazema (Arsenic andLavender) and Ens/na-me a Viver (Teach me how to Live).

Besides her children's plays, Maria Clara, who was never a mother but wrote inspired by childhood memories, also created five plays for adults and wrote 30 nooks. The playvright was called bossy and authoritarian by some who worked with her, but it seems now that her character and determinadon was decisive in preserving the Tablado experience for many decades.

She had to approve everything and all changes, be it in the stage, in the building, in the way classes were ministered or in the bylaws that govern the Tablaeo organization.

"I am not an authoritarian kind of person, or a big mother," she told once a reporter, "but there is that time when you need to give a good scolding. Once, during the '70s, F went into the dressing room and the actors were smoking pot. Of course I prohibited them from doing this. Not for me. but for the institution."

Maria Clara used to wake up at 7 a.m. to walk on Ipanerna beach, close to her residence. She walked alone, because it was "the time to think, to watch the sea." "Every morning I go out and observe the sea," she said. "The sea is there, and it will continue there. I am the one who is going away. I would love to be well prepared for death, but is anyone able to do this?

Young people learn how to grow, but nobody teaches us how to be old."

Passage

idow Tie Stage is Wer

8

BRAZZIL -

: -71

Educatin

In Brazil, getting into college used to be a very serious business. It wasn't enough to produce school transcripts, grades, etc. Each candidate had to sit for a long complete examination for ea course targeted. It Was an expensive, pa* I, and elitist system of separating the goats from the sheep, Or the carneiros. vestibular or introductory—has been "democratized" and magnified. Practically Now, the entrance examination—c; anybody with some schooling and the equired fee can register for it. However, results are mixed blessings. In view of the low number of vacant slots, only the to vestibulandos, the cream of those for the catch-all examination, get accepted. If they are lucky.

It has become a regular press feature that the media, eager for humor and "human interest" stories focus on the latest yestibular, each year and half-year, and pick the "gems" among the most funny, abstruse replies. Here s a sample, taken from the latest Rio de Janeiro entrance examination, according to daily newspaper Jornal do Brasil,

Ounce Festival

avoisier foi guilhotinado por ter inventado o oxigeni 0 nervo °tic° transmite ideias luminosas ao cerebra. a ou „ vento 6 uma imensa quanticlacle de as. _ento de terrasarni: para ltiv que O terremoto e urn pequeno movinl Os egipcios amigos desenvolveratn, a arte ftiner mortos pudessem viver melhor.

Pericles foi o principal ditadorda d mocracta grega.

0 problema fundamental de terefrQ mundod a superabundancia deneeessidades.

'0 petraleo apareceu ha muitos eculos, numa epoea em que os Nes se afogavam dentro d'agua.

A principal funcdo da raiz 6 se enterr A igreja ultimamente vein perdendo m 0 sol nos da luz, calor e turistas.

As ayes tern na boca um dente chamado bico.

A unidade de forca é o Newton que d significa a forca que se tern sentidci contrario. pro tempo,tio dde que realizar em urn metro da unidade teina coatis°. sa I,enda 6 toda narracdo ern A harpa C uma asa que tom. .

A febre amarela foi trazida da China por Marco Polo' Os ruminantes se distinguem dos outros animals porque o que -comem, comem par duas vezes. ionar,4 bora - 0 corac4o e o Wilco ergo que ndo deixa d por èr,sósohrevive Quando um animal kracion4 do tern agu c for empalhado.

A insonia consiste em donnir ao contrario.

A arquitetura gOtica se notabilizou por fazer edificios verticals.

A diferenca entre a Romantismo e a Realism° C que Os romanticos escrevern romances e os realistas nos rnostram como esta a situacdo do pals.

0 Chile é um pais muito alto e magro.

As mUmias Unhurt urn profundo conhecimento de anatomia.

0 batismo C uma especie de detergente do pecado original.

Na Grecia a democracia funcionavamuito bern porque os quenao estavam de acordo se envenenav am.

A prosopopeia C o comeco de uma epopea.

Os crustaceos fora ddgua respirarn coma podem.

Plantas se distinguem dos animais por sO respirare Os hermafroditas humanos nascem unidos pelo carp°.

As gldndulas salivnres,sOttabalham quando a gente tern cle cuspir.

A fe e uma graca atraves da qual podemos ver uglie Os estuarios e os deltas foram os primitivos'ha esopotarnia.

0 objetivo da Sociedade AnOniin uitas fabricas desconhecidas.

A Previdencia Social assegura o dh enferniidade coletiva.

0 Ateismo C uma religido anonima. fr A respiracdo anaerobia 6 a respiracdo sem ar que ndo deve passar de tres minutos 0 calor C a quantidade de calorias annazenadas numa unidade de tempo., Antes de ser criada a Justica. todo mundo a injusto.

Caracter sexual lemindario sdo as modifieacOes morfolOgicas sofridas por tirn individuo apas inanter relacijes scxuais.

avoisier was guillotined for having invented oxygen.

The optical nerve transmits bright ideas to the brain.

Wind is a very large quantity of air.

An earthquake is a small movement of untitled fields.

The ancient Egyptians developed funeral arts so that the dead ould live better.

Pericles was the leading dictator of the Greek democracy. .' The Third World's basic problem is its overabundance of needs.

Petroleum made its appearance in the world many centuries ago, at the time when fishes drowned in water.

The main function of a root is to bury itself.

- Lately the Church has been losing a lot of eust The sun gives us light, heat and tourists.

Birds have in their mouth a tooth called a beak.

Newton is a unit of power and is applicable to the strength one must use to realize one meter of the unit of time, in reverse.

Legends are prose narrations of a confusing subject.

Harp is a playing wing.

Yellow fever was brought from China by Marco Polo.

What distinguishes ruminants from other animals is the fac ything they eat they eat twice.

The heart is the only organ that does not stop working 24 hours day.

When an irrational animal has no water to drink, it can only rvive when stuffed.

Insomnia is sleep in lever.

Gothic architecture is so fainbus because it built vertical buildThe difference between Romanticism and Realism is that the romantics write novels while the realists tell us how really bad is the country's condition.

Chile is a very tall and lean country.

Egyptian mummies had a deep knowledge of anatomy.

Baptism is a kind of detergent washing assay the original sin.

In Greece democracy worked very' well because those who disagreed drank poison.

Prosopopoea is the beginning of an epopoeia.

Out of the water crustaceans breath as they manage.

Plants are different from animals because they only breathe at night.

Hermaphrodites are human beings connected by their body.

The salivary gland only work when the person feels likespitting.

Faith is grace through which we can see what we don't see.

Estuaries and peltas were the original inhabitants of Mesopotamia.

The purpose ofineorporation is to own many disembodied plants.

Social Security ensures the right to a collective disease.

Atheism is an anonymous religion.

Anaerobic breathing is inhaling no air for a maximum of three minutes.

Heat is the arnountof calories stored in a time unit.

Before justice was created, everybody was unjust.

Secondary sex characteristics are the morphologic changes underwent by an individual after indulging in intercourse...)

9

3RAZZIL - MAY 2001

Throughout the first three months of this year, indigenous communities held demonstrations and drafted documents exNot Enough are pressing their discontent over the health care model alopted for indigenous peoples in Brazil. The facts reveal a growing dissatisfaction with the outsourced model implemented by the federal government. In January, the indigenous peoples from the states o Alagoas and Sergipe occified the National Health Foundation building in Maceie, Alagoas, to protest against effort being made by the state t privatize the system. They spent fifteen days camped in the building until they secured a decree from the Federal Justice system suspending the outsourcing initiative and forcing the Federal Goâ&#x20AC;&#x2DC; ernmen to continue to provide health care services. At the r National Indigenous Health Conference held on May 14-18 in Brasilia, the current health care model was assessed.

In their areas, indigenous peoples have been resorting to overt actions such as seizing equipment, vehicles, and occupying buildings to give visibility to their complaints about the system and to make their claims heard. The Xerente people. from the state of Tocantins, seized a district vehicle used solely for providing health care services to them within their Health District. This action took place late in January of this year as a means to call to the attention of he federal government the precariousness of the health care system, as well as a lack of medicines and vehicles to transport the sick. Only three ambulances are available in this state, where 35 indigenous communities live.

The Xerente people have already reported deficiencies in the provision of health care services to the Federal Prosecution Service, Funai and the National Health Foundation (Fundasa), but nothing has been done to resolve their concerns. They complained about the inefficiency of the Non-governmental Organization (NGO) called Amazon Health Care Foundationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; Fasam (Funclacdo de Assistencia ri Saade na Amazonia), which in retaliation remw, ed the Xerente Health Care District from its list of services. During the period this NGO provided services, four indigenous people died: two women and two children. The indigenous people reported cases of plain neglect. Funasa maintained a partnership with the municipal authorities, but further accusations have already been filed claiming that the municipality led them to believe that the vehicles might be used outside the village and that measures take

by Funasa aggravated internal conflicts as a result of political maneuvers aimed at gaining benefits. The seizing o he vehicles was a warniag that they will not stand for abuses. The indigenous people set up a commission to monitor health care initiatives.

The indigenous peoples of Pernambuco reported their dissatisfaction with the system during a meeting of the District Health Council, on March 23's through 25th in Caruaru. They presented a report including complaints made by several communities from the seven indigenous peoples that live in the State. The reports range from deficiencies n service provision to n an-compliance with the established workload to delays in treatment and exams. They also claim that health workers have incited divisions amongst leaders of the same indigenous people. During a meeting of indigenous leaders this same report was officially issued to the Federal Prosecution Service, Funai, Funasa and o the media.

A firm posture in Mato Grosso State The council members of the Health Districts of Cuiaba, Araguaia, Colider, Vilhena, and Barra do Gareas, as well as representatives of the indigenous peoples of Nambikwara, Pareci, Iranxe, Bororo. Bakairi, Kayabi.

Rikbaktsa, Xav ante, and Karaja, held a meeting on March 9th â&#x20AC;&#x201D;11', in Chapada dos Guimardes, Mato Grosso State, in which they expressed their concern over the need for local control of the system. They highlighted that "in the current indigenous Health Care Model, it is not possible to carry out Social Control effectively, since the indigenous people do not take part in the District's planning, budgeting, and accounting". The indigenous people assure that he model seeks to comply with the resolutions- of the 2 National Indigenous Health Conference, which approved > the creation of the Districts. However, they TV, underscore that the Districts should have administrative and financial autonomy, receiving transfers of funds directly from the federal government.

The indigenous peoples of MatOGrosso emanded that this model be reformulated based on the resolutions of the 2n1 National Indi enous Health Conference. The document also calls for the training of indigenous health workers at secondary and university levels and that a State Health Conference be held so as to enable a joint debate on the problems common o all the indigenous peoples in the state. As part of the preparatory measures for the 3' Conference, district-level assemblies will beheld. Five of the 34 districts established in the country serve to the indigenous peoples in the state.

Indians

10

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

ritM1I.PWArtiortmc-

A Portrait in Contrast A new United Nations study shows that it is enough for someone to leave the Gavea neighborhood in Rio and go up the hill to Rocinha favela to lose 13 years in life expectancy and go back in time almost one century. If there is any consolation for Cariocas, the disparity between rich and poor is larger elsewhere in the country.

FRANCESCO NEVES

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

C cero Cordeiro lives with his wife and ten ki s in a 150-sq-foot shack in the Rio subur, of Acari. He doesn't have a car or telep one. Not far from him, Gilson Bidart lives n a comfortable home with a smaller famil , anew car and a cellular telephone, in Coel o Neto, a neighborhood adjacent to Acari In fact, Acari and Coelho Neto are separ ted only by an avenue, the Avenida Brasi and Cordeiro and Bidart reside less than one t ird of a mile of each other. But it seems like t ey live in different cities or different coun ies. Cordeiro and Bidart, whose stories appe red recently on No Ponto, a respected Brazi ian e-zine (http://www.no.com.br), are a pal able example of a huge disparity betwee the classes in Brazil.

F r every 100 humans today in the world 2.8 a e Brazilians. Preliminary data from Cens s 2000 released in May show that the num er of Brazilians has grown to 169. 90.693. This means 15 percent or 22.7 million more Brazilians than 10 years ago when the previous Census was carried out.

Fifty years ago Brazil had the eighth largest poputation in the world. By 1991 it already

11

occupied the sixth position in the rank. The end of the Soviet Union placed the country in fifth place, only behind China, India, United States and Indonesia.

And how are these Brazilians living? In the best of times, in the worst of times. Some Brazilians are living side by side in space but decades apart in quality of living. A 1,000-page report on quality oflife prepared by the United Nations has shown, for example, that residents from the rural zone of Santa Cruz in Rio would take 101 years at the present rate to reach the same living conditions of those living in the affluent Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas neighborhood.

The UN research done in partnership with the IPEA (Instituto de Pesquisa Econ6mica Aplicada—Institute of Applied Economic Research) and Rio's City Hall, was concentrated in Rio de Janeiro, using the 11 largest Brazilian cities—all with more than one million inhabitants—only as a point ofcomparison. The study consumed the work of 90 professionals and took one year and a half to be completed. Besides writing the report these researchers also drew 55 maps, 600 tables, and 100 graphics.

The work compared data from the 1981-1985 to those of the 1995-1999 period. For better statistical precision, the five-year period was chosen instead ofthe customary one-year period. The data were converted into two indexes: Human Development Index (HDI) and Living Conditions Index (LCI).

It was the first time in the world that a study measured the Human Development Index (HDI) of a city and its neighborhoods. The conclusion: in Rio, Third and First World cohabit.

While some people have a standard of living similar to that of Italy (one of the world's highest HDIs), others live more like the people of Gabon, who have a very low HDI. Behind the UN's decision to make a map ofRio—a first step to create a large panel from cities around the world is the belief that cities and not states or countries are better equipped to find and implement solutions to fight poverty.

HDI is an indicator created in 1990 by the UN to measure life quality of a population according to data related to life expectancy, adult literacy, school enrollment and per capita GDP (Gross Domestic Product). Based upon these criteria, nations are given scores from 0 to I. The closest to 1 has the best quality of life in that country. In Rio, the Lagoa area gets 0.90 while Santa Cruz earns a mere 0.51.

From the mixing ofstatistical data about health, housing, education, income, and job market, the research established a Living Conditions Index (LCI). Once again the score goes from 0 to 1. The LCI adds to the HDI new items: opportunities offered to kids, housing conditions and work access. To find the LCIs and HDIs of the 12 capitals studied, researchers used IBGE' s (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatistica—Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) PNAD (Pesquisa Nacional por Amostra de Domicilio—National Household Survey) covering the periods 1981/1985 and 1995/1999. Data from the 1980 and 1991 Census were also used.

According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), there are three main categories of HDIs. Nations need to have at least a 0.81 score to be considered as having High Human Development. With an index of 0.935 points Canada is the 12

number one in the list followed very close by Norway (0.934).

The United States comes in third with a 0,929 total. Countries with scores from 0.51 to 0.8 are considered as having Medium Development. Brazil appears in 74th place in the list with a 0.747 score. Indices inferior to 0.5 indicate countries of Low Human Development.

Cariocas (Rio's residents) found out through the new study that their city offers the best housing conditions of all capitals studied. "In contrast with Sao Paulo favelas (shantytowns) where we usually find non-durable materials like cardboard being used to build houses, we found that in Rio's hills, roof, walls and floor are built with traditional material like brick, and cement." comments Mauricio Blanco, 1PEA 's research aide. Rio is also the city with the best sewer system and running water. And to the surprise of many, since the predicament of its street kids is frequently in the news, it's also the Brazilian metropolis where child work is less common.

Like Cuba Not all news was good, however. Rio didn't advance as much as it could have. Although Rio has improved its HDI from 0.701 in the 81-85 period to 0.766 in the 95-99 period, the position of the city when compared with the 11 largest Brazilian metropolis fell from second to fifth place during the same period. It is behind Porto Alegre, Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Brasilia. If Rio were a country it would get 58th place in the ranking, occupying a position between Cuba and Colombia.

Besides the Lagoa neighborhood, other areas of prosperity in Rio are Gavea and Jardim Botanico, with a 0.89 HDI. Despite the findings ofthe immense disparity among neighborhoods, and even stark differences between poor areas, the UN study concludes that no other large Brazilian city as a whole has the same quality of life enjoyed by the 44 best Carioca neighborhoods.

Comparisons between Brazilian cities and states with Rio show that the poor area of Santa Cruz is comparable to the conditions of life of those living in the states of Ceara, Sergipe and Bahia. Among all 12 cities analyzed, the best in living conditions, with a score of 0.83, is Porto Alegre, the capital of Rio Grande do Sul. This is comparable to Oswaldo Cruz, a lower middle-class neighborhood in Rio. Among the 12 largest Brazilian cities, Rio comes in fourth in proportional number of poor.

While 5 percent of Cariocas living in the South Zone are poor, this percentage increases to 20 percent in the West Zone. In the state of Rio the city with best quality of living is NiterOi (0.821 HDI) followed by Rio (0.808), Volta Redonda (0.799), PetrOpolis (0.783) and Nova Friburgo (0.770).

NiterOi, just a bridge across from Rio and whose life conditions are the envy of many Brazilians including Cariocas (Rio's residents), has a Human Development Index of 0.82, not a bad number, but 52 Rio's neighborhoods have done better than that.

While Rio has officially 157 bairros (neighborhoods), the UN study took some liberties, dividing the city in 161 areas.

Neighborhoods with more than 150,000 residents were divided in pieces and bairros with less than 5000 people were aggregated BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

to other areas. This explains why sometimes areas known for their prosperity seem poor in the study and vice-versa.

For all the bad news Cariocas get from the study there are also some comforting tidings: Rio comes in first among the 12 cities studied in terms of offering better housing to its residents.

The city has the best rates of houses offering public water and sewage. And as bad as the contrasts between poor and the wealthy seem they are not as bad as in other cities like Belo Horizonte, the capital Of Minas Gerais, or Pernambuco's capital, Recife.

100 Years Away The UN study shows that it is enough for someone to leave the Givea neighborhood and go up the hill to Rocinhafavela to lose 13 years in life expectancy and go back in time almost one century. At the present rate of development it would take almost 100 years for a Rocinha resident to have the same living of someone residing in Gavea. While Gavea has an HDI of a rich country (0.89), Rocinha, with a 0.62 total, is close to a country with low human development index.

If there is any consolation for Cariocas, the disparity between rich and poor is larger elsewhere in the country. In Belo Horizonte, capital of Minas Gerais, for example, the higher-middle-class Serra neighborhood has an HDI of 0.87 while this index is 0.55 for the Serra shantytown.

Even worse is the situation in Recife, capital of Pernambuco.

While at the Boa Viagem area, the HDI is 0.86 the nearby neighborhood offavela de Macaxeira has an index of very poor country: a mere 0.47.

In this portrait from the UN, Rio comes in first place for its death index. Life expectancy has increased 11 percent between 1981 and 1999, and Cariocas might expect to live up to 64. Such good news, however, is not enough to make it up for the high number of murders and deaths provoked by the traffic. Among the 12 largest Brazilian cities, Rio is now in 9th place in terms of life expectancy. Although family income has increased 19 percent between '81 and '99 in the city and illiteracy was reduced by 48 percent, Rio is the place with the largest number of kids 12 years or younger working.

Adult schooling, work and income, three items in which Rio had good scores, are classified as means by which the population can reach its ends. Really important are the ends like child development and health. In these items Rio did poorly. Seven percent of Rio's kids between the ages of 7 and 14 are not going to school. Only in the Northeast capital the situation is worse: Salvador, Fortaleza, and Recife.

The Carioca is not transforming adequately its good schooling results into income. Twelve percent of Rio's population has only a part-time job and 9 percent is unemployed. And despite the fact that the city ranks first in housing—the only item Rio comes in first-2 percent ofthe population is not served by water, and 5 percent does not have sewers. As for sewer service, the situation is even worse in all the other large cities.

Ricardo Paes de Barros, IPEA s (Instituto de Pesquisa Economica Aplicada—Institute for Applied Economic Research) research director, used all these data to draw a time map.

According to his calculations the neighborhoods in worst shape, like Santa Cruz, are 101 years behind those more prosperous, BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

such as Lagoa. The 4iap also shows that a family living in Rio's South Zone has a peif capita income 5 times bigger than a family in the West Zone.

•While the larges concentration of affluence is in the South Zone, scattered around the city are a few islands of prosperity like Jardim Guanab ra, Moner6, Praia da Bandeira, Ribeira and Zumbi all in the Ilh do Governador area. Vila da Penha, Vista Alegre, Fregue'sia, aid Pechincha also are decades ahead of some of their neighbors. &ll of them have a HDI of 0.80.

•Jornal do Brasi presented recently two contrasting stories about. two Rio families: one living in the poorest area ofthe city, the other one residing in the richest neighborhood. The first story portrayed life in the rural zone of Santa Cruz, which has the worst HDI in Rio. It told the story of Pedro Oliveira, his wife Marta and their 11 children, who live in a four-piece little house without floor covering or bathroom.

Four of their kids have abandoned school without finishing the basic. Mr. Oliveira's job is caring for a little plantation with his elde son. Mrs. Marta, who stays home, doesn't know how to read d is not worried about this. Two other kids help with the fin ces doing odd jobs. Another Oliveira is on the way. The par ts still don't know if it is a boy or a girl.

Marta Oliveir explained the situation to a reporter: "I am ashamed to sayth t, but when we need, we have to do it in the brush back there. We make very little. Adding all the money, including that of r. Jose, who is a friend who lives with us, we get around $100a onth. We use $30 for the electricity, which is very expensive and the rest goes to buy food. We have some difficulties, but s rvive."

The second st ry is that of Francisco and NoemiaCrespo plus their four childre who live in Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. Everybody here has gr • uated from college or is in college and everybody has his o her own car, except for the younger daughter who is still und 18. English, French, German, Italian and Spanish are the 1 guages spoken by the Crespos. There's no one who speaks only one language in the family. Mr. Crespo is IBM's financing sirector, Mrs. Crespo is a lawyer and has also graduated in Hi tory from Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro. Says the mother: "When I first went to college, during the dictatorship 1964-1985), we were harmed by the censorship and we alm • st didn't study Brazilian history. But I like the subject very mush, as well as politics. I vote for the PT (leftist Workers' Party but I'm a little weary of this need to make •concesions in is area."

The UN stile also revealed that Rio fell three positions in HDI while Sao ' • ulo went up two places from the beginning of the '80s to the nd of the '90s. According to the document, between 1981 a d 1985 Sao Paulo had an HDI of 0.678 putting the city in 5th pl cc among the largest Brazilian cities. It went up to third in th 1995-1999 period with a 0.772 score. During the same period io fell from second place, with a score of 0.701 and became nu ber 5, despite a better score (0.766).

In the Livin Conditions Index, sao Paulo also improved its position while R o lost ground. While in the early '80s, sao Paulo had a fourth pl e in the LCI, with a 0.625 score, this total in13

creased to 0.805, putting the place in second among the big cities.

Going in the inverse direction, Rio—with a 0.746 total and a third position—fell to a fourth position with a 0.790 score.

The inversion ofpositions between Rio and sao Paulo is the reflex of political choices made by the government of both cities in the last 20 years. While Sao Paulo invested considerably in children, schooling as well as health, Rio was less aggressive in these sectors. In Rio, the number ofchildren between the ages of 7 and 14 out of school grew from 5.5 percent to 7.3 percent.

During the same period there was a reduction of children out of school in Sao Paulo. From 8.8 percent the number fell to 4.7 percent.

Sao Paulo also had a better improvement than Rio in the life expectancy category. Paulistanos added 10.4 years to their life expectancy, while Rio added a more modest 6.8 years. A baby born in Rio after 1995 has a life expectancy of 64.81. Not that great news. This kid would do better in eight other Brazilian big cities. Rio's violence weighs so much in life expectancy because the main victims ofmurder and traffic accidents are young people between the ages of 15 and 29.

Daily newspaper 0 Estado de Sao Paulo also found two families to illustrate the gap between the wealthy and the very poor in Rio. The first one is the family of Andre Carvalho Conceicao, 29, who makes $200 a month as a night guard and lives at the Rocinhafavela in a four-room shack with 22 relatives, including his mother, his children and nephews. Contrasting with him there is college professor, Carlos Penna, 51, who makes $2000 and lives with his wife in the upscale neighborhood of Gavea, in a four-bedroom house with swimming pool.

While everybody in Gavea is served by the sewer service, only 41 percent of Rocinha's residents have this luxury.

Conceicao studied only up to 5th grade. He explains: "I wasn't that attracted by the studies, we were always going on strike. I decided to work." He went just a little over the four-year average of schooling for Rocinha's residents. In Gavea, the average is 12 years. Twenty eight percent of children between the ages or 7 and 14 are not going to school in this favela.

The authors of the UN study apparently disconcerted by the stark contrasts they found in Rio wrote in the first chapter of their survey: "How can a city famous for its shantytowns reach an advanced position in its housing conditions? How can this same city, known by its vast hospital network, present health and survival in inferior conditions? How is it capable of having adults with a high educational degree and not to give the same chances to its children?"

Not for Living The results of the UN study were also a mixed bag for Sao Paulo, the largest city of South America, with a metropolitan area comprising around 20 million people. While the often-times called "Brazil's locomotive" continues to be a good place to fatten your bank account—among the 12 cities studied, Sao Paulo is the place that offers the best opportunities to work and make money—it leaves a lot to be desired when the subject is standard of living. In Sao Paulo, the 14

average monthly salary is around $250, according to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP). In Sao Paulo state the HDI is 0.79 while in the city of Sao Paulo it rises a little to 0.80.

The UN findings coincide with the observation by Jorge Wilheim, Sao Paulo's secretary ofPlanning and Urbanism, who says, "The number offavelas has increased a lot in recent years.

We want to improve the quality of housing, but this is only one aspect of a wider process to reduce exclusion and misery. We need to adopt broader measures that create jobs and income opportunities." Sao Paulo had also a reasonable progress in educating kids from 7 to 14 years of age. The city went from 5th to 2nd position in this item in the Living Conditions Index.

Brasilia has already been called Fantasy Island although it is planted far away from sea. The moniker came from the prosperity of the Plano Piloto condominium, the upscale residential area of the planned capital, which has the country's best percapita income and living standards comparable to the best there is in a First World country. The Plano Piloto condominium presents the highest per-capita income of the country, as well as excellent housing and schooling.

The UNDP study, however, presents a more diversified city that puts together in one sole cauldron poverty and riches, prosperity and necessity. The Living Conditions Index in income for Brasilia is 0.697. This number is reached taking into consideration not only the per-capita income of the area, but also the percentage of poor in the population and the disparity between the highest and the lowest income. Under this light, the income from those living in the capital is not that great. It comes in seventh place, behind Curitiba, Sao Paulo, Porto Alegre, Rio de Janeiro, Belo Horizonte and Goiania and just a little ahead of Manaus.

Francisco Ananias, his wife Maria Madalena de Jesus da Silva and their three children fit the profile of the average Brasiliense (Brasilia resident), according to daily Correio Braziliense. The couple, who immigrated from the Northeast, live in an apartment in Ceilandia, a so-called cidade satelite (satellite city) in the suburbs. Francisco worked from 1976 until 1993 as a truck driver.

Since then he bought a Van and works carrying loads for businesses in his area.

He used to make around $700 as an employee.

Today his salary has shrunk to around $200, which is, according to the study the average percapita income of Brasilienses. To make ends meet Maria Madalena has to work at home washing and pressing clothes for the neighbors. While the husband provides for food and bigger items her money buys clothes as well as school material for their three kids.

As every city in the study, Brasilia had a worse performance in the job market category during the period 1995 to 1999 when compared to 1981 to 1985. Among the reasons for this disappointing result was the increase in unemployment and the elimination by the federal government and private companies of several better paying occupations. "The worse news for the BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Federal District is in the job sector," said Jose Carlos Libanio, PNUD's research coordinator. "The data indicate that a larger contingent of people should be in the market, working longer hours in order to get better wages." Brasilia, where 1/3 of the jobs are provided by the federal government, is suffering from continuous cutting of jobs and a deterioration of salaries while the government tries to balance its budget.

When we compare the situation of Brasilia with countries it can be said that in 20 years the Federal District residents have upgraded their living conditions from a Paraguay life style to that ofan East European country. While the parallel is not that impressive it shows that Brasilia and other Brazilian big cities, for that matter, have a privileged position among developing countries.

