Brazzil - Year 8 - Number 128 - August 1996

M U I HOW COULD THEY FORGET HERMETO'S IRTHDAY?

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GLOBO vs. SBT:

Rodney Mello 2039 N Avenue E2

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or send check or money order to A-VID International 729 8th St. SE Washington, DC 20003 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1995

There are already 1.5 million Brazilians paying for getting TV images. This number will be 2 million by the end of this year. With the exception of the Internet there is no other healthier and more promising business in the country today. And while the Internet is scrapping for a little leftover money the pay-TV sector will be generating $1 billion by year's end.

The recent introduction of DirectTV, the digital broadcasting relying on the large-pizza-size an-

8 Cover

tenna dishes, has allowed Brazil t6 skip the tedious, expensive work of wiring the country for cable. This technical revolution is allowing for the first time in two decades a serious challenge to Globo network de facto monopoly over the airwaves in Brazil.

SBT (Sistema Brasileiro de Televisdo), a younger and brash TV network is also giving Globe a run for its money.

This has been more evident on Sunday afternoons. Variety show Doming& do Faustlio, for example, once alone at the top has been pressed to compete neck and neck with SBT's Domingo Legal.

Television has been the entertainment of choice — sometimes the only choice — for most Brazilians. TV sets are in 82% of homes even in shacks

CONTENTS

16

39

Where the party never stops

19

Cover by Aylan Mello

Maverick Darcy Ribeiro blasts off

42

Music

Economy

An herbal laboratory

29

Short story

Rubem Fonseca's Coracoes solitarios

41

Bahia I

An Yankee's bad trip

22

Amazon

35

Raffia

Fernando Cardoso wants to stay

24

that don't have running water or sewers. Only in the US and in Japan people are buying more television sets than in Brazil. While in 1970 there were 4.2 million televisions (24% of homes) this number had exploded to 32.6 million in 1995.

And Brazil is also the 6th biggest manufacturer of TV sets.

For all of this the best show on TV these days is off the air. Grab a seat and enjoy the catch-as-catchR.M. can wrestling.

The spa towns of Minas Gerais

Reelection

A new era of gold in the making

http://home.earthlink.net/-brazzil

Travel

Globo TV: challenging the monopoly

Interview

http://www.brazzil.com

Hermeto Pascoal, the sound sorcerer 45 Brazilian No 4-6 The Cultural PuIs 47 PCS a'.

49

Classifieds' 50 U.S.A. calendar 52 That's Braz

44

Boils Is Paulo Coelho repeating repeating himself?

54

Special

Novela: we're hooked

TIME TO RENEW? Send mail to: P.O. Box 42536 - Los Angeles, CA 90050-053 • Sorry, we don't send reminders.

Look at the Ads/Editorial: (213) 255-8062 - Subscrip.: (213) 255-4953 label to know when your Fax: (213) 257-3487 - WEB page: http://www.brazzil.com subscription ends.

E-mail: brazzil@brazzil.com & brazilnews@aol.com Publisher and Editor: Rodney Mello / Editorial Assistant: Graciela Castellanos/ Entertainment Editors: Sam & Harriet Robbins / Book Review: Bondo Wyszpolski / Music Editor: Bruce Gilman / Representatives: MIAMI : Nosso Guia (305) 972-3427 - WASHINGTON, DC: Wilson Velloso (Correspondent) (301) 585-6549 - BRAZIL: Celso Sawaia (011) 885-9288 E- mail: csawaia@br.homeshopping.com.br BRAZZIL is published monthly by Brazzil -2039 N. Ave. 52, Los Angeles, CA, 90042-1024. Application to mail at Periodicals Postage rate is pending at Los Angeles, CA. Single copy sold for $2. One year subscription for 12 issues is $3 (three dollars) in the U.S., $15 in Canada and Mexico, and $18 (surface mail) in all other countries. No back issues sold. Allow 5 to 7 weeks to receive your first issue. You may quote from or reprint any of the contents with proper copyright credit. Editorial submissions are welcome. Include a SASE (self addressed and stamped envelope) if you want your material mailed back. Brazzil assumes no responsibility for any claims made by its advertisers.

POST MASTER: Please, send address changes to: BRAZZIL - P.O. Box 42536 - Los Angeles, CA - 90050-0536 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

Taking with them Not even death should be now a deterrent to those fans so committed to their soccer teams that they are determined to love their colors to death and beyond. Brazilians' passion for futebol has inspired Polish undertaker Carlos Sysocki to create designer coffins with the colors and symbols of the country's most popular teams. At Funeraria Parana in Curitiba (state of Parana) fans of popular soccer teams such as Flamengo, Fluminense, Palmeiras, Corinthians and Atletico Paranaense, among others, can bid their final farewell inside one of these caskets.

"These are for those who have made fiaebol their religion," explained Sysocki, who started the business in response to a series of requests of bereaved relatives.

Touch vote Come October 3, 30 million Brazilians living in cities with a population of 200,000 or more will be voting by computer for the first time. The voters will not use pencil, pen or any piercing object since all they have to do is to key in the number of their candidates for mayor and city council. Shaped as a toaster oven, the voting computer has the numbers displayed as in a public phone. Tests in several markets, according to the electoral authorities, have shown that the gadget makes it easier for illiterate, functional illiterate and the visual impaired to vote. There are 8 million voters in these conditions in Brazil. More than $70 million were spent by the TSE (Tribunal Superior Eleitoral — Superior Electoral Tribunal) for 73,780 computer terminals.

6

Politics

Baring for votes

The epithet Peladona (stark naked lady) by which actress and model Nubia de Oliveira is known shouldn't hurt her chances to get elected a member of Uberaba's (state of Minas Gerais) city council in the coming October election. Au contraire. Nubia Peladona, also called Uberaba's Porno Girl, has even a political platform.

"My main objective is to improve basic education," she revealed recently. She also promises to take care of the rural population. In this

field the actress-cum-model has some experience: twice a month she drops by her father's farm in Ubcraba for a quick visit.

Nubia's best political appearance until now, according to some of her potential voters, happened in June when she appeared on TV Manchete novela (soap opera) Tocaia Grande as a modern Lady Godiva mounting a white horse and wearing nothing more than a parasol and an enigmatic smile.

drig No more secrets The address is http://www.odci.gov/cia There the Central Intelligence Agency has made public a fraction of the information they've been gathering on Brazil for many decades.

Despite the little room reserved for the country, the Langley gumshoes are able to present some detailed information on the other land down under, like the percentage of votes won by every one of the six candidates on the October '94 presidential election. They even add the information to that election: "second free, direct presidential election since 1960."

Males fit for military service, reveal the page, are 29,815,576. The site also discloses that Brazilians speak Portuguese, Spanish, English, and French. That's secret info. No Brazilian knew about that. The CIA effort doesn't mention, however, the recently uncovered scheme by which that intelligence agency was paying Brazilian Federal Police agents to fight narcotraffic.

When President Fernando Henrique Cardoso mentioned his displeasure after finding out about that, the US State Department answered with an impish, "We didn't know anything either."

Unlucky penny Luzia das Virgens e Silva from Macein, state of Alagoas, thought she was a lucky woman. After decades of work she was able to retire with what she expected would be a reasonable pension.

Besides, the Brazilian constitution establishes that no one can receive a less than $100 pension.

Inflation and changes of currency (cruzeiro, cruzeiro real, real), however, have contributed to her monthly chec.‚ to dwindle to I cent. Yes, one miserable penny. Ever so efficient the government keeps sending her the pay check at a cost of 57 cents per check. This story shows why more than 10,000 checks sent by the Social Security are never cashed. It would be way too expensive to do it.

New strati of hair There are Brazilian hands on Lybian leader Muammar al-Khadafy's head. I The 3,000 new hair filaments Khadafy got over his fast-balcing scalp was the work Df Munir Miguel Curi, a Paullsta (from Sao Paulo) plastic surgeon who was also the nventor, ten years ago, of the filament-by-filament implant technique that eems to work much better than the traditional way of skin patches. The microsurgery happened in October, but it was kept secret. Curi himself is mum. "Ethics prevents me from releasing my patients' names," he said. It can take six months for the new hair to start growing.

That would explain why Khadafy these days has always some sort of cap covering his head.

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

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_ w enquiring inds know are the weeniest celebrities in Brazi_ and uch are they really ng? That wa3: the e of a recenteowr êtbry by ever so matting newsweeldy magazine Val & At the top a the list ter- fle 20 biggest earners 'between May '95 and ril '96 tame Glign hereto, a TV presenter, o makes an average of .5 million a month. "there are: :Itaberto Carifs_(sing -.:omposer) ' lion xa (TV presente inger) $lmillió o(circus 50,0 o Carrers4 rt -- 'tier) — eite aSalNegra(nusIca $4,10,o 00 .Zeze di Carnal . 11c Luciano (count $6 000' 7.

Coelho staa s3 51) 00 ndro & Leona itryingers)5,000 00 aularlas Assassin' sical band) $,000 .16 Soares es-enter and 26,000 wr ansto'Bilva (TV eseter) — $208-0 0 fiiica BUOnfigtio (esoteric writer 00,000_ ii 3. Angelica (T\ scnter < -;-- $196t C° conle . Tom Cavalcar3te dim) $1 '0(t 95) ac Fiblo Jr. (T1/ singer) — $194,00 Chitaozinhe 6 (country 0,000 i. li Correa (radio presenter) $1 0,O00 Lair Ribeirg elf!nip write —$160,000 11rt 190.Benedito osa r) Ruy (TV soap opera write $15(),C00 iguel Itala-iella (TV and playwright)

ECAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

Rambling and poetry The New York ghetto-born rap has quite a following in the suburbs of Brazil's big cities. Sometimes however their rhythm and their talk are quite unintelligible to the noninitiated.

That's why last year Radical Records accompanied its Pivete's Ex-Detento release with a glossary. Here's a little sample of how these youngsters communicate ainong themselves: baseado — friend bone — (lit, cap) scam brecha foul-up crocodilagem — bad intention paga-pau — brownnose pele — tripping pun gar — to understand se pa e pum — if possible

It was a courtg included:blood te, vehtmeriti ,denials, nut Sandra PeginaMach - 26,,was-ableto tha • name to Sankile_ 'Maenad* ArantNascimerdoAifl ' Naselnleatai as yc is also the,s Brazils Sptsl Edson Ara Nascimento all over the Sandra was the I inconsequential betweepPeltatt Ansla Ma IIRM111 11

Computer

Not the same old stuff Brazilians bored or tired of the same old screen savers for their computers will be able now to have women in different states of undress playing on their monitors when the computer is left idle. I liCom, the company releasing the Sweet Screen Saver, has selected 45 pictures of three different vixens made by Swiss photographer Otto Weisser who has made photo essays for men magazines worldwide including Penthouse and French Lui. Weisser has also worked with the national product contributing with Globo TV's openings for nave/as (soap operas) and in the production of Girls of Fantastic°, a promotion for models who were shown an naiurel on Fankist leo, a Sunday magazine TV show. The screen saver program allows the user to decide the order the girls show up, make them dance or break them in pieces that can then be assembled as a puzzle.