Good and Bad Even Fortaleza, capital of Ceara, had some numbers to celebrate, despite coming last in the HDI among Brazil's 12 largest cities and in the 11 th place for its Living Conditions Index. The city was able, for example, to dramatically improve its health record when compared to the early '80s. Ceara's capital was able to increase life expectancy by 13.27 years and reduced child mortality by 73.04 percent. Proportionally, Fortaleza did better in improving health care than Porto Alegre, the number one city in this category. Porto Alegre raised life expectancy by 5.68 years and cut child deaths by 40.84 percent.

According to the researchers, the comparison between extremes like Fortaleza and Porto Alegre helps to illustrate the reduction of disparities among the 12 capitals. In the early '80s the difference of HDI between the two cities was 23 percent. This percentage has now fallen to 13 percent. In some cases the difference is negligible as the one between Rio de Janeiro and Brasilia. While Brasilia's HDI is 0.769, Rio gets a 0.766 score.

That life is improving in the country as a whole can be shown by the fact that Brazil's HDI has increased by 8.8 percent when compared to the rest of the world. From the 12 large cities studied only Salvador (8.3 percent) and Porto Alegre (7.6 percent) grew at a lesser rate. Brazil hasn't grown more due to the high rate of unemployment and the growth of the informal economy in the country. Income together with longevity and education is one of the HDI components. In some cities, like Salvador and Manaus, however, this category showed retraction instead of growth. The median salary decreased in 4 of the 12 cities studied. In Salvador, for example, the monthly salary fell from $146 to $115. The index that measures housing condition has also fallen in five of the capitals: Brasilia, Fortaleza, Porto Alegre, Salvador and Sdo Paulo.

The study was also useful to show hidden facts in some big cities. It revealed for example that Curitiba had 1.5 percent of kids working during the 1995-1999 period, a minuscule reduction of 0.3 percent in relation to the 1981-1985 period. In Porto Alegre the comparison showed a big increase in income concentration. While the city maintained its first place ranking in the per-capita income category, the difference between the wealthiest residents and the poorest increased by 0.09 points, a considerable amount. At the same time the percentage of poor (those making lessthan half a minimum wage per monthâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;around $40) BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

increased from 10.1 percent of the population (81-85) to 12.1 (95-99).

The study is serving to teach one thing or two to Cariocas themselves. One of the myths the work is helping to dispel is the one that the Rocinhafavela offers better living conditions to its residents than other shantytowns. When compared with other Jove/as, Rocinha appears as one of the worst, comparable to places like Acari, Cpmplexo do Alemdo, Manguinhos and Mare.

Among the favelas with better performance there are Vidigal, Vigario Gera! and Costa Barros, the last two in faraway suburbs. This finding also belies the hypothesis thatfavelas close to rich neighborhoods would benefit from this proximity presenting better living conditions.

For Porto Alegre residents the findings were humbling.

The Rio Grande do Sul capital lost its position as the city with the best living conditions in Brazil, falling to third place, behind Curitiba and Sdo Paulo.

In the 1981-1985 period, Porto Alegre came in first in 15 of the 27 categories that make up the Living Conditions Index. It also came in second in five categories and third in another one. From 1995-1999, however, the metropolis had less first places (five), six second positions and equal number of third places.

Brazil this year is celebrating a sad silver anniversary. For 25 years in a row the country has been pointed out as the world's â&#x20AC;˘ champion of inequality between the very rich and the very poor.

According to studies by the IPEA, a research institute linked to the Planning Ministry the 10 percent wealthiest Brazilians make 28 times more money than the poorest 40 percent. The bad distribution of ineome is much worse than in the poorest African countries like Botswana, Kenya or Zambia.

In the United States the above proportion is 5.5 times and in Argentina 10 times. In Zambia it's 17 times; in the Ivory Coast, 20 times; in Kenllia, 21 times and in Botswana, 22 times. This information can le found in the just released book Desigualdade e Pobreza no Brasil (Inequality and Poverty in Brazil).

The book reveals also that the "select group composed by society's wealthiest 1 percent" concentrates a bigger income than the poorest 50 percent of the population. While the richest 10 percent get 50 percent of the national wealth, the poorest 50 percent get a little more than 10 percent of the country's riches.

Says Ricardo Henriques, an IPEA researcher who collaborated in the study: "From the international point of view there is neither a country in the world with an inequality like ours nor a nation with an equivalent or worse per capita income with such inequality."

For Henriques, the solution of this inequality is a historical challenge that society should solve. He believes that this situation has lasted for so long that the Brazilian society ended up considering it a natural phenomenon and therefore has lost the sensitivity to thp problem.

Henriques thinks that the first step to deal with this predicament is to "denaturalize inequality." To change this situation education would be the most practical and logical answer, according to him. Today Brazilians have an average schooling of 6.3 years. That s not enough to produce a work force that can be qualified and competitive.

15

Alex Via Internet Ms. Thompson, I just got through reading your piece on Joao Gilberto, Wonderful. I have not stopped listening to Joao since I discovered him in early 1999. I began playing guitar because of his music and now I can sing, in Portuguese, about ten bossa nova songs. It's so nice to know more about Joao and his life. If you would like one of my recordings say, "Ague de Beber", "Garota de Ipanema", "Aguas de Marco", "S6 Vou Pra Casa" or maybe something else, just say so. I can send it via an MP3 file. Bosse nova must prevail for world peace! Sorry if I get excited but bossy nova jazz is the most ataractic element in my life. It has set me free. Thanks again for the rich article.

Travis Harrison bossanova34excite.com

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

I hope your target audience are not Brazilians.... First and last time I get in contact with your product. Biased and reflecting an American way to describe events (no regard for local culture), your magazine really has no other purpose than to attack Brazilian with your mediocre writing ability. Go Yankees!

Marcelo P. Queiroz Via Internet I think the church in Brazil should get real. This idea of angel and devil is rubbish. The reality is people in Carnaval, or any other time are making sex without protection and dying as a consequence of that. The sad thing about that is that the church in Brazil instead of helping the govemment in the fight against AIDS try to confuse the people more and more. People need protection and the best protection for them is the education of how to protect themselves. The church also has to become more modern and understand that prayers do not save the world... Hard work and education is the best answer for most things.

Prayers may help with hope, but we have to get up and do our jobs.

Fatima Landim Australia - Via Internet I 'II'1 ii:i' Dear Bruce, thank you for your wonderful interview and comments on Virginia Rodrigues, which I found on the Internet. A few months ago I was seeking from the Internet all the versions I could find of the song "Manha de Camaval".

Among them was Virginia's and I was startled and amazed at the beauty. Right away I acquired what I could of her recordings. Lua lua lua, Salvador no inerte, Fogo de justice. How amazing. So when I learned she was touring Perth, I sent my five Perth friends, from two different families, to see her, and they were astounded and enthralled, and grateful to me.

And when she came to perform in Washington I went, and brought nine friends with me. Not only did she fully satisfy my expectations, I experienced for the first time three wonderful musicians who accompanied her: guitar player Luis Brazil, a wonderful percussionist, and wonderful flute/sax/guitar/percussion player whose name I did not get, but who was most elegant. I got such good feelings from every single one of these people, and from their wonderful ensemble playing.

In the article "Bush and Cardoso Mini Summit" there was plenty of comments made by both men on working together. Like most Americans I supported the other candidate in the election. Many of us feel that the Supreme Court made the decision for us. I personally believe that Mr. Bush will put heavy emphasis on military matters and tax cuts for high-wage earners. I also recall from an election debate that Mr. Bush will emphasize relationship building with countries that have traditionally received a high amount of attention from the US. This means Europe and Japan mainly. I have heard him state that Mexico will also receive increased attention. I believe that African nations and Latin American nations (Brazil. Colombia, etc.) will be on the low priority list in the Bush administration. In my opinion this is unfortunate because I believe that friendly nations in the same hemisphere as the U.S. such as those in the Caribbean and Latin America have been taken for granted for too long.

Brian Coffee Philadelphia, Pennsylvania We are four high school students who are doing a project on the expansion of the Bolsa-Escola education reform program in Brazil. Brazilian children frequently drop out of school or miss numerous school days because they instead must work to supplement their families' income. As a result, the Brazilian population suffers from low education levels in comparison to other upper-middle income countries. Sixty-seven percent of children drop out of primary school to go to work. Seven million Brazilian children work for meager wages. This high absenteeism and dropout rate leads inexorably to a cycle of poverty that can and must be broken.

The Bolsa-Escola program, a program already in existence in Mexico and Brazil's capital, Brasilia, gives families financial incentives to keep their children, ages 7 to 14, in school. The government pays parents who keep their children in school approximately the same amount that these children would earn by working. The Boise-

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Escola has proven to be a huge success. It has reduced dropout rates and grade repetitions. 1996, this program sponsored 22,493 families and 44,382 children in Brasilia.

The program offered parents $128 per month and $90 for every year that each of their children passed a grade after the first attempt. While these incentives greatly benefited each individual family, it cost the government less than one percent of the Federal District's budget.

Since the inception of the program, the dropout rate has decreased significantly from 10 percent to .4 percent and the additional family income has contributed to improved family nutrition and health care.

In addition to benefiting the low-income families that its targeting, the cities in which the Bolsa-Escola program is established also are seeing vast improvements in their economy. The program has indirectly caused an influx of resources into the local economy, increased the demand for goods, advanced education quality and decreased child labor. The Bolsa-Escola program has already made a real difference to those families living in poverty in Brasilia and Mexico. Now is the time to expand this program throughout Brazil.

We are four high-school girls living in the D.C. area.

After reading about the Bolsa-Escola program in Brasilia and Mexico, we thought it would be a helpful program to have in other parts of Brazil. Please feel free to send any emails to rbrevard86@aol.com Jordana O'Grady, Jen Slesinger, Katie Schaulelberger, Rebecca Bonardi Via Internet Vera Zienema is a film theatre in Groningen, The Netherlands. Together with other cinemas we are organizing the fourth Cultfilm Festival, planned for September 2001. A main part of our program consists of films that are not available in our country. One of the films we'd like to import is Escorpiao Escarlate by Ivan Cardoso. I found your site on the Internet and there are some things I'd like to ask: Do you have a copy of the film or do you know where we can find one? Is it possible to show the film at the Cultfilm Festival? What are the costs for screening? Is there a preview-tape and if so can you send a copy? I hope you can give us some information on these issues, please let us know. For more information you can send us an email.

Patrick Vetkamp zienema@vera-groningen.n1 I've come across your magazine at Radio Educativa where I produce three programs on classical music, one exclusively devoted to Brazilian Composers. I am a composer myself as well as a musicologist. I would like to introduce you to some of my music as I have noticed you have already issued an article on music from Curitiba.

Please, visit my website http://sites.uol.com.baharrycrowl.

Harry Crow! - harrycrowl@uotcom.br Brazil

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BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

A Chance to ad Impunity

g

Indictment, Brazilians have learned, does not mean conviction, and as similar cases pile up, the feeling that prevails is one of powerlessness against impunity. The new Senate scandal has the potential to bring about that key missing detail: punishment for the guilty, regardless of who they are.

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Thursday, May 03: shades of the World Cup Soccer Finals as Brazilians gathered around TV sets in store windows, appliance outlets and public places where projection screens were set up. But it wasn't a soccer match they wanted a glimpse of—in fact, the current edition of Brazil's national squad is so frail there's talk it may not qualify for next year's World Cup. The unlikely object of so much attention was the live telecast of an unprecedented occasion in Brasilia: a three-way confrontation between the accused in a violation of the Senate automated voting system last year.

It was hoped the confrontation, before the Senate Ethics Committee, would sort out differences in the versions told by the three involved and help get to the truth.

This highly unusual event brought together two senators—the high-powered former government ally Antonio Carlos Magalhaes and the government's former Senate leader, Jose Roberto Arruda, plus the head of PRODASEN, the Senate Data Processing Department, Regina Borges. The latter is quickly becoming a media star of sorts, for admitting to wrongdoing under pressure from her superiors whom, she claims, wanted a list with results ofthat secret voting session—one where the first-ever expulsion was passed in the Senate's 174-year history. Seems someone wanted to know which senators were prepared to spare Luis Estevao, who was expelled for his part in the disappearance ofR$169 million US$80 million) in funds meant for construction of a new labor court building in 1112=1 (about Sao Paulo.

Borges repeated her original story, as told in an earlier deposition—a story which 99 of 100 Brazilians and the overwhelming majority in the media believe to be the truth. She says Senator Arruda approached her before the vote in question, asked her to obtain from the computerized system a list indicating how votes were cast, and claimed to be making the request on behalf of Senator Magalhaes, who at the time was Senate President and Borges' boss.

During the confrontation, Magalhaes left Arruda out in the cold, saying he never asked or authorized Arruda or anyone to use his name to obtain the list. For his part, Arruda insisted he only did what he did because he was given the green light to do so by Magalhaes.

Borges explained that the Senate voting system had to be altered for the list to be produced, and this was done on the night before the vote. On the following day, she handed Arruda a printout indicating how each senator had voted. Arruda took the list to Magalhaes, and both senators admit to seeing the results. Magalhaes then phoned Borges in Arruda's presence, to thank her and assure her no harm would come her way for producing the list. Magalhaes inadvertently brought the incident out of the backrooms, when he told federal prosecutors he had such a list. The conversation was taped and the dialogue published by the weekly newsmagazine /sto E. That led to an investigation, which forced Borges to disclose what she knew. Magalhaes claims he later destroyed the list.

Nearly eight hours of questioning left the distinct impression that the two senators were working hard to save their own hides, while Borges, once again, came out looking like the only one telling the truth. She never wavered, nor were there inconsistencies in her explanations, which wasn't the case with the two senators. If all follows the letter of the law, Borges will be punished and possibly lose her job and future benefits as a public servant, while the two senators should face expulsion.

Much has been said and written about this entire episode with the intent of depicting the ongoing Senate incident as further proof of progress in the battle to fight and expose official wrongdoing in Brazil. The fact two high-profile senators are among the accused reinforces that view. And, in truth, such deeds have become public with increasing frequency, as a direct result of a combi-

18 BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

nation offactors. These include a shrinking state presence in the economy because of privatizations and cutbacks, which reduces spaces and "opportunities" for the corrupt to act, and forces them into the open more easily; an unrestrained and competitive news media which pursues such cases with intensity and at times exaggerated vigor; and growing pressure from a society that slowly but surely is learning its role, and is far less tolerant with behavior considered Magalhaes Borges Arruda "normal" among politicians and government officials only a handful of years ago.

The downside is that once again, Brazil is staring at a deft- Barbalho, an arch-rival of Magalhaes under heavy pressure ing moment in so many ways—defending institutions, fighting because ofnumerotjs charges of corruption, would also expect corruption, eliminating "old style" politics to name a few—with- some relief. If this ir-raising scenario actually materializes, out any certainty that there will, indeed, be a follow-through. Ex- the Brazilian Sen te might as well shut down for good. It posing wrongdoers has become almost habitual since the down- wouldn't be left with enough credibility to approve which carfall of President Fernando Collor de Mello, who resigned in 1992 pet cleaning comp y should care for its deep blue shags.

An added entaiiglement involves Arruda. The following to avoid impeachment on serious corruption charges. Brazilians are rightfully proud ofthe fact they are one ofthe very few people question is being asked repeatedly: as government leader, is it in the world who removed a president entirely "by the book", conceivable that he had in his hands a list, indicating how senawithout bending the rules or resorting to an overthrow. Count- tors voted in a ke secret session—a list which he knew was less others have since been exposed for wrongdoing, by the media obtained by illegal eans—and yet, he said nothing to President and through government and parliamentary investigations. But Fernando Henriqu Cardoso? Arruda claims he didn't mention one would be extremely hard pressed to come up with a single it, which is to be xpected, but the question remains.., is it name, just one so many accused, who has in fact been convicted conceivable that e president's man in the Senate would not and is repaying society in any way—let alone with a jail term. mention a matter ike this at all?

This detail no only threatens to open a whole new investiSo while Brazilians watched with great interest as someone like Antonio Carlos MagalhAes fought to salvage a controver- gative front, but s engthens arguments in favor of a sweeping sial 50-year political career on live television, and found it parliamentary inq iry into government corruption. Proponents interesting that out of two senators and a civil servant, only the have namednineteen instances that should be investigated, a fact employee seemed to display any credibility, they also remem- used by the government to argue that such an unfocused inquiry bered that President Collor de Mello was equally exposed and is really meant to be a pre-election (2002) grandstand for the thrashed. His misdeeds were duly explained in their most minute opposition. Although there have been small shows of public details, he was publicly condemned and execrated, and he was support for the inquiry, there has certainly not been an outcry forbidden from seeking elected office for eight years. But for in favor of it. And it seems clear why: Brazilians have had it with so many alleged acts of corruption, which led to his downfall, charges and accusations, big names exposed, indictments and he has faced no punishment whatsoeVer. Much like numerous subsequent intricate court procedures to keep things at a standothers who have been so exposed in recent years. Indictment, still. This is not t say that alleged acts of corruption shouldn't Brazilians have learned, does not mean conviction, and as simi- be properly inves igated, but as proposed, the opposition inquiry lar cases pileup, the feeling that prevails is one of powerless- would seem to le dto more ofthe same: plenty ofnoise, detailed exposes, names d amounts stolen, but no convictions. ness against impunity.

As a televis n commentator quipped last week, chicken This is why the current Senate scandal is being watched so carefully. It has the potential to bring about that key missing thieves are the o ly ones who continue to go to jail in Brazil. So, detail: punishment for the guilty, regardless of who they are, or more than just nother defming moment, the Senate scandal how much power they wield in political or business circles. might just be th one—"the" defining moment, because of the Magalhaes has thrived in Brazilian politics as a master in the art people involve , its ramifications, and the expectations it has of staying close to power. Controversial, volatile and ill-tem- raised among th public. There is a soccer-related analogy after pered at the best of times, he is both envied by those who be- all: much like w at's been happening with Brazil's once feared lieve he represents efficiency and personal success in politics, World Cup socc r tearn, opportunities are being created but goals and hated by the many he has displaced and harmed in true are not being sc red. The crowd has had it with close calls and bulldozer style. Always viewed as an untouchable, he now has near misses, ançi wants to see at least one ball clearly in the net, his back to the wall, and what happens to him now will help in the form of ne high-profile wrongdoer properly punished. determine whether Brazil is in fact progressing past impunity— The still unpunlshed former President Collor de Mello by the way, has now r gained his political rights. Expect to see him as a key obstacle in its social and political development.

Already, Magalhaes supporters in Congress are working hard a candidate in ext year's elections. to negotiate a way out that would see him receive only a temRelated sit: porary ban—one that would end early enough to keep him eliBrazilian enate gible for the 2002 elections, when he plans to run for Governor (Portugue Only) of Bahia state. At the same time, his cohorts are using every http://wwv.senado.gov.br procedural move available to delay the process. This is typical old-style politicking: they count on a frustrated public, which Adhe ar Altieri is a veteran with major news outlets in starts out believing no harm will come to someone like Brazil, C nada and the United States. He holds a Master's Magalhaes to begin with, and grows more frustrated as the case Degree in Journalism from Northwestern University in drags on and no punishment is announced. In this way, pressure Eva ton, Illinois, and spent ten years with CBS News from the public peters out. And all of this is quite public, with reporting f m Canada and Brazil. Altieri is a member of the details ofbacicroom negotiations and the pro-MagalhAes "stratVirtual Ii4telligence Community, formed by The Greenfield egy" covered daily by the media.

Consulting troup to identify future trends for Latin America.

Should MagalhAes walk away unscathed, it will necessarily ), be the end result of abroad agreement in the Senate, which will He is also th editor of InfoBrazil (http://www.infobrazil.com an Englishanguage weekly e-zine with analysis and opinions also let off Arruda—a lightweight whose recent fame stemmed can reach the author at from the fact he was named government leader. Ironically, this on Brazilian politics and economy. You editors®infobrazil.com "dear would make it a threesome: current Senate President Jader 19 BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Colors of Paradise Landscape architect Burle Marx bought a ranch in Rio in 1949 to store his growing collection of plants. Today, it is a nature preserve and a place dedicated to the study of landscape architecture, botany, and the arts.

STEPHANIE FLETCHER During a meander through the Roberto Burle Marx Estate. an attraction in the countryside west of Rio de Janeiro, I was stopped in my tracks by a marvelous turquoise cascade. The aqua torrent was no waterfall, but a living curtain composed of showy, crescentshape jade flowers. This was not the first time during the stroll I had been awed by a gorgeous display of tropical natural beauty.

Later the same day! visited Casa do Pontal—Museum of Brazilian Popular Art. Again I found myself frequently stopping to marvel— this time the objects of my curiosity and delight were manmade—fantastic headdresses decorated with mirrors and ribbons, carved African/Brazilian deities, brightly-painted puppets, moving mechanical figures, and thousands of small clay figures.

It takes about an hour to get from the South Zone—where most popular Rio hotels are situated—to the West Zone where Sitio Roberto Burle Marx and Casa do Pontal are located. However, the 40-mile drive along the ocean and through luxuriant tropical green areas is a treat in itself.

The West Zone is known for its permanently preserved areas of Atlantic rainforest, swamps, river deltas, and unspoiled beaches. It provides excellent day trip possibilities.

The hilly landscape of S ftio Roberto Burle Marx possesses the look of a lush paradise. The vegetation comes in every shade of green, highlighted here and there with bold swaths and explosions of incandescent color. In an area ofapproximately 100 acres, visitors can see more than 3,500 species ofplants including remarkable collections of bromeliads, heliconias, orchids, palms, and water lilies. Bright blossoms drape from branches or perch in clusters on vine-covered walls. During my walk along a stone-paved path I admired many exotic tropical trees—sculptural ironwoods, almonds, mangos, palms, and cacaos.

Roberto Burle Marx himselfis internationally acclaimed as one of the greatest landscape architects of the 20th century. He died in 1994. In 1984 he donated his estate to the Brazilian nation and it is considered a national treasure.

The grounds contain a charming restored 16"-century chapel dedicated to St. Anthony and a sprawling ranch-like home. The house museum contains an extraordinary collection of religious images, Spanish colonial artworks, pre-Columbian ceramics, pottery from the River Jequitinhonha Valley, and Marx's own paintings.

Burle Marx bought the sitio in Barra de Guaratiba in 1949 to store his growing collection ofplants from all Brazilian ecosystems.

Now, it is a nature preserve and a place dedicated to the study of 20

landscape architecture, botany, and the arts.

Sitio Roberto Burle Marx is open from Tuesday through Sunday. Two 11/2-hour guided tours are scheduled daily at 9:30 am and at 4 pm. Only guided tours are allowed. They are limited to 50 participants or less and must be scheduled in advance. The entrance fee is about $2.

Rustic Restaurant Cesar is located less than a mile from the gate to the Sitio. This dining establishment is a great spot for lunch.

Seafood is a specialty and fresh vegetables used in food preparation are grown on the property. I enjoyed a wonderful aromatic dish featuring chunks of fish, squid, octopus, and prawns in a savory broth served with rice. The restaurant is open Tuesday through Friday from 11:30 am to 4 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 11:30 am to 5:30 pm.

Casa do Pontal Museum ofBrazilian Popular Art—is housed in a rather unremarkable building that nestles into dense green shrubbery. Inside, visitors will find what has been called the best and most complete collection of Brazilian craft art in the country.

More than 4,500 pieces are on display in this small museum. The artwork belongs to Frenchman Jacques Van de Beuque who arrived in Brazil in 1946. He has added pieces to this amazing collection for more than 50 years.

The first galleries are dedicated to handmade clay figures that stand about 6 to 8 inches high. These pieces are separated into categories based upon subject. In one area, professions are on display.

Scores of little stop-action vignettes picture dentists pulling teeth, photographers snapping pictures, and doctors performing surgery.

In an adjacent space tiny lumberjacks, fishermen, and farmers

frozen in mid-chore line up along shelves in lighted display cases. Ceremonies and special events in life—weddings, births, owesies confirmations, and funerals—are the subjects of groupings in another area.

An unmarked white door in one room of the museum is half-opened. Curious visitors who peek inside will discover a small collection of erotic and ribald figures in a space the size of a walk-in closet. The museum is a popular field trip for schools, so, when busses pull into the parking lot, the door to this particular gallery is closed and locked.

Wood carving, puppets, masks, and ceremonial head coverings are also on display. And mechanical figures add a fascinating dimension to Van de Beuque's collection. Three life-size musicians stand in one exhibition. One with a cigarette dangling on his lip strums a guitar; a second squeezes an accordion between his hands, while the third strikes atriangle with a metal wand. However, the piece de resistance is a complicated Carnaval scene complete with samba dancers, floats, and reveling onlookers. When a switch is flipped, the scene comes to life with music and a multitude of tiny gyrating hips, dancing feet, and waving arms.

Casa do Pontal is open on Saturday and Sundays from 2 pm until 6 pm. A small admission fee is charged.

For information: City of Rio de Janerio Tourism Authority 212-375-0801 Website: www.rio.rj.gov.br/riotur -10.Q

Literary award-winning novelist and experienced freelance writer/photographer, Stephanie Fletcher, travels the world in search of intriguing destinations. From her home office in Charlotte, North Carolina, she contributes manuscripts and images to major American newspapers and magazines. Her client list includes: New York Post, Miami Herald, Denver Post,

Baltimore Sun, US Airways Attache, Comair Navigator, National Geographic Traveler, Culinary Trends, Art & Antiques and many others. Recently Fletcher enjoyed some Southern Hemisphere hospitality in Rio de Janeiro, the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City). Contact: sfletcherz@aol.com BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Balms of the World, Unite!

Lack of cohesion within the African Diaspora has denied African Brazilian communities significant political and financial support from the United States and elsewhere.

PHILIP MIZEWSKI If you were hungry would you mortgage away your future for a pot of chicken? This seems to be a question for Bahia's sprawling African-Brazilian communities. The city of Salvador boasts an African-Brazilian and mulatto population that some say exceeds 90%. Yet Baianos complain after every election that their public officials show little regard for the pressing needs of Salvador's majority population.

One reason frequently given is that candidates representing forces in power "hand food over the fence" shortly before each Election Day. Their assertion, and I have no reason to challenge it, seems to be that promoting a "bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" mentality is effectively neutralizing the power of the people. So what, if anything, are the leaders of Salvador's marginalized uttura e masses planning to do to break this institutionalized cycle of self-perpetuating poverty? If there' s any well-defined, comprehensive, effectively organized strategy for establishing and maintaining a cohesive front mandating significant social change in Bahia, well I haven't seen it.

There are many individuals, programs and organizations dedicated to constructive social engagement in Salvador. But a well coordinated critical mass of effectively organized citizens across many groups exhibiting consistently disciplined behavior and willingness to compromise for the good ofthe whole is nowhere to be found.

It's fair to ask if it's even possible for communities in Salvador to effectively marshal the power oftheir political franchise.

Some believe that the refurbished historic district of Pelourinho, declared a World Heritage site by the United Nations, is a showcase for what can be done. But activist Marcus Goncalves is among many who assert that it's merely an example of "sweeping dirt under the rug". The colorfully repainted pastel facades of Pelourinho's fairytale houses and shops, separated by only quaint cobbled stone streets winding over uneven terrain, now gleam under the bright tropical sun.

Two or three decades ago Pelourinho had fallen into a condition of utter disrepair and had projected a much less appealing image. The residents who inhabited Pelourinho at that ear-

her time seem to have disappeared. "Where have they disappeared to?", asks a friend of Marcus. These words echo a pervasive suspicion that the impoverished were driven out by powerful political and business interests. Consensus is that this was accomplished without providing the dislocated with another place to live, and without affording them any opportunity to benefit from the explosive growth of Pelourinho's subsequent tourism based economic revival.

Carlinhos Brown established in Candeal what some consider a better standard for the transformation of Bahian favela societies. He built there a world class performing facility for the percussion group Timbalada, accompanied by programs to help ghetto residents improve their homes, and by construction of a school for underprivileged children. Back in Pelourinho, Neguinho do Samba's Dida project works with street girls and children. Neguinho is planning to establish pediatrics and gynecology clinics in the Dida building, which was purchased with money that Neguinho earned as a musician.

The drum corps Olodum was an early success that backed up Paul Simon on his Rhythm of the Saints CD and has toured internationally. Project Axe realized impressive success marketing clothing and other products it produces, and Carnaval Bloco lIe Aiye became a black consciousness movement by emphasizing ethnic pride and African-Brazilian based education. he also sponsors an annual fashion show, and has established factories that produce shoes and purses.

Each of the involved individuals, groups and organizations described above offer examples (there are actually many more) of what is being undertaken to alleviate misfortune in the African-Brazilian strongholds of Salvador da Bahia. And each effort has accomplished something. But incremental success has been tainted by accusations that well established programs have become overly willing habitual appeasers to government officials.

The profit of enterprise and reliance on government funding, some say, are the hands that actually wield the sword being used to carve out Salvador's uncertain future.

There is no single widely respected and extraordinarily charismatic '141111111111, " individual available, or willing, at this time to lead an all out offensive for clearly articulated social reform on a sufficiently grand scale. Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso and Carlinhos Brown are each revered and charismatic. Gil has some experience in government. But Veloso and Brown are as eccentric as they are talented. And each of the three also carries the mantle of being a significant active contributor to Brazilian music. So no one in Bahia has emerged with the singular political focus and social commitment required to lead a social transformation.

Cultural differences between the United States and Brazil account for at least some of the inertia that resists development and deployment ofmore effective political and social strategies in Salvador (and elsewhere throughout Brazil). And lack of cohesion within the African Diaspora has denied African Brazilian communities significant political and financial support from the United States and elsewhere.

The fatalistic influence of predominantly Catholic faith, centuries of denied opportunity and decades of empty promises have inculcated African Brazilians with a sense that the future of this world has already been decided against them. So why shouldn't those who are hungry today, and who see no hope for tomorrow, trade away their votes for pots of chicken? I find myself asking a rhetorical question; is anyone listening?

There is no institutionalized tradition of volunteerism in Brazil. Guilt-free self-interest has been institutionalized though, 21

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

and any commitment to the greater good of society pales by comparison.

There seems to exist in the minds of most Bahian favelados little or no credible incentive to "spruce up" their communities. The effort would only expend energy that cannot be easily replaced when precious calories are locked away in food they cannot afford to buy.

Littering is a recognized national pastime.

Brazilians, for sure, are a more generous people than this article may seem to imply. But more militant African-Brazilians believe that the nature of Euro-Brazilian generosity helps to maintain the status quo by relieving pressure that would otherwise be fueling demand for change. They say that progressively improving the salaries of domestics, for instance, only helps to ensure that domestic service will remain the single greatest possible "career opportunity" for African Brazilians. Improving the

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It seems a curious fact that a strong natural marriage between the African- (North) American and African-Brazilian communities has never been consummated. Each seems to have what the other most needs. Because the far smaller number of African slaves in the United States were effectively denied their cultural and religious heritage, African-Americans today are left yearning to rediscover experiences and practices that African-Brazilians have to offer. African-Brazilians are in desperate need of the tourist dollars that African Americans would spend finding it. Bahia shines like a lighthouse beacon in the African Diaspora. The rhythm of drums rise and fall like ocean tides in the Bay of All Saints.

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Rescue from Sea Surveying the panorama, I saw mile after mile of developed beaches fronted by high-rise hotels one after another. Was this Maceio, or was it Daytona Beach?

NOR MAN WEEKS The great eastward bulge of the South American continent, closer to Africa than to any place in North America, is the Nordeste of Brazil. The Nordeste was the region of Brazil's discovery, first settlement, and early culture. Gradually, political power and economic strength shifted from the plantation aristocrats of the Nordeste down to the mercantile elite of Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. The Nordeste then sank into poverty, its subsistence farmers suffering privations caused by recurrent droughts.

If the barren badlands of the interior of the Nordeste are the curse of the region, the beaches of the Atlantic might be its salvation. All of the Brazilian state capitals of the Nordeste— Fortaleza, Natal, Joao Pessoa, Recife, Maceio, Aracaju, and Salvador—are perched on the Atlantic coastline. The beaches of the Nordeste being as picturesque as, and, more importantly, safer than, the beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazilians from the South have flocked to the Nordeste capitals. Instead of the subsistence agriculture of the past, internal Brazilian tourism is becoming the basis of the local economies.

The people of the Nordeste littoral, once desperate dirt scratchers, are now making their livelihood out of sea sand and those who come to lie upon it.

A hundred sixty miles south of Recife, the metropolis o+f the Nordeste, is Maceio, capital of the state of Alagoas. What I remember twenty-five years ago as a sleepy little mosquito-infested hoveltown in a swamp has now become a thriving tourist destination for those who seek Brazil as it should be, the Brazil of tropical fantasy, the Brazil free of strong-arm robberies, narcotics trafficking, street children, and dangers lurking all around.

From the tenth-floor dining room of my Maceio beachfront hotel, I heard, at breakfast, the call of the cock of the neighborhood, and I looked down to see a tired horse, under the direction of a slumped peasant, pulling a ramshackle two-wheeled cart.

That was the Maceio as I remembered it from my Peace Corps days.

But then, surveying the panorama, I saw mile after mile of developed beaches fronted by high-rise hotels one after another.

Was this Macei(5, or was it Daytona Beach?

Alagoas is in a joint venture with Pernambuco to develop the beaches adjoining the borders of the two states into a great Costa Dourada, a Gold Coast. The idea is, in fact, to reproduce the prosperous beach communities of the Florida Atlantic coast.

Maceio has been spending a lot developing the tourist infra-

structure. The city leaches are models of attractiveness. There is a walkway runni g the length of the beaches, barracas (restaurant/bar cabanas) at intervals, white sand and clean waters," the glare of the sun reduced by the many coqueiros (coconut palms), the characteristic tree of the Alagoas coast. I left the hotel and headed to the ater. I walked the series of beaches northward of Pajugara B ach, at an hour when the sun was risen but not yet high enoug to fill the beaches with bathers.

I came across a ew fishermen practicing their ancient trade.

Traditional local e onomy was not wholly extinct. I first saw a practitioner of the t rownet. That is a circular net weighted along its circumference. he fisherman wades the shallows, and, when he spots some smal dark shadows in the water, he flings the net into the air, hopin to capture the fish within the net when it abruptly parachut around them. Lifting up the net draws the weights together a d entraps the fish in the mesh.

Success with thrownet depends on sharp eyes and clear water. I watched t portly fisherman—for he had a big belly to fill—make his cas s. He caught just a few small fish, which his partner removed f om the net and dropped into a basket.

There was also crew of shore fishermen working the beach.

They had set out a ong hanging net in a great loop, to corral the fish. Three of the pulled in the rope at one end of the net, gradually reducin the loop and drawing in the fish toward the shore. The men wa ked backwards up the beach, pulling the rope, the highest man t en switching to the lowest, rotating their positions, workin slowly but relentlessly.

At times, one an would leave the one-way tug-o-war and pile the accumula ed rope in a neat circle. I could see the floats of the net appro ching the shore closer and closer. The fishermen's wor drew a crowd of bystanders, interested in seeing what the c tch would be. At last, the crew pulled the net onto the sand. -A ass of shanghaied fish wriggled and flopped about, dismayed t the sudden loss of their aqueous ambiance.

The fisherme bent over their catch and began.to toss the fish into a big wicker asket. They culled their catch, tossing aside undesirable or inedible fish, like puffers, along with the small crabs entangled i the mesh. The puffer one fisherman called 'a ping-pong ball', ut he kicked it into the air like a soccer ball.

Some children c ased after it.

One boy, find ng a crab, pressed it into the sand by stepping on it with his bar foot, tore out both its pincers, then took the crippled crab aw y with him. Some bystanders, seeing the little rejected fish toss d aside and struggling in asphyxiated desperation in the sand, icked them up and tossed them back into the Atlantic One le thery old lady was especially diligent in her rescue mission. S nbathing tourists have cash to buy their lunch; they have no ne of fish. Whether they tried to save the lives of the castoff fi h out of compassion or conservation, I was gladdened to se them do it.

The toddlers nd tykes were excited and delighted to witness the catch. They wanted to pick up and examine every little flipf lopping f is y life-form, even as their mothers warned, 'Watch out, it'll bite you!'

One fisherman found a plastic cup, filled it with sea water, inhabited it with a tiny angelfish, and gave it to a small boy, who took the cup and firew it up close under his staring eyes. An older boy—the same Who had mutilated the crab—filled a yellow plastic pail with all the fish he could grab up. He had put seawater into the pail,lbut, crowded as the fish were, and because he

23 BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

wanted to pick out and examine every individual in his collection, the fish were soon dying or dead, one after another, killed by suffocation and shock and the boy's touch.

I continued my stroll up to the farther beaches, where I gazed and lingered. When I got back to Pajugara Beach an hour or so later, I saw the same fishermen, the same scene, some same and some new bystanders.

There were two baskets of fish now. In one, a still heap, the gills of the fish flared from their last breath. In the other basket, a struggle, twitches, a few feeble flips. And, from the bottom of the basket, now and then a shudder that welled up to the top of the heap...

A taxi-driver I hired to take me on a tour of Maceio told me that thejangadas , the traditional sailboats of the region, no longer go out in search of fish. They now conduct tourists on excursions.

Fish have to be pursued, after all, and catching them is no sure thing; but the tourists clamor to get into the boat, so the prospects for the future are more tourists than fish. In fulfillment of the gospel prophecy, the jangadeiros have become fishers of men.

On this, my nostalgia trip return to Brazil, I wanted to experience all I could of the Nordeste as it has become, and so I was quite willing to let myself get caught. Macei6, o paraiso das ciguas, the paradise of waters! If! was in paradise, I should avail myself of paradisiacal delights. The day after my taxi tour, I headed back to the beach in search of ajangada for me to sail in.

The taxi-driver had told me with pride that the jangada excursion to thepiscina natural was voted the number-one tourist experience in all Brazil. Thepiscina natural is a shallow natural sandy pool in the reefs, about a mile-and-a-half off shore.

The launching point for the excursion to thepiscina natural happened to be, most conveniently, on Pajugara Beach, right in front of my hotel. I was beckoned to an available jangada by a well-tanned and vigorous oldjangadeiro . I waited about fifteen minutes, as the jangadeiro combed the beach, recruiting the six other people to make a boatload.

My jangadeiro must have been a senior member of the captain's brotherhood, for he strutted the shoreline with a swagger and air. While soliciting prospective passengers, he carried on a cheerful conversation with himself. I was joined by three couples. First, two old Japanese. They were Sao Paulo Japanese, not Tokyo Japanese, as I found out when the Portuguese began to flow from them. Thejangadeiro asked them whether they had any relatives in Japan. Not that they knew of, they shrugged.

Brazilians don't bother with any ancestor cult.

Then there was a young couple from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais, a state in the South. They both were on the quiet side, for Brazilians. The girl plumped up her bathing suit well. The third couple were from Brasilia, which I wondered about. The girl had that tiny stature, little triangular face, and narrow eyes I had seen in some Nordestinos. Sure enough, she was originally from Piaui. She was a happy, laughing, girlish little thing, homely but very charming. She found childish delight in every aspect of the nautical procedure. The full complement having been acquired, we were ready to set off. The jangada was pushed on wooden rollers down the sand and into the water. We passengers waded out and got aboard.

Thejangada is the traditional sailboat of the Atlantic littoral, lagoons, and rivers of the Brazilian Nordeste. Its primitive form was tree trunks lashed together as a raft and outfitted with a sail.

Today's jangadas are still rectangular, with a flat bottom, are equipped with a daggerboard and single sale fore. The rudder is an enlarged oar, that, twisted at the stern, can be used to propel the craft. The jangada is no swift yacht, but it is stable and comfortable. I had been told that nearly two hundred jangadas were available in Macei6 VIE to carry tourists on excursions.

The early morning wind was weak, so the jangadeiro , whose name was 24

Rodolfo, had to use the rudder as an oar. He pried and pushed it against the stern. Little by little, we headed out to open waters.

I had a little chat with Rodolfo. He was not born to the sea, he told me. Raised in Junqueiro, a town in the interior of Alagoas, he discovered the Atlantic as a young man, spat the dust of the interior out of his mouth, and took up sailing, a profession he has now practiced for thirty years, most of them as a fisherman. Rodolfo has some fish tales to tell,â&#x20AC;&#x201D;five-hundred-pound tuna and such.

In about twenty minutes, we came to some submerged reefs and, between them, sandy-bottomed passageways for thejangada to course through. We made our way into thepiscina natural and anchored upwind. It being low tide, we were able to get out and wade the clear shallows. Meanwhile, morejangadas were arriving, shuttling in their loads of tourists. Soon a long row of jangadas was anchored to the reef. Thejangadeiros rolled up their sails against the mast. And a party broke out in the middle of the sea.

Wading waiters carried trays of fish and lobster or delivered beer or soft drinks or the juice of a carved-out pineapple. Some jangadas were equipped with barbecues; the scent of grilled fish wafted over us as we waded. Vendors with floating platforms displaying their wares hawked seashells or jewelry or souvenirs.

They had even anchored jangada models to the bottom. Adults played with those, like children in a bathtub. Some young girls started a game of water volleyball. Snorkelers studied the reefs.

Some waded, some swam, some soaked, some just stood and marveled at the scene around them. I sought out the deeper part of the pool. Although it was only mid-morning now, the sun was strong, so I kept on my sunglasses and Panama hat over my bald head, as I breast-stroked my way through the water.

I stood for a while at the edge of the submerged reef, which provided penthouse apartments for the little fish. I put my hand near one tenant. He kept circling my hand aggressively. "Be off, trespasser!" he warned in body-language. The occasion was more festive than Carnaval. More wholesome, certainly. Young and old mingled and exchanged appreciative pleasantries. Most of the tourists seemed to be Brazilians from the South, as I found out in conversation.

I counted fiftyjangadas, so, figuring six to eight per boat, there must have been more than three hundred people in the pi scina natural.

After two hours of aquatic exploring, socializing, feasting, and enjoying, our little group climbed back aboard ourjangada.

By now the wind had picked up, so we speeded to Pajugara Beach.

I have cruised the Amazon and the Nile, the Caribbean and Mediterranean, but the excursion out to thepiscina natural has been an experience comparable in satisfaction. The little boatparty in the shallows was such a happy combination of Nature and human nature. .

Alagoas, the name of the state, derives from as lagoas, the lagoons. If! wanted a complete experience of the paradise of waters, I thought, I should not limit myself to the Atlantic beach, as attractive as it is. Disembarking from the excursion to thepiscina natural, I was accosted by a hustler selling a schooner cruise of the Macei6 lagoons. The next day I would try to find him and let myself get sold on that.

I had no sooner entered onto my early morning beach-walk, when the hustler found me. He signed me up. The excursion for the cruise would leave at noon, so I would have the morning to idle away. A few minutes after noon, I was piled into a Volkswagen van with a few other excursionists and driven to Pontal da Barra. The first scheduled activity was, most sensibly considering the time of day, lunch. I ordered chicken with the traditional Brazilian side-dish, black-beans-and-rice.

In the open lagoon side restaurant,! sat next to a young couple.

He was another of those Brazilian Japanese from Sao Paulo. She was tall, fair-skinned, and fleshy. You could almost take her for a Midwest American farm-girl, but, no, she waspaulista too. They were on their honeymoon, she told me. They looked none too happy about it. They weren't very communicative, either toward each other or toward their fellow-tourists. He had a severe look on his face; yet, as I surveyed her warm skin and curves and cleavage, she seemed to offer a paradise of sensual honeymoon delights.

Maceio must be somewhat of a honeymoon Mecca. When I

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

ran into the Brasilia Brazilian and his little Piaui girl again in the even if I had to put MACElo - Lagoa Mundaa artisans' fair the previous night, they told me that they too were up with the glum on their honeymoon. That one, at least, seemed to be going well. looks of honeyShe was bubbling, as usual, and he was in fine spirits. There was mooners!

At last, we a gentlemanly quality about him that I liked.

After lunch, we boarded the schooner—the CisneBranco, the boarded the Dakka White Swan. I had no sooner sat down than I was ordered to dis- again, only to hea embark. It seemed that each tour hustler worked with a different straight back t ship-owner. My hustler was affiliated with the Dakkar, so ! had dock. The captai and mate were suck to change schooners.

I liked the looks of theDakkar better; some good, dark, weath- ing beers still; the ered wood on her. I would later regret my transfer, however, for had been at it fo the Swan was a swimmer, the Dakkar a floater. The Swan was four straight hours. off a-sailing, as the Dakkar sat dockside. In a while, we pulled hope that the capta n owns his boat, for, if I were the owner and out, only to pull in at another restaurant down the shore, where found out that hew s managing my property while fueling himwe waited. Then we cast off, only to return to the restaurant where self nonstop with alcohol, I would promptly tie a rock to his leg I had eaten. We waited some more, then shuttled back to the other and send him to the fate of the salty dog.

So, there was my schooner excursion:—One hour in the van, restaurant. We seemed to be always arriving, never leaving.

It then became apparent why our departure was delayed. one hour in the res9nirant, two hours in the barraca bar, and less Agents in the restaurants were trying to recruit more passengers than two hours cruising. The whole thing seemed like a sweetfrom among the diners, to make up theDakkar's full capacity of heart-deal among restaurant, boat, and bar. The tour ended in contwenty-five. Some diners did come aboard, so, at last, we stopped fusion over the van shuttle and a half-hour wasted sitting in the kissing the shoreline and steamed out onto the brackish waters van at the lagoon, just as the mosquito hour was arriving. Two Argentines had apP arently decided to stay behind to have dinner of Mundaii, one of the two principal lagoons of Macei6.

The itinerary of the cruise was called Nove Ilhas, the Nine at the lagoon restaurant; they thought the van and its six other pasIslands, and it started out well. The captain pointed out the vari- sengers would sit awaiting their completion of a dessert and corous islands in the lagoon and told about them, although mostly dial.

The vanload a omplished at last, we headed back into town. in terms of which industrialist or politician owned which island and what development plans for each had failed or were still in- The schooner crui e was supposed to climax in a por-do-sol, a the-works. As if nature has no significance without such utilitar- romantic sunset. There was a por-do-sol, of course, Nature's timely and reliable ne; but! did not see it, because, at the romantic ian reference points.

Some islands in the lagoon had coqueiros, others bore mostly moment, I was in ide the van, speeding through the streets of scrub. One had been raked clean for asitio, the Brazilian version Maceio, where the buildings obstructed all views.

The brown chubby little boy, who had kept up a charming of the Mediterranean villa; the house of the sido was situated on a point. Another island was occupied by a small fishing commu- chatter with his father the whole cruise, was dead away asleep, his head limp on his father's hairy chest... nity, plying the traditional trade of the Alagoas littoral.

That night, I decided to have a convenient dinner in abarraca The schooner captain was a young man with red hair and a leprechaun-look, an anomalous type under tropical skies, if it on Pajugara Beach. It was a grilled cross-section of some fish that, weren't for the multiformity of human specimens produced by judging by the girth, which filled the tray, must have been of some Brazil's half-millennium of uninhibited miscegenation. The imposing bulk as it cruised the Atlantic eating, in the days before captain was a drinker. Both he and the mate at the wheel were its fate of that day, which was being eaten.

By the time I vas done with dinner, it had gotten quite dark, sucking \cans of beer the whole time.

We approached the opening of the lagoon to the Atlantic, so !strolled dow to the shore to look at the stars, to seek out the where the sea surges in or out with the tides. There was an island Southern Cross. s I stared out into the sky over the south Atthere, a sandy dune devoid of trees, its only vegetation some sparse lantic, standing a the very waterline, some boys behind me sang grass and ground vines. The captain announced that we would and danced in th sand, just happy with the place and the warm be making a stop at the island, for exploring or swimming. A night.

The stars sh ne brightly against the black sky. Just a few barraca bar there was a broad, open shelter roofed with palm clouds drifted in t e air, reflecting back the streetlights of Maceio. fronds.

I set off exploring the shore on the seaward side. The waves The salted breez , as it passed onto the land, left its trace on my were clawing away at the sand piles, and there was a stiff breeze. lips. Absent frorr Brazil for twenty-five years, I had to re-orient Combing the beach, I spied a weathered white hump protruding myself. This was new heavens here, and, under it, anew Nordeste from the sand. I pulled it out. It turned out to be...the skull of a and a new peopl . Just when I thought all would be familiar, I found all strang . I had come as a traveler, but wound up as a dog. A salty dog, most certainly.

Farther along the shore, I found his ribs and vertebrae. Had tourist.

The Nordest4 I had lived in as a Peace Corps volunteer was that Fido, ajangadeiro's dog, been given a burial-at-sea? I wanted to set the skull on a post, as a primitives' taboo-marker, to scare all poverty and h pelessness. Now there is a good state-of-things, off trespassers upon canine sacred cemeterial ground; but, after with promise of better. Tourism can be a constructive composhowing the skull to two fellow-excursionists, I dropped it back nent of economi development.

The ruinatio of the Nordeste was its land. The salvation of into its sandy grave.

I had a bit of a sunburn from the previous day's jangada the Nordeste ma be the sea. Macei6? is not really paradise, of excursion, so I decided I wouldn't go swimming. Anyway, the course. It only seems that way—to the Brazilian tourists from the sea looked dangerous, and the lagoon waters were suspect of South, who are scaping the mess of Sao Paulo and Rio, and to the locals, who, or the first time, are experiencing the amenities schistosomiasis and the cholera that still bedevils Alagoas.

I resorted to the shade of the bar, where !noticed the captain of making a dec nt living. and mate slumped at a table drinking beer, emptied bottles already Norman Weeks was the last United States Peace Corps accumulated.

Volunteer to serve in the state of Alagoas, Brazil.

Here was where the schooner excursion bogged down comTwenty-five years after leaving Brazil, pletely. The bar stop dragged on for two hours. I sat there impahe returned to his area of Peace Corps service to assess tient, wanting to be off again cruising, not drinking myself into how all had changed. Tropical Ecstasy, a stupor in the heat. his book on the trip is being And !watched the Cisne Branco, which had earlier cruised represented for publication by Debbie Fine, by us, return. It drew near the island, but not for the bar. It merely Southeast Literary Agency, P.O. Box 910, Sharpes, used the island as a block against the swift current, then cruised Florida 32959-0910. Norman Weeks may be reached at on to new waters. There was the schooner! should have been on, jmnf62577@ao1.com BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

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The Alley's Vampire The morning moved on at that neoclassic apartment, with active exchange of wine bottles, coke-snorting sessions, spoiled camembert and dull conversation. We were talking about extraterrestrial life while Tiny Toy used an icecream spoon to scrape the white powder rests in the Playboy girl's bums.

MARCIA DENSER A no ser pelo filme japones em cartaz, no havia nenhum interesse em sair corn aquele sujeito, poeta, que se ostentava como "maldite so para poder filar seu canapezinho de caviar nas altas rodas. Urn guru de fachada, meio sobre o charlatao cosmic°, adepto que era de umaesoterica se ita oriental, babaca como tantas outras, e usando tudo isso em proveito prOprio.

Pelo menos nao era burro. Disso resultavam as sess'Oes de massagem transcendental nas madames corn hora marcada, ou mesmo sem ela, ao sabor das prisOes de ventre, dores de como BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

e outras piorreias. Nao era mesmo burro. Feioso. devia viver faminto de came fresca mas, passando-se por espiritual, ia tirando suas casquinhas. A conversa era inconsistente, cheia de expressOes pedantes e, ate pela sintaxe, tao emaranhada em meandros que obviamente nao levavam a parte alguma, notava-se a etema fome do cara. Uma especie de vaga ansiedade piedosa de algo que rodeia e rodeia aquilo que seria um alvo nao tivesse ele emmira outra coisa. Por exemplo: enquanto suaboca passeava pela evolucao da enerigia cOsmica, seus olhos hipnotizavam-se (bem como tod'a a sua alma) num ponto qualquer entre meus seios, e a energia cOsmica ia e vinha, subia e descia, jamais se perdia, evolava e se desenrolava, mas nao chegava a nenhum lugar, uma vez que o verdadeiro objeto daquele papo esteril permanecia fora de alcance. A arenga tambem seria hipnotizante: eu me sentia como uma crianca birrenta que nao quer dormir ou um animal relutante em cair na armadilha.

0 tal filme japones fora realmente born, urn monumento poetic°, um estudo profundo sobre as paixOes humanas, etc. e assim eupoderia falar sobre ele ad nauseam, mas o poetaapenas emitiu suas impressOes assim: "E barra! Que barra! E umabarra!" dizendo-as de maneiras diferentes e impostando a voz num diapasao enfatico que partia da traqueia, explodindo num ruido seco e rouco, feito um peido bucal, e como se a palavra "barra" contivesse, nao digo o significado de todo o universo, mas, pelo menos, de todo o filme. Isso nofim da fita. Durante esteve todo o tempo tentando pegar no meu bray). Urn verdadeiro saco.

Entao eu me perguntava: por que sair corn aquele cara? Era desses feriados tediosos, todos os amigos queridos, todos os sujeitos interessantes, todas as amigas disponiveis viajando, restando os neur6ticos, os chatos e os vampiros na cidade. Jã era tuna boa razao. Depois, eu apenas desconfiava de tudo isso, ainda flat) configurara uma imagem nitida do Poeta na minha cabeca.

Na hora "H" fico possuida duma puxassaquice panica por agradar, mais preocupada corn o efeito que corn o objeto propriamente dito. Posso acabar fascinando Dracula em pessoa, sem dar pela coisa. Dai me livrar do monstro ja é outra estoria.

Como nesses classicos de horror, ao sairmos do cinema "urn vento gelid° acoitou-nos os ossos". Confesso que nao fiquei surpreendida quando o Poeta sugeriu passarmos no seu apartamento para pegar urn pulover, coitadinho. Antes tentei alicia-lo para uma cave de queijos e vinhos, mas ele nao entrou.

Tambem nao queria ser grossa ou passar por retr6 ou sei la. No fundo, no fundo, estava querendo ver ate onde ia o meu fascinio—e eu sei onde vai o meu fascinio—com o Poeta.

Sabe-se la.

No apartamento (nao fosse pelo excesso de cartazes politicosos, ate que bem jeitoso. Um tanto "artistico-displ icente" demais, eu acho, como tantos outros onde eu estivera, de poetinhas, atores de teatro, bichas. sao todos iguais. Deve ser a fadamadrinha) eu aproveitei meu fascinio ao maxim°. Munida dos meus trabalhos, submeti o Poeta a uma intermitente sessao de leitura dos melhores trechos por umas duas horas. Minhas estorias sac) boas, mas lidas assim, no tapete, bebendo urn born vinho tinto, urn fogo aqui dentro, ar-condicionado, almofadas e mantas peruanas, masica suave e urn sujeito querendo me corner ali do lado, nao ha talento que resista. Entao, ele me submeteu a mais duas horas de suas poesias, alias ineditas. Se fossem boas ate que valeria o esforco, o fascinio, a atencao fmgida (tinhaganas de estourar de rir cadavez que ele pigarreava, afivelando urn ar circunspecto, como se preparando para ler urn discurso, urn obituario, um testamento, enfim, algo muitissimo serio), o vinho, aquele apartamento, o filme japones, os feriados, aquelas profundas crateras que the sulcavam o rosto, o ligeiro cheirinho oleoso e adocicado que se desprendia delas, a mania de falar de si prOprio na terceira pessoa, como se fosse um fantasma, o fato de ser careca de urn lado so, dal o cabelo restante se amontoar num topete ands da orelha esquerda, enfim, mas nao eram. Nao eram mesmo. Ocas, delirios vagos, desconexos, de urn concretismo de cabeca dura e reticencias. Na mesma construcao e corn a mesma enfase conviviam visceras e sangue, 27

cosmos e eternidade, como se essas palavras nao significassem nada akin de meros sons poeticos convencionais. Quando a coisa comecava a esquentar, ele sempre botava as tais palavras definitivas como Deus, Espaco, Eternidade, Morte, e esquecia as preposicOes, tornando tudo assim delirantemente obscuro, como se possufsse uma chave, um c6digo para sua decifracdo.

Para os leigos, as garotas bonitas e os novosricos, quanto menos se entende mais a,coisa deve ser boa. Palavras bonitas é igual a iddias bonitas. E gong6rico, e elementar. 0 Poeta conhecia muito bem esse principio e aplicava-o ate A exaustao. A minha, por exemplo. Na verdade, algumas eram ate sofriveis, mas parece que o sujeito tinha urn cadeado no cerebro. Estava prisioneiro.