Creme') Council oPMe journal. BrazLlla Pitan worlds in st plastic surg impreasive mmb show at 70: 40, rgeriea - books wdtttt scientiftcpa lished. Pita pace th younger colleague match. Thb surgeon average operations a eeki ccnsultattons f

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7

andeirante,â&#x20AC;&#x17E; SBT_h-CNT, TV uc re all TV networks in Baz1LTo the casual observ v r, it would seem that the country has only one ne Globo The TV conglomerate so. completely and for so Ion as obliterated competition homes the naturally tun never change there's a been.. Iff.f.fenic at Jardirn Botkril,n, in I fie Fri headquarters giant: T, a p iler" ht-ri daring T network makin s in w unt e xclus territoryof, lor nd this The s hay just en n ) hard battle vr; ef

Angelica, hired by Globo, one of the weapons in the war

8

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

ment influenced the news presented. Since Casoy t's war on the tube. Globo TV, the world's came on board at SBT, Jornal Nacional has lost a fourth largest television network, for the fourth of its viewing public. longest time enjoying a near monopoly on Last March, Globo tried to retire Moreira and Brazil's airwaves, has been feeling the replace him with a couple of professional anchors, pinch of competition. It comes from longradically updating the delivery of its news stories. time rival SBT, from start-ups in the digital satelTo avoid huniiliating the old pro, Moreira was lite TV corner, and from changing viewer habits. offered to appear on-air reading the network's But the giant just won't come down off the top editorials every so often, but the trick backfired. without a big fight. TV Globo has been radically The remaining viewers, ever so loyal to the graychanging its programming, and that's no trivial haired, 65-year-old TV personality, wanted him matter. The network used to enjoy the preference back. Knowing that the old formula had no future, of up to 80% of the Brazilian audience by hammerand the new one little sympathy, Globo TV is ing the old formula of a barrage of never-ending trying to compromise. Cid Moreira now reads edisoap-operas during prime time, only interrupted by torials almost every night, but his show has yet to a news show with its eternal newscaster, and an recover the dqminance of past times. expensive variety show on Sundays.

But this is not only a battle of two networks.

Now, the weekend show has been challenged Both Globo and SBT have been jabbed by new and changed, the newscaster Cid Moreira was oftechnologies. Cable TV, late in its introduction in fered a symbolic retirement, and the novelas, as the Brazil, is making important headway in the form of mostly syrupy soaps are locally known, became pay-TV (see box) to viewers tired with the lack of more serious and shorter. choice and with enough money to wire their homes The most direct challenger, SBT — short for — the ones inost sought after by the advertisers.

Sistema Brasileiro de Televisdo — has been only But even cable and its rich audience is now being capable of generating one fifth of Globo's 1995 leapfrogged by the digital images that bounce from annual income of $1,5 billion. But it is lead by a the satellites straight to the new, mini parabolic charismatic, shrewd street-peddler-turned-showdishes. man, the smiley Silvio Santos, and has strong What they're all after is a public extremely numbers to show. selective in its buying power, but having in comGlobo's profitable Sunday afternoon variety mon a two decade-long struggling economy that show Domingclo do Fausteio, once alone at the top, made television the entertainment of choice in now splits the viewers with SBT's Domingo Legal.

Brazil. In the country's main markets, sao Paulo Sunday car-racing shows on Globo TV used to lose and Rio de Janeiro, each TV set stays on for an in popularity only to morning mass, but that also average of 7 lours daily. TV sets are all over: 82% has changed, and again in favor of SBT. of Brazilian homes, about 32.6 million of them, The popularity of the Formula 1 car racing have one. This includes miserable series has faded considerably after the shacks with no sewer or running death on live TV of Brazilian three-time water, but with an antenna sticking champion Ayrton Senna in an accident TV sets are all out of the roof. in Italy, in 1994. Senna left no likely over: 82% of In 1989, TV sets already were in successor on the Formula 1 racetracks.

Brazilian 72% of homes, an extremely sharp SBT, incidentally, carries live the Indy increase from the 24% that existed in car races series, which now features six homes, about 1970. It doesn't come as a surprise, Brazilian pilots, two among them, Gil 32.6 million of then, that this year Brazil took third de Ferran and Andre Ribeiro, with real them, have spot in the sales of television sets chances to win along with big-name worldwide, now behind only the US one. This veteran Emerson Fittipaldi. and Japan in that market.

The contest in the telejournalism includes That's an empire once absolutely arena was based both on format and miserable dominated by Globo, letting it charge substance. SBT had nothing to lose close to $120 thousand for a minute shacks with when, five years ago, it brought the of national advertising during daily newspaper editor Boris Casoy to no sewer or evening hours. Fighting for their lead its national telecast. Since its ratrunning water, share of public preference, the netings were virtually non-existent, Casoy works invest heavily. SBT recently but with an could always act as he pleased, and his finished its Anhaguera project, a set pleasure has been in maintaining an antenna of studios that cost $100 million. opinionated big mouth that offered a sticking out of Globo TV also renovated its fasharp contrast to the gray style of the roof. cilities, bought new video equipment, Globo's Jornal Nacional, (National computerized its operations and reNews). trained all its personnel—from manDuring 26 years Globo TV showagers to actqrs — at a price tag of $200 million. cased the services of Cid Moreira on its evening How serious a business is this? As a comparison, national telecast, basically reading the copy, al•the giant German automaker Volkswagen invested ways in a grave tone, sometimes slipping on the $250 million to put together its new factory in Rio pronunciation of proper names and fostering the de Janeiro. suspicion that an invisible hand from the govern-

I

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

9

Veteran screenwriter Dias Gomes, a specialist in the sugary, never ending Brazilian novelas, has the distinction of being the only professional in his field to ever have one of his soaps completely nixed by the military power that dominated Brazil during the 70's. "Roque Santeiro", a sharp commentary on Brazilian social relations, was kept under wraps for years until the federal government relaxed censorship. After that, it was one of the biggest and longest running successes on TV when it was aired by Globo network in the early 80's and it is now being produced for theater. Its opening is planned for October in Rio. Once again, this year, the author innovated with a play made for TV with dates set for its beginning and ending, as opposed to the open ended soaps that sail with good ratings . The mini-novela "0 Fim do Mundo" (The End of the World) was set for 35 chapters, or roughly two months of commercial life. Since, people follow his works with almost religious zeal, Dias Gomes could consider himself a leader. But not him: "I am not the kind of person who thinks that television directs peoples' thinking", says Gomes. "I think people dictate television's direction. If any novela goes beyond the moral limits of behavior, it means that such limits were updated by, at least, a good chunk of our society. And that's easy to understand, Television, and I mean commercial TV, is meant to attract the biggest possible audience and not scare it away. Therefore, it is the audience that sets the rules."

Gomes believes that the Brazilian prime time soaps will still reign for a long time to come, since it still is the main offering of the country's network TV. "The motivation is commercial. The objective, let's not kid ourselves, is to conquer higher ratings and increase profits. The TV novela is, perhaps, the most profitable product on Tv". , But that isn't sufficient to make it a good product. "It is stagnated, it stopped in the 80's". says Gomes. The renewed competition among networks might be a chance for rejuvenating the genre. "It will open up the field for authors, actors, directors. Who knows, competition might give the nave/as new horizons, and take them out of the current doldrums".

Bruna Lombardi and Paulo Belli in 0 Firn do Mundo

10

Making sure that all that money doesn't go down the drain, the networks' professionals have to stretch their talents and exert controls unheard of in past seasons. Take the changes at Globo's news department. Quality has been the new buzzword, and not only for the prime time news, but also for the early evening local newscasts and the late night national show.

Globo's Operations vice-president, the allpowerful Jose Bonifacio de Oliveira Sobrinho, or Boni, wanted to make absolutely sure that the new standards would be strictly met. But he was too busy to spare time flying to Sao Paulo from his base in Rio de Janeiro to inspect the new set for the late night Jornal da Globo. No sweat: the complete set was sent to Rio and assembled on the same floor in Boni's office building.

Once approved by the boss, it was dismantled and sent back to Sao Paulo to its permanent studio.

Boni is also pointed out as the "inventor" of a sort of interactive TV. Globo's viewers were presented with a choice of three feature movies and could choose their favorite through a toll free call to the network. The movie chosen would be on the air the next night. But that requires the use of a telephone, a staple of modern life that is behind TV sets in a proportion of 3-to- I in Brazilian homes.

For viewers with less choice, Globo spiked the content of some shows. It brought back from retirement the popular comic Chico Anisio and his cast of crude, predictable characters in a time slot preferred mostly by the lower middle class and working families. On the other end of the spectrum, and disguised as refined theaterBRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

for-TV, Globo is now producing the works of the late playwright Nelson Rodrigues. In his own time, Rodrigues was known for being polemic, to say the least, with his cast of philanderers, prostitutes, and illegitimate children. Nudity also has a chance, here, but that's not exactly a novelty on Brazilian TV (see box).

Nude or fully clothed pretty women have always helped ratings in Brazil, and that set off a tug-ofwar between Globo and SBT for the contract of Angelica, hostess of a children's show that was sweeping the afternoon's audience with cartoon reruns associated to her hard work and mini-skirts.

Blonde, pretty and softspoken, Angelica was trying to emulate, on SBT, a format inaugurated by former model Xuxa at Globo: lots of singing, prizes, and plays in a show with a live audience of elementary school-age kids.

Extremely successful, Xuxa could afford to cut short her schedule at Globo and get by with syndication of her reruns.

Viewers flocked to Angelica, live on air everyday at SBT. Globo TV reached out to her, and last April Angelica swapped studios.

Globo also reached into its deep pockets to try and buy out from SBT the entertainer that is eroding Sunday's most valuable time slots. But, this time, it was no go. Gouge Liberate, a trained journalist turned animator de auditor, a sort of talk-show, variety show host combination, followed in the footsteps of the network owner, the ever-smiling Silvio Santos. He works his Sunday show with one eye on his live audience and the other on a TV set tuned to the rival Globo TV and turned towards BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

R and Xtra All in a day's w Nudity, rough language, adult themes? Compared to American standards, prime time Brazilian TV could be rated a solid R, and that's nothing new to local viewers. It has been ten years now since female pubic hair was first displayed during prime time, innocently in a commercial for a showerhead manufacturer.

The take was as brief as a second and the model was just in a corner of the picture, but the debate it generated in the press made sure that nobody missed it, and guaranteed handsome returns for Lorenzetti, the advertiser. Today a commercial like that would be a yawner. Nudity has already dominated the battle for ratings and the skin displays have come closer up, become more detailed and are taking bigger slices of time on the screen. < Hints of things to come were appearing in the closing act of one of the most successful comedy acts on Globo TV, the Monday night "Viva o Gordo" (Hurray for the Fatso), in the early 80s. Jo Soares, now converted to a late night interviewer, would tease the audience with a beautiful model ready to get undressed, with the act being predictably interrupted by some comic incident.

When Jo packed up his show and moved to rival SBT, the tease was readily completed with a strip that became a staple during his comedy hour. But those were programs for time slots when most kids and many adults were already in bed, and the battle for ratings started early on, during the nailelas tucked before and after the 8 o'clock news.

But the most 'creative' act came from now almost defunct Manchete network. Why not stage a soap in the fringes of the rainforest? The naturalistic theme was a score with viewers, not only for the green outdoors but because the main characters frequently had to take a break from the location's hot weather going skinny-dipping in the nearest creek. Globo TV's reaction was 'in-yourface', and the opening credits of its next main soap opera, Tieta, would show a big pair of breasts dancing on the screen, day in and day out for a whole six month season.

Since that, it's getting harder to find an audience shocker. That's probably why an educational campaign for the use of condoms had the actor talking to his penis (the penis wasn't displayed, though), or a lingerie manufacturer sells its product with scenes of a same-sex marriage with bride and groom, both female, in their underwear.

Manchete TV, the one that innovated with the nude swims, had its Carnaval coverage in February open every night with a female dancer wearing only body paint and lipstick. And that's not much, since explicit, X-rated movies can be now watched on Bandeirantes network, every Saturday at midnight.