Nao se enfrentava. E se comecava a botar a mao na merda, la vinha ele corn seus deuses e dem6nios antissepticos, para levar todos os pecados. Pelo menos os dele. Se achava que os tinha.

Ser feio, por exemplo, era um. Equilibrava-se definindo-se "pedante e sofisticado". Supunha-se, dessa forma, inacessivel.

Enganava s6 os trouxas.

Na conversa, Poeta mencionou uma festa. Amigos intelectuais, etc. Entdo vamos, me animei, e fui emergindo das almofadas, procurando as botas debaixo do sofa, espantando cobertores, relanceando urn olhar melancOlico para as garrafas vazias, mas ele me reteve. Aindanao, disse, fixando-me urn olhar tigrino cor de petroleo. Era como urn aquario, a exposicdo, atrás do vidro come°, do que havia no interior de suas espinhas mortas: Oleo diesel.

0 pequeno deus Caracol, o deus dos covardes, deve habitar em mim, pois foi ele que me fez encolher, puxando consigo todas as terminais nervosas, todas as sensacOes de prazer e dor, toda alegria, todo pranto, e me transformar num penhasco arid°, num terreno baldio entregue as varejeiras, aos cacos de vidro, lixo, mato ralo, aos cats vira-latas, e aos teus beijos, Poeta.

Uma zoeira distante no ouvido, uma sensacao incomoda nas costelas, a boca seca avisaram-me que bastava. Fui me desprendendo aos poucos. Tarefa, bastante embaracosa. Eu diria hilariante, se nao fosse parte ativa. Pareciamos atores de um filme do Harold Lloyd. Eu puxando de ca., ele de Id. Um escorregdo providencial da minha parte (estavamos em pe) decidiu a contenda.

Fomos a festa.

A primeira coisa que chamou minha atencao foi que o dono da casa—por sinal, urn belissimo rapaz—usava, atadas na manga da camisa, duas fitas de seda nas cores da bandeira nacional. Assim como os rapazes daTFP, a juventude de Hitler, os pupilos de Mussolini. Como urn ungido, a marca da distincao, do bem-nascido, bem-dotado, bem rico, a nata, a perfeicao e voces fora! E viva Nietzsche e o quarto Reich, logo, o General Pinochet, Idi Amin, Pol Pot, Gengis Khan e a Revolucao de 64. Puxei-o pelamanga: o que é isso? S9rriu corn seus olhos azuis de agua doce: Ndo 6 urn belo pals? E. Olhei a mesa: vinhos franceses, queijos suicos, baixela hfingara, guarnicOes de renda austriaca, charutos cubanos, vodca russa, cigarros americanos. Belissimo pals. Belo mesmo é voce, pensei cinicamente, cobicando a belezinha de jovem fascista e seus brinquedinhos, entre eles uma linda esposa loura e psic6loga formada pelo periodo da tarde do Cursinho Objetivo, altura e peso ideais segundo a revista Claudia e preocupadissima corn seus encargos de anfitria (repetiu neuroticamente a noite toda que "a previsao falhou" a prop6sito de haver terminado o queijo de nozes antes das duas damatina). E os intelectuais? Da "festa" constavam exatamente dez pessoas. Alem dos anfitriOes, eu e o Poeta/Profeta, havia urn outro casal composto de um sujeito

enorme, estilo Cro-Magnon, filho de general, corn o curioso norne de Ciro, faixa preta em carate e que me foi apresentado como urn pintor maravilhoso, porem des iludido (o pessoal devia ser positivamente cego) e cocainomano ativo, acompanhado por uma garota misto de Dama das Camelias e Madrasta da Branca de Neve: profundas olheiras azuladas, cabelos crespos e negros acentuando oleosamente o rosto pálido, ossudo, lunar, quase transparente, usando uma camisa branca tambem transparente (seios nada transparentes) sem sutia e, a chamar a atencao de todos para os seus pes feridos pelas sapatilha de bailarina? Nao sei. A cidade esta cheia desses cursinhos de bale e bordado, frequentados porj ovens em idade de casar e manter a forma. Para compensar as festinhas movidas a vinho, coca e mau humor de suas excelencias, seus namorados, pelos quais elas sa° capazes de se foder por toda eternidade, em troca de um sobrenome enganchado no rabo e um apartamento nos Jardins: os homens tern as angtistias, as mulheres, os interesses, e por al vai. Roger, o intelectual oficial, amigo do Poeta de proveta, urn sujeitinho magricela, insignificante, (essapalavra e enorme!), apagado na minha memOria, acompanhava uma cooperante do govern° americano junto ao Brasil, uma garota da California corn cara de porto-riquenha. Ela deveria detestar aquela cara tropical, a pele morena, cabelos negros cortados rente, como se pagando uma pena, os olhos escuros feito morcegos assustados, encolhidos no fundo da fisionomia. Que fazer se sua mae havia pulado o muro do Mexico? Roger, o colonizado, desmanchava-se em atencOes para corn o produto de Tio Sam, mas eu imagino que, para ele, bastaria qualquer coisa, uma lata de sopa Campbell, digamos. Que representasse a civilizacao, a cultura superior, etc. RazOes inconfessaveis. Nao via nela apenas umagarotaassustada num pals estranho. Assim como eu nao enxergava o aspecto repugnante do meuguru-poeta. Tampava o nariz, os olhos, a boca, e o engoliaem nome de uma vaidade idiota. Presentes tambem um par de primos dentucos e noivos que se despediram cedo. Eu aposto que pra ver televisdo e se agarrar no sofa.

A madrugada evoluiu naquele apartamento neoclassic°, corn ativa movimentacao de garrafas de vinho, rodadas de coca, camembert rancoso e conversas idiotas. Já estava amanhecendo e restavam os donos da casa, Ciro, Branca de Neve, Poeta e eu, já me sentindo completamente onipotente. Sentimento provavelmente compartilhado por todos, uma vez que a conversa girava sobre vida extraterrena, enquanto Brinquedinho raspava corn uma pazinha de sorvete os restos de p6 grudados no bumbum da garota na capa da revista Playboy.

Excelente anfitria. Belo Fascista inquiria o Poeta: —Voce, Klaus, que 6 urn cara ligado nessas coisas, e entende paca,já deve ter tido revelacOes, Ilk)?

—Bern—comecou o outro--pode-se dizer que nos (falava sempre no plural, aludindo estranhamente uma cumplicidade invisivel. Quern sabe corn os deuses) chegamos a fazer varios contatos realmente inexplicdveis, eu diria, por exemplo, quando morreu a Dorinha...

—A Dorinha nao morreu trovejou Ciro, olhos vidrados numa faca de cortar frios.

—Talvez sim, talvez nao condescendeu misteriosamente Klaus—muitos de nOs já chegaram a...

—Besteiras, nao ha nada—cortei.—Estive Ia em cima e vi: estao todos mortos.—E voltando-me para o meu anfitrido:—Um trechinho de seu autor predileto, beleza...

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

—Como?—Belo Fascista arregalava os doces olhos azuis.

—Ela divaga—Poeta enderecou-me urn olhar env iesado-mas como eu dizia, a Dorinha...

—Agora que estou vendo—interrompi novamente. De repente, Ciro e Branca de Neve me pareceram estranhissimos: ele enorme, truculento, ela fragil, meio amalucada...

—Voces nao tern nada a ver, nao 6?—Sorria para ambos como abencoando-os. Klaus, desorientado, arreganhava os dentes, desculpando sua convidada.

—Terrivel, terrivel—arfava Branca de Neve.

— Pensando bem, acho que a garota tern razao Ciro no tirava os olhos da faca, —E como 6 que voces tre...—Um violento cutucao do Guru, debaixo da mesa, fez-me engolir o resto da frase.

Depois disso, fui mergulhando cada vez mais fundo num burburinho acid° e esbranquicado. As frases se sucediam de cá para Ia, e eu as acompanhava como bolinhas num jogo de pinguepongue, apenas como bolinhas, que nao sao nada alem de bolinhas brancas.

Levantei-me e fui ate a janela: E isso, pensei, sufocar a ressaca, afogd-lana boca cinzenta e azeda damanha como num cesto de roupa suj a. Esse é o prep pago pela droga consumida durante a madrugada, porque a droga tern o segredo que afoga a nausea, o vomit°, a acidez desse vinho escuro injetado nas veias desde a noite anterior, entao, ao amanhecer, foi puxada a descarga, sentido urn s6 tranco, o estOmago a brecar e a gemer no alto de um predio no Pacaembu e isso foi quase tudo. Quase porque eu ainda nao terminara.... / Porque o vazio, apos a descarga, e insuportavel. 0 vaso sanitario ficar desert° e se tern medo de tomar a usa-lo e infectar o mundo inteiro. A nausea que se instala expulsa a razao, amedronta as palavras, e eu precisava falar que daquela madrugada ficou um gosto arrepanhado de sal de fruta, a efervescencia cinza perola do antiacido diante dos olhos e umatristeza secreta e corrompida por me saber mole, dobravel, e ainda uma vez voltar a fazer coisas que nao quero, nao precis°, no desejo, todavia o alcool e a droga me levam Ia, uma especie de morte incluida nos servicos de buffet; a cada episOdio eu morro, e eumorro, e eu mono de novo, e volto a me assassinar, porque contar essa estoria é o mesmo que atacar a mesma mulher hd anos, violentamente, por tras, e como se ela fosse virgem, entao, o toque no ombro, o halito amanhecido as minhas costas: Klaus.

Haviam escurecido a sala. Silenciosamente, colocou-me o casaco e, na condicao de irmaozinho mais velho, carregou-me para longe daqueles perigos. Seu apartamento, por exemplo.

Lembro de urn café da manha numa mesa corn toalha de plastic°, e urn enorme queijo-de-minas. Eu estava chapadissima, achando o queijo muito engracado e porque nao podia aparecer em casa de modo algum naquele estado. Klaus, este entao parecia esmagado sob o peso da recompensa. Etc tinha mesmo uma cara amassada de vilao do faroeste depois da Oltima briga, versao piorada entre Jack Palance e John Carradine. Cara picada pelo ressentimento e pela variola, obtinha dormir corn a mocinha sem mais aquela. Era demais. Etc vai brochar, pensei.

Havia sot, mas estava frio e Amid° e Poeta, muito solicito, uniu duas camas gemeas, cobriu-as corn mantas, enquanto eu me despia, obedientemente, cumprindo urn ritual sem escapat6ria, filha de Maria, sacerdotisa de Astarte, coroinha alimentado e fodido secretamente pelo padre, eu obedecia, apenas. Fiquei de brucos, fechei os olhos, pensando: o prazer puro, o prazer puro.

Nao poderia ver aquele rosto agora, seria insuportavel, seria inconcebivel, e eu acho que etc me ficou agradecido. Mesmo assim nao conseguia. Estava submerso em droga e alcOol, uma chaga viva de excitacao que pulsava e gemia, rilhando os dentes, pobre animal sonambulo imaginando-se urn ser humano de came, ossos e fezes, se esvaindo entre minhas nadegas numatortura aplicada

de movimentos ineficientes; uma vez que ele nao conseguia, o animal depositava-se como urn pedaco morto de came fria junto ao meu corpo. Vamos liquidar isso, pensei. Sentia-me cansada, nauseada, azeda. A excitacao esticava-se como urn cordao frouxo contudo sem arrebentar. Vi pela janeld a manha alta, cor de magnesia, e disse: chega, vamos dormir. As minhas costas, etc desabou, barraquinha de campanha, como se o tempo todo estivesse aguardando a ordem que o libertasse da prontidao.

Segundos depois ressonava eloqiientemente. Adormeci pensando onde havia me metido, aquele apartamento de solteiro da Alameda Casabranca tinhaalgo a ver corn urn Mmulo, gente adormecendo ao nascer do sol, falta so o punhal de prata, mas, por alguma razao maluca, nao queria ir para casa e nao queria ficar au. 0 sono me colocou no lugar certo. Estaria sonhando corn um jardineiro espanhol ou corn tesouras, nao sei, e acordei salgadamente sentindo algo vivo se mover, quente e alerta, entre minhas coxas. Pulei da cama, como se impulsionada por retrofoguetes: fugir, pensava, fugir, correr, vomitar, se vestir.

E fui apanhando os destrocos das roupas atiradas pelo quarto.

Ao subir as meias, espiei corn o canto do olho a cara atonita, amassada de Klaus, parecendo um pedaco carbonizado de casca de arvore na brancura de areia dos lencois. A boca entreaberta no ousava protestar, articular nenhum som, corn aquele ar de bagre estnpido, aquele ar de fOssil humano: a qualquer palavra minha, viria a replica de bemardo-eremita na voz de fariseu sufocado e eu nao queria deixar nada claro. A coisa, naquele pe, ja parecia suficientemente ridicula, uma pomochanchada sinistra: ele, de pau duro debaixo das cobertas, cara de idiota, observando a mocinha se vestir num desespero vertiginoso, como se perseguida por Jack, 0 Estripador. Faltava vestir o casaco e me lancei para fora do quarto. Uma empregada velhissima e cheia de varizes abriu-me a porta da ma. Desci pelas escadas.

Nem cogitei estar no 15° andar. Alcancando finalmente a rua, parei ofegante. Porra, estava livre. Leve. Livre. Comecei a rir sozinha: ate que fora bem gozado. Cambaleante e feliz, ri por dois quarteirties. As pessoas se voltavam, espantadas. Urn perfume de paezinhos frescos me atraiu para uma padaria cheia de colegiais e empregadinhas. Mastigando urn enorme sanduiche de presunto, pedi ao vendedor a lista telefonica. Forrando pagina por pagina corn lascas de pao fresco, procurei o niimero de Belo Fascista. Nao sabia por que, mas precisava salvar a noite. Alo, uma vozinha sonada gemeu do outro lado. Reconheci Brinquedinho. Escute, princesa, falei, diga ao seu marido que preciso fazer uma substituicao (era necessario ir direto ao assunto, nada de formalismos idiotas corn a familia e os cachorros. Tratamento de choque). 0 que? A voz prosseguia estremunhando. Uma outra, de homem, metralhava abafadamente qualquer coisa. Era seca e urgente; falando aos soquinhos parecia martelar ordens.

Brinquedinho explicava confusamente algo sobre a namorada de Klaus e uma substituicao. Afinal, era uma objetiva formada pelo Objetivo. 0 que esta havendo? Belo Fascista pegara o aparelho. Parecia urn bocado irritado. Expliquei da melhor forma. Por fim, convidei-o para tomar café da manha comigo, ali, na Padaria Flor de Lys, que ficavana ma... Pedi para esperar na linha enquanto ia ver. Quanto retomei o fone, apenas o ruido de discar respondeu melancolicamente ao meu apelo. Belo Fascista no tinha mesmo nenhum senso de humor. Tao bonitinho, murmurei cheia de pena. 0 pao terminara e enquanto esperava o troco, espiei meu rosto no espelho da balanca.

Borrado de rimel preto, o rouge coloria mais a face esquerda, olheiras azuladas. Igualzinha Branca de Neve. Esfregar o dedo acentuou a palidez, mas servia. Ainda nao dava para espantar as criancas. Na saida, resolvi comprar outro sanduiche para ir comendo no caminho. Esquentara e eu amarrei o casaco na cintura—um casaco undo, de veludo caramelo—e o pessoal 29

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

continuou me encarando. Sempre comendo o pao, fui sub indo a rua cheia de arvores verdinhas e rendilhada de so!. Lembrei de uma passagem de Faulkner no Some a Fitria. Afinal, alcancei a Avenida Paulista suando e arrotando salame. Em frente a Casa Vogue—que nao é mais a Casa Vogue—tentei pegar urn taxi.

Nada. Decidi ir andando. Ate o Paraiso sao quatro qui lometros, mas no piano. Achei razodvel. Entrei no Jardim do Trianon. Um pouco de ar puro, pensei, ecologia, patos, marrecos, galinhas, desocupados. Ecologia. Comprei um saquinho de pipoca. Urn garoto de seus 17 anos atirava farelo aos perus—detesto esse ar superiormente abestalhado que tern as ayes em geral—e perguntei a ele se valia atirar pipoca.

Logico, disse, e enfiando a mao no meu saquinho, retirou urn punhado e atirou-o aos bichos. Era urn encanto de garoto, urn ninfeto dos bosques, cabelos alourados de sole piscina do clube, a camisa xadrez aberta exibia o peito liso, moreno e uma medalhinha de San Genaro. Perguntei se era italiano. Meu pai, respondeu sorrindo. Falava corn simplicidade e delicadeza. Como se fosse a coisa mais natural do mundo topar num domingo corn uma garota, as onze da manha, cara toda borrada de pintura, casaco de veludo amarrado nos quadris, um pao semicomido na mao, urn saco de pipoca na outra. Ele era a pr6pria manha: jovem, fresco, belo, puro. Me senti mal.

Queria lavar o rosto, tomar urn banho, convida-lo a passear comigo no Ibirapuera, que éo major parque que eu conheco, sei la onde. Melhor ir andando. Ele ficou olhando en me afastar coin simpatia, assim, tambem sem perguntar nada. Uma nevoa de cansaco descia sobre o jardim. Senti-me longe, minha casa longissimo, o apartamento de Klaus ainda mais longe, em outro pals, outro tempo. Ajeitei-me num banco de pedra limosa e dormi. Urn segundo depois acordei: alguem me cutucava as costas corn urn objeto duro e pontudo. Outra vez, pensei. Mas

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era so uma vassoura e o homem devia ser o zelador do parque.

Percebi vagamente que anoitecia.

— Levaram sua bolsa e seu casaco, dona, é born dar parte na policia—falava corn uma voz monOtona, anasalada, repetindo sempre sobre o roubo e a policia.

— Pra que a vassoura?—murmurei idiotamente, ainda aturdida pelo sono. 0 corpo dolorido.—Meu casaco e a bolsa?

—Voce tá ma!, hein? Den moleza, ja viu, nego passa a mao mesmo, acho born dar parte na... vou, ja vou.—Como faze-lo calar? Estiquei as pernas.

Intactas ainda minha calca de veludo e a camisa de seda. Bern, foi-se, pensei. No que deu o vampirismo poetico. Judas, o obscuro, estaria agora em seu undo apezinho ouvindo Beethoven e jantando carneiro ensopado corn legumes, preparado por Lady Varizes, a copeira. Aquela cara amassada, descomposta, mastigando a sobremesa, aqueles olhos duros, machucados, e o animal adormeceria tranquilamente entre seus panfletos comunistas, fumando cigarros mentolados. Era demais. Vomitei espasmodicamente num canteiro de hortensias. Resolvi voltar para casa. La pagariam o taxi. Entao lembrei: estavam todos viajando. Todos os amigos, todos os sujeitos, todas as amigas, etc. Eu estava sem a bolsa, sem as chaves, corn frio, fome e precisando de urn banho.

No taxi, suspirando, dei o endereco de Klaus.

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History, Diamonds and Gold For the traveller, Minas presents a welcome contrast to the rest of Brazil.

Nestled in the Serra do Espinhago are the historic colonial cities which grew up with the great gold boom. Their baroque churches and sacred art represent over half of Brazil's national monuments.

The state of Minas Gerais is as large as France, part of a vast plateau that crosses Brazil's interior. Rising along the state's southern border with Rio and Sao Paulo is the Serra da Mantiqueira, with some of Brazil's highest peaks. These mountains stalled the development of Minas Gerais until the gold boom at the beginning of the 18th century. Running south to north, from Sao Joao del Rei through Ouro Preto and past Diamantina, is the Serra do Espinhaco, Brazil's oldest geological formation. This range separates Minas' two principal river systems: the great Sao Francisco to the west and the Rio Doce to the east.

Minas has good roads but travel is usually a sinuous affair. Much of the terrain is characterised by hills deep valleys and plateaus running off the larger mountains.

Because o f the plentiful rains, the south, east and much of the centre were once thickly forested, but the land has been cleared for mining and agriculture and, today, there is little forest left. In the rainy season the land is still green, but forests are pretty much limited to Minas' several large parks and reserves. The northern extension of the state is sertdo and less populated than the rest of Minas. It's an arid land, with shrub-like trees that look dead during the dry season but quickly regain their foliage when it rains. The most common tree is the pepper tree (aroeira).

The foothills and streams of these mountains were scoured for gold throughout the 18' century. Minas' exquisite colonial towns are seemingly frozen in another epoch. Their baroque churches and sacred artâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;mostly sculptures from one of the world's great artists, Aleijadinhoâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;represent over half of Brazil's national monuments.

Minas also has several hydromineral spas in the mountainous southwest comer and a number of prehistoric 32

caves close to the capital, Belo Horizonte. Founded as recently as 1897, Belo Horizonte is Brazil's third largest city. While residents often speak well of this sprawling place, there is little beauty, natural or otherwise, to stimulate the V2sitor.

The major historical cities are clustered in three spots along the Serra do Espinhaco range: Sao Joao del Rei, with Tiradentes and Prados nearby, is 200 km south of Belo Horizonte; 01r0 Preto and Mariana are 100 km southeast of Belo Horizonte; arid Diamantina, with Serro further down the road, is 290 kw north of Belo Horizonte.

Ouro Preto, declared a World Cultural Heritage Site by UNESCO, has more of everything than any city in Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; more homogeneous baroque architecture, more churches, more Aleijadinho, more museums and more fame. It also has more tourists, more traffic, more boutiques, more locals hawking things to visitors and more expensive hotels and restaurants. If you go to Ouro Preto and don't have time to visit the other clusters of historic cities, be sure to visit nearby Mariana, which remains less affected by tourism.

It's hard to tell anyone to bypass Ouro Preto, and if you really like colonial or baroque art and architecture, or the sculpture of Aleijadinho and churches, then you definitely should go there I3ui if your time is limited and your visit is during the peak tourist season, it's worth considering spending more time at some of the other historic cities and less time at Ouro Preto.

Diamantina has the fewest tourists and is the most tranquil of the regicn's historic cities. Its many buildings form a beautiful display of colonial architecture. Sao Joao and Tiradentes are a good combination to visit: the former has several churches and works of Aleijadinho in a small lively city with l_ttle tourism, and the latter is a tiny colonial town untouched hy time and a perfect place in which to relax and reflect.

The mystery card when shuffling around your itinerary

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

is the town of Congonhas. It's a couple of hours' bus ride from Belo Horizonte, Sao Joao or Ouro Preto. Bus connections between Congonhas and Sao Joao or Ouro Preto are inconvenient, and there is one, and only one, attraction: the Prophets, the masterpiece of Aleijadinho.

You need just a few hours to view the statues at the basilica, but it's an inspirational sight and well worth the trouble.

History No one really knows when gold was first discovered in the backwoods of Minas Gerais. But sometime around 1695, bandeirantes (groups of explorers from Sao Paulo in search of Indian slaves and precious metals) saw gold along the banks and in the beds of rivers flowing from Brazil's oldest mountains. The gold deposits were called faisqueiras (sparkles) because the larger pieces were actually visible all the miners had to do was pick them up.

Soon the word was out.

Brazilians flocked to Minas Gerais and Portuguese immigrated to Brazil. The two groups soon fought over land claims in the Guerra dos Emboabas. Slaves were brought from the sugar fields of Bahia and the savannahs of Angola, as few whites did their own mining. Until the last quarter of the 18th century, the slaves of Minas Gerais were digging up half the world's gold.

Over 100 years before the Californian and Australian gold rushes, Brazil's gold rush was just as crazy, wild and violent. Disease and famine were rampant. The mine towns were known for their licentiousness, and prostitutes such as the famous Chica da Silva in Diamantina have been immortalized in the cinema.

Merchants and colonial officials became rich, as did a few gold miners. Gold siphoned off to Portugal ended up feeding England's Industrial Revolution, and so the only lasting benefits to come to Brazil were the development of Rio de Janeiro (the main port for the gold) and the creation of the beautiful, church-clad mining cities that dot the hills of Minas Gerais. Ouro Preto was the most splendid of these.

Vila Rica de Ouro Preto (Rich Town of Black Gold), as it was known, grew to 100,000 people and became the richest city in the New World.

Climate Minas Gerais has two distinct seasons: wet from October to February and dry from March to September. The rainy season is characterized by almost daily downpours, but they rarely last for long, and although it is warm, it's still much cooler than the heat of Rio. The dry season is cool, and from July to September it can actually get cold. There is often fog during September and October.

Even during the rainy season, travel—with umbrella— is quite practical, with one proviso: from December to February, Ouro Preto is deluged by tourists, who can be more of a nuisance than the rain.

Economy Minas Gerais (General Mines) wears its name well, producing more iron, tin, diamonds, zinc, quartz and BRA77IL - MAY 2001

phosphates than any other state in Brazil. It has one of the world's largest reserves of iron. The state's industrial growth rate has been well above the national average over the past few years, and Minas Gerais should soon pass Rio de Janeiro as Brazil's second-most powerful economy, behind Sao Paulo. Belo Horizonte is the site of a large Fiat automobile plant.

Minas is also known for its high milk and cheese production. The agricultural sector is diverse and strong, with fruit and cattle important as well.

BELO HORIZONTE Belo is the capital of mineral-rich Minas Gerais state. It's a rapidly industrializing city, founded in 1897 and already the third largest in the country. A planned city, Belo is a giant sprawling affair surrounded by hills which lock in the thick, grey-black layers of smog.

There is nothing of special interest for the visitor; most travellers who stop here are on their way to Ouro Preto or Diamantina, with perhaps the occasional soul heading to Brasilia.

Most travellers, as soon as they hit the historical cities, regret having spent any time at all in Belo Horizonte. But if you find yourself here with time to spare, there are a couple of museums worth a visit.

Information I Tourist Office Belotur, the municipal tourist organization, puts out an excellent monthly guide in Portuguese, English and French.

It's very comprehensive, listing not only the main tourist attractions but also how to get there using local buses. It includes flight times, detailed long-distance bus schedules and everything else you wanted to know about Belo Horizonte but didn't know how to ask.

Belotur has booths at Confins airport (open daily from 8 am to 6 pm), in front of the Parque Municipal (open on weekdays from 8 am to 8 pm and on weekends from 8 am to 4 pm) and at the rodoviaria (open the same hours as the park booth). Staff speak a bit of English and can also supply you with state tourist information.

Money Change money at the Banco do Brasil, Rua Rio de Janeiro 750, close to Praca Sete. It opens at 10 am and stays open during lunch. There are lots of other banks and cambios in the city center—try Nascente Turismo, at Rua Rio de Janeiro 1101. Ceimi bios usually open at 11 am.

Post & Telephone The main post office is at Avenida Afonso Pena 1270, but there's one at the rodoviaria, too. Telemig has telephone posts at Rua dos Tamoios 311, at the rodovidria and at Confins airport.

Museu de Mineralogia There are 5000 specimens here in a curious gothic building at Rua da Bahia 1149. The displays include replicas of all the world's largest diamonds, meteorites and rough diamonds, and some of the largest crystals you'll ever see.

It's open daily from 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. >,

Museu Hist6rico Abilio Barreto In an old colonial farmhouse, this museum is all that remains of the town of Curral del Rey, on which Belo Horizonte was built. It contains a fascinating archive of old photographs, as well as other assorted historical bric-a-brac.

The museum is at Rua Bernardo Mascarenhas. in Cidade Jardim, and is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm.

To get there, take a No 8902 bus marked `Luxemburgo/ Sagrada Familia' from the stop on Avenida Amazonas between Rua dos Tupinambas and Avenida Afonso Pena.

‘*e

Pampulha Fans of architect Oscar Niemeyer won't want to miss his creations in the suburb of Pampulha, in the north of the city, around a large lake, but others may be disappointed.

The area has an unkempt feel about it. There's the Igreja de Sao Francisco de Assis, built in the 1940s. and the Museu de Arte de Belo Horizonte, among others. To get there, take the No 2004 Bandeirantes/Olhos/ d' Agua' bus. Be prepared to do a bit of walking once you arrive.

Gruta de Maquine An interesting and popular day trip from Belo Horizonte is to the Gruta de Maquine, the most famous of Minas' many caves. Its seven huge chambers are well lit to allow guided tours to pass through. A bus to the caves departs from the rodoviaria every day at 9.15 am and returns at 3 pm, which gives you ample viewing time. The trip costs $4.

There are cafes at the cave: Chero's is recommended: their comida mineira is quite cheap.

Rio Sao Francisco River Trip Trips can be arranged in Belo Horizonte for passage on the paddle-steamer BenjaminGuimardes, which still travels on the river between Pirapora (around 320 km north of Belo Horizonte) and the small town of Sao Francisco.

The Benjamin Guimarcies has 12 cabins and a bar/ restaurant on board. The five-day tourist trip begins every Sunday and costs $500 per person, which includes the bus fare from Belo Horizonte to Pirapora.

For Places to Stay and to Eat, read the book.

Entertainment The Belotur monthly guide has a good listing of discos.

Right near the central hotels on Praca Sete is the Restaurante Praya Sete. It has a beer-hall atmosphere, with good local music from 10 pm to 3 am. If you can stand the horrible sound system. it's fun.

Things to Buy The Centro de Artesanato Mina.° at Avenida Afonso Pena 1537, Palacio das Artes (at the edge of the Parque Municipal), is a government store with a varied assortment of mineiro crafts: ceramics, jewellery, tapestries, rugs, quilts and soapstone sculptures. It's open on Saturday from 9 am to 8.45 pm and on Sunday from 9 am to 1.45 pm.

34

The Gem Center is not far from the municipal park, at Avenida Alvares Cabral 45. Around 20 reputable gem dealers have small shops in the building.

A huge Feira de Arte e Artesanato is held on Sunday from 9 am to 1 pm on Avenida Afonso Pena between Rua da Bahia and Rua dos Guajajaras, with good food and local crafts. If you're around, check it out.

Getting There & Away Air Belo Horizonte is connected to reach Rio and Sao Paulo by frequent one-hour VASP/Cruzeiro/Transbrasil ponte aerea (air-bridge) flights. There are daily flights from Belo to just about anywhere in Brazil.

Bus Buses take seven hours to Rio ($7), 9½ hours to Sao Paulo ($15), 12 hours to Brasilia ($20) and around 22 hours to Salvador ($35).

Buses leave every hour for Ouro Preto, the first at 7 am and the last at 8.15 pm. The trip takes 13/4 hours and costs $4.

There are eight buses a day to Mariana, from 6 am to 11 pm. The two-hour trip costs $4.50. Six daily go to Diamantina ($10, 51/2 hours), the first at 5.30 am and the last at midnight. Seven daily go to Sao Joao del Rei, the first at 6.15 am and the last at 7 pm.

From 5 am to midnight, buses run to Sabara every 15 minutes: catch them downstairs at the local bus section of the rodoviaria. lf you're heading to the mineral spring resorts, there are four buses a day to Pocos de Caldas ($24), two to Caxambu ($7), at 7.30 am and 11 pm, and three to Sao Lourenco ($8), at 12.30 am, and 3 and 9.30 pm.

Getting Around To/From the Airport Flelo Hot izonte has two airports. Most planes use the new international Aeroporto Confins (also known as Aeroporto Tancredo Neves), which is 40 km from the city.

The closer, sleepy Aeroporto da Pampulha handles some of the Rio and Sao Paulo shuttle flights.

The best way to get to the airport is by bus from the rodoviaria. There's a conventional bus that leaves every half-hour to an hour (depending on the time), between 4.45 am and 10.45 pm; the trip costs $1.50. Even though it's not advertised, this bus will stop at Aeroporto da Pampulha on the way to Aeroporto Confins— but make sure the driver knows your destination.

There is also an air-con executivo bus ($4). It leaves from the executivo terminal at Praya Raoul Soares every 45 minutes to an hour between 5.15 am and 9.45 pm.

Excerpts from Brazil -.I Travel ,SWITirtil kit 3rd edition, by Andrew Draffen.( hris licAsey, Leonardo Pinheiro,and 12obn ,Jones.

For more information call Lonel Planet: (800) 275-8555.

Copyright 1996 Lonel Planet Publications.

1 sed permission.

BRAZZIL - MAY 20L1

Words cannot adequately capture the substance of the sional touring group, Banda Reggae Olodum.

Today, in addition to its Carnaval activities, Olodum group that invented samba-reggae and whose music instilled a new pride and solidarity among residents of the operates a theat r company, a dance company, forums for Pelourinho, a natiORal historical district once abandoned by public debates aid seminars, a store (selling books, newsthe city of Salvador's official policies. How can prose papers, and clot ing with the Olodum logo), a school for communicate the transcultural rhythms that have won over children, whose curriculum includes instruction in music, dance, language, not only the trio elatrico and mathematics as musicians of Brazil but well as the profesalso artists in the United touring sional States like Paul Simon, band. One may Michael Jackson, Ricky think that the black Martin, and Spike Lee? movement in BaSomewhere I read that hia, which was promagic only happens pelled by Olodum, when you set a place for has brought posiit at the table. On June tive and lasting 16,2001, Brazilian Nites change to the area, Productions, will set that but according to table, evoking an aural Olodum's cultural landscape and a cultural director, Esmeralcontext, when they bring do "Billy" Arto the John Anson Ford quimimo, blacks Amphitheatre the immehave been shortdiacy, the electricity, and changed and left the raw essence of disappointed. I Olodum. spoke with ArquiOlodum (from the mimo, about urban Yoruban supreme deity renewal, politics, 016damare) was estaband Carnaval. lished in 1979 by young blacks in Salvador, BaBrazzil—Can hia, as a vocal and peryou give me a cussion group, or bloco afro, that was preparing to parade in Salvador's Carnaval. brief sketch o the Pelourinho's history and describe Rehearsals, however, became impressive cultural events what it was lik before Olodum?

Arquimimo In colonial times, the Pelourinho was a with hundreds of community residents coming to hear new place of slavery. Blacks were auctioned in music and dance, so that within a year, the Terreiro de Jesus, and were whipped, Olodum had thousands of followers. Their tortured, and murdered in the Pelourinho. fusion of Brazilian and Jamaican rhythms, Middle and upper-class families, occucombined with elements of funk, created a pied the homes in the Pelourinho up until stir in the recording industry, and their first the 1940's and 1950's. But little by little, albums quickly surpassed sales of Brazilian these people left, and the Pelourinho fell rock. After internal reorganization in 1983, to ruin and was eventually inhabited by Grupo Cultural Olodum was created as an poor people. It became a place of violence umbrella organization that implemented and prostitution, unsafe both for tourists social and cultural projects to combat racial and residents. When we founded Olodum discrimination, stimulate self-esteem, and in 1979, the people lacked cohesion and defend the civil and human rights of all were ignorant about their traditions. They marginalized people. had no community interests. We knew that In early 1990, Olodum recorded "The if a common ground could be established, Obvious Child" with Paul Simon for his CD we could bring them together.

The Rhythm of the Saints, and the video clip received screenings in 140 countries. Two Brazzil—How did you establish that years later, the group's presence on Bahia With aspirations of common ground?

Black/Ritual Beating System, alongside jazz Arquimimo—Creating solidarity in masters Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter, world political and culthe community wasn't difficult because set the tone for a slew of other recordings there were no movements at the time, and that would attempt to imitate the same extural solidarity, the perthe people needed something to tie them traordinary balance of torrential Brazilian together. We promoted music by playing cussive impulse of percussion and eloquent jazz harmonies. together, which wasn't difficult because The following year, Gilberto Gil and Caetano Olodum returns to music is in the people. We performed Veloso released Olodum's "Nossa Gente" social work and created job opportunities on their CD Tropicana 2. With increasing Southern California. for the adults who lived in the Pelourinho, worldwide exposure via tours to Japan, Arand we taught the kids to play drums and gentina, Chile, and Switzerland, and continBRUCE GILMAN to dance. Then we started teaching about ued success of their recordings, which were the African Diaspora, about black culture. awarded Premios Sharp (Brazil's equivaNobody in Bahia went to the Pelourinho lent of the Grammy) in 1990; 1992, 1993, and 1994, Olodum abandoned the exclusive emphasis on until Olodum started to change it, and then people started percussion, which was characteristic of their first discs, and coming just to check out this Olodum thing. We improved brought guitars, keyboards, and horns into their profes- conditions by raising black self-esteem through art, dance,

Drums of Passion

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

35

and music. Olodum came, and elaborating on the work started by he Aiye, developed a brotherhood that wanted to rescue the culture of Bahia, start a process of rebuilding, and fight for its place in the sun. Olodum became a small island of hope in the midst of all the misery.

Brazzil—Was it hard to get the kids to buy in?

Arquimimo—In the beginning, it was difficult because these kids were wild. The streets were full of kids doing nothing, anything. Olodum developed activities so the kids would get busy learning something and not just be hanging around on the streets. One kid would bring another kid who saw how learning to play music and to dance was fun, and that kid would bring another. Then we started making presentations at schools and universities, creating things, getting the kids occupied with information instead of being on the streets all the time. These classes for the kids are what started pulling the Pelourinho together. Residents were touched by our work, and Olodum started getting approval from all sectors of the city. Taking poor kids off the streets and getting them involved in some kind of cultural activity is beautiful work, and we received recognition, sympathy, and support not only from other musicians and artists but also from the political parties. All the other blocos afro— Ara Ketu, Muzenza, lIe Aiye—supported Olodum, and together we became part of a unified black movement.

Brazzi/—So the other blocos were supportive of Olodum's work?

Arquimimo—Definitely! When the other blocos started attending our shows, we created the Liberty Route, a performance circuit with ne Aiye, Olodum, and other blocos afro that ran from Saturday to Monday and went from the Pelourinho to the Toror6 neighborhood. All of Bahia's black people attended these shows, and this helped establish a sense of community and empower our culture, our music. That's what we wanted and why we named it the Liberty Route.

Brazzii—Olodum has different bands, dance groups, nurseries, music schools, and each sub-division has its own director. Can you talk a little about the music programs?

Arquimimo—Let me explain everything to you. Grupo Cultural Olodum is the heart of Olodum and is responsible for all of the organization's subdivisions. Escola Criativa Olodum is the school where we provide children and adolescents with free classes, and inside the escola, we have Banda Mirim Olodum, which is an educational, non-professional ensemble. Bloco Mirirn is a great opportunity for children who wouldn't ordinarily have the chance to perform with a Carnaval group. But since they have studied and learned how to play in the Escola Criativa Olodum, we bring them all together for one day so they can parade during Carnaval. Their Carnaval themes often express children's rolls in relation to the theme that the adult groups are working with that year. When we have Bloco Olodum rehearsals on Tuesday nights, it isn't professional work, it is cultural work, a cultural event. We used to have them every Sunday night in the Pelourinho, but now that rehearsal has changed to the Praca de Terreiro de Jesus. This is where we develop our ideas, so the people who play don't receive any payment. This is also where we give new people opportunities to perform, and it's really, really necessary for everyone who wants to be a singer, who wants to be a musician, to have the opportunity to show themselves off.

Although we call them ensaios, they're not rehearsals, they're really shows. We've been working very hard so that when musicians leave Olodum, they can promote themselves by saying that they've performed with Olodum, and this tends to validate their work in other projects. For our

professional work, we have Banda Reggae Olodum.

Brazzil—W as there a specific point when you felt that Olodum's work had permanence?

Arquimimo—Olodum matured and really began to show results in 1986 when we started giving seminars and bringing in interesting black guest speakers to discuss important issues and enrich our programs. We learned from them and absorbed their philosophies as well as the philosophies of other black leaders who talked about autonomy, like Malcolm X and Marcus Garvey. In turn, our self-esteem and our confidence grew, and with that, our movement. No other group spoke so freely about black liberty before Olodum, none existed.

Brazzil—How was Olodum's work different from the work of groups like Filhos de Gandhi, Ile Aiye, and Badaue?

Arquimimo—Olodum invested in the kids, and rather than talk about revolution, we talked about love. The result of all this work can be seen in so many black Bahian people today who are thinking about their futures, who want to study, who want to compete with white people for a spot in the university, who want to have careers. These are people who had never thought about these things as possible realities. They thought only about becoming someone's employee, someone's maid. You know, even if we stopped today, the momentum of our work would continue. Now the people have more initiative to do these kinds of things.

Today, there are a lot of people and organizations doing this kind of work in Bahia, a work that started with the seeds planted by Olodum.

Brazzil—Have you noticed any negative backlashes?

Arquimimo—That's interesting because after our work captured the governor's attention, he decided to invest in the Pelourinho and to develop it in order to bring in more tourists and generate money. Now the area is a very colorful visitor attraction, and it generates a lot of money. But he invested in the place, not in the people themselves, and that's unfortunate.

Brazzil—What do you mean?

Arquimimo—Everyone who goes to Brazil, feels that they must see the Pelourinho, and that if they don't, they've missed Bahia. We now have many restaurants and art galleries in the Pelourinho. You know what I'm saying?

After the governor rebuilt the houses, they became commercial properties; consequently, poor people can't afford to live in them anymore. Pelourinho today is a totally touristic place. It's like a postcard of Bahia.

Brazzil—Does Olodum receive any financial assistance from local government for Carnaval?

Arquimimo—Local politicians may say, "Okay, we'll help you." But then we're taxed for the number of people that parade with the bloco. So with one hand they give you money, and with the other, they take it away. You know?

It's very complicated. It's very, very difficult for small groups like ne Aiye and Olodum to participate in Carnaval when "Class A" and "Class B" groups, who charge a lot for costumes, are receiving sponsorships from the airlines and beer and computer companies. So much revolves around personal friendships with people in important political positions.

Brazzil—Why do you think Carnaval in Rio receives better TV coverage than Carnaval in Bahia?

Arquimimo—The Carnaval in Rio receives better coverage and is the most well-known because TV Globo is in Rio, and they promote and export the image of Rio's BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Carnaval all over the world. It's a spectacular production, but more of a tourist event. Carnaval in Bahia is for the people. I think that the image exported from Carnaval in Rio, with all the nude women, sends a message that the Brazilian woman is a prostitute. And this is the strongest impression people outside Brazil who don't have too much information receive of our country. Carnaval in Rio is also more conspicuous because the samba of Rio de Janeiro represents Brazil whereas the music from Bahia represents just Bahia. Olodum appeared to show a different image of the Brazilian reality.

Brazzil—Do you always try to include a reference to Africa in your Carnaval themes?

A rquim imo—Normally we try to. The work of Olodum in Bahia is to bring Africa back to Brazil as much as possible so the people retain a consciousness of their cultural roots.

Sometimes we mix cultures, and sometimes we incorporate a political theme to keep the people more informed. It hasn't been easy for people to get the information over the last two or three years because we've had a lot of foolishness, a lot of foolish movements like pagode. Also the new music, Olodum's new songs are not in the media as much as they had been in the past. If you aren't in the media selling a lot of CD's, you're not doing what the media wants. You know? Olodum is a black group and black people aren't liked by the media.

Brazzil—How are Olodum and Ile AiyE different?

Arquimimo—ne Aiye, from the Liberdade area, was the first to organize and create a group that attempted to instill black pride. Olodum came five years later, but we were better organized and took a lot more time coordinating our operations. Ile Aiye is a bloco associated with traditional black roots that accepts only "pure" blacks as members. A typical Brazilian mulatto, can't parade with ne.

Olodum allows p,eople of any race to parade with the group, and we freely mix musical elements, of all sorts in our compositions. We're the most democratic group on the planet.

Brazzi/—What does being a black Brazilian mean today?

Arquimimo—Your question is very political. Before Olodum started, there was a lot more racism in Bahia. Thirty years ago blacks were ashamed to be black. Black people could not dance in Carnaval with the white blocos. They could not enter clubs through the front door. In Bahia, where one is either black, not so black, or almost white, many people are still concerned about how they appear in the eyes of their contemporaries. Just today, I met with some friends after the soccer game, and one guy, who is lighter than I am, said, "I have some friends who are black, but they are really good people." I just had to roll my eyes. In the past, magazine ads and TV commercials used only white models, white actors, but now we're starting to see ads with black people. Next we'll see black mannequins in the clothing stores. This is the fruit of the black movement and a lot of fighting, a lot of hard BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

work. But the bla k in Brazil still has a long way to go before he can hold his head up.

Brazzil—Man of Olodum's songs talk about Zumbi and the quilombo almares. Can you talk a little about Zumbi and his im ortance in Olodum's music?

Arquimimo— he United States has had many important black leaders ike W.E.B. Du Bois, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther Kin who symbolize the fight for liberty. In Brazil, there is umbi and the Republic of Palmares.

Palmares was a re arkable achievement that grew from a handful of fugitiv slaves into a complex political and economic infrastru ture with thousands of inhabitants, trade routes, and a lega system. The Portuguese soldiers who finally entered the ailed city after many decades and slow, bitter battles wer awed and inspired when they saw the leaders of Palmar s hurl themselves from a rocky point to certain death rath r than surrender. As a musical group, many of our songs ell the story of Zumbi. We keep his story alive and try to e plain how Zumbi educated our people about their right t be free. The best way Olodum can keep the image of Zum i alive is through our songs and through the rhythms of ou drums.

Brazzil—How strongly is Olodum's music connected to Afro-Brazilia religion? i f course, the rhythm of candomble is a Arquimim base, but our mus c and drums have very little to do with religion. The atabaques of candomble are too heavy for the street. To take th music of candomble to the streets, you need lighter instr ments like the timbal, the repique, and surdos. Olodum' particular sonority is created by our surdos, which are built to larger dimensions than the common surdo.

Brazzil—Wh t effect do you think Olodum's music has had on the angue beat movement?

There has always been a kind rivalry Arquimim between the musi of Bahia and the music from Recife, the maracatu. The maracatu has its own rich culture, so I can't say that we've in uenced them rhythmically or musically.

We only gave th m the incentive to explore the possibilities. We gave the the impulse to do as well with the music from Recife as 01 dum was doing with the music of Bahia.

When Chico Scie ce created the mangue beat, it was a mix

37

of maracatu with electronics. It's a mix, not a new groove.

There has been nothing in terms of new grooves since Olodum created samba-reggae.

Brazzil—Do you think Olodum loses its unique personality or power when it tours like a band with horns, guitar, and keyboards?

Arquimimo—Sometimes people go to Bahia and see Olodum preparing for Carnaval parade with just drums, and that's a powerful impression and a lot of drums. But traveling with so many people is difficult and expensive.

And usually the people who hire us don't want more than fifteen or twenty people. When we started going overseas in 1990, and meeting other groups like Youssou N' Dour's and Fela Kuti's, we noticed they used a different format for touring. We learned from them to incorporate other instruments, to create a touring band, which, by the way, is made up of our best musicians. That was what brought about the change. When we travel today we bring seventeen musicians, nine are percussionists, who with very little amplification, sound like a really muscular bloco.

Brazzil—How was Olodum's work with Paul Simon different from their work with Spike Lee? Arquimimo—Paul Simon is an intuitive artist. When he heard Olodum playing in 1988, he understood we had a new rhythm and decided to include us on his CD. The exposure we received by working with Paul Simon was extremely helpful and assisted Olodum in becoming popular all over the world. For example, in '95, when Olodum went to Europe for the first time, it helped promoters to say that Olodum is the group that collaborated with Paul Simon. Our performance with Paul Simon in Central Park in 1991 was genuinely valuable. But when we worked with Michael Jackson, we were never compensated for the tremendous amount of work involved, and it was hard work that was supposed to bring Olodum fresh publicity in the music marketplace in the United States, in England, and throughout Europe. But it never happened. When Paul Simon came to Brazil something like twelve or thirteen years ago, Olodum was not well known outside of Brazil.

When we worked with Michael Jackson in '96, Spike Lee already knew of our success with Paul Simon, but he didn't consider us a professional group a group performing positive community work in Brazil 'for our society and for the fight against segregation. He just wanted to have Olodum's drums. Basically, we were exploited by Michael Jackson and Spike Lee. Brazzil—I know a new Olodum CD has been in the works for some time. Will Bahia Negra (Black Bahia) be released in time for the show in Los Angeles?

Arquimimo—No, unfortunately, but the show we are bringing is called Bahia Negra. There's a lot of politics involved concerning the new CD. Sony was supposed to have it ready last October, but because we're not as commercial as some of their other bands, because our music is more political and has more to do with black consciousness, they're investing more in artists who can sell thousands of CD's. Sony could release our CD's all over the world, but they don't see Olodum as a commercially viable act. Multi-national record c_ompanies want white people singing black music. Daniela Mercury is famous only because she sings black music. It's a shame, but it's true.

Olodum is not going to make anybody rich, but we have taught and inspired many who keep propagating black cUlture and black pride, and that's all that we can hope for. * Many thanks to Ana Gazzola of Yellow Green Productions for her invaluable technical support.

Bruce Gilman, music editor for Brazzil, received his Masters degree in music from California Institute of the Arts. He leads the Brazilian jazz ensemble Axe and plays cake for escola de samba MILA. You can reach him through his e-mail: cuica@interworld.net

Nossa Genie (Avisa Li) Roque Carvalho Avisa la que eu you chegar mais tarde, 0 yes You mejuntar com o Olodum gut 6 da alegria Eç denominado de vulcao 0 estampido ecoou nos quatro cantos do mundo Em menos de urn minuto, em segundos Nossa gente 6 quem bendiz E quem mais danca Os gringos se afmavam na folia Os deuses igualando todo encanto, toda danca Rataplam dos tambores gratificam Quem fica nao pensa em voltar Afeicao a ptimeira vista 0 beijo, o batonr que nal) vai mais soltar A expresso do rosto identifica Avisa la, avisa la, avisa la, 0, 0 Avisa lá que eu you

Our People (Tell Them) Tell them that I'll be late, very lateI'm going to join Olodum, which is happiness It is the power of the volcano Whose erupting echoes in the four corners of the world In less than a minute, in seconds Our people, all dancing, are blessed Even gringos get in tune with the revelry All gods equally, all enchantment, all dancing The language of the drums ratifies Whoever comes never thinks of leaving Affection at first sight The kiss, the lipstick that never lets go Leaves an expression on their faces Tell them, tell them, tell them, oh, oh Tell them that I will go

L

Web sites of interest: Brazilian Nites Productions http://www.braziliannites.corn Olodum—Official Site http://www.uol.com.br/olodutn

BRA77IL - MAY 2001

••••••••• • Farad Divindade do Egito Pharaoh Divinity of Egypt •• Luciano Gomes •• •s Eu falei fara6 I said Pharaoh •

• • • • OOOOO • • • • • • • • • • • •

II • • • II II • •

••••••••••

Alegria Geral

Gods, infinite divinities of the • Alberto Pita! Mop Pop / • II universe Yitthamar Tropicalha • Predominant, mythological • plan • 0 Olodum td hippie, o Olodum • Consequence of the original •• tá pop spirit Shu • • Olodum td reggae, o Olodum Will create in Eden a • • tá rock, cosmic egg 0 Olodum pirou de vez •▪ E canta, canta, Salvador Not even Osiris knows how the • • •• ▪ Canta, canta, meu amor emergence happened • Canta, canta, o Olodum I said to the nation • • do Pelo That emergence, not even • Osiris knows how it happened • • • • Todos os domingos e The order or submission •• tercas-feiras of your eye •• Tern samba de roda e Transformed into •• capoeira true humanity •• Domingo, tern Olodum •• Epic code of Geb and Nut no Pelo • begat the stars • Na terca tern a bencdo do Osiris proclaimed his marriage • • Senhor •• with Isis • • 0 Pelourinho se transforma em And the evil Set, murdered • • Carnaval him brutally in Pera •• Nesse momento a alegria Horus avenging his • geral • ▪ • father's death No samba de roda eu toco Defeated the empire of the evil •• • agogo • Junto corn Tom Ze, Set • Capinam e Carlo The shout of victory that • satisfies. Where is it?

• • ssw••••• Um•ss ▪ Tutancamon, Eh! Gize Tutankhamen, Eh! Giza Akahenaton, Eh! Gize Akhenaten, Eh! Giza

Deuses, divindade infinita do universo Predominante, esquema mitologico A enfase do espirito original "Chu" Formard no Eden urn ovo c6smico A emersdo nem Osiris sabe como aconteceu Eu falei pra nacdo Que a emersdo nem Osiris sabe como aconteceu A ordem ou submissdo do olho seu Transformou-se na verdadeira humanidade Epopeia do codigo de Gueb e Nut gerou as estrelas Osiris proclamou matrim8nio corn Isis E o mau Seth, irado o assassinou em Per-a-a Horus levando avante a vinganca do pai Derrotando o imperio do mau Seth 0 grito da vitoria que nos satisfaz, mid?

Universal Happiness

Olodum is hippie, Olodum is pop Olodum is reggae, Olodum is rock Olodum got totally crazy And sing, sing Salvador Sing, sing, sing, my love Sing, sing Olodum of Pelourinho Every Sunday and Tuesday There is samba de roda and capoeira Sunday, Olodum in the Pelourinho On Tuesday there is the blessing of Jesus The Pelourinho becomes Carnaval In that moment, happiness is all-embracing In the samba de roda, I play agogo Together with Tom Ze, Capinam, and Carlo • • • • • • • •

Eu falei fame, Eh! fara6 Eu clamo Olodum-Pelourinho Eh! fara6 Piramide a base do Egito Eh! fara6 Esse é Olodum rebentdo

I told Pharaoh Eh! Pharaoh I claim Olodum-Pelourinho Eh! Pharaoh Pyramid the base of Egypt Eh! Pharaoh That is Olodum bursting ecstatically Eh! farao Eh! Pharaoh

Que mara, mara, mara, How wonder, wonder, wonder, maravilha é wonderful, it is Egito, Egito é Egypt, Egypt, is Fara6, 6, 6, 6 Pharaoh, oh, oh, oh • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • .• • •

1991

1989 1988 1987

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

39

his work.

Brazzil—What's your background and where did you grow up?

Boukas— My parents are of Greek and Cretan heritage.

I grew up in Astoria, Queens, a rich ethnic melting pot. You can walk the streets of Astoria for an hour and not hear a word of English spoken, buy any kind of ethnic food in little shops that are Greek, Afghani, Egyptian, Armenian, Bengali, Brazilian, Colombian, Jamaican, Dominican, Jewish, Korean, Chinese, Serbian, Russian, etc. It has been responsible for my insatiable appetite for ethnic culture: language, music, cooking, art, philosophy. I was and am lucky enough to live in a community where meeting people from all cultures is a natural part of life; this is New York and for that reason alone I still don't think I could live anywhere else.

Brazzil—What types of music did you listen to in your early years?

An American Malandro Part II: Richard Boukas talks about life, music, and the lure of the Brazilian.

DAN IELLA THOMPSON

Guitarist-vocalist-composer-teacher-writer Richard Boukas has made Brazilian music his avocation and his mission. His numerous activities in its service include teaching at the New School Jazz & Contemporary Music Program in New York City, where he directs the Brazilian Jazz Ensemble; playing in a duo with Brazilian pianist Jovino Santos Neto and in a quartet with Jovino, bassist Nilson Matta, and drummer Paulo Braga; occupying the Brazilian Music chair on the International Association of Jazz Educators (IAJE) Resource Tearrr, publishing articles in Just Jazz Guitar magazine; promoting Brazilian music at every opportunity, and creating some of his own.

Boukas' latest CD is Balaio (Basket), recorded with Jovino and released on Malandro Records. The disc is a compelling synergy of various Brazilian rhythms—samba, bakio, maracatu, choro, and frevo impregnated with the intricacies ofjazz harmony. Of the album's twelve tunes, four were composed by Boukas, four by Jovino, and four by Hermeto Pascoal.

In this interview, Boukas, voted best Brazilian guitarist in the U.S. by GuitarOne magazine, looks back on his musical influences and talks about how Brazilian music came to shape 40

Boukas—In the late fifties, having a portable record player was a real luxury, but we had one. From time to time, my father would bring home an LP it was always classical music: Verdi, Puccini, Debussy, Ravel, and Artur Rubinstein playing the hell out of Chopin and Rachmaninoff. Man, I would wear those records out, to the point where I could just hear the whole thing in my head without even playing the record. Certain pieces had magical moments for me, something I came to realize later in life as specific melodic and harmonic events that had great expressive intensity. For example, Chopin's Op. 9 no. 2 Nocturne in Eb the beautiful, arching melody, and very hip chord progression just at the end of the B section. It's no wonder that nearly thirty years later, that same piece served as the basis for an extended theme and variations in Brazilian choro style I wrote for the Modern Mandolin Quartet. Other special musical moments I recall from childhood are the chromatic chaconne bassline from the opening chorus of Bach's Cantata no. 78, the Grieg Piano Concerto, and the great tenor Mario del Monaco singing Pagliacci. Man, what a voice he had.