11

Pay TV: Reinventing the medium

The enterprises's initial investment is estimated at $500 million. They will be associated to the DirectTV system, capable of delivering 72 video and 30 audio channels. TVA wishes to sign up close to 200,000 subscribers yet this year, and reach the 5 million mark by the turn of the century, leapfrogging the deployment of the more traditional cable TV. Not to be outdone, Globo network is also workThe hottest thing on TV, in Brazil, does not ing in the area and prepares an August launch of a come through the airwaves anymore, but through similar service, in association with Rupert cable. Or microwave. Or the new small satellite Murdoch's News Corporation and Mexico's dishes. As a common denominator they have the Televisa. restricted access â&#x20AC;&#x201D; it's the TV paga, or pay-TV, the The presence of such heavy-weights scared fastest growing segment of the economy in Brazil. away the competition in the area. When the BrazilIt doesn't come cheap: basic service with four ian telecommunications autarchy, Embratel, started channels (two HBOs, MTV and ESPN Brasil) starts to organize the distribution of the digital channels at over $25 monthly after steep activation fees in the beginning of 1995, four local companies ranging from $300 to $900, destepped forward pending on the system. But the proCasa voci fat pan with an eye on the viders can hardly keep up with the assinat a MUM? business. It took a demand. meeting of the AusOne and a half million homes tralian Murdoch and already have pay-TV in Brazil, and Globo's eternal if the number looks small, the pace owner Roberto Maof its introduction is not. It is estirinho, in July of that mated that the number will reach year, to narrow the the 2 million mark by December field to only one '96, twice as many as at the end of more participant, Masada attara 1995. Only the Internet shows a Abril's TVA partdi:posh/41a itanansioak faster growth rate, but nobody has Oa DIRICIV> nership. made money off it, yet. On pay-TV Abril has rounthe money glistens. Its estimated ded up the largest proceeds, this year, should reach circle of partners, so $1 billion. far. Besides the ones The newest sector is the digital in the mini-dish satellite TV, the one that employs Voci assina e business, TVA has the 21-inch mini dish and reaches a resole* comeca.

11 other foreign inpaying subscribers anywhere in the vestors. In the group country without the need of caAbrii holding company, bling poles. It is a fairly new gadnamed TEVECAP, get even in the US, where it was introduced less are mostly the Americans: Chase Manhattan Bank, than two years ago, and it has yet to be commerFalcon Cable, ABC-Disney and Hearst Comcially available in Europe or Asia. But since July 1 5 munications. In the sub-holding that works with it started being installed cable TV in the profitin Brazilian homes, by a able Sao Paulo rural consortium led by the market are the Canapublishing giant Editora dians Greensyan and Abril.

Bell Canada. TVA's The first to get the Porto Alegre, in the mini-dish, and as a gift, South, is associated c' was Brazil's president with Transglobal, and Fernando Henrique Carin the North, with doso. He was present at Warburg Pincus, both the opening, in June, of from the US. They all the transmission center benefit from the regubuilt in Sao Paulo by lation for the pay-TV TVA, the company companies, that lets started by the Abril group foreign money hold up Roberto Civita and president C in partnership with the to 83% of these comAmerican Hughes Companies' capital â&#x20AC;&#x201D; as munications, a GM sublong as the remaining sidiary, and two other biggies in Latin American 1 7% of the investment is coughed up by Brazilians TV markets, the Mexican Univision, and Veneand it represents half plus 1% of the voting sharezuela's Grupo Cisneros. holders.

12 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

him in the aisle, so he can break for commercials on the spot, as soon as the other network does it.

Gouge doesn't want his viewers, at home, to flick the dial to the competitor during the breaks.

His staff also has access to instant audience ratings, provided by electronic boxes attached to 600 TV sets. Gouge watches the audience meter during the performance of a singer or the news breaks on his show. If the numbers start to slip down he cuts short whatever is on the air and comes back to the stage with his smile and a new subject.

That's harder to do during the novelas, the Brazilian equivalent of American soap-operas. Once mostly tear-jerkers produced in Mexico, the novelas were updated during the late 70's with the introduction of social themes and, moved from the late afternoon time slots, taking over most of prime time. A common schedule on Brazilian TV includes the 6 p.m. novela, the 7 p.m. novela, a break for the 8 o'clock national news, and then back to more novela.

They don't have the longevity of American soaps, that run for decades, but their season-long length seems to drag on forever. Or, at least, until the audience gets tired of the story. Ifthe ratings are good, the story keeps going. Once they dip, it's curtains down. Globo has had a comfortable lead here, and, to stay ahead, it innovates with the introduction of costly, but short, mini-novelas (see box).

SBT tried to hook the audience with historic,

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classic themes in its soaps, but never captured more than a tenth of the viewers. Now it is swinging the story lines towards contemporary themes. In the late afternoon, SBT tries to tease teenagers with Collage Brazil ("Brazilian High School"), a mix of pimples, heart-breakers and lost homework. Later in the evening they had slated a novelty not in theme but in the merchandising of the novela.

The story of the soap Antonio Alves, o Taxista ("Antonio Alves, the taxi driver") included takes in Sao Paulo and in Buenos Aires, Argentina, making it a good candidate for syndication in other Latin American markets. But one of their main attractions, "Kiss ofthe Spider Woman" bombshell Sonia Braga, didn't like her character's turn of fate and decided to abandon the set. Nothing new to Brazilian viewers. It is common that, if management can't work out an actor's new contract with the network, his Character suddenly goes on a trip, never to return.

This time, rather than the characters, Brazilian viewers have embarked on a trip set up by the networks and their backers. And even though some of the changes in programming have been hurried by the modern, high tech TV from the satellites, the way the new syndicated foreign shows and movies are going to be delivered will resemble more TV's beginnings than its current state, in Brazil. Instead of being dubbed in Portuguese, as is the current custom, they will carry subtitles —just like the first episodes of "I Love Lucy" in the late 50's.

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BEYOND SICKENING I just want to let you know how upset and disgusted I got when I received your June issue and saw and read the article on Love, Sex and Prostitution. I have been receiving this magazine for a couple of years now and never in that time have I read anything so disgusting and perverted.

I felt I was reading an X-rated story, words and description that were used were just too much.

I was also very embarrassed because I paid to have this magazine sent to a friend who grew up in Brazil and has been living in the States for quite sometime now, and I found out this was the first magazine she got. I myself have lived in Brazil for a couple of years and find that there is so much more for the US public to know about Brazil than sex and prostitution and its availability. If this is what you want the US public to know about your wonderful country, then I am very disappointed in your choices for stories. I will continue to read your magazine, though, because I want to stay in tune with Brazil.

Kevi Williams Covina, California HERE'S MY BEEF

Dear, Brazzil: Like the new name.

Glad you haven't changed the subscription rate, as it's time for me to renew. $3 check enclosed. I have only one complaint. I realize that as black-and-white only you feel compelled to make it as graphically interesting as possible with such a limitation. However, I find it hard on my eyes and quite a turnoff when I have to read an article which is printed white type on black background. Also gray/ screened backgrounds are almost as annoying. I like your irreverent style though.

Glenn Hauser Enid, Oklahoma

WHAT'S IN A NAME Congratulations on your name and look! Much more snazzzzy and modern.

David de Hilster SambaLei President Long Beach, California COLOR AND SPEED I would like to thank you for bringing me Brazzil every month. I read every issue from cover to cover! I hope one day to see the magazine in a color format. I'm sure the change would make Brazzil an even bigger success. I would like to see more sports coverage, namely auto racing, surfing and soccer. Brazilians are making a lot of progress in these areas.

In auto racing we had the legendary You are ins lied to participate in this dialogue.

Write to: Letters to the l'ublisher Raffia 42536 Los Angeles, CA 00050-0536 01 send E-mail to: braizil a brattil.com bratilnel%s a aol.com Plcae. include a phone nunthei in the es oil %e need to reach von I hanks!

Ayrton Sepna and currently have Andre Ribeiro, Emerson Fittipaldi, Christian Fittipal di, Roberto Moreno and Gil de Ferran.

In surfing we have Victor Ribas, Renan Rocha, Fabio Gouveia, Jojo Olivenca, Guilherme Herdy, Peterson Rosa, and Renato Wanderley. Of course Brazil will always be known for its soccer champions. If anyone shares an interest in surfing I would enjoy corresponding with them.

Jeffrey Peden Box 333, Dorm. 77-C-261 Raiford, Florida 32083

Curtis M. Romey Quincy, Massachusetts BUSTLING WITH BRAZILIANS

A PLACE IN WASHINGTON The editors of washingtonpost.com, the electronic version of the Washington Post, have determined that your Web site is of interest to our audience. We currently have linked to you site so that washingtonpost.com users can get the valuable information you have to offer. Please check out our site (http://www.washingtonpost.com ) and Email me if you have any question.

Diane Hurley Marketing Manager

Your publication is still the best that I have found in the US. The Brazilian population and activity has really picked up in Miami in the past few years. Florida's greatest trade partner is now Brazil. We are planning on a New Vision II festival for November. There is a wonderful line up of Brazilian artists. Let us know if you can get out here to cover it.

Mary Luft, Director Tigertail Productions Miami, Florida "THAT'S BRAZILIAN" HAS IT

UK EYES ON US We are producing a CD-ROM for UK schools with fun web sites with educational value. There are still a lot of schools which are not on the Net in the UK. This will enable pupils to get a taste of what they can find on the WWW and will provide ideas on how to create their own pages. We are particularly interested in your site and would be pleased if you could E-mail your permission for using your material. We will be including 500 of the best sites in the world.

Nick Goddard WebL earn Ltd nick-g@dircon.co.uk

FROM THE HEART We want to share your magazine with more of our Brazilian friends. They aren't familiar with it and it will be a nice surprise for them, so this is a gift from us (we've done this before with other friends and they're very happy). We are sure they will continue with the subscription because all of us have saudade. You bring a little bit of Brazil to our hearts and that is greatly appreciated.

Here is a check for their first exciting year in the world of Brazzil.

Felipe & Dirlene Sanchez Garden Grove, California

25¢ A COPY

BRAZIL TOUCH I really enjoy your magazine. I grew up in Brazil and deeply love the country.

Getting you magazine in the mail every month is like getting a present from Brazil.

I'm moving for the summer, so to continue receiving Brazzil I'm changing my address.

I was happy to see the article on the national drink in the July issue. But I was kind of hoping you might give information on how one can buy/order cachaca in the States. I live in Phoenix, Arizona and haven't found it anywhere here. Socorro!

(Help!)

Mary Anne Critz Phoenix, Arizona OLYMPIC ROOTING I've been living in Sweden for four years now. Since last year when I got the first Brazzil (it was called News from Brazil) I wanted to write something. I teach Portuguese at Folk University in Gothemburg.

Last year I worked as team attachĂŠ to Brazil and met our Brazilian athletes. I want to send Robson , da Silva, Zeca Barbosa, Joaquim Cruz, Edson de Oliveira and all the others who live in the US my best regards and wish them big luck in Atlanta. A special hug to my friend Kenji Hughes who subscribes the magazine for me.

Maria Clara Neto Andersson Goteborg, Sweden For info: (213) 255-4953

E-Mail: brazzil@brazzil.com Sorry, no credit cards.