We had a copy of "Twilight Time" by the Platters, 1957 or '58. Man, what a beautiful tune that was for a four year-old to hear! But popular music really didn't come into the picture for me until the Beatles., Stones, Motown, and the folk-rock era in the '60s. My sister Jeannine would drag along her little brother and go club-hopping all afternoon on MacDougald Street, where guys rehearsed right on stage in front of a relaxed audience. Those days in Greenwich Village, there was as much music happening during the day as at night. You could go into Manhattan on weekend afternoons and hear tunes being written and rehearsed by cutting-edge rock bands long before they made it big. Outdoor summer concerts at Central Park were a buck to get in, and always a double bill—sometimes totally incongruous combinations like Led Zeppelin and Herbie Mann, Mongo Santamaria and Paul Butterfield Blues Band.

Brazzil—How did you become a musician?

Boukas—It's difficult to say at what point I actually felt that music was my real calling, where I would focus the bulk of my life's work. In my case, it was a gradual process, pursuing creative expression, reaching deep into that realm that always gave me a sense of center, sanctuary, and constructive meaning in my life: writing music, poetry, anything that allowed you to go deep into what you were feeling.

Growing up in the Vietnam and civil rights era, we all saw those terrible scenes on the nightly news. Martin Luther King, JFK, Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy all getting blown away senselessly, that was totally numbing for a kid trying to reconcile his parents' attempt to instill some sense of ethics.

BRA7_ZIL - MAY 2001

For those that still wanted to feel alive and moving forward, there needed to be an emotional release through some form of expression.

Brazzii—Who influenced your music in the beginning?

Boukas—The great folk-rock singers and groups from the Village moved me the most: Tim Buckley, Kenny Rankin, Richie Havens, Tim Hardin. They and the Byrds had the biggest musical influence on my early writing style and sense of vocal line and harmonies. After a brief fling with my first basement rock band at 15, I traded in my Fender Mustang and Princeton reverb amp and went totally acoustic. I started writing my own folk tunes with very angular melodies, strange voicings, open tunings, the works. Dozens of tunes, and they really had their own sound. By that time, I had formed a well-rehearsed folk-rock trio with my lifelong friends Mark Rabin and John Calderone, both fine guitaristsongwriters. I can still objectively say that we were just about as good as Crosby, Stills and Nash; we were doing a lot of interesting vocal harmonies even before they came out with their first record. At the same time, I was already very heavy into Frank Zappa; Emerson, Lake and Palmer; Chicago; Allman Brothers; The Band. I also really loved great blues guitarists like Hendrix, Jeff Beck, Albert King, Johnny Winter, and groups like Paul Butterfield Blues Band. This music elevated the whole level of instrumental playing in popular and rock music. I think that quality attracted Miles and his proteges—Herbie, Wayne, Chick, Zawinul, Tony Williams, and of course, John McLaughlin—into the fusion zone. For rock, blues, and folk guitarists like me, he served as a real bridge into jazz. His early recordings with Tony Williams' Lifetime, the jazzy Extrapolation and acoustic My Goals Beyond were real milestones.

When Mahavishnu Orchestra came out in '71, it blew everyone out of the water. I saw that band play its first New York gig at the Gaslight. The place was no bigger than a postage stamp, and out came John all in white—clothes, Les Paul, Marshall stack, the works. Jan Hammer had the miniMoog synth, he was really the first Eastern European jazz musician to be taken seriously in the U.S. Billy Cobham was playing those odd meters and fills around the drum kit that made everything else sound like it was in slow motion. That music was so revolutionary and intense, the musicianship and conviction in that band was so far beyond anything I'd ever heard before. Well, that made me put the acoustic in the closet and want to play fusion and jazz. I think John, Zappa, Eric Dolphy, and 20th-century masters like Bartok, Berg, and Stravinsky really led me into the more complex vocabularies that jazz had to offer.

That was just about the time I started to study music formally at New York University. It was primarily a classical theory, composition, and musicology program. However, studying the classical repertoire gave me the tools to understand jazz on a deeper level. When I entered the school, I was such a homegrown musician—my ears were so far ahead of my fingers and knowledge of music theory and notation. Probably the most important piece of this enhanced musical understanding came from being exposed to mediBRAZZIL - MAY 2001

eval, renaissance nd baroque choral music. I sang mainly tenor but then deve oped both a countertenor and bass voice, became a utility g y for chorus sections where they needed the help. Singing horal music taught me all about music theory, counterpoi t, composition, foreign language, expression and phrasing in performance, and I learned how to sightread anyth in put in front of me—much better than I could read on th guitar at that time. Choral singing is something I still d professionally and socially today, and New School Jazz P ogram, so I could share with my students the same vital exp riences Ed shared with me.

The few years after college I did a lot of assorted gigs, jazz jam sessions learning all the Real Book tunes and standards everyon was playing at the time. I was in a very serious fusion band called Exit, where I was by far the weakest player. Eventually, the band fizzled out and I was ready to explore al the bebop I had missed out on, fill in the blanks in my und rstanding of jazz history. Luckily, right about the time th band broke up in '75, I heard the great guitarist Jack Wil ins and bassist Eddie Gomez playing duo at Sweet Basil, an like John McLaughlin, that night was to have a profound a ect on the musical direction I was to take.

Jack was just 31 a the time, and clearly a master alongside Pat Martino and G orge Benson, who were coming primarily out of Wes Montg mery and Grant Green. By contrast, Jack was coming more from Tal Farlow, Johnny. Smith, players who were much I ss appreciated in those days. He could sight-read anythin , play improvised solo guitar chord melody better than anyon and his lines were burning, pure streams of invention. We it it off immediately. For the first time in my life, at 22, I decided that maybe it was finally time to study the guitar with so eone like Jack. I showed up at his place one day, showed im my pile of Wes, Benson, and Martino transcriptions, played a bunch of tunes, and he said, "Hey, man, just come over and play, I can't take your money."

Twenty-five years later, we're still very close friends.

By that time I was already writing some of my own jazz tunes, they were very influenced by composers whom I call the Jazz Impressionists, like Wayne Shorter and Joe Henderson. The horn players I had the pleasure of working with included tenor players Ralph Lalama, Joe Lovano, and trumpeter Tom Harrell. We played door gigs at places in the Village like Folk City. A big part of the NY music scene was also the lofts that musicians were renting in midtown, Soho and Tribeca. It was as, close to a musical community as I experienced until I got involved in the Afro-Cuban and

41

Brazilian scene.

Brazzil—What attracted you to Brazilian music?

Boukas—I've always been attracted to different world cultures. Of all of these, Brazil and its music offers the most rich diversity of artistic expression—it is without parallel.

With roots as wide as African, Indigenous, Portuguese, Creole, Moorish, Arabic, Scottish, Polish, English, French, German, there's something all people can connect and relate to.

With my Cretan/Greek roots, I have a natural affinity for Arabic, Byzantine, Armenian, and Balkan music. The Arabic/Moorish influence in northern Brazilian music is apparent in the rhythms and scales used in baiito, the nasal vocal quality of the repentistas (improvising poets) and instruments of Arabic origin like the rabeca (lap fiddle). So in a sense, all the music I love finds an organic expression in some form of Brazilian music. The first time I heard any Brazilian music was in the early '60s, "The Girl from Ipanema" on AM radio. Then, around 1972, I heard Chick Corea' s Light as a Feather record. That was a real wake-up call for jazz players. By 1974, some of the gigs I was doing were in Latin clubs in Manhattan and New Jersey. Salsa and Latin jazz were really hot then. One of my roommates wasa master percussionist originally Puerto from Rico, Richard "Gajate" Garcia who has lived in Los Angeles for many years. He turned me on to a ton of Latin music from Puerto Rico, Cuba, Dominican Republic, and Brazil.

Among those records were Joao Bosco, Elis Regina, Emilio Santiago, Milton Nascimento, and a killer percussion recording called Batucada Fantastica. I was listening to Villa-Lobos, Ivan Lins, and Hermeto Pascoal, the Funarte field recordings offolkloric music. I was hooked and knew I'd be playing, writing, and studying this music for years to come. It was very difficult to get these recordings back then, but somehow I always managed to meet the right people.

Probably around 1983 I realized that mainstream jazz was no longer a viable means of growth for me. Instead of limiting myself to short tunes of 32 bars, I can write a choro that is 200-bars long, a samba in 3/4 for trio with bass and drums, an extended chamber piece for string quartet, a solo guitar waltz or choro, a suite of tunes for my Duo with Jovino—and it all feels like it's feeding off that same combination of influences that makes Brazilian music so rich and rewarding to explore. Just listen to the major Nationalist composers of Brazil beginning around 1860 and you'll witness the flowering of styles like choro. The clear Chopin influence in Nazareth, Impressionist influences in VillaLobos, Radames Gnattali, and Jobim, the Bach and early Jazz influences in Pixinguinha. These elements are all evident, and yet are assimilated into a style that is undeniably Brazilian. Then you have the classic songwriters Like Noel Rosa, 42

Ary Barroso, Dorival Caymmi. This alchemy keeps evolving to this day, it is totally exciting to me. This is why using Brazilian music in an educational setting is so successful— it provides all the training and skills you need in order to go more deeply into any of its component influences. I use the music in Ear-Training, Sightsinging, Improvisation classes, and in the Brazilian Jazz ensemble I started at the New School in 1995.

Brazzil—Who of the Brazilian composers/musicians has had the most important influence on you, and why?

Boukas—I think there are two kinds of influences— stylistic and inspirational. Ivan Lins, Toninho Horta and Milton Nascimento influenced the way I sing Brazilian repertoire and write some of my melodies for voice—for example, the title tune of my previous CD, Amazona. My guitar playing is a real mix of so many great guitarists, pianists, drummers, percussionists. Since I also play drums and bass, I am always playing from the heart of the groove, all the polyrhythms that translate directly out ofpercussion batucada into a pitched environment. As a result, the lines and harmonies are driven by the rhythmic element. I go for the same intensity and rhythmic edge that players like Baden Powell, Raphael Rabello, and Sebastido Tapajos have.

Their playing and writing have that perfect balance of classical training, popular and folkloric knowledge, and some Jazz leanings.

B razz!! — What music do you listen to nowadays?

Bo u kas— These days the range of music I listen to is still very wide: Brazilian, various traditional and popular music of the world, a variety of classical music, and classic American jazz recordings of the '50s, '60s and '70s. Bach, Chopin, Brahms, and Bartok continue to inspire me. Hermeto Pascoal is pure inspiration. I have never heard anyone be so completely faithful and transparent to his sonic visions.

Another composer I'm totally blown away by is Guinga— an intuitive genius and visionary. His music flows so naturally. He follows his initial ideas through so clearly arid yet always has some surprising detours. His melodies express a strong inherent sense of harmony, but not in any conventional way. Very few of his tunes have any recognizable harmonic formulas. He definitely has his own language. I've also come to appreciate some of the composers one generation after Villa-Lobos, like Radames Gnattali, Guerra Peixe, and Claudio Santoro. Of these, Gnattali has had the strongest impact on me because he uses strong jazz influences and some cool polytonality.

Brazzif—Listening to your CDs Balaio and to Amazona, I was struck by your exceptional vocal range and expression. Did you ever study voice formally?

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Boukas—No, never on any formal basis. For both guitar and voice, I'm basically self-taught, but in reality I've studied with the best—just by being inspired and listening carefully to their work. I've always approached an instrument's technical aspects in direct relation to what the music requires, not the other way around. I've sung ever since 1 can remember, even as a little kid. I still do quite a bit of choral singing, it's the best thing for keeping the voice in shape for any style of music. You just can't get that kind of experience playing in a jazz ensemble.

the great jazz horn players like Coltrane, Cannonball Adderley, Freddie Hubbard in a way that my regular voice or guitar could never do.

Brazzil—Yo r tune "Feiticeiro" (The Wizard) is a choro dedicated o Hermeto Pascoal. Tell us something about that piece ad how Hermeto inspired you to write it.

Boukas--Th piece came to me at a very strange time— right in the middl of a swimming workout just a week before the big state cha pionship meet (up until a couple of years Brazzil—OnAmazona, you recorded the samba "Atras ago, I was an eijdurance triathlete with a pretty serious de Nos," which you sing in Portuguese. Are the lyrics your training regimen). I remember hearing this melody so clearly own? in my head; it was very high flute. Within a minute I jumped out of the pool, went into the bathroom to get some paper Boukas—Yes, they are. That was one of my first at- towels, and startel writing the music down. My coach was tempts at Portuguese lyrics, the dictionary was very close by. furious, he didn't know what to make of me! Three hours I had been singing a lot of MPB for years before I started later, the whole ti. ne was written. I really felt that Hermeto speaking the language. All those years of choral singing in was looking over y shoulder, encouraging me to write what Latin and Romance languages helped.

I was hearing. The final form of the Portuguese is without a doubt the most tune is actually longer than the usual beautiful language to sing in, and if I choro. It has a double Trio section, a was going to write vocal tunes in a "D" section (AABBACCDDA). In Brazilian style, there was no choice. I the recording, I played the melody just had to do it! on the guitar synthesizer using a flute sample. In 1990, just a few Brazzi/—"Montunomorphosis" days before I went into the studio to (also from Amazona) has another record the tune, I went to the club soaring vocal but is an Afro-Cuban SOB 's to hear Hermeto and his group composition. Why did you include it live for the first time and brought a in an essentially Brazilian CD? copy of "Feiticeiro" for Hermeto.

The set was about two hours long, Boukas—My love for Afro-Cuvery intense. As Jovino was leading ban music goes way back. Although Hermeto off the stage, I approached this disc was my first really dedicated them and said, "I wrote this for you, Brazilian project, I was still hearing Hermeto, please enjoy it." Jovino Afro-Cuban elements in my writing. took the music and one of my cards, This piece just came screaming out of and I never heard anything after that. me, the pencil couldn't move quickly Then one day in 19971 was speaking enough to get the notes down. In with the mandolinist Mike Marshall "Montunomorphosis" I tried to capand found out that Jovino was living ture the swing and looseness of the in Seattle. I said to Mike, "Man, I sonero mejor—the vocal soloist who would love to speak with him." Two improvises against the coro during the weeks later, I get this phone mesmontuno section. The piece itself is a sage on my answering machine: salsa fusion suite, fairly elaborate writ"Hey man, this is Jovino Santos Neto, ing. It's kind of Eddie Palmieri, Bartok, I hear you're looking for me!" I and Boukas having a musical converalmost fell on the floor. When we sation. I really enjoyed recording some spoke, believe it or not, he still had seven-voice layers in that tune, kind of my card in his hands wondering how a vocal version of the horn scoring common to that classic he got it in the fir t place.

'70s era of salsa.

Brazzil—Wh ch leads us to your collaboration with Brazzil—I got a kick out of your vocal horns in Jovino.

"Gajatucada" and "Escuridao da Passagem" on Balaio.

Is this a specialty of yours?

Boukas—Aft r some phone and e-mail contact the next few months, Jovin was in NY playing at Symphony Space Boukas—That's a pretty funny story. A number of years with a Native Am rican (Lakota) group of singers and dancago I was playing two gigs back-to-back and there was very ers. They were all in full head dress, drums, chanting, the little time in between. I was in such a rush packing up after the works, and there h was, playing a grand piano, all these cool first gig, I left my guitar leaning against the car and just drove harmonies, totally at home with the whole thing. That conaway! When I got to the second gig, no guitar. Total panic. I vinced me that he ould play with anyone. After the concert called everyone I knew, but no such luck borrowing one on a we went back to storia, my old 'hood in Queens, and had Saturday night. After explaining this ridiculous story to the some great Moroc an food. It was there that! told him of two bandleader, I asked if I could sing the trombone part right off projects I had in ind. The first was to do a comprehensive the music. It got me through the gig and it was really fun. recording of Her eto's music with an all-star group of About two years later at one of my Trio concerts, instead Brazilian and Ame ican artists; the second, to form a Hermeto of scat singing with regular syllables like "dah-bah-dah- Repertory Band w ich would play a steady night of the week bah,". out came that trombone sound without my even think- and feature a dif erent guest soloist each time. To date ing about it. At first it was a kind of a joke, but then I realized neither of those p •jects has taken off, but I think they will it was a totally different instrument from my normal voice. I eventually. could really articulate with the same kind of phrasing as all At this early oint, the idea of us playing together was BFtAZZIL - MAY 2001

43

still far off, but soon enough, the opportunity came to invite him back to NY in the fall of '98 to play a concert with myself, bassist Nilson Matta, drummer Portinho, and Hans Teuber, the saxophonist in his quartet at the time. We rehearsed only briefly, played a bunch of his and Hermeto' s tunes at a Queens junior high school near where I grew up. It was like a time warp. I had QPTV Cable film the concert, edited it down, and it won the National Public Access Cable Award for best music production!

After that, we hooked up in Seattle the following spring to play some gigs with his quartet, bassist Chuck Deardorf and drummer Mark Ivester. They are great musicians, can play anything. In the spring we did a faculty concert (at the New School Jazz Program where I teach) with Nilson Matta and drummer Paulo Braga, calling the band Pe de Moleque (peanut brittle in Brazil). That band did other concerts, including the Lake George Jazz Festival and local NY club gigs. Jovino and I then did an acoustic tribute concert featuring the music of Brazilian composers Nazareth, Pixinguinha, Gnattali, and Hermeto. It was then that we got to play some tunes just duo, and out of that the idea came the idea for making a conscious effort to make the duo happen. The interaction between us was so keen and intense, and with the strength and diverse music of the three composers (Hermeto, Jovino, and myself), we really didn't need anything else. Also, the opportunity to perform and do workshops became more feasible; it's really difficult economically to bring a quartet on the road. With all the main jazz venues being dominated by mainstream jazz artists, it made perfect sense to pursue this avenue as a way of spreading the Brazilian music gospel and creating some alternative work opportunities for US.

Brazzil—How did this all this lead to Rick Warm and Malandro Records?

Boukas—I had already known Rick for quite some time.

We were introduced by an industry contact who thought our common interest in Brazilian music would be a good thing to explore. Rick was launching his label, and I was looking for someone to do this Hermeto recording project. Meantime, I had started writing a Brazilian guitar column for Just Jazz Guitar magazine and decided to feature some of Rick's artists: Ulisses Rocha, Romero Lubambo, Juarez Moreira, and Rick Udler. We began sharing ideas of how to bring more attention to Brazilian music in the U.S., and realized that both of us were in this advocacy thing for the long haul.

What became clear to both of us was that unless people in the industry were willing to devote some of their personal career energies to promoting Brazilian music and culture at large, nothing was going to happen. U.S. labels would fold, Brazilian labels would not get U.S. distribution, there would be no touring avenues for artists living in or traveling to either country. From a market-share perspective, the neo-bop and smooth jazz that dominates the already tiny jazz record44

ing industry would continue to do so unless a niche of awareness was carved for Brazilian music in radio, print media, corporate sponsorship of festivals, the works. I've been working on that diligently for some time now. I got approval for the Jazz Journalists Association to add a Best Brazilian Jazz CD category to their annual Jazz Awards. The hope is that NARAS and LARAS (the Latin Grammy academy) will follow suit. I got approval to establish a chair in Brazilian music for the IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators), and now am working to bring great Brazilian artists and groups to the annual convention. Rick has also got involved with IAJE. We work together almost daily to brainstorm about ways to promote the music, and it's equally exciting and daunting. It's all a labor of love—no one is making any real money doing this yet—but it is food for the soul to hear this music get to people for the first time, to watch their ears and hearts open up.

Brazzil—How did the idea for the CD Balaio come about?

Boukas—In August '99, I took a leap of faith and said to Jovino, "Hey man, let's record this duo!" I went to Seattle, and four days later we had ten tunes in the can unmixed. We ended up keeping six of those and recording six more in June 2000. By that time, Rick Warm had committed to releasing the project in early 2001. That was a leap of faith for Rick, because I have the distinction of being the first American artist he recorded. He was justifiably concerned with the implications of this "now every Brazilian guitarist wanna-be is going to be pounding on my door saying 'you released Boukas, why not me?" But to quote Rick, he knows that "I will work my butt off' to promote Balaio. I'm also one of the few Malandro artists living in the States and readily available to tour. When it comes to selling CDs, you have to gig.

Brazzi 1—How are you viewed within the Brazilian music scene?

Boukas I can humbly say that after playing and studying this music for more than 25 years, learning Portuguese to be fairly fluent, I've earned respect from Brazilian players in NY and in Brazil. They know I've done my musical and cultural homework, can play with the best musicians and hold my own. That mutual love and respect means a lot to me, it gives me a sense of musigal community that has been lacking in today's mainstream jazz world for years.

Brazzil—Let's talk about the Boukas-Jovino Duo and the music you play.

Boukas—Balaio is a good representation of what Jovino and I sound like. Playing live is in some ways even more intense. This is the first time in my career where I have cultivated a true peer collaboration with another playercomposer. Before that, all my groups featured just my own music. When I play a piece by Jovino or Hermeto, there's a BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

freedom of expression where ! can bring a spontaneous creativity to the music without the predisposed self-critical mind of the composer-player. We try to make the performance of a given tune different every time. That keeps the music fresh and also maintains a high level of spontaneous creative expression.

Brazzil—How is duo playing different from working with a larger group?

Boukas—With a duo there can be no auto-pilot. Either you are plugged in 100% or the music will fall into a numbing mediocrity. Audiences really pick up on that, and then playing is reduced to just going through the motions. With Jovino, the playing is alive and the music is constantly evolving. He's a great partner. We align in many essential ways—every note counts, every musical gesture has intensity, spirit, and joy behind it. The music can change on a dime in mood, density, dynamics, and that's very satisfying.

Brazzil—What's the concept behind Balaio?

Boukas—We didn't have the name for the CD until almost all the tracks were done. We were driving to the studio on the 520 bridge, a breathtaking view of Lake Washington in Seattle, and then Balaio came to mind. It was not only the name of one of Hermeto's tunes, but its Portuguese meaning (basket) was appropriate to the project: the three composers, four tunes each, "a basket of musical fruits," that's what Hermeto called it.

Actually, many of the tunes we recorded were decided upon right in the studio, we just ran them down quickly once or twice and let the tape roll. We didn't have a preset game plan; we would just pick a tune out of the bag, try it, and if it clicked, we recorded it.

Brazzil—Do you mean to say that the music was all improvised?

Boukas—Not exactly. Each piece has its notated melody, form, and chord structures. Then there are different levels of compositional detail that are either there in the music already or left up to the taste of the player. My tunes tend to be a bit more fleshed out detail-wise than Jovino's or Hermeto's; but with one exception, "Capricho," my tunes on Balaio are much looser than the larger-scale pieces on Amazona. That project was more elaborately produced and sculpted. Balaio was more like, "Here's the music, this is our clay, let's shape this the way we hear it."

Brazzil—How does the singing come into the picture? It seems like some of the things you did on Balaio needed to be worked out ahead of time.

Boukas—Not really. Although the voice was overdubbed for reasons of separation in the recording, most of the decisions on what I sang happened right there in the studio in front of the microphone. I ended up singing a lot more than I thought. The only tune of the CD without vocals is Jovino's "As Cores da Menina," a great samba. A lot of the more soaring, lyrical melodies like Hermeto's "Campinas" or Jovino's "Rosa Cigana" really needed that kind of vocal treatment, it felt very natural to use the voice in tunes like that. It also varies the texture in the Duo from the guitar and piano being the main instruments delivering the themes.

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Brazzil—Y our liner notes for "As Cores da Menina" describe a 'more modal approach to the improvisation.'

Can you explain that?

Boukas—This is a 20-bar tune, and the first eight bars center around Bb major and A minor. Because these two chords have a lot of scale tones in common, the player can play more loosely within a modal structure rather than "threading the needle" from one chord change to the next as with more traditional jazz tunes. Also, this kind of modal playing is enhanced further—improvising within Brazilian styles offers a stronger rhythmic approach to the player.

That's one of the main reasons why I love playing in Brazilian and Afro-Cuban styles; it liberates you from the jazz imperative to crank out out bebop eighth-note clichés over harmonic formulas like "II-V-I" and so on.

Brazzil—In your notes for the tune "Balaio," your mention 'diatonic melody.'

Boukas—This is a great aspect of Hermeto's music.

Often he'll write a very simple scale-like melody from some of his nordestino folkloric roots, or just a pretty melody with no particular Brazilian flavor.

Well, as this innocent melody unfolds, he often finds exotic harmonizations for it, which creates this simultaneous sense of calm and instability. With Hermeto, there's always a surprise just around the corner. In "Balaio," he keeps the harmonies under the first six bars of the melody pretty straightforward (D major/G major/B minor), and then the rug gets pulled from under your feet, Wham! ! !

Bb minor!! It's like a cold mountain stream hitting you in the face, and these kinds of harmonic shifts really keep improvising musicians on their toes.

With Hermeto, a diatonic melody is almost begging for harmonic mischief. That allows him this wonderful coexistence of folkloric simplicity and harmonic/rhythmic complexity that is so key to his musical aesthetic. Bartok did that with Romanian, Hungarian, and Bulgarian folk melodies.

"Vale da Ribeira," on the other hand, takes the same eight-bar melody and uses some wild reharmonizations the second time around. Although these are compositional devices, the notion of reharmonizing a melody on its repetition is very improvisational in origin—not only in Hermeto and jazz composers like Wayne Shorter, but in Chopin, Mozart, Bach. It's that classic economy in developing your initial materials.

Brazzil—In Jovino's piano solo introduction to "Balaio," it sounds like he's quoting Duke Ellington's "In a Mellow Tone." Is he?

Boukas—Well, I never asked Jovino about that one.

But let me tell you, this guy is a walking human trocadilho (pun), verbal and musical. It's a chronic disease that has no cure, and I'm part of it now. He's always twisting words among six languages, quoting classic melodies like Ary Barroso's "Aqdarela do Brasil" in the funniest places over totally different tunes and their sets of chord changes. It's a playful part of he improviser's craft, the kind of running jokes between Musicians that few in the audience will catch, 45

but are often enough to make you double over from laughter.

Brazzil—And in your vocal solo on "Gajatucada," you quote Jobim's "Desafinado." That is a fun tune, kind of a Bebop meets Brazil.

Boukas—"Gajatucada" is actually a very old tune, probably the first real samba I wrote that was worthy of performing live, back in 1979 or so. It has an Afro-Cuban bembe section in the middle that breaks up the samba groove. This tune really kicks with a rhythm section, and it's a challenge for a duo without bass and drums to play a samba with fire yet without trying too hard to make up for the absence of those instruments. It takes a lot of close listening to each other to hear which of us is going to comp the tamborim rhythm, play the surdo bassline, and so on.

In Jovino's "Homeopatia," I decided to use an acoustic bass instead of guitar. This was not only to lend some more bottom to the groove, but to have at least a couple of tunes where Jovino could play the piano in a more traditional jazz duo piano-bass setup. I love playing this Tacoma bass, it is what the Brazilians call a baixiio (large acoustic bass guitar). In this tune, there are a lot of moments that Jovino and I hit together rhythmically and melodically that sound totally planned— but they're not. People don't believe it, and sometimes, neither do I! Brazzil—Y ou included Hermeto's lovely ballad "Campinas" in Balaio.

Boukas—This is a side of Hermeto's music that most people don't know about—the lyrical, ballad side. This is such a beautiful tune, I also have my student Brazilian Jazz Ensemble at the New School play it. When they ask me how to approach it, I tell them: "Don't think about keeping time, jazz, taking a solo, just paint into a horizon that never ends in depth or width." I liked what we did on this tune on the CD. When interpreting any piece of music, especially in a style like jazz where improvisation is always an implied option, you have to respect a piece for what it suggests naturally for its own treatment. "Campinas" is a very long tune, so we played through the melody just once, no solos, and that's all that needed to be done.

Brazzil—The solo guitar introduction to your tune "Escurial:, da Passagem" (Darkness of Passage) is beautiful, very evocative. a Boukas—Jovino once called this "Chopin meets Toninho Horta." Well, that's a good summation of the influences in this tune. It has an intensity, but from the inside out. There's this floating melody supported by dark chords, a sense of anticipation that something's coming, but it never quite happens. Chopin and Bach are major roots in choro. Add Debussy and Ravel, and you can hear that same Romantic character in the ballad writing of Jobim and , Guinga—so it's a perfect meeting place for a Greek-American Brazilian Jazz musician!! As for Toninho Horta, he's such a great composer and guitarist, his melodies unwind so naturally and intuitively. That deep introspective quality in his music is areal mineiro thing—all those guys from Minas Gerais have it. Actually, when writing this tune, I heard Dori Caymmi singing this melody in my head—that almost priestly chant-like sound he has is haunting.

Brazzil—Y our tune "Capricho dos Ventos" (Play of the Winds) also has this quality of pathos and Chopin in it, but it has a very different melodic and rhythmic structure. *Boukas—You nailed it. Although this piece is quite lengthy, it literally wrote itself in one sitting. The inspira46

tion comes from the Valse Brillante of Chopin; that continuous etude-like melody just flowed right out. The guitar intro has a hint of Guinga in it, that colorful way he mixes open strings with fretted notes to get these lush harmonies. For this, I took the last section of the theme and used it as the basis for the intro, a kind of re-composition in reverse order. The music eventually evolves into a guarcinia for the solo section—it's one of the more popular southern Brazilian dances, a 3/4 from Rio Grande do Sul, similar to the pasodoble. The concluding section is a lesson out of Brahms' harmony book, I felt his beard coming on with all those inversion chords! This tune is a nice contrast in programming when we play live, it exposes the classical side of the repertoire and really gets people to listen to the music on its own merits and not whether it's distinctly Brazilian or not in character.

Brazzi/—What's in the pipeline for the Duo, now that the CD is released?

Boukas—Jovino and I are doing many concerts and workshops around the country, mainly in university settings that have jazz programs. The response to our work has been so refreshing, even in places like Casper, Wyoming, where you'd never think an audience for Brazilian music could exist. The new book of Hermeto's tunes, Tudo é Som (All Is Sound) is attracting a lot of attention in educational circles. Jovino is Hermeto's archivist and edited this book for Universal Edition. We hope it's the first of many to come. Other than that, I think we should be recording again soon either as a Duo or as a Quartet. On behalf of Jovino and myself, I really want to thank you, Daniella and Brazzil, for your interest in our work and continued support of Brazilian music and culture.

Richard Boukas & Jovino Santos Neto: Balaio (Basket) Mal 71017 Audio samples: http://www.brazilianjazz.com/bouk-jov/ songs.html 1. As Cores da Menina (Jovino Santos Neto) 2. Balaio (intro) 3. Balaio (Hermeto Pascoal) 4. Gajatucada (Richard Boukas) 5. Campinas (Hermeto Pascoal) 6. Homeopatia (Jovino Santos Neto) 7. Escuridao da Passegem (intro) 8. Escuridao da Passagem (Richard Boukas) 9. Capricho dos Ventos (Richard Boukas) 10. Hermeto (Hermeto Pascoal) 11. Vale do Ribeira (Hermeto Pascoal) 12. Rosa Cigana (Jovino Santos Neto) 13. ChoroBop (Richard Boukas) 14. A Mountain Atop a Mountain (Jovino Santos Neto) Richard Boukas: guitars, vocals, mandolin (3), acoustic bass (6, 9), cavaquinho 11), percussion (8) Jovino Santos Neto: piano, flute (11) Daniena Thompson is a writer and preservationist living in Northern California. She can be reached at danivAiDs.net.

For further information: Richard Boukas: http://www.boukas.com Jovino Santos Neto: http://wwvv.jovisan.net Malandro Records: http://www.brazilianjazz.com Photo credits: Catherine Sebastian Joe Orecchio BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

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Duas Mulheres e um Cadaver (Tw Women and a Corpse)—First play by best selling writer Patricia Melo. The tw women from the title are the wife and th lover of a murdered psychoanalyst. The have a love-hate relationship. With Debor Bloch, Fernanda Torres and Ricardo Pavao Antes Sd do que Mal Acompanhado (Bet ter Alone than in Bad Company)—Writte and directed by Claudio Carneiro. A grou of actors talks about the human conditio and several human feeling like fear, gree and love. By the theatrical troupe Doutore da Alegria.

Esta Noite Ouvirei Chopin (Tonight I Wil Listen to Chopin) by Sergio Pires directe

by Rodolfo David. Author Pires interpret Dalva, a transvestite who gets into th stage when he hears he is very ill.

RI' Doido Varrido (Stark Crazy)—A stressed actor takes refuge in a resting clinic. There he meets his superego—interpreted by Mary Sheila—with whom he stages heated discussions. Written and interpreted by Duda Ribeiro, directed by Ernestro Piccolo.

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Second part of a trilogy started by E Al, Comeu? (How was it? Did you screw her?),

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Qualquer Gabo Vira-Lata Tern uma Vida Sexual Mais Sadia Que a Nossa (Any Stray Cat Has a Healthier Sexual Life than Ours)—Girl asks a scientist to help her get back her fiancé. Written by Juca de Oliveira, directed by Bibi Ferreira, with Rita Guedes, Roger Gobeth and Marcos Pasquim.

SAO PAULO Ovelhas Negras (Black Sheep)—Based in texts written by writer Caio Fernando Abreu who died from AIDS in 1996. The play portrays an artist who finds to be HIV positive. Directed by Pedro Cardillo and Claudia Schapira, with Cesar Guiraro and Eduardo Estrela.

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College professor is kidnapped and rap d by a young and pretty robber. The victi falls in love with her torturer, calls t e police on him and then apologizes a d decides to live with the bandit when e escapes from prison. With Caco Ciocl r and Maria Zilda Bethlem. Also in the ca : Ney Latorraca, Imara Reis, Rober o Bonfim, Cristina Ache and Step .n Nercessian.

Amores Possfveis (Possible Loves)—Br zi1/2000—Romantic comedy by Sand a Werneck. Once again the director de . s with heartbreaks telling three different lo e stories but interchangeable between t e characters. It all starts when Carlos wai s for his sweetheart at the movie theater. e ends up meeting JUlia. Fifteen years lat r Carlos has become a successful lawyer a d unhappy husband, or a gay, or a chronic bachelor still looking for the ideal wom .

With Murilo Benicio, Carolina Ferraz, Beth Goulart, Emilio de Mello, Irene Ravac e and Alberto Szafran.

Senta a Pua! (Hit Them Hard)—Braz 1/ 1999—Documentary about Brazil's p r-

ticipation in the Second World War. Twenty three former combatants—pilots and plane mechanics—tell their exciting war stories. By Erik de Castro.

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Fast, easy, efficient and pleasant way to learn Portuguese. (949) 240-8178 [184] Conversational Brazilian Portuguese Method - "I tried several methods to learn BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE, but when I started lessons with NILSON, I knew immediately that I'd found the best one. And in just a few months, 1 was able to communicate on a one-on-one basis." Individual, Total Immersion, Corporate Group and SemiPrivate. Phone (310) 379-0738 [181] Portuguese Courses in Salvador da Bahia, Dialog°, http://www.brazilstudy.com, E-mail: dialogo@brazilstudy.com, fax: 01155 71 336-6329

n er Nene Experienced "Brasileiro" Guitarist; Brazilian native Jo5o Junqueira (MFA in Jazz Guitar at CALARTS) is available to play, sing and record, solo or accompanied, his specialty, Authentic Brazilian Music, Originals and Jazz. Please call (818) 716-9053 or write unqueira@yahoo.com [179]

Drag BRAZIL. Wildlife Refuge - 130 acres Atlantic Forest, near Recife. Also tropical fruits. Excellent income from tourism. $100,000. (310) 832-4367 [156] iii I ere Procuramos mulheres para trabalhar como modelo exotic° na regiao do condado de Los Angeles e de Orange. Telefone para 310-2177615 e deixe mensagem e nOmero de telefone em Ingres, Espanhol ou Fatigues. Fale Portugues muito lentamente para que possamos entender. [179] Wanted: garment maker to sew clothing for individual. Possible "start-up" business. Part-time/ BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

111 oiig Technical Recruiter (Head Hunter) needed for metallurgical engineer willing to move to Brazil from California. I have experience in nearly all aspects of Foundry Metallurgy, including Quality Control and Testing. Prefer work in a foundry that produces castings for automotive, power generations, or railroad. (This has been the majority of my work in steels, stainless steels, irons, brass, aluminum and a few exotics.) Would also consider work in any other industry where a metallurgist's expertise would be of need. (Power plants for corrosion project, etc). Would appreciate any help in gaining any contacts in Brazil.

Résumé and references are available by request.

E-mail me at: acsmeteng@hotmail.com [181]

mce anenns Looking for partner to buy or build pousada in Northeast Brazil. See the Northeast with our 4x4 tour, Natal to Jericoacoara on the most beautiful beaches. E-mail: zo@planetguides.com Phone: (941) 774-7458 [178]

rum Brazilian Music in its totality. Samba, bossa nova, chorinho, bark, axe, and more. Merchant Express (954) 785-2131

ewspapers ragannes Jornais e revistas do Brasil. Recebemos jornais diarios e todas as principals revistas, incluindo masculinas e femininas. Tel. (954) 785-2131

'Erma unman see s man Brasileira, 35 anos, morena, atraente. Falo Portugues e Ingles. Procuro brasileiro de ascendencia africana em Los Angeles, educado e culto. Enviar foto. E-mail: pmgutier@aol.com [185] Educated, pretty Brazilian lady iso nice semiretired man. We'll teach English and enjoy beautiful nature in Maceio, Brazil, most of the year.

Write to 41 Sutter #1033 San Francisco 94104 [180]

ersona an ee s Homan Sagittarian or Gemini Girl Preferred by a holistic doctor & astrologer from India, 45 years old, who is US citizen & well settled in Beverly Hills. Would like to meet a pretty slim female.

Call Dr. David 323-936-1449 [183] Handsome US Citizen, 5'8" tall, 159 lbs, seeks Brazilian or Latino girl, age 30+, friendship first.

Fax or call (925) 609-9023.

E-mail: petenaji@pacbell.net [183] American Male, 33, engineer, seeks sincere attractive Brazilian lady 21-35 for friendship and possible relationship. In the Bay Area/San Francisco, California. My interests are soccer, motorcycle, outdoors, travel, and Brazilian cultural en-

richment. E-mail: acsmeteng@hotmail.com Frances-Americano, 45, delgado, atraente, olhos azuis, professor, falo fiances, Ingres, espanhol, urn pouco de portugues, procuro brasileira delgada, 18-38 morando em Los Angeles. William (310) 305-2090 [181] Brazilian man, lam looking for American person.

I am single, I am 28 years old. E-mail: lindos@msn.com [178] Americano, jovem 49 anos, branco, olhos azuis, sem/n5o querfilhos, cavalheiro, honesto, mUsico, procura brasileira magra, jovem para casamento.

Outramente procuro qualquer brasileira por amizade, ensinar Ingres, ou participar de musica folclerica/rock. Escrevo portugues. John PO Box 10401, Glendale, CA 91209 [177] African/American Male, 40, Engineer, handsome, affectionate, romantic, in Houston, desire to meet Brazilian lady 25-35, send letter with photo; Wilfred Edwards, PO Box 2025, Missouri City, TX 77459, USA E-mail: wilfred.edwards@ usa.net [166] Brasileiro-Americano, 36 anos, romantic° e atraente, procurando relacionamento com brasileira ou americana. (818) 344-1881 [166] Swedish gentleman, widower, 58, well educated, speaks Port., seeks independent, warmhearted, educated lady with humor, and good professional status in Brazil, USA or anywhere. Write Bjorn Gunnarson PO Box 17242, Stockholm, 10462 Sweden - E-mail:bjorn_s@dataphone.se [164]

ersnna an see s man Brazilian bottom, 33 y/o, 55", 123Ibs, white skin, seeks black, young top man who wanna move to Brazil and share a whole life. Valdeck Phone 011 5571 981 1990, valdecka@ hotmail.com [163]

'en a Copacabana. Apartment for rent. Furnished, security, two blocks from beach, one bedroom, cozy. $65 per day. Call owner Maria (323) 6624667 [180] • FEIRA LIVRE RATES. 50¢ a word Phone is one word.

• DISCOUNTS. For 3 times deduct 5% for 6 times deduct 10%. for 12 times deduct 15% • POLICY: All ads to be prepaid Ads are accepted at our discretion Your canceled check is your receipt Please, include address and phone number, which will be kept confidential.

• DEADLINE: The 25th of the month Late material will be held for the following month if appropriate.

•TO PLACE AD. Send ad with check, money order or your Credit Card number (plus your name and expiration date) to BRA ZZIL P.O. Box 50536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536.

49

1

(310) 397-3667 Modem Lang. Center (310) 839-8427

•'abut I Art Bastp

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Nilson A. Santos (213) 483-3430

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Braza

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NOM • bait Livraria Plenitude (800) 532-5809

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Café Brazil (617) 789-5980 ipanema (508) 460-6144 Tropicana (617) 567-4422 Pampas Churrascaria (617) 661-6613

Chicago • 011681/11 Consulado G. do Brasil (312) 464-0244

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los Angeles • Mithis yang (800) GO VARIG

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• Arts Smoak

Cosmo Auto Parts (323) 259-9818 Pit Stop (310) 643-6666

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Brasil Brasil Cult. Ctr

Cent. 21 'raffia Sayegh (562) 462-1564 Solon G. Pereira (562) 924-9633

• asitilifliti raft Bossa Nova (310) 657-5070

By Brazil (310) 787-7520 Café Brasil (310) 837-8957 Itana Bahia (310) 657-6306 Rio Braz. Churrascaria (714) 739-2000 Sabor Brazil (310) 839-9196 Zabumba (310) 841-6525

• DWI

Key International Group (562) 437-7807

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Brazil Air (800) 441-8515 Brazil Tours (818) 767-1200 Cheviot Hills Travel (310) 202-6264 Copacabana Travel (800) 471-6333 Festival Travel & Tours (800) 776-0088 HIS. Internat. Tours (213) 613-0943 South Winds Tr & Tours (800) 533-3423

• 11

Brazil TV & Production (562) 439-4830

Miami - S.Floritla • Mies Transbrasil (800) 872-3153 \leg (800) 468-2744 Vasp (800) 732-8277

• Affirm

Joel Stewart (954) 772-7600

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Banco do Brasil (305) 358-3586 Banco Nacional (305) 372-0100 Banco Real (305) 358-2433 Banespa (305) 358-9167

• best istalittau

ABFC • As. Bras. da Flee.

(407) 354-5200 Cam. Corn. Brasil- EUA (305) 579-9030 ARARA - Amazon. As. (813) 842-3161

•bust*

Consulado do Brasil (305) 285-6200 • AIMS Hedimo de Si (305) 262-8212 Luciano Garcia (954) 424-5868

• full I Maw

All Braz. Imp. & Exp. (305) 523-8134 Brazil by Mail (954) 472-7163 Vanya's Sweets (954) 785-0087 Via Brasil (305) 866-7718

• Itiabbripists

Katja Rego Johnson (954) 255-5715

• MMus

Dra Henrietta Faillace (305) 935-2452 Dr. Roberto Shaffer (305) 535-1694 Dr. Neri Franzon (954) 776-1412

•

Florida Review (305) 374-5235

•bal Est*

Simone Bethencourt (954) 704-1211

• biturats Boteco (954) 566-3190 Brazilian Tropicana (954) 781-1113 Porcio (305) 373-2777 Steak Masters (305) 567-1718 • RIMMOOS Brazilian Wave (305) 561-3788 Discover Brazil Tours (800) 524-3666 Euroamerica (305) 358-3003 International Tours (800) 822-1318 Luma Travel (305) 374-8635 Monark Travel (305) 374-5855 New Port Tours (305) 372-5007 Br Online Travel (888) 527-2745 Via Brasil Travel (305) 866-7580

New York N. Jersey • /MS Luso-Brazilian Books (800) 727-LUSO

- CtsIs Ilssssbtlas

Brazilian Ch. of Com. (212) 751-4691 Brazilian Corn. Bureau (212) 916-3200 Brazilian Trade Bur. (212) 224-6280

Mad*

Brazilian Gen. Cons.

(212) 757-3080 • BBJ (Br. Bus. Junction) (212) 768-1545

• Eul lPNtiutl

Amaztinia (718) 204-1521 Coisa Noses (201) 578-2675 Merchant Express (201) 589-5884

• Pilillattins Brazzil (323) 255-8062 The Brasilians (212) 382-1630

Brazilian Voice (201) 955-1137 OCA Magazine (516) 596-1853 Portugal-Brasil News (212) 228-2958 Samba Newsletter (718) 937-0574

• fighiritts

Brasilia (212) 869-9200 Brazil 2000 (212) 877-7730 Brazilian Pavillion (212) 758-8129 Cabana Carioca (212) 581-8088 Indigo Blues (212) 221-0033 S.O.B. (212) 243-4940 Tapajos River (201) 491-9196 Barb Tour Service (201) 313-0996 Odyssea Travel Service (212) 826-3019

San Diego • bta Car Mania Auto Repair (619) 223-7748

Nativa Productions (408) 287-9798 Planet Music (415) 210-0556

• fat

Brazil Express (415) 749-0524 Evergreen Market (415) 641-4506 Java Catering (925) 253-7776

• hgristlii

Portuguese Lang. Serv.

(415) 587-4990

• lbw botttaiss

Brazil Express-Vigo (415) 749-0524 West Brazil (415) 695-9258

• Nuts

Celia Malheiros (415) 738-2434 Fogo na Roupa (510) 464-5999 Voz do Brazil (415) 586-2276

• Parlinin

Emiliano Benevicles (415) 648-2441 • Mika Dr. Guilherme Salgado (415) 832-6219

• nes 1 Assulattos

• MAR

Clube Bras. San Diego (619) 295-0842 Sunday Night Cl. Brazil (619) 233-5979

M. C. Printing (510) 268-8967

• ktairalliart

Brazil Imports (619) 234-3401

•Muiy llitiltslei

Vigo-California (800) 994-VIGO

San Francisco • MMus yang (650) 794-1998 Vasp (800) 732-VASP

• Mem

Laura Basaloco-Lapo (415) 288-6727 Manoel Faria (510) 537-3533

• Iota

Nelson Auto Body (415) 255-6717 Matts Auto Body (415) 565-3560

• Indy Mu

Bibbo (415) 421-BIBO Carmen's international (415) 433-9441 Neyde's (415) 681-5355

•Cults I AsaitaIIiii

Bay Area Brasilian Club (415) 334-0106 Capoeira Institute (510) 655-8207

• Mot*

Micronet (415) 665-1994

•basibta

Brazilian Consulate (415) 981-8170

• Rau lastradem

Aquareia (510) 548-1310 Birds of Paradise (415) 863-3651 Ginga Brasil (510) 428-0698 Samba do Coragao (415) 826-2588

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Roberto Sales, DDS (510) 451-8315

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Big Dario Braz. Productions (650) 991-9212 Eyes For Talent (650) 595-2274 F. B. C. Events (415) 334-0106

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Brazil Today (510) 526-1115 Brazzil (323) 255-8062

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Café Mardi Gras (415) 864-6788 Canto do Brasil (415) 626-8727 Clube Fusetti (415) 459-6079 Muzzarela Di Bufala (415) 346-2284 Nino's (510) 845-9303 Terra Brazilis (415) 863-5177

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Port. Lang. Services (415) 587-4990 Raimundo Franco (916) 443-3162

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Brazil Express (415) 749-0524 Paulo's Travel (415) 863-2556 Rio Roma (415) 921-3353 Santini Tours (510) 843-2363 Tropical Travel (510) 655-9904 Tucanos Travel (415) 454-9961

ashington DC • Mins Transbrasll (202) 775-9180 Varig (202) 331-8913 Vasp (202) 822-8277

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Banco do Brasil (202) 857-0320 Banco do Est. de S. Paulo (202) 682-1151

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Braz. Am. Cult Inst.

(202) 362-8334 Inst. of Brazil. Business (202) 994-5205

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BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

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51

Following a request by the Special Rapporteur in November 1998, the Governinent of Brazil invited him in May 2000 to undertake a fact-finding mission to the country within the framework of his mandate. The objective of the visit, which took place from 20 August to 12 September 2000, was to enable the Special Rapporteur to collect first-hand information from a wide range of contacts in order to better assess the situation of torture in Brazil, thus enabling the Special Rapporteur to recommend to the Government a number of measures to be adopted in order to comply with its commitment to putting an end to acts of torture and other forms of ill-treatment.

During his mission the Special Rapporteur visited the following states: Federal District of Brasilia, Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Para. In Brasilia and is the states, he held meetings with several authorities. The Special Rapporteur also met persons who themselves or whose relatives had allegedly been victims of torture or other forms of ill-treatment and received verbal and/or written information from non-governmental organizations (NOGs), including the following: the Centre for the Study of Violence (Nacleo de Estudos da Violacia), Global Justice Centre (Justicia Global), Office for Judicial Assistance to Popular Organisations (GAJOP), National Human Rights Movement, Action of the Christians for the Abolition of Torture (ACAT), TorturaNunca Mais, Prison Ministry (Pastoral Carceiraria), Prison Ministry for the Land (Comisao Pastoral de la Terra). Finally, he also met lawyers and public prosecutors, including public prosecutors in charge of juvenile offenders in Sao Paulo.

In all cities except in Brasilia, the Special Rapporteur visited police lock-ups, pre-trial and juvenile detention centres as well as prisons. With respect to detention facilities, while it is not within the mandate of the Special Rapporteur to describe and analyse the conditions of detention exhaustively, as with his visits to other countries, he took the opportunity while in Brazil to visit a number of them mainly to meet with people who could testify to the treatment they had received in places of detention before being transferred to a pre-trial detention centre or a prison. Nevertheless, prior to his visit, the Special Rapporteur had received information according to which the conditions of detention were torturous and therefore could not ignore this issue. A description of the conditions in these various places of detention may be found in the first part of the present report.

This is the UN report on torture in Brazil made by the special UN envoy, who visited prisons in five Brazilian states: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Para. The document was presented on April 11, 2001 to the UN in Geneva.

One of the conclusions* Brazil has good and f laws, but they are rarely enforced.

THE PRACTICE OF TORTURE: SCOPE AND CONTEXT

During the course ofthe past few years, the Special Rapporteur had advised the Government that he had been receiving information according to which police routinely beat and torture criminal suspects to extract information, confessions or money. The problem of police brutality, at the time of arrest or during interrogation, was reportedly endemic. The failure to investigate, prosecute and punish police officers who commit acts of torture was said to have created a climate of impunity that encourages continued human rights violations. The Special Rapporteur had also transmitted information on the prison conditions which were reported to be notoriously harsh. Severe overcrowding was alleged to be prevalent throughout the prison system. As a result, prison riots were said to be a common occurrence and prison guards were reported to resort to the use of excessive force. Even though internal legislation might provide adequate provisions to safeguard detainees' human rights, a combination of corruption, lack of profes- â&#x20AC;˘ sional training for prison guards and lack of official guidelines 0NIGEL RODLEY and effective monitoring of abuses was said to have prompted an on-going crisis in the penitentiary system. Torture was also believed to be used as a punishment by prison officers who allegedly apply illegal collective "punishment".

In its Initial Report on the implementation of the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, the Government recognized that "the existence of a law which characterizes crimes of torture, the disposition of federal government and some state governments to curb the perpetration of this crime as to prevent inhuman treatment from being imposed on prisoners are initiatives which are slowly changing the situation of the issue in Brazil. The persistence of this situation means that police officers are still making use of torture to withdraw information and force confession, as a means of extortion or punishment. The number of confessions under torture and the high incidence of denunciation are still significant (...). Demands of prisoners at police stations for medical, social or legal assistance, or to change certain aspects in the prison routine are

1 â&#x20AC;˘

not always pacifically welcomed by police officers or agents.

It must be observed that retaliation against prisoners involving torture, beatings, deprivation and humiliation are common. (...) Many of these crimes remain unpunished, as a result of a strong feeling of esprit de corps among police forces to investigate and punish officials involved with the practice of torture. (..) The lack oftraining ofpolice officers and penitentiary officials to carry out their duties is another important aspect concerning the continuity of practices of tcirture."

During his mission, the Special Rapporteur received information from non-governmental sources and a very large number of accounts by alleged torture victims or witnesses, of which a selection is reproduced in the annex to this report, indicating that torture is widespread and, most of the time, concerns persons from the lowest strata of the society and/or of African descendant or belonging to minority groups. It must be noted that a large number of detainees feared reprisals for having spoken to the Special Rapporteur and a significant number of them therefore refused to make their testimonies public. Beatings with hands, iron or wooden bars or a palmatoria (a flat but thick piece of wood looking like a large spoon said to have been used to beat the palm of hands and sole of feet of slaves), techniques referred to as telefone which consists in repeatedly slapping the victim's ears alternatively or simultaneously and pau de arara (parrot's perch) which consists in beating a victim who has been hung upside down, being subjected to electro-shocks on various parts of the body, including the genitals, or to suffocation with plastic bags, sometimes filled in with pepper, placed over the head of the victims were the most commonly reported techniques used.

The purpose of such acts was allegedly to make persons under arrest sign a confession or to extract a bribe, or to punish or intimidate individuals suspected of having committed a crime. It is reported that being of African descent or belonging to a minority or marginalised group, and in particular a combination of the characteristics, make such persons more easily suspected of criminal activities in the eyes of law enforcement officials.

The President of Brazil indicated that his government was planning to implement a comprehensive public security plan.

The Special Rapporteur notes, however, that the fight against a high level of criminality was often presented by his official interlocutors as an explanation, if not a justification, of the rather tough behaviour of law enforcement officials who were reported to have to face violent criminals while having limited resources at their disposal. The focus of public security policies was thus believed to be on repression, apparently sometimes without clear limitations, rather than prevention.

The need to alleviate the general feeling of public insecurity which feeds constant requests from the population for always stronger and more repressive measures against suspected criminals was often stressed. The media were also said to be partly responsible for this feeling of insecurity amongst the public. In that respect, human rights education of the population at large was said, in particular by NG0s, to need to be improved seriously.

For ease of reference, this section begins with a detailed description of the places ofdetention visited by the Special Rapporteur during his stay in the following states: Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Minas Gerais, Pernambuco and Para. It is subdivided into the following categories of places of detention:

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

police stations/lock-ups, pre-trial detention centres, prisons and juvenile detention centres. The Special Rapporteur did not visit any plac s of detention in the Federal District of Brasilia as few allegations had been made with respect to it.

Similarly, he had received few information according to which federal law enforcement officials were responsible of torture. In all pla es of detention visited by the Special Rapporteur, with t e exception of Nelson Hungria prison in Minas Gerais, the am n problem was the overcrowding situation which, cou led with inadequate architectural plant often falling apart, unhygienic sanitation, lack of health care and poor quality o even shortage of food, render the conditions of detention ub-human as several authorities warned the Special Rappo eur. According to NG0s, those conditions cannot be blame only on lack of financial or material resources, but also result from deliberate policies or serious neglect on the part of the relevant authorities. However, the Special Rapporteu notes that a number of his official interlocutors, in partic lar heads of police stations (delegados), complained about he extreme material situation they were made to face becau e of according to them, lack of resources.

Most of them regr tted having to hold persons in such bad conditions. Furthermore, as pointed out by the delegado of the theft and robbery police station of Belo Horizonte, due to the fact that most detainees are held in police station rather than in pre-trial detention centres or prisons, police officers are compelled to act as guards rather than asinvestigators, while their primary function and training concern the latter.

A number of delegados, as well as heads of pre-trial detention centres and prisons,drew the Special Rapporteur's attention to the fact that the overcrowding situation coupled with a lack of personnel resources often led to high tensions between the staff and the detainees population, attempted escapes and, often violent, rebellions which could only be dealt with by the use of force. The tough treatment to which detainees were allegedly subjected to was thus justified by some authorities by the need for the staff to control the detainees population and maintain order in places of detention. It must be noted that, on several occasions, the Special Rapporteur advised the authorities concerned to take immediate measures to ensure that appropriate medical treatment be provided to detainees.