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residential reelection has been an inserted the rule of no presidential on-again off-again issue in Brazil reelection. And despite the adopover the past several months. In the tion of five new constitutions over last three months or so the debate the course of history, this principle has picked up steam with national remained entrenched in all of them. surveys of public opinion on the issue and the The most recent constitution, promedia's scrutiny of president Fernando Henrique mulgated in 1988, also attached sigCardoso's behavior and what it tells us about his nificant importance to the principle intentions. of no-reelection, but instead of dePoliticians in the Chamber of Deputies and ciding outright, the writers of the the Senate (the lower and upper house of the 1988 constitution scheduled a conBrazilian national legislature, respectively) have stitutional reform period, to occur run the gamut of political positioning on this five years after the promulgation of issue. Some are in favor of allowing the presithe 1988 document. At this time the dent to run for immediate reelection. Others are then national legislature voted on vehemently opposed to the idea. Still others are President Fernando an amendment that would have altaking a more cautious approach, waiting for the Henrique Cardoso's lowed reelection. They voted it political winds to tell them what they should do. down. recent announcement On a trip to Argentina in mid April, Fernando Since 1985, newly democratic that he was interested Henrique Cardoso met with Argentine president Brazil has been undergoing a tranin seeking a second Carlos Menem who spoke openly that Cardoso sition period where new values are term in office has should be allowed to run for reelection in Brazil. replacing old ones and new institusparked a debate about Menem, you may recall, modified the constitutional arrangements are gaining adthe current presidential tion in his own country and was elected to a herents, both in the public and in electoral system. Since second term. Cardoso took charge and publicly the political elite. Brazil is living a 1889, the inception of displayed his support for the idea, making it time of intense institutional scruthe republic, there is a clear that he would like to run for president again tiny. It is therefore, relevant and in 1998 and stay in office until the year 2002. provision preventing a appropriate to weigh the merits and This placed the issue to a wider audience, the president to remain in demerits of the presidential elecpublic, whereas before it had remained almost power for more than toral arrangement currently in place exclusively in the realm of backstage politics. one consecutive as well as of what is being proCardoso's announcement has sparked an inmandate. The provision posed, namely to allow the presitense struggle between the government and opsome say is to prevent dent to run for immediate reelecposition forces within the national congress and despotism. tion. other politicians vying to position themselves But, does it work?

The disadvantages associated for the 1998 presidential election. This struggle with the principle of no reelection is played out, however, in a battlefield of constiMARIANO MAGALHAES are numerous. First of all there is no tutional reform bills under consideration by conway of holding accountable a presigress, primarily, although not exclusively, in dent who cannot be presented for relation to the archaic, inefficient and corrupt social security reelection. Such a president can neither be punsystem. ished by the voters by defeat nor rewarded for Cardoso's announcement also leads to questions about success by reelection with the same or larger vote why the current presidential electoral system, with the prothan in the previous election. A president who vision prohibiting the possibility of immediate reelection, cannot be reelected is unaccountable. has remained unchanged since the inception of the republic Second, a rapid turnover in power, after only in 1889. The issue of presidential reelection in Brazil also four years in the case of Brazil, can also have raises the questions: why have it? why not have it? In other dysfunctional consequences because no governwords, what are the purported advantages and ment can be assured the time to impledisadvantages of allowing a president to serve ment promises, to carry through beconsecutive terms in office? tween the two elections major proThe importance assigned to the no-reelecgrams of social change, to achieve irtion principle is pervasive throughout most of reversible changes in the society. The Latin America and has acquired a strong symrapid turnover in power also encourbolic value. The memory of lifelong rule by ages a sense of urgency that might lead nondemocratic rulers, caudillos and dictato ill-designed policies, rapid impletors, led to demands of no reelection. Atmentation, impatience with the oppotempts to change constitutional provisions sition, and expenditures that otherwise barring reelection efforts to assure what Latin would be distributed over a longer peAmericans call continuismo, have mobilized riod of time or policies that might conpublic opinion and at times have led to riots tribute to political tension and someand coups. times inefficacy.

The prospect of reelection of an incumThird, the principle of no reelecbent often has united presidential hopefuls of tion means that the political system quite opposite ideological positions, as some has to produce a capable and popular powerful Brazilian governors were united leader periodically and that the politiagainst Joao Goulart in 1964. A recent article cal capital accumulated by a successin Veja, a weekly newsmagazine, points out, ful leader cannot be used beyond the however, that if constitutional barriers to releader's term of office. Finally, the election were intended to eliminate dictatordesire for continuity may lead a presiship, history shows that they failed miserdent to look for a successor who will ably. A more plausible argument is that the not challenge him while he is in office. republican constitution adopted in 1891, modSuch a person is not necessarily the eled after the United States constitution, remost capable and attractive candidate. flected the fact that up to that point Brazil was On the other hand, the adoption of ruled by a monarch. the principle of no reelection almost Thus the drafters of the new constitution guarantees that the president will try to

p

Four more Years?

16 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

make a positive mark right away and work very hard to achieve that goal.

No reelection also means the possible healthy alternation in power of different political parties and politicians.

The adoption of a rule allowing reelection also carries with it disadvantages and advantages. First, in the case of Brazil, eight years might be too many. Second, it runs contrary to the Brazilian tradition of setting legal obstacles to continuist temptations. Third, the possibility of reelection provides incentives to use the state apparatus and spend public funds irresponsibly in an effort to win a second term in office. According to Brazilian political scientist Bolivar Lamounier, "If many holders of executive positions already spend so much to get their successor elected, what will happen when they are running for office themselves?"

Another negative is the possibility of abusing the executive apparatus in electoral campaigns, which already occurs in favor of specific candidates supported by the government. Likewise, how much more will this be abused if the incumbent is the candidate. Fourth, it may lead to the feudalization of local power in the hands of local and state leaders for very long periods of time. On the other hand, four years may be perceived as too few. Reelection also allows continuity in government programs. It also stabilizes rules and reinforces domestic and foreign confidence in the regime. Finally, the electorate has the opportunity to judge the president at the end of his (or her) term in office.

Of course the debate goes beyond the realm of abstract pros and cons and into the field of practicing politicians who are constantly trying to gain the best possible political position for themselves and their parties. The initial reaction to the president's announcement was not uniform. The most vocal supporter of Cardoso's bid for reelection was, and is, the PSDB, the Brazilian Social Democratic Party, of which the president is a member.

The leaders of the PSDB would like to see the next administration continue the policy orientation initiated by Cardoso. What better way to assure this than to have Cardoso himself back in the office for another four years? But even within his own party there are dissidents. Ciro Gomes, former governor ofthe northeastern state of Ceara and currently a visiting researcher at Harvard University, publicly denounced the president's intentions to pursue a constitutional reform measure to allow him to run again in 1998.

In April, Cardoso sought to make allies out of the current governors and mayors. The current state governors, however, realized how difficult it would be for the proposal to pass in the Senate, where a large number of senators have their eyes on the elections for governorship in 1998, and balked at throwing their support behind Cardoso. In the meantime, Cardoso received the enthusiastic support of 600 mayors from around the country who convened in Brasilia to meet with the president.

The mayor of the city of Sao Paulo, Paulo Maluf, had supported the idea of changing the constitution to allow for executive reelections even before the president openly endorsed it. Maluf supported the idea not out of loyalty to the president or because he thinks the president is doing a good job. Maluf s political ambitions dictate his position. Paulo Maluf is seeking to make true the old adage: the third time is a charm.

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

Twice Maluf ran unsuccessfully for president, once in 1985 against Tancredo Neves, and again in 1989, an election in which he didn't even make it into the second round.

Maluf initially supported the proposal because he felt that he could get reelected as mayor of Sao Paulo in the upcoming October elections, and run for president in 2002 using two terms as sao Paulo mayor as credentials. Maluf withdrew his support when he realized that there was no time left to change the electoral rules for the elections this year. In addition, he feels that next year most political parties will have their presidential candidates picked out and will be less likely to support the president's plans to alter the constitution.

The most serious opposition to the idea of changing the constitution to allow the president to serve consecutive terms in office comes from the other political parties, including the PFL, the Liberal Front Party, which helped elect Cardoso in 1994 and is part of the government base in his cabinet and the national congress. The powerful governor of Bahia and one of the leaders of the PFL, Antonio Carlos Magalhaes, publicly displayed his displeasure, a sentiment echoed by Inocencio Oliveira, leader of the PFL in the Chamber of Deputies, who voiced his concern that the government was playing a dangerous game that could have grave consequences for the administration.

PFL leaders politely informed the president that he didn't have a leg to stand on in congress when it comes to this issue. The PMDB, the largest party in congress, the PPB, Paulo Maluf s party, and the PFL would only agree to consider the proposal beginning in 1997. The president of the Senate, Jose Sarney (who governed Brazil between 1985 and 1990), was also opposed. Sarney's opposition is due to his less than subtle aspirations to return to the presidency in 1998. Not Unlike Sarney, former president Itamar Franco declared his opposition to the idea arguing that allowing reelection precludes the "alternation of parties and men in exercising executive authority."

The president of the PMDB, Paes de Andrade, joined forces with Franco in publicly declaring his opposition to the proposal. To further complicate matters for the president, most of the business sector, which has benefited greatly during the one and a half years of the Cardoso administration, also failed to support the president's plan.

Jose Ermirio de Moraes, head of Votorantim, Brazil's biggest private conglomerate, dismissed the idea that the reelection issue might delay the other reforms and said he would vote for Cardoso again. On the other side, the powerful Federation of Industries of the State of Sao Paulo (FIESP) openly questioned the president's timing. According to FIESP, the debate over the reelection issue is very inconvenient at this point, when more significant legislation is being discussed in congress. For them the idea seems dead in the water.

But since mid April, the issue has reappeared time and again. Most importantly, it has resurfaced in the form of two projects introduced in the lower house of congress. The first was presented by federal deputy Mendonca Filho and it involves amending the 1988 17

constitution to allow reelection of all executive posts.

The most difficult part, however, is that a constitutional amendment requires a majority of three fifths of the members of the lower house instead of a simple majority, which is what is needed for passage of ordinary legislation.

Support of this magnitude is hard to muster especially in a country like Brazil where party loyalty is practically nonexistent and the president has to negotiate with almost each member of congress. The second piece of legislation, introduced by deputy Marcio Fortes (PSDB-Rio de Janeiro), requires only a simple majority vote and calls for a national plebiscite in which Brazilians would decide the fate of the issue.

As ordinary legislation this naturally appeals to the president. Furthermore, in this project a "yes" vote in the plebiscite would automatically change the constitution.

Again, obstacles emerge. This time the Supreme Federal Tribunal (the Brazilian supreme court) claimed that 1) a national plebiscite itself requires a constitutional amendment and 2) even if a plebiscite took place and the "yes" vote prevailed, a constitutional amendment would still be required to confirm the citizens' preferred choice.

The Cardoso administration, in recent weeks, has decided to lay low on the issue. Public displays of support, especially by the president, fuel the opposition. Even the Minister of Communications, Sergio Motta, the most ardent and vocal supporter of presidential reelection, whether it be via plebiscite or constitutional amendment, has toned down his public pronouncements in favor of conducting business behind the scenes.

The decision to step back and let the issue settle down for the moment was also the result of the administration's attitude that government performance, and not rhetoric, will pave the way to a positive result in congress.

Cardoso himself has shifted gears and in an interview on the Radio Gaucha (a radio station from the state of Rio Grande do Sul) on July 2 the president argued that the government needs seven years to solve national problems. In his words, "God needed seven days to make the world. I am not God. For a mere mortal, it will be necessary seven years." The new strategy adopted by the president appears to coincide with the fact that government performance will be one key to the success of any proposal to change the constitution in the president's favor.

Along these lines and despite serious divisions between the PFL and the PSDB in the main states of the southeast, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, and in congress, the president is banking on the success of the PSDB candidates in the municipal elections of October 3. Especially in Sao Paulo, where the PSDB candidate, Jose Serra (former Minister of Planning), is running second in public opinion polls to former Sao Paulo mayor and PT (Workers' Party) candidate Luiza Erundina.

The election of Jose Serra in Sao Paulo, and a more generalized success nationwide, would accomplish three goals: first, it would serve as a positive vote on the Real plan and the Cardoso government; second, it would provide continued support for the president at the state level; and third, it would eliminate potential opponents in the 1998 presidential election, mainly Paulo Maluf. If the PSDB achieves these goals, there should be fewer obstacles in the national congress to holding a national plebiscite or voting on a constitutional amendment. But Cardoso's primary concern has to be with his government's ability to deliver on promises made during the presidential election campaign in 1994.

It is difficult to entertain the notion of accepting a change to the institutional arrangement of the presi-

dency disassociated from the current president and how well he performs in office. This occurred on April 21, 1993, when Brazilians voted to keep the presidential form of government (55%) over implementing a parliamentary system (25%). Congressional opinion between mid 1991 and December 1992, according to an IDESP opinion poll, confirmed substantial support for parliamentarism, and this trend was clearly associated with sharply negative evaluations of President Collor's performance.

An IDESP survey of the public at large showed that the parliamentarist option was most attractive to voters who were strongly opposed to Collor. The parliamentarist option eventually failed primarily because the vast majority of the Brazilian electorate said they wanted to vote directly for the head of government, not an option in the parliamentarist proposal. What does this tell us about FHC's chances to change the constitution so that he can run for president again in 1998?

In a public opinion poll conducted by InformEstado in mid April and published in the daily newspaper 0 Estado de S. Paulo, respondents were asked whether they favored the approval of a constitutional amendment that would allow reelection to executive posts.

According to the results, 62 percent of the respondents (the sample consisted only of residents of the state of sao Paulo) favored it in general, that is for all executive posts.

On the other hand, 65 percent thought that the issue was taking time and energy away from efforts to gain congressional approval of other more important constitutional reforms. This high level of support shouldn't be surprising since at the time the poll was conducted the president enjoyed an approval rate of roughly 66% in the state of Sao Paulo (reported in the Latin American Regional report: Brazil).

Since mid April, the government has been hit hard by the media and its perceived inability to gain passage of important bills in congress, not to mention the negative public reaction to the administration's lackadaisical efforts to curb rural violence and deal with the issue of land reform. More importantly, Brazilians feel that Cardoso has not kept his campaign promises. In a survey conducted by Istot/Brasmarket with 4,789 respondents from 14 capitals and concluded on June 12, less than 18 percent rated the government "good" or "very good."

On the other hand, four out of every five respondents rated the Cardoso administration "regular" or "terrible." Cardoso, the individual, still receives high marks. More than half the sample "approve" of the president. The government received its worst ratings in the area of job creation (75% of respondents feel that the president failed to fulfill his campaign pledge), followed by personal safety (60%), and by agriculture (52%). It shouldn't come as a surprise then that in a national plebiscite only 30.5 percent would vote in favor of letting the president serve two consecutive terms while 52 percent would vote against it.

It remains to be seen whether Fernando Henrique Cardoso can reverse course and gain greater popular support. If the public begins to see the government fulfilling its promises, the likelihood of giving the president what he wants increases, which is a chance to run again in 1998. But even if his support increases, it remains to be seen whether this will translate into greater support in the national congress.

As the 1998 presidential election approaches, and in the aftermath of the October municipal elections, potential candidates will begin to emerge and their parties will become less likely to vote in favor of a constitutional amendment that would allow Cardoso to run again in 1998 â&#x20AC;&#x201D; with the likely exception of the PSDB. In this case, Cardoso's hopes rest on a national plebiscite whose outcome rests not in the president's ability to deliver on his 1994 campaign promises. â&#x20AC;˘

18 8FtAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

"We are, in fact, the new Rome, but a better one — renewed by the blood of the Negro and purified by the blood of the Indian."

"The economy is doing very badly. though. The consequences to the formula used by Fernando Henrique to fight inflation are rampant unemployment and high cost of living."

"Brazilians are wonderful! What is bad is the dominant class. They are ferocious, and play the role of consuls in defense of foreign interests."

MARTA ALVIM

For 30 years Darcy Ribeiro wrote and rewrote 0 Povo Brasileiro — A Formacclo e o Sentido do Brasil (The Brazilian People — The Makeup and the Meaning of Brazil).

In the end, it took him only 40 days to put the book together, pressed as he was by the urgency of a dying man. Having been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Darcy (at the time being treated at Hospital Samaritano in Rio) convinced his doctor to let him go home briefly in order to get some papers. He promised to return to the hospital, instead, with the help of an assistant, he headed for the seaside town of Maria., where, he keeps a house for weekend retreats.

A year and a half later, this 73 year old Mineiro (from the state of Minas Gerais) is not only very much alive, but 0 Povo Brasileiro has become a classical of Brazilian anthropological and social historiography.

Not that everybody agrees with his theories. His critics dismiss his nationalistic rhetoric as being old and out of touch with today's economic and cultural reality that has to be considered within a global context. They also accuse him of being an authoritarian legislator, therefore a member of the same elite he so much criticizes What is certain, however, is that Darcy Ribeiro can't be ignored and has a profound BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

impact on anyone who has read his writing. Unlike other social scientists who stick to methodological analyses, Darcy's work is filled with passion: His unconditional love for Brazil ("The most beautiful province on Earth") and the Indians ("superior beings") and his furor over the evils of the dominant classes.

In his private life he brags about being a womanizer ("One should always have three girlfriends at the same time") and exudes self satisfaction, while keeping a frantic pace as far as his intellectual production is concerned.

In his latest book, Diarios Indios (Indian Diaries) â&#x20AC;&#x201D; to be released this month â&#x20AC;&#x201D; he gives an account of his experience with the Urubu-Kaapor Indians ("The most violent tribe in Brazil") with whom he lived for almost two years. In the United States, the University of Florida will be publishing 0 Povo Brasileiro together with his Estudos de Antropologia da Civilizaccio, consisting of six books and considered the most comprehensive study about the Americas.

First of all, Senator, how is your health?

Beautiful, just beautiful!

It seems you take to heart your title as an immortal... (Darcy Ribeiro has a seat at the Brazilian Academy of Letters, whose members are called imortais, i.e., immortals.)

Well... Cancer is manageable, something I have to live with. Worse than that is the diabetes I didn't know I had, and that could've killed me. Being on a diet for diabetes seems to have improved the cancer. My general health is good, and I am smiling.

economic and political situation in Brazil?

Look, politically, Brazil has a very likable and handsome President; we all like him. He is a respected intellectual and he doesn't steal, which is all very nice. The economy is doing very badly, though. Fernando Henrique was very successful when he created a new national currency and put a stop to inflation, but the consequences to the formula used by him to fight these problems are rampant unemployment and high cost of living. That is forcing small businesses into bankruptcy and the unemployment rate is one of the worst ever. Consequently, hunger, delinquency and juvenile prostitution are getting worse in Brazil. Even the President acknowledges that the medicine is killing the patient.

What would be the cure to the problem?

Damned if I know. I am not the President, it's his problem.

How would you describe your political militancy?

I'm a man with a labor tradition, which is the best Brazilian tradition, politically speaking. It dates from 1930, when Gettllio Vargas seized power and changed the face of Brazil. Until then, there had been 12 presidents, of which 10 were graduated from the Escola de Direito (Law School) in Sao Paulo.

I mean, they were an oligarchical group of coffee growers who had total control over the Republic. Getfilio came along and changed all that. He created an ample labor legislation that established the 8-hour day, the right to vacation and to strikes, and guaranteed the minimum salary. Furthermore, the defended the national interests against foreigners.

I belong to this working and nationalistic tradition, which, incidentally, was also Jango's (Joao Goulart, President of Brazil from 1962 to 1964, when he was deposed by the military coup). During Jango's administration, I was both Minister of Education and Culture (in 1962) and Chief of the Civil Cabinet (in 1963/64), which is the equivalent of being Prime-Minister.

Since you went back to work, is there any new project you have been working on?

Yes, I've been working really hard on the 'Lei de Diretrizes e Bases,' which deals with Brazilian education in general. It has been passed by Congress, and will now be debated at the Chamber of Deputies (Brazil's Lower House). I'm doing my best to have this law passed as soon as possible, because it will Small open a new horizon for education in Brazil.

What is the core of the project?

It's a very complex project that will organize and establish rules for the educational system, encompassing all levels: primary, secondary and superior. Its purpose is to make sure that Brazil fulfills its obligation to its children and provides schools that can teach the poor how to read and write. The child who comes from an uneducated family needs fulltime schooling as found in countries such as the United States, Japan and Germany.

Years ago, this crazy system was created in Brazil, which consists of school shifts â&#x20AC;&#x201D; one, two, three shifts... That's fine for the middle class child, who can succeed because there is someone to teach him at home. However, when the family is uneducated, the child fails. Basically, Brazilian schools are very hostile to the poor population, and that's what I am trying to change.

What is your opinion about the present

businesses are being forced into bankruptcy and the unemployment rate is one of the worst ever.

Consequently, hunger, delinquency and juvenile prostitution are getting worse in Brazil.

You were also a member of the Communist Party. Why did you leave the Party?

Oh, that was when I was a student. Once you leave school, your thoughts change a bit, but what really changed me and scared the hell out of me was Getfilio's suicide. Just imagine, the most beloved man in Brasil blows his heart out with a gun shot at the age of 72.

Why did he kill himself? It was the pressure from the media, who were raising false accusations against him. They, along with the military and foreign interests, were leading to a situation where Getillio would've ended up being ousted by a coup. Instead of accepting that situation, he did the unexpected and shot himself in the heart.

How do you see the fall of communism all over the world?

I think that it was bound to happen. Everything was so hierarchic, so bureaucratic... Bureaucracy is worse than communism, and when you put bureaucracy and communism together, it's uma merda (a shitty thing)!

20 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

How about Fidel Castro? Will he survive?

You can't compare Fidel with the others.

His revolution was more for the Cuban people than for ideology. Cuba is the only country in Latin America where everybody has something to eat every day. Even with the current crisis, every child is in school and every sick person gets medical care. Basically, he did wonderful things for Cuba. Before, the country was a mere brothel of the United States.

Fidel changed Cuba's image, and the people are proud of him.

Of course, he has to come down some day — he has been in power for too many years. What he can't do is to open the game to any opportunist and allow Cuba to regress to its original situation. What the United States has been trying to do to Cuba for 35 years is a sacana gem (an immoral act; dirty trick)! One may even agree that Fidel is a despot, but he is a minuscule despot against the giant.

What the United States has been trying to do to Cuba for 35 years is a sacana gem (an immoral act; dirty trick)! One may even agree that Fidel is a despot, but he is a minuscule despot against the giant.

You have innumerable facets: anthropologist, ethnologist, educator, novelist, poet, 'immortal'... Which area fulfilled you the most?

I liked everything I did. For 10 years I lived with the Indians in the jungle, and those were the best years of my life. Later, I spent 10 years working with education and that was good, too. I was dean of Universidade de Brasilia, which, incidentally was created by me. I also had many years of political militancy, which led to my expulsion from Brazil by the reactionaries. Back from exile I was elected vicegovernor of Rio de Janeiro and, later on, senator — which I also enjoy doing. My life has been very nice, and it's good that it's been so diverse. I'm also glad I had so much fun and so many girlfriends.

Any frustrations?

Of course, being exiled from your own country is a horrible thing. On the other hand, it gives you the chance to see your country in a way only possible if you are away from it. So, my horizons were expanded by this experience. Also, during my years in exile I had the chance to reform several universities, and I befriended many nice people. Upon my return to Brazil I was arrested, and that was bad, but I try to overcome the bad things. The most important thing in life is to keep one's heart light. For example, this is my second bout with cancer — the first time was 20 years ago. Then, I had one of my lungs pulled out; I threw it out and stepped on it. I survived. Now, I'm facing another type of cancer, but with a good chance to beat it. Life is great, as long as one doesn't lose the joy and the will to live, the testi° (sexual desire, literally; enthusiasm) for life...