Beatings are also said to be frequently used to punish inmates allegedly laving not respected the internal disciplinary rules. Special police units are often called in to restore order and security and that the excessive use of force is common in such instances. Many allegations referred to members ofthe special units wearing hoods and using wooden and iron sticks anc wires. Beatings were also said to occur the nights following a rebellion or an attempted escape as a form of punishment. Transfers to new places of detention is reported to be often accompanied by beatings by guards upon arrival as a way of indicating to new-corners who is in charge of the place. Detainees are allegedly made to run a gauntlet formed by the guards and security personnel who kick and punch them, often with sticks and chains, while reciting internal disciplinary rules (technique referred to as the Polish corridor, corredor polones). According to the information received, inmate-on-Inmate violence is frequent in police lock-ups and prisons. The fact that recidivists convicted for

violent crimes are held with first-time petty offenders, the harsh conditions of detention, the lack of effective supervision due to the scarcity of security personnel, the lack of activities for detainees and the abundance of weapons brought in detention places allegedly with the complicity of the police or prison personnel, are believed to be the main factors of this violence. In some instance, it was alleged that such violence was condoned or even encouraged by public authorities responsible of these places.

According to NG0s, with respect to the level of responsibility, some of those incriminated act out of ignorance and others out of pure habit, for they have regularly acted that way for a long time without fear of any consequences, in particular during the military regime (1964-1985). However, they recognized the federal government's and some state governments' resolve to end those practices, even if the steps taken are still greeted with caution. Indeed, they drew the Special Rapporteur's attention to the fact that at least a certain degree of violence against suspected law-breakers seems to be socially accepted or even encouraged, the very concept of human rights being perceived as a way of 'protecting lawbreakers. According to several non-governmental anc some official sources, the common perception of the population at large is that persons under arrest or in detention deserve to be ill-treated, as well as to be held in bad conditions. It was therefore believed that political decision-makers were under pressure to fight criminality by all means rather that to combat torture.

The President ofBrazil expressed his and his Government's commitment to human rights and determination to tackle the problem of torture. In particular, he indicated that considerable efforts were currently made to build new detention with a view to reduce the overcrowding situation even though he acknowledged that too many people were arrested and detained unnecessarily. Similarly, the President of the Supreme Court recognized the need to pay closer to the problem of torture and indicated that judges were all educated in human rights.

SAO PAULO It is the belief of the Special Rapporteur that detainees

'11

awaiting appearance in court in those sub-human conditions could only appear to their judges as unwholesome and dangerous. A large number of detainees expressed their shame of being seen in such a dirty and smelly state when brought to court. They did not understand why they had to be brought here before being taken to court, and not directly from their respective police lock-ups. They understandably believed that this humiliation was done on purpose in order to erode any sympathy on the part of the judges. The Special Rapporteur notes with concern the comment of a guard, responding to the Special Rapporteur's having conveyed the prisoners'

fears that they would be subjected to reprisals for talking to the Special Rapporteur and his team, which indicated that, as the detainees had behaved properly on that night, it would not be necessary to do anything to them.

Prisons On 25 August, the Special Rapporteur visited the Detention House (Casa de Detencao) of Carandiru penitentiary where 7,772 were held in nine pavilions in which detainees were said to be divided according to the crime for which they had been sentenced. The official capacity of the Detention House, i.e. 3,500, was said by the Director to have been augmented by prisoners themselves, who had built new beds in their cells. In pavilions he visited, the Special Rapporteur noted that first-time and repeated offenders were mixed. All detainees complained about the poor quality of the food, mainly composed of pasta and rice mixed together.

In Pavilion Four, the Special Rapporteur visited the punishment cells located in the basement, commonly referred to as the dungeon. The cells measure approximately nine square metres and contain a cemented bed, a sink and a hole as a toilet. Some detainees had allegedly received a very slim mattress and a sheet the day before the visit of the Special Rapporteur. At the time of the visit, the cells were without light, very smelly and dirty despite the fact that the main corridor was being washed, according to the detainees, for the first time since their arrival (for some, more than 20 days before the visit). Cells were holding two to five detainees while they were supposed to hold only one person. Most had spent more than 20 days in these cells and did not know the length of their punishment.

A number of the prisoners present in these cells claimed that they had been punished for having refused to be transferred from their original pavilion, Pavilion Nine, to the pavilion where transvestites and rapists are held as a punishment for having fought between themselves. Before being sent to the punishment cells, they had been severely beaten with iron sticks and some had been forced to sign a paper indicating they accepted such transfer. Three detainees had still visible marks of torture consistent with their allegations.

The Special Rapporteur was informed that one of them had had a leg broken by the beatings and had been transferred, in company of two others seriously injured, a couple of hours before the Special Rapporteur's visit. When the Special Rapporteur asked to see them, he was told that two had been taken to court and were supposed to be returned shortly and one had been transferred to Mandaqui hospital. After a couple of hours, the two detainees were eventually said to be in the State High Security Prison of Carandiru where the Special Rapporteur was able to interview Marcelo Ferreira da Costa and Ronaldo Gaspar dos Santos despite the fact that they were in a state of shock and seriously afraid of being subjected to reprisals after the Special Rapporteur's departure (see annex).

On the following morning, the Special Rapporteur went to Mandaqui hospital to interview the third one. At his arrival at the hospital, he was told that the prisoner had been sent back the previous night at 23:30 p.m. to the Casa de Detencao of Carandiru. Finally, on 26 August, the Special Rapporteur met with Marcelo Miguel dos Santos who, because of his poor health condition, could only be produced in a wheelchair.

The Special Rapporteur also visited the medical facility located on the second floor of this pavilion. He noted the very limited medical resources and the dirty conditions, in particular poor sanitation installations, in which sick detainees were treated by a small medical team. According to the nurses who were present, any prisoner could come to the medical wing and would be given medication, if need be, and patients requiring more specialized treatment would be transferred to a hospital.

In Pavilion Five, the Special Rapporteur visited the fifth floor where the so-called seguros, most commonly referred as the "yellows" (amarelos) due to the colour of their skin which, because ofthe lack of natural light, becomes pale to the point of actually turning yellow, are detained. These detain-

ees indicated that they were let out of their cells on Sundays but only if visitors come which was said to happen rarely for a large number of them. Otherwise, they were said to be kept in their cells all the time. Ten to fifteen detainees were held in 15 square metres, with thin and dirty mattresses on the floor and a hole used as a toilet and a shower. Cells were infested with insects which were said to cause itching and skin diseases. Some had allegedly been detained Tor more than six months in these cells without having seen any natural light. A number of them appeared to the Special Rapporteur as mentally ill or seriously disturbed and a large number alleged that they had been transferred to this section of the prison as a form of punishment. One of them alleged that he had been beaten with iron bars for having asked for medical treatment. Marks consistent with his allegations, in particular on his head and shoulders, were still visible at the time of the visit of the Special Rapporteur. Two others who bore serious recent marks of beatings refused to speak to the Special Rapporteur for fear of reprisals. Another detainee had a very basic and improvised probe. The Special Rapporteur was later informed that the Secretary of State in charge of the penitentiary system had decided to close this section. By midJanuary 2001, it was reported that 230 out of the 300 prisoners kept there had already been transferred to another prison in Sorocaba.

In the same pavilion, the Special Rapporteur visited the cells situated on the same floor, but on the other side of the corridor where mainly non-catholic detainees were kept, reportedly placed together at their own request. Four prisoners were held in every cell which were clean and well-furbished with mattresses, and most of the time, an additional cooker. Two floors below, the Special Rapporteur visited cells holding up to eight prisoners in more than 20 square metres. These cells were clean and _contained a separate shower, toilet and sink. Each had a mattress and some personal items. The detainees indicated that they were detained in such good conditions compared to others because they were working. No explanation was given as to why they had been selected to perform some manual activities. Before his visit, the Special Rapporteur had received information according to which detainees have to pay or rent their cells through cell leaders collaborating with prison guards. The head of this pavilion categorically refuted this allegation. In this and other pavilions, detainees who were living in the worst conditions were nevertheless able to give to the Special Rapporteur the price of better cells.

During his visit to the various pavilions, the Special Rapporteur was able, most of the time thanks to the indications given by detainees, to discover iron and wooden sticks, some with handles. On one of the stick was written "see you at 19:30", which was said to be the time the night shift starts on duty. Some were found in the office (chefia) of head of Pavilion Five, behind a fridge, other, in the guards' office in Pavilion Four, behind the curtains. Various explanations were given by the authorities concerned: they were broken pieces of furniture such as tables and chairs left unattended, bars used to check the solidity ofthe cells' bars or bars detached by the prisoners themselves with a view to use them as arms during rebellions.

The Special Rapporteur was later informed of the intention of the Secretary of State in charge of the penitentiary system to divide the Casa de Detencao into four different units headed by four directors, who were said to have already been identified, with a view to exercise a better control over the inmate population. Furthermore, it is believed that Pavilion

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

Four will soon become a penitentiary hospital.

On 26 August, the Special Rapporteur visited one of the three women's penitentiaries of the state of Sao Paulo, Prisao Feminina de Tatuape, where 446 women were said to be currently held while the official capacity was of 600, although the Director of security who was in charge of the prison at the time of the Special Rapporteur's visit, recognized that the real limit should be 450. She drew the attention of the Special Rapporteur to the problem of the scarcity of personnel and its security implications. She complained about the fact that she had only 20 guards per shift at her disposal because of a large number of guards being on sick leave, mostly due to the harsh conditions of work. Most guards were said to be women, but some were men, including astonishingly the son of the General Director. On the day of the visit, they were fifteen women and four men. Similarly, only one vehicle was at their disposal to carry out all transfers, such as to courts, other penitentiaries or hospitals. Women were said not to be separated according to their age or the crime they had been sentenced for and to be working from 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. and 13:00 p.m. to 17:00 p.m. for a salary of 115 reais per month. According to the detainees, they were in fact receiving only 60 mats. They were held five per cells measuring eight to ten square metres.

Each cell contained mattresses and a toilet, the showers being separated from the cells. Cells were clean and detainees had made some basic improvements, such as placing curtains in front of the beds in order to ensure some privacy. The Special Rapporteur visited the infirmary where a detainee who had very recently given birth was held. She believed that her baby was going to be taken from her and to be placed somewhere without having the possibility to see her child again.

The Special Rapporteur visited the punishment cells (castigo) of Pavilion Two which were similar to other cells with the exception of the absence of a toilet. Detainees indicated that they were let out of their cells upon the good wil of the guards. Some detainees claimed to be "in transit", i.e. being transferred every 30 days or so to a different penitenti , their relatives not being informed of such transfers. In t e dirty punishment cells of Pavilion Five, the Special Rapp rteur met with three women who were sharing two mattr sses. A 20-year-old woman had allegedly been beaten by th director's son, who was said to be a guard having access to 11 sections of the prison at any time. Her right shoulder and hand bore marks of beatings hematomas) consistent with he allegations. She also believed that she was "in transit" since he had been moved from one prison to another every mon which was preventing her family to visit her. In another cel , a young detainee refused to speak to the Special Rapporte r for fear of reprisal. She nevertheless indicated to a me ber of the Special Rapporteur's team that she had been sexu Ily abused by a male prison official whom she identified, bu was too fearful to authorize the Special Rapporteur to n â&#x20AC;˘ e.

RIO DE JANEIRO Police stations On 31 August the Special Rapporteur visited the first delegacia legal te have been opened in the state of Rio de Janeiro in March 999. Delegacias legais are part of a wide project of buildin police station which architecture is designed to be transparent to outside monitoring. The Special

Rapporteur considered this to be a most positive initiative. He nevertheless noted that the 1,5 square metre cell, in which persons were said to stay only for a couple of hours, lacked any light. The absence of light was Justified by security reasons. Nobody was said to have been detained in this police station for more than 24 hours. Four of such police stations were said to be currently operating in the city of Rio de Janeiro and three in the state of Rio de Janeiro. According to the Governor, by the end of 2000 forty others were expected to be operational and by the end of the present administration term in 2002, all police stations would be of this sort.

On the same day, the Special Rapporteur visited the 54th District Police station, from which all detainees had been transferred on 15 August to either Bangu penitentiary or the 64th District Police station, as the 54th precinct was converted into a delegacia legal. In the 64th District Police station 272 persons were detained at the time ofthe visit ofthe Special Rapporteur, while the official capacity was said to be 150. Detainees were said to be let out of their cells during the day and spent most of their daytime in a small courtyard with little natural light. 57 persons were detained in a very hot, smelly and dirty cell measuring approximately 30 square metres. A few mattresses were lying on the floor. A hole was used as the toilet and the shower. The Special Rapporteur noted that the distribution between the different cells was not equal. Detainees explained that they had to pay the guards to be transferred to a less-crowded cell.

The delegadajustified the actual distribution by the fact that detainees had to be divided according to the (criminal) gang to which they were belonging in order to avoid inmate-on-inmate violence.

The Special Rapporteur noted that during the day all detainees were supposed to be mixed in the courtyard and that no fight was said to have been erupted from this situation. The delegada then complained about the overcrowding situation she was made to face of a lack of places in penitentiaries. She nevertheless also recognized that she had never entered the lock-up.

Most of the detainees complained of beatings at the time of arrest and during preliminary interrogation, when asked to sign a confession. A large number of them alleged that they had been beaten by police officers in both this police station and the 64th police station from which a large number were coming from (see annex). A number of the complaints also regarded the trustees who were said to be provided by the guards with iron and wooden sticks or clubs and were maintaining order by beating other inmates. The detainees indicated that theses sticks were kept by the trustees in their cells which were located at the entrance of the lock-up, in front of the guards' office. These two cells were very clean and well-furbished with mattresses and cookers, as well as other personal items. Hidden under one of the beds, the Special Rapporteur discovered one rubber club and two wooden night sticks with handles, as well as some iron bars.

Interrogated, the chief of the lock-up indicated that the trustees used the iron bars to check the solidity of the cells' bars. No explanation was given regarding the presence of the three clubs. The delegada assured the Special Rapporteur that she would take the necessary measures and would investigate the behaviour of the head of the lock-up.

A pre-trial detention facility On 30 August, the Special Rapporteur visited the casa de custodia Muniz Sodre, one of the provisional detention

centres of the Bangu penitentiary complex. At that time, 1,577 detainees were held in the twenty-four cells officially built to hold 62 persons each, i.e., a total of 1,488 detainees. The facility is divided into two large pavilions containins12 cells each. According to the director, while Muniz Sodrei s a pretrial detention centre, around forty per cent of the inmates were actually serving their sentences, which in most of the cases were currently being appealed, and should have therefore been transferred to other facilities. In view of the general overcrowding situation in the state, the director indicated that it was not possible to know when such transfers would take place. He nevertheless assured the Special Rapporteur that convicted prisoners were separated from pre-trial detainees.

The director indicated that detainees were let out of their cells four hours a day by shifts which was later denied by detainees interviewed by the Special Rapporteur. Detainees claimed that they were only taken out of their cells once a week for two hours when visitors were coming. Cells were clean, well lighted and aerated. Toilets and showers were separated from tie main part of the cell. In one of the cell visited, 68 prisoners were held which meant that six prisoners had to sleep on the floor. All prisoners nevertheless had their own mattress and blankets.

The Special Rapporteur visited the punishment cells where according to the registry eight detainees were currently held. Eight detainees, half-naked, were currently detained in very basic conditions.

Most indicated that they had been punished for having fought with other detainees and some complained of having been beaten by prison guards at the time they were transferred to the punishment cells.

All indicated that a dozen of detainees, who were believed to be in bad condition due to the beatinJs to which they had allegedly Deen subjected after an attempted escape, had recently been taken out of the punishment cells.

The Special Rapporteur then visited the cell where these detainees were said to have come from. Their co-inmates indicated that on 28 August there had been a general search of their cell after an attempted escape from another cell during the night from the 26th to the 27th. They did not know why they had been targeted, as the escape attempt was from another cell. After the search, some detainees complained about personal items which had disappeared. It is believed that because of these complaints, they were allegedly taken, through the socalled polish corridor, to the courtyard where they were severely beaten by some 50 prison guards accompanied by members of special forces of the police using wooden and iron sticks, some of which had wires around them, for five or six hours. The director and sub-director in charge of security were said to have participated in the beatings. According to them, one of them had been seriously wounded. On the same day, he had to appear in front of a judge, who was believed to have ordered his transfer to a hospital. The 70 detainees held in this cell at that time all bore visible and recent marks (bruises, haematomas and scratches on various parts of the body) consistent with their allegations. Detainees indicated that five detainees, who were said to be in bad shape and whose names were given to the Special Rapporteur, had been taken out ofthe cell just before the arrival of the Special Rapporteur. The guards indicated that the detainees had been taken to the Forensic Medical Institute (Institut° Medico-Legal- IML), but that they were to be taken back to Muniz Sodre the same night if vehicles were available. After having waited for a couple of hours, the director assured the Special Rapporteur that the five detainees referred to above were going to be brought back.

BRAZZIL - MAY 2001

On that night, individually interviewed by the Special Rapporteur, the five detainees (Jailson Thaumaturgo da Rocha Junior, Alexandre Arantes, Flavio Ailton da Silva, Paulo Sergio Souza de Oliveira and Roberto da Costa Santiago) confirmed the allegations made by their co-inmates. They also confirmed having been examined by doctors of the IML in the absence of any guards. All had severe injuries, some of which had required stitches, and large bruises (see annex).

Finally, they confirmed that the one who they believed had been the most seriously injured, had been taken to court, from which he was said to have been directly sent to an hospital.

The Special Rapporteur asked the director to find out where this detainee was currently held. After about an hour, the director indicated that he had been transferred to Vieira Ferreira Neto penitentiary. According to the director, this detainee had been taken to this prison because he would otherwise have been subjected to violence from other inmates. Because of the testimonies he received from his coinmates who were extremely worried about his whereabouts and well-being, the Special Rapporteur does not think that this was a plausible explanation of his transfer to another detention facility. In Vieira Ferreira Neto penitentiary, the Special Rapporteur was able to interview Alexandre Madado Pascoal (see annex) who appeared to be extremely weak and to suffer intense pain. He confirmed having been brought to this prison on that night, around midnight. With the diligent help of the officer-in-charge of Vieira Ferreira Neto, Alexandre Madado Pascoal was taken on a stretcher to a next-door medical unit, where a doctor, shocked, ordered his transfer to an hospital.

Informed of the situation by the Secretary of State for Justice, the Assistant-Secretary for Human Rights and the Head of the Security for the Penitentiary System joined the Special Rapporteur at 2:00 a.m. and recorded the testimonies of Alexandre Madado Pascoal. They assured that he would be properly medically treated and protected against reprisals. The Special Rapporteur was also informed at that time that the Secretary for Justice had already decided to remove the director of Muniz Sodre and his head of security from offices pending investigations. The Special Rapporteur specifically asked the authorities to take the necessary measures, including the opening of a criminal investigation into allegations of torture.

This incident is the object of direct follow-up with the Government.

A juvenile pre-trial detention centre Juvenile offenders in the state of Rio de Janeiro are held in institutions under the jurisdiction a the Secretariat of Justice and more specifically the DEGASE. At the invitation of the authorities, the Special Rapporteur visited on 29 August the Instituto Padre Severino where 193 minors, aged from 14 to 18, were currently detained while the official capacity was said to be 160. The director indicated that there were only seven guards per shift which he pointed out made ensuring order difficult. The majority of the minors held in this institution were said to be awaiting their trial or sentence as Padre Severino is supposed to be a pre-trial juvenile detention centre and to be used as a pre-screening place where minors are detained up to 45 days (see below) before being transferred to other DEGASE institutions, ifneed be. The director nevertheless recognized that forty per cent of the detainees were actually serving their sentences. According to the director, ninety per cent of the minors held at that time had access to education while admitting that only sentenced juveniles had access to educational and recreational activities. During his visit, the Special Rapporteur saw some youths taking lessons in different class rooms while three were working on sewing machines in a workshop. According to non-governmental organizations which visit juvenile detention places on a regular basis, and as later confirmed by the minors interviewed, this was the very first time that such classes were taking place in Padre Severino.

Cells are divided between two wings separated by a large courtyard in which minors were playing at the time of the visit ofthe Special Rapporteur. Cells were very different from each

others. They all contained cement beds. In some cells, all beds were covered with thin foam mattresses while in others most did not have a m ttress. The director assured the Special Rapporteur that al detainees, even the 33 who have to sleep on the floor because of the overcrowding current situation, had a mattress at their disposal at night. Detainees confirmed that only a small number of them did not have mattresses. A few dirty blankets were also shown to the Special Rapporteur.

Toilets and showers were generally separated from the dormitory by a wall. All cells had recently been cleaned (according to detainees, they were cleaned once a week), but in some, a strong smell origi ating from the toilets was still present. The water system, incl ding the flushing of the toilets, was said to be controlled from outside the cells by guards only. Cells did not contain any li I t since, as was explained by the director, bulb-plugs were u ed by inmates to light cigarettes which was potentially danger 'us. All cells were well-ventilated thanks to numerous openi Is in the walls. Detainees complained that at night, cells coul o sometimes become very cold and that it was forbidden to fill in the openings with, for example, newspapers. One inor had allegedly been slapped on the face and grabbed â&#x20AC;˘ y the neck by a guard as a punishment for having tried to fill i the openings a couple of ni hts before the visit of the Specia Rapporteur. At the time of the interview (29 August), mark'., in particular an haematoma of the size of a hand on the left s de of his face as well as some scratches on the neck, consiste t with his allegations were still visible.

Minors were s 'd to be in the yard most of the day, from 5:00 a.m. to 6:00 p. .. Only visits from their parents were said to be allowed, on Sundays. A number of the older youths complained about he fact that their wives and children were not allowed to vi it them. A large number of the minors complained of hay ng been beaten and slapped on the face by guards, allegedly ecause of attempted escape, fights between inmates or non-respect of the internal disciplinary rules, in particular the silence rule at night which was said to include a prohibit I n of using the toilet. It was alleged that guards often aske them on which parts of the body they would prefer bein beaten. Some still bore marks, mainly haematomas on th head/face, shoulders and back, and also more serious injur es, such as open wounds, consistent with their allegations (see annex). Some were said to have recently been threatened by some of the night-shift guards with a gun.

According to the .nformation received, some children had spent up to two months in the punishment cells where they were said to be locked 24 hours a day. They had to share a mattress with one or two other detainees.

MINAS GERAIS Police stations On 3 September, the Special Rapporteur visited the police lock-up of the station in charge of theft and robbery cases of Belo Horizonte in which 280 persons were currently held in

21 cells. They were said to be held 24 hours a day in their cells, except once a month when they were taken, after having been stripped naked and forced during all the way to the yard to keep their mouths wide open, for a sunbath in the courtyard while cells were searched and sprayed with water, rendering all personal items, in particular blankets, soaking wet. Cells were allegedly searched on other occasions as well, up to twice a week. The delegado explained to the Special Rapporteur that this was considered to be necessary in view of the large number of attempted escapes and violent incidents occurring in this police lock-up. Every fortnight, detainees were reported to be allowed to receive visits for one hour. But, only their parents were said to be authorized to visit them. No mattresses were present in the cells and detainees were thus sleeping on the concrete bare floor with dirty blankets that, according to them, they were not authorized to wash. At the back of each cell, a hole used both as a toilet and a shower was separated from the main part of the cell by sheets placed by the detainees themselves to ensure some privacy. Only cold water was said to be running from the basic tap used for the shower.

The delegado was the first to complain about the rather bad conditions of detention and regretted that material and personnel resources had to be used with respect to the lock-up rather than to criminal investigation activities, the primary function of the civil police.

In one cell measuring approximately 20 square metres up to 18 persons were detained. Most of the detainees were already sentenced. They explained to the Special Rapporteur that in order to be transferred to a prison, where conditions of detention were believed to be better, a certain amount of money (up to 3,000 reais) had to be paid to the head of the police lock-up. The delegado indicated that the Superintendent of the Penitentiary Organisation was responsible for the transfers that are however made on his recommendation as head of the delegacia. Quite a number of detainees appeared to the Special Rapporteur in need of urgent medical attention and their cases were thus referred to the delegado who indicated that the necessary measures would be immediately taken. Finally, it must be noted that most of the detainees indicated that they had been beaten at the time of arrest and/ or during interrogation (see annex).

On 4 September, the Special Rapporteur visited the police station in charge of car thefts (called DETRAN). 42 detainees were currently detained in five cells. The delegado recognized that the conditions in which they were detained were poor. In particular, he indicated that they could not be let out of their cells due to the absence of a courtyard in this police station. Up to nine persons were detained in an approximately 12 square metres cell and were sleeping on the concrete bare floor. A hole was used both as a shower and a toilet and was separated from the main part of the cell by plastic sheets placed by the detainees.

The delegado indicated that 30 per cent ofthe persons held there had already been sentenced. The Special Rapporteur notes that a number of detainees refused to speak for fear of reprisals while a few made allegations of beatings during interrogation in order to extract confessions.

On the same day, the Special Rapporteur visited the women's lock-up of the main police station, the Department of Investigation, of Belo Horizonte. It is believed that this is the only women police lock-up of the city. Eight clean cells were holding 104 women at that time. Most of them had already been sentenced and expressed the hope to be soon transferred to a penitentiary. A few complained of torture, including sexual violence, to which they had allegedly been subjected at the time of arrest or during initial interrogation (see annex), and most recognized being well-treated by police officials, including male police officers sometimes in charge of the lock-up. Most of the complaints regarded the slow judicial process.

A prison On 3 September, the Special Rapporteur visited Nelson Hungria Prison which appeared to the Special Rapporteur as a relatively modern prison composed of 12 pavilions in which prisoners were held in six square metre individual cells. Each cell contained a shower and a toilet. Cells were clean and contained a mattress and personal items, such as televisions and water heater. The official capacity is 721 prisoners, but only 701 prisoners were said to be currently held. All but five detainees, who were said to have refused, were working during the day. This was the only establishment in which detainees did not complain about the quality of the food. The officer-in-charge of the prison at that time, i.e., the director of reeducation and re-socialisation, explained to the Special Rapporteur that an hospital wing had been built, but had never been opened for lack of medical staff A medical doctor and a volunteered nurse were only available to make the initial check-up and to recommend transfer to hospitals, if need be.

The director of reeducation and re-socialisation explained to the Special Rapporteur that all complaints of ill-treatment from detainees are the object of an internal inquiry assigned by the general director of Nelson Hungria to one of his subdirectors, i.e., of reeducation and re-socialisation, of security or of association and security. He further explained that when a medical report was needed, the alleged victim had first to be taken to a police station where a form had to be filled in before any detainee may be taken to the Forensic Medical Institute (IML). He indicated that for the last five years and six months, there had been 47 guards under internal investigations. Only ten had been found guilty and dismissed by the Superintendent of the Penitentiary Organization. No information was available regarding the opening of criminal proceedings against these agents.

A thirteens pavilion was used as a Criminological Observation Centre (COC), where recent prisoners were said to be first taken for up to 30-days observation period during which they were reported to undergo several psychological, medical and sociological examinations. It was also explained to the Special Rapporteur that during this period the general director of the prison meets each prisoner individually to explain the internal disciplinary rules. Prisoners detained at that time in the COC indicated that they had not yet been examined by anybody while some indicated having already spent more than a fortnight in this pavilion. They were expecting to be transferred to a normal pavilion as soon as some cells became free. Some prisoners held in the COC complained about having been seriously beaten in the corridor of this pavilion upon first arrival at night. They had allegedly been made to line up against the wall and were kicked and beaten on the ribs and back with wooden sticks and hoes for some fifteen minutes. This is said to have happened during a couple of nights. According to the information received, they were also threatened with burial in a clandestine cemetery. Detainees believed that only one night team of guards was responsible for such beatings.

At the end of the visit, the Special Rapporteur met with some prison guards. While they recognized that not all of them were committed, they complained about the lack of training they receive and the workload they are subjected to because of the scarcity of personnel. Two third of the prison personnel was reported to be hired on a temporary basis â&#x20AC;˘ (administrative contracts) and were said not to receive any training at all. With respect to the duty shift, they were said to be working 12 hours and resting the following 24 hours. They finally pointed out the high level of stress they were exposed to, which was recognized to have led to a certain level of aggressiveness towards the detainees' population and to psychological problems amongst some of the staff.

Read the whole report (80,000 words, ten times a big as this excerpt, at http://www.brazzil.comblamay01.htm

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