Tell us about 0 Povo Brasileiro...

It took me 30 years to write this book. I had first written a huge book about the Brazilian people while in exile in Uruguay. When I finished it, I realized that wasn't anything new in it, that it was impossible to write about Brazil when I didn't have a theory to explain Brazil. But, I had a theory about the Americas, so I wrote 0 Processo BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

Civilizatorio, which is a reexamination of civilization in the past 10 thousand years. Later, I wrote As Americas e a Civilizacdo, where I explored the 500 years of the Americas' existence, and tried to explain what has happened to the Indians. Finally, there was 0 Dilema da America Latina, an explanation of my theories about the Americas. Only then did I return to my original book, which I rewrote three times. Eventually, when I was in the hospital — sick and schedule to die — I fled the Intensive Care Unit in order to finally write 0 Povo Brasileiro. I couldn't bear the thought of dying without finishing a book to which I had dedicated my entire life.

What made the book so successful?

I think that it was the fact that for the first time there was an explanation of how Brazilians came to be what they are; how throughout 500 years Indians and Blacks mixed with the Portuguese and other Europeans, and made this proud mestica (racially mixed) nation —in its face and in its soul. We are a nation that is emerging with a new civilization—tropical and mestica— and is recapturing the role of Rome. About two thousand years ago, some Roman soldiers left Latium and Etruria in order to Latinize the entire European continent, including the Iberian Peninsula. In Portugal and Spain they created two new languages — Portuguese and Spanish — that resisted a century of Arab domination. Fifteen hundred years later they crossed the ocean and came over here, and Latinized Blacks and Indians, as well as the Brazilian mestico, which today represents the largest Neo-Latin population. We are, in fact, the new Rome, but a better one — renewed by the blood of the Negro and purified by the blood of the Indian.

You ask yourself in the book: "Why is it that Brazil hasn't succeeded yet?" Why not, Senator?

Brazilians are a very good people, they are wonderful!

What is bad is the dominant class. They are ferocious, and play the role of consuls in defense of foreign interests.

With the exception of Getillio Vargas, there has never been anyone politically influential who was able to defend the interests of the Brazilian people. The United States, for example, came up with the Homesteader Act in 1860, which created millions of small land owners and was the basis of that nation's prosperity. Our laws date back to 1850, but unlike the North American Act, it doesn't give any rights to the settlers. In Brazil, he who has a piece of paper claiming title to the land has all the rights.

Recently, 19 peasants, who were just looking for a place to settle in the Amazon, where slaughtered by someone who had such a piece of paper. That's why the sem-terra (no-land) movement is the most important in Brazil. We have millions of people expelled from land that is otherwise unoccupied, who end up in the cities and are, now, starving in the favelas (shanty towns). The cheapest way to fight unemployment is by giving a man a small piece of land where he can produce enough to eat and live on. The small proprietorship is what guarantees peoples' prosperity and gives millions of families a hu• mane foundation.

21

espite its gold-rich soil Brazil was never capable of exploring the country's gold reserves to its fullest.

From discovery in 1500 up to 1882, the year of the Brazilian independence, official gold production was at a mere 2.69 tons per year. Between 1822 and 1889, the imperial period, this number improved slightly to 2.99. Production exploded in T995 with 75 tons but the better is still to come.

HELIO SHIMADA

Xf#*

Brazil is now experiencing a new gold rush. Many important world-class mining companies are disputing exploration areas in its territory. Brazilian mining companies owning legal rights to explore potential areas (exploration claims) are being aggressively asked to sell them or to accept partnerships. Some local mining specialists consider the situation the beginning of a new era in which Brazil will finally develop all of its potential for gold production. Experts believe that there still is a huge vein of undiscovered gold to be tapped. All that optimism, however, should be tempered with some less upbeat reality.

Brazil has been a gold producer since the 1500's when gold-bearing veins were discovered by the Portuguese close to the Jaragua Peak, a proterozoic quartzite mountain at the outskirts of Sao Paulo, now the biggest city in South America.

During the colonization, the search for gold in the newly discovered lands was stimulated by the Portuguese Crown, as Portugal, highly dependent on imports from England, had to equilibrate its trade balance.

Adventurers known as bandeirantes, leading the bandeiras (literally, flags), expeditions for gold exploration, were responsible for many important discoveries, mainly in the states of Minas Gerais, Goias and Mato Grosso. The majority of the new gold discoveries were shallow deposits, mineable by primitive methods. The bandeirantes also hunted Indians to sell them as slaves and contributed to define the present Brazilian western border, formerly limited by the Tordesillas Treatise, signed between Portugal and Spain.

The bandeirantes pushed the border thousands of miles to the west.

Immediately after the first discoveries, Portugal reserved to itself all the rights over the "gold veins and any other metal." In 1603, it was established the Regiment° das Terras Mineiras do Brasil (Statute of Brazil's Mining Lands), the first mining code in the Americas. According to that rule, metal mining was allowed to all interested people as long as they paid one fifth of the production to the government.

Mining land could also belong to the miner through the payment of taxes.

THE FIRST GOLD RUSH In 1690, an important gold district was discovered in Minas Gerais and it was founded the village of Vila Rica, presently a historical town named Ouro Preto. This discovery resulted in intense human migration for many years,

increasing the colony's population as a whole. That was the first gold rush in the country.

After 1764, gold production experienced a decline. The causes were the exhaustion of easily mineable deposits and the lack of mining techniques and financial resources to invest in profitable mining of deep veins. The total registered gold production of the colonial period (1500 to 1822), was about 866 tons, mainly produced between 1735 and 1754, giving an average of only 2.69 tons per year.

After the independence from Portugal, in 1822, the gold production continued its decline. Then, starting in 1824, the Imperial Government, convinced of the necessity of stronger financial and technological resources to save the mining industry, allowed foreign companies to mine gold.

Among several companies installed in Brazil, mainly of English origin, only two were successful: the Imperial Brazilian Mining Association, operating the Congo Soco Mine, and the St. John del Rey Mining Co., operating the Morro Velho Mine. Those two mines produced more than the half of the gold mined in Brazil between 1820 and 1860. The total amount of gold produced during the imperial period (1822 to 1889) was about 200 tons or an annual average of about 2.99 tons.

The production between 1889 and 1977 was mainly represented by mines in the Minas Gerais state, as Morro Velho, Passagem and smaller ones like Raposos, Faria, Bicalho and Bela Fama. The total of this period was about 363 tons, with a still low average of 4 tons per year. This estimate did not consider the production of newly discovered garimpo areas in the southwestern state of Para. Garimpos are gold or precious-stoneproducing areas mined by private diggers, known as garimpeiros.

Those garimpos were characterized by shallow and very rich gold bearing placer deposits associated to flood plains in the Tapaj6s river basin, mainly along its tributaries Jamanxim, Novo, Cui6Cuiti and Crepori rivers. Although hundreds of garim-

22 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

peiros were working there, their production only began to appear in the statistics after 1977, when it became important.

A SECOND GOLD RUSH Since 1967, mining is ruled by the Codigo de Mineractio (Mining Code). During the 1970s, the Brazilian government invested heavily in basic geological survey over almost all of the country. The result was the discovery of promising geological environments for gold and many other mineral resources. Typical gold-bearing units, the so-called greenstone belts, an association of basic-ultrabasic igneous rocks and metamorphic rocks of Archean age (older than 2.5 billion years) were identified in many regions.

Exploration projects carried out in some of those areas resulted in now important gold mines such as Jacobina and Fazenda Brasileira (Bahia state), Crixas (Goias state), Sao Bento (Minas Gerais state) and Igarape Bahia (Para state) among others. Gold mineralizations related to younger geological environments as some Proterozoic units (2.5 billion to 570 million years old) were also found. Such was the case of Novo Astro (Amapa state) and Morro do Ouro (Minas Gerais state). At the same time, the production from garimpos ofthe Tapajos region quickly increased after 1978, pushed by the elevation of gold prices that went up to $800 a troy ounce. It was like an explosion that brought out the second gold rush.

In the early 1980s, three new garimpo areas in the Eastern state of Para started to produce gold: Cumaru, Tucuma and the world-famous Serra Pelada. Serra Pelada was in Vale do Rio Doce Company's claim, a state-owned property and the Government then made a serious mistake, illegally allowing the garimpeiros to keep the area and to make a predatory mining. As a consequence, the garimpeiros, greatly influenced by some politicians and illegal entrepreneurs, felt in the right to violently invade any gold claim, mainly in the Amazon region. Serious conflicts have been common in the area and, unfortunately, there are now very few official guarantees against this situation. Garimpos, where hundreds of tons of mercury were dumped into stream without any control, also represent an environmental disaster to the country.

Between 1978 and 1990, about 781 tons of registered gold were produced and the garimpeiros were responsible for 86% of that amount.

The average jumped up to more than 65 tons per year. It is believed, however, that the real production was greater than the registered one, as smuggling and tax fraud were common. Some of the hidden gold was probably used to clean money from drug trafficking.

NO TO FOREIGN COMPANIES In 1988, a new Federal Constitution was written by Congress adopting an extremely nationalist position regarding the mineral resources.

The new Constitution only allows mining to Brazilian companies, owned by Brazilian citizens, or by foreign citizens living in Brazil.

Foreign mining companies were simply prohibited from mining in the country, except in the case of minority interest in Brazilian companies.

This restriction, allied to the world recession, causing the reduction in the consumption of mineral products, had an almost catastrophic effect on the Brazilian mining sector.

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

FOR MORE INFORMATION "Why Borges, L. F. mining in Brazil ?"Brazil Mineral, sao Paulo, April 1996, Special Issue, p. 19-27.

"Brazil, the fifth largest mineral producer of the Western World".

Brazil Mineral, Sao Paulo, April 1996, Special Issue, p. 6-15.

DNPM — Departa.mento Nacional da Producao Mineral. Sumari o Mineral 1994, Brasilia, 109 p.

Eschwege, W. I. Von — Pluto Braziliensis. Belo Horizonte, Ed. Itatiaia, 1979, v.1-2,527 p. (first ed. Berlin, 1833).

Goncalves, A. C. -"How to invest in Brazil and how to send money back". Brazil Mineral, sao Paulo, April 1996, Special Issue, p. 34-36.

Hermann, H. — "The rules of mining in Brazil". Brazil Mineral, sao Paulo, April 1996, Special Issue, p. 44-49.

Lestra, A. D. & Nardi, J. I. S. -- 0 Our° da Amazonia Ocidental: 0 Mito e a Realidade.

Beldm, Grafisa, 2nd ed., 1984, 395 p.

Paredes, S. & Novotny, R. —"Taxation of mining activity in Brazil."

Brazil Mineral, sao Paulo, April 1996, Special Issue, p. 37-41.

Santos, B. A. --- Amazonia: Potencial Mineral e Perpectivas de Desenvolvimento. Sao Paulo, T.A. Queiroz Editor : Editora da Universidade de sao Paulo, 1981, 256 p.

Santos, B. A. — "0 grande potencial de ouro do Brazil". Brazil Mineral, Sao Paulo, Sept.

1995, nr. 134, p. 11-17.

Until 1988, the sector had annual investments of about $200 million, mainly from multinational companies. In 1993, that investment had dwindled to a mere $40 million.

Despite the good geological potential of the country, many well-prepared mining professionals as geologists, mining engineers and technicians lost their jobs, and some mining equipment industries and mineral analysis laboratories had to close their doors. At the same time, the garimpos have experienced an accelerated decline due to the exhaustion of shallow and rich placer deposits and also to the reduction in gold prices. Even the once famous Serra Pelada became a flooded pit in the jungle. The gold production profile has also changed since 1992. The organized mines were responsible for 49% of the 377 tons produced in the last four years (1992-1995) and their participation continues to increase.

THE THIRD GOLD RUSH More recently, some politicians started to realize their mistake. In 1995, an ammendment to the Constitution has once again allowed the mining by foreign companies. This fact, allied to the recent economical and political stability, was the origin of the third gold rush.

Many important foreign companies such as TVX, Barrick Gold, RTZ, Anglo American and Noranda are now investing in Brazil.

Some of them were already installed in partnerships with local companies. There is also the presence of several junior companies, mainly from Canada, searching for promising gold targets aiming for future partnerships with bigger companies.

Airborne geophysical exploration companies are flooded by new contracts and target searching companies and mining professionals are being contacted for jobs. Gold production in 1995 was 75 tons, the seventh largest in the world. However, there is a potential to produce about 200 tons at the beginning of the next century if the investments are kept at an annual average of $200 to $250 million.

Despite all the euphoria related to a new gold rush, there are still many structural problems in the country embarrassing the development of the mining industry. One of these hurdles is the question of garimpeiros' invasions, yet unsolved due to the lack of the Union's political will. Another obstacle is the complexity of the Brazilian taxation system which is something hard for foreigners to understand. The government is trying to change that system as a whole, but things are going in a tortoise pace. The C6digo de Mineracao is now being revised by Congress in order to adapt it to the absence of distinction between national and foreign capital, but it is also being conducted very slowly. Over all, there are many political interests and even blindness. Considering the recent and typical past of a so-called banana republic, there is also the fear of sudden changes in the economical, political and legal rules. We sincerely hope such fear is baseless.

Hello Shimada is a geologist at the Intituto Geologic° in SAo Paulo, Brazil. You can E-mail him at hshimada@usp.br 23

Jungle Rx It's time Brazilian publishers prepare careful translations of books such as Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice, by the ethnobotanist James J. Plotkin who tells stories and presents a plethora of data of his several trips to the Amazon. Very few Brazilians undertake the necessary studies to understand our flora and instead they resent any foreign contribution. Thanks to that more than 95 percent of the entire Brazilian flora is unknown, chemically and pharmacologically.

WILSON VELLOSO

24

"Arthritis is killing my stomach," said Dr. Knipplauch, my old professor of history of symbols and semiotics, and a great friend.

"How come?" I asked, surprised with the apparent non sequitur.

"I take drugs to subdue my arthritis, and they give me heartburn," he explained. "I wish you could give me a herbal medicine, one of those Brazilian miracles you boast so much of."

• But the truth is that although I have used hot infusions of avocado leaves as a diuretic and taken many a spoonful of water-cress cough syrup — both with good results — I knew too little about Amazon plants to help Karl. But since he didn't accept an "I dunno" for an answer, I tried to find out and did some research.

Trouble is that for a devoted conservationist like me there is always a paramount caveat when dealing with development. After all, I am a native of a country where chemical development perpetrated the utmost horror: Cubatao, a place whose name is always followed by the handle "the most polluted town on earth." Not far from Santos (state of Sao Paulo), on whose beaches I spent many happy boyhood summers.

It's a big tough job when you consider that more than 95 percent of the entire Brazilian flora is unknown, chemically and pharmacologically speaking. Indians and many other natives, however, have a pretty clear idea of which plants are good for what purpose, how to use them, and where to find them. In practically every Brazilian town there is a hervanaria, a well-stocked herb shop.

Not all herbs sold are medicinal. Some are like spices, others give out pleasant aromas. There are a few, such as arruda (rue), whose purpose is to be mixed in incantations, burnt, ground, packed in small magic sachets for good luck and protection against the evil eye, curses, falls, accidents, blows, beatings, snake bites, etc. iMapWrimmutfflir.

A few traditional herbs are quite well known in America and throughout the First World. That's the case of ipecacuanha, which — its name shortened to ipec and its roots made into a syrup — is traditionally taken as an emetic, purgative, etc.

Many American herbaria and pharmaceutical mail companies sell and recommend pau d'arco (bow wood); its bark, ground into powder made into capsules, is seen as being bactericidal. Another plant quite widely used in cosmetics and so on, is bakosa ("drooly herb") or aloes, the Aloe vera which grows all over the Americas. A curious reversal is the case of witch hazel, a vegetable agent made into liniments and compresses for bruises, inflammations and other swellings, mosquito bites and even dysentery: in Brazil it is known only by its scientific name — Hamamelis virginica.

Quinine, a drug extracted from the bark of the South American cinchona, was instrumental in finally conquering the scourge of malaria that killed millions the world over. From the humble mamona (Ricinus vulgaris) comes the castor bean oil, a mild purgative still in wide household usage.

From the quick-acting curare poisons, with which South American Indians laced their hunting and BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

plants into sources of dangerous alkaloids. Coca was an warring arrowheads, scientists have evolved ordinary bush whose leaves, chewed in nature or innocently several useful medicines for various purposes. brewed into hot mates, provided the people of the paramos More recently, Western researchers have with succor to stand the Andean cold, the altitude discomfort, been looking into the possible healing virtues aches and colic of empty bellies, the fatigue of the heavy of plants such as the chapeu de coziro burdens. The fake "Caucasian" applied his chemistry to make (Echinodorus macrophyllum); erva-contracocaine paste, cocaine powder, and crack. Western civiliza(Spigelia anthelmica) for intestinal vermes tion and technology triumphed! worms; erva-contraveneno (Cynanchum vinNo wonder Theodor Koch wrote about the "pestilential cetoxum) sometimes called white swallowstench of Western civilization" while other scientists wort, to treat poisoning; and a wide and explorers compared the opening of jungle roads as variety of leaves, flowers, fruit, seeds, "the rapid metastasis of a devouring cancer." Cutting saps, latex, barks, roots applied in the No wonder these estradas para °nos (highways for jaguars) — as treatment of fevers, headaches, toothmany in Brazil call them — is one of the last chapters of aches, earaches, head and foot lice, Theodor the destruction. kidney, liver and stomach ailments, Koch wrote Road spurs make majestic but delicate trees and insomnia, bruises, sores (including about the plants vulnerable to the onslaught of the hasty millionthose caused by VD).

Other well-known tropical plants "pestilential aire wanna-bees. For years, timbermen lamented not being able to haul away a beautiful rosewood tree, are sources of fibers such as agave, stench of rather than just distill locally its aromatic rose oil and used in shipsisal, caroci, henequen Western abandoning the tree. Roads are inducements and instruping cordage, ropes, packing and industry in general. I shall pass over the civilization" ments to cut down more trees, with nary a thought of reforestation. Giants ofthe forest are mercilessly downed (Indian corn), potato, familiar maize while other to get at birds nests, carve out cores, barks, graceful tomato, chocolate, abacate (Brazilscientists exotic flowers. ian version ofahuacatl— avocado — Several crimes against nature have been committed, , a Nahuatl word), and the South and in addition to the murders and the massacres of Indians American abacaxi or ananths which explorers and settlers. An American millionaire industrialist gave birth to the opulent pineapple compared floated all the way from Japan a complete paper mill to caju industry of Hawaii. Or the (cashew) that generated extensive the opening be located in Amapa state. Because he needed fastgrowing trees of standard hardness, he had the rain plantations and industry in Northern of jungle forest completely razed and the area planted with Africa and tropical Asia. Or the roads as gmerelina. seringueira (Hevea brasiliensis) that But when the old trees went, the bugs died, and when made possible all the rubber planta"the rapid the bugs died the birds flew away. The fast-growing tions of South-East Asia. metastasis intruder tree had no time to grow before it was attacked It would be unfair to say that the of a by invading bugs and parasites which, having no natuNew World continent only lost in its ral enemies to control them, ate the gmerelina. Taps for trade with the Old, as millions of Eudevouring another technological triumph! ropeans brought their skills, ideas and cancer."

It is a real pity that Brazilians should know so little ideals to the American soil; as well as Cutting about their own country and have so little love for it horses, cattle, wheat, fruit. (besides soccer, of course). In several ways they act like But it was a skewered trade: nathese dogs in a manger: very few undertake the necessary tive Americans — and most specially estradas studies and, by and large, they resent the "foreign the rainforest denizens — lost heavily para oncas interlopers," the devoted scientists without whose books while city-dwellers gained. The Indilittle can be learned. ans lost when their lands were in(highways In the best tradition of Charles Darwin, Linneus and vaded and taken over, their natural for jaguars) other Europeans, several Americans have visited the riches ripped off, their rivers polluted — as many Amazonia — an area larger than the United States and with tailings of mercury and other parceled out to Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, chemicals used for mining, their forin Brazil French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname and Venezuests cut down and burnt, their game call them — ela. overhunted and often decimated. is one of Instead of translating so much US pulp trash, BrazilThey also lost when the newcomian publishers could demonstrate their patriotic busiers brought strange diseases for which the last ness acumen by having decent, thorough and careful their medicine men had no cure; they chapters of translations of books such as Tales of a Shaman's lost when well-intentioned missionthe Apprentice, by the ethnobotanist James J. Plotkin, Ph.D. aries duped them into substituting new beliefs for the old ones that had served destruction. A jewel of a book that reads as a first-class novel.

Plotkin tells stories of his several trips to the Amathem well for so many centuries. New zon region to collect vegetal specimens and skillfully and often incomprehensible rules in weaves into it timely and well researched pharmacolieu of the traditional ones that allogical, historical, anthropological, sociological, medical, zoolowed them to live in peace with nature, even logical, geographical, and economic data on the Amazon when they made war on each other. world and its inhabitants. A labor of intense and intelligent The newcomers brought, in addition to love that, under the present circumstances, seems fated to lead their greed, the "right of might," and tech• to melancholy about the future of the rain forest. niques that transformed fairly commonplace BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

25

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Eu trabalhava em urn jornal popular como reporter de policia. Ha muito tempo nao acontecia na cidade um crime interessante envolvendo uma rica e linda jovem da sociedade, mortes, desaparecimentos, corrupcao, mentiras, sexo, ambled°, dinheiro, violencia, escandalo.

Crime assim nem em Roma, Paris, Nova York, dizia o editor do jornal, estamos numa fase ruim. Mas daqui a pouco isso vira. A coisa é ciclica, quando a gente menos espera estoura urn daqueles escandalos que da materia para urn ano. Esta tudo podre, no ponto, é so esperar.

Antes de estourar me mandaram embora.

SO tern pequeno comerciante matando s6cio, pequeno bandido matando pequeno comerciante, policia matando pequeno bandido. Coisas pequenas, eu disse a Oswaldo Pecanha, editor-chefe e proprietario do jornal Mu/her.

Tern tambem meningite, esquistossomose, doenca de Chagas, disse Pecanha.

Mas fora da minha area, eu disse.

Voce ja. leu Mu/her?, Pecanha perguntou.

Admiti que nao. Gosto mais de ler livros.

Pecanha tirou uma caixa de charutos de dentro da gaveta e ofereceu urn. Acendemos os charutos. Em pouco tempo o ambiente ficou irrespiravel. Os charutos eram ordinarios, estavamos no verao, de janelas fechadas e o aparelho de ar condicionado nao funcionava bem.

Mu/her nao é uma dessas publicacOes coloridas para burguesas que fazem regime.

E feita para a mulher da Classe C, que come arroz corn feijao e se ficar gorda azar o dela.

Da uma olhada.

Pecanha jogou na minha frente um exemplar do jornal.

Formato de tabloide, manchetes em azul, algumas fotos fora de foco. Fotonovela, horoscopo, entrevistas corn artistas da televisao, corte-ecostura.

Voce acha que poderia fazer a seed° De Mulher para Mu/her, o nosso consultorio BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

' -sentimental? 0 cara que fazia se despediu.

De Mu/her para Mulher era assinado por uma tal Elisa Gabriela. Querida Elisa Gabriela, meu mar/do chega toda noite embriagado e...

Acho que posso, eu disse.

Otimo. Comeca hoje. Que nome voce quer usar?

Pensei urn pouco.

Nathanael Lessa.

Nathanael Lessa?, disse Pecanha surpreendido e chocado, como se eu tivesse dito um nome feio, ou ofendido a mae dele.

0 que é que tern? E urn nome como outro qualquer. E estou prestando duas homenagens.

Pecanha deu baforadas no charuto, irritado.

Primeiro, nao é urn nome como outro qualquer. Segundo, nao é nome da Classe C. Aqui so usamos nomes do agrado da Classe C, nomes bonitos. Terceiro, o jornal so homenageia quem eu quero e eu nao conheco nenhum Nathanael Lessa e finalmente a irritacao de Pecanha aumentara gradativamente, como se ele estivesse tirando urn certo proveito dela — aqui, ninguem, nem mesmo eu, usa pseudonimo masculino. Meu nome é Maria de Lourdes!

Dei outra olhada no jornal, inclusive no expediente.

SO tinha nome de mulher.

Voce nao acha que um nome masculino cla mais credibilidade as respostas?

Pai, marido, medico, sacerdote, patrao— so tern homem dizendo o que elas devem fazer. Nathanael Lessa pega melhor do que Elisa Gabriela.

E isso mesmo que eu nao quero. Aqui elas se sentem donas do seu nariz, confiam na gente, como se fossemos todas comadres. Estou ha vinte e cinco anos nesse negocio. Nao me venha corn teorias nao comprovadas.

Mulher esta revolucionando a imprensa brasileira, é urn jornal diferente que nao cla noticias velhas da televisao de ontem.

Ele estava tao irritado que nao perguntei ao que Mulher se propunha. Cedo ou tarde 29

ele me diria. Eu apenas queria o emprego.

Meu primo, Machado Figueiredo, que tambem tern vinte e cinco anos de experiencia, no Banco do Brasil, costuma di zer que esta sempre aberto a teorias nao comprovadas. Eu sabia queMulher devia dinheiro ao banco.

E em cima da mesa de Pecanha estava uma carta de recomendacdo de meu primo.

Ao ouvir o nome de meu primo, Pecanha empalideceu.

Deu uma mordida no charuto para se controlar, depois fechou a boca, parecendo que ia assobiar, e os seus labios gordos tremeram como se ele tivesse um grdo de pimenta na lingua. Em seguida arreganhou a boca e bateu corn a unha do polegar nos dentes sujos de nicotina, enquanto me olhava de maneira que ele devia considerar cheia de significacoes.

Eu podia acrescentar dr. ao meu nome. Dr. Nathanael Lessa.

Raios! Esta bem, esta bem, rosnou Pecanha entre dentes, voce comeca hoje.

Foi assim que passei a fazer parte da equipe de Mulher.

Minha mesa ficava perto da mesa de Sandra Marina, que assinava o horoscopo. Sandra era tambern conhecida como Marlene Katia, ao fazer entrevistas. Era um rapaz palido, de longos e ralos bigodes, tambern conhecido como Joao Albergaria Duval. Saira ha pouco tempo da escola de comunicacdo e vivia se lamentando, por que nao estudei odontologia, por que?

Perguntei a ele se alguem trazia as cartas dos leitores na minha mesa. Ele me disse para falar corn Jacqueline, na expedicdo. Jacqueline era urn crioulo grande de dentes muito brancos.

Pega mal eu ser o unico aqui dentro que ndo tern nome de mulher, vao pensar que eu sou bicha. As cartas? Ndo tern carta nenhuma. Voce acha que mulher da Classe C escreve cartas? A Elisa inventava todas.

Prezado dr. Nathanael Lessa. Eu arranjei uma bolsa de estudos para minha filha de dez anos, numa escola grd-fina da zona sul. Todas as coleguinhas dela vdo ao cabeleireiro, pelo menos uma vez por semana. N6s ndo temos dinheiro para isso, meu marido é motorista de 6nibus da linha Jacare-Caju, mas disse que vai trabalhar extraordinario para mandar Tania Sandra, a nossa filhinha, ao cabeleireiro.

0 Sr. nao acha que os filhos merecem todos os sacrificios?

Mae Dedicada. Vila Kennedy.

Resposta: Lave a cabeca da sua filhinha corn sabdo de coco e coloque papelotes nela. Fica igual ao cabeleireiro.

De qualquer maneira, sua fi I ha ndo nasceu para ser bonequinha. Alias, nem a filha de ninguem. Pega o dinheiro do extraordinario e compra outra coisa mais ñtil. Comida, por exemplo.

Prezado dr. Nathanael Lessa. Sou baixinha, gordinha e timida. Sempre que you na feira, no armazem, na quitanda, eles me passam para tras. Me enganam no peso, no troco, o feij do esta bichado, o fubd bolorento, coisas assim. Eu costumava sofrer muito mas agora estou resignada. Deus esti de olho neles e no juizo final eles vdo pagar. Domestica Resignada. Penha.

Resposta: Deus nao esti de olho em ninguem. Quern tern que se defender é voce mesma. Sugiro que voce grite, ponha a boca no mundo, faca escandalo. Voce nao tern nenhum parente na policia? Bandido tambem serve. Te vira, gordinha.

Prezado dr. Nathanael Lessa. Tenho vinte e cinco anos, sou datilografa e virgem. Encontrei esse rapaz que disse 30

que me ama muito. Ele trabalha no Ministerio dos Transportes e disse que quer casar comigo, mas que primeiro quer experimentar. 0 que achas? Virgem Louca, Parada de Lucas.

Resposta: Olha aqui, Virgem Louca, pergunta pro cara o que ele vai fazer se lido gostar da experiencia. Sc ele disser que te chuta, di pra ele, pois é urn homem sincero. Tu tido es groselha nem ensopadinho de jilo para ser provada, mas homens sinceros existem poucos, vale a pena tentar. Fe e pd na tabua.

Fui almocar.

Na volta Pecanha mandou me chamar. Estava corn a minha materia na ink).

Tern qualquer coisa aqui que eu nao gosto, ele disse.

0 que?, perguntei.

Ah! Meus Deus! a ideia que as pessoas fazem da Classe C, exclamou Pecanha, balancando a cabeca pensativamente, enquanto olhava para o teto e fazia a boca de assobio. Quem gosta de ser tratada a palavroes e pontapes sdo as mulheres da Classe A. Lembre-se daquele lorde ingles que disse que o seu sucesso corn as mulheres era porque ele tratava as ladies como putas e as putas como ladies.

Esti bem. Entdo como devo tratar as nossas leitoras?

NA() me venha corn dialeticas. Nao quero que as trate como putas. Esquece o lorde ingles. Ponha alegria, esperanca, tranqiiilidade e seguranca nas cartas, é isso que eu quero.

Dr. Nathanael Lessa. Meu marido morreu e me deixou uma pensio muito pequena, mas o que me preocupa e estar s6, aos cinqiienta e cinco anos de idade. Pobre, feia, velha e morando longe, tenho medo do que me espera. Solitaria de Santa Cruz.

Resposta: Grave isto em seu coracdo, Solitaria de Santa Cruz: nem dinheiro, nem beleza, nem mocidade, nem urn born endereco ddo felicidade. Quantos jovens ricos e belos se matam ou se perdem nos horrores do vicio? A felicidade esti dentro de nOs, em nossos coracoes.

Se formos justos e bons, encontraremos a felicidade. Seja boa, seja justa, ame o proximo como a si mesma, sorria para o tesoureiro do INPS, quando for receber a sua pensao.

No dia seguinte Pecanha me chamou e perguntou se eu podia tambem escrever a fotonovela Nos produzimos as nossas proprias fotonovelas, nao é fumeti italiano traduzido.

Escolha um nome.

Escolhi Clarice Simone, eram outras duas homenagens, mas nAo disse isso ao Pecanha.

0 fot6grafo das novelas veio falar comigo.

Meu nome é Monica Tutsi ele disse, mas pode me chamar de Agnaldo. Estas corn a papa pronta?

Papa era a novela. Expliquei para ele que acabara de receber a incumbencia de Pecanha e que precisava pelo menos dois dias para escrever.

Dias? ha, ha, gargalhou ele fazendo o som de um cachorro grande, rouco e domesticado, latindo pro dono.

Qual é a graca?, perguntei.

Norma Virginia escrevia a novela em quinze minutos.

Ele tinha uma formula.

Eu tambem tenho uma fOrmula. Di uma volta e aparece daqui a quinze minutos que voce tera: sua novela pronta.

Esse fotografo idiota pensava de mim o que? S6 porque eu tinha sido reporter de policia isso nao significava que eu era um bestalhdo. Se Norma Virginia, ou la qual fosse o nome dele, escrevia uma novela em quinze minutos, eu tambern escreveria. Afinal Ii todos os tragicos gregos, os BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

ibsens, os o'neals, e beckets, os checovs, os shakepeares, as four hundred best television plays. Era s6 chupar uma ideia aqui, outra au, e pronto.

Um menino rico é roubado pelos ciganos e dado por morto. 0 menino cresce pensando que é urn cigano verdadeiro. Um dia ele encontra uma moca riquissima e os dois se apaixonam. Ela mora numa rica mansao e tern muitos automoveis. 0 ciganinho mora numa carroca. As duas familias nao querem que eles se casem. Surgem conflitos. Os milionarios mandam a policia prender os ciganos. Urn dos ciganos é morto pela policia. Urn primo rico da moca é assassinado pelos ciganos. Mas o amor dos dois jovens apaixonados é maior do que todas essas vicissitudes. Eles resolvem fugir, romper corn suas familias. Na fuga encontram um monge piedoso e sabio que sacramenta a unido dos dois em um antigo, pitoresco e romantic° convento no melo de um bosque florido. Os dois jovens se retiram para a camara nupcial. Eles sAo I indos, esbeltos, louros de olhos azuis. Tiram a roupa. Oh, diz a moca, que cordao de ouro corn medalha cravejada de brilhantes é esse que tens no peito? Eta tern uma medalha igual! Eles sAo irmaos! Tu es o meu irmao desaparecido! grita a moca. Os dois se abracam. (Atencao, Monica Tutsi: que tat urn final ambiguo? fazendo aparecer na cara dos dois um extase tidofraternal, hein? Posso tambern mudar o finale torna-lo mais sofocleano: os dois so descobrem que sao irmaos depois do fato consumado; desesperada a moca pula da janela do convento se arrebentando la em baixo.)

Gostei da tua historia, disse Monica Tutsi.

Uma pitada de Romeu e Julieta, uma colherzinha de Edipo Rei, eu disse modestamente.

Mas nao da para eu fotografar, garoto. Tenho que fazer tudo em duas horas. Onde you arranjar a mansao rica? Os automoveis? 0 convento pitoresco? 0 bosque florido?

Esse problema é seu.

Onde you arranjar, continuou Monica Tutsi, como se tido tivesse me ouvido, os dois jovens louros esbeltos de olhos azuis? Nossos artistas sao todos meio para o mulato.

Onde you arranjar a carroca? Faz outra, garoto. Volto daqui a quinze minutos. E o que é sofocleano?

Roberto e Betty estao noivos e vdo se casar. Roberto, que é muito trabalhador, economizou dinheiro para comprar urn apartamento e mobilia-lo, corn televisao a cores, aparelho de som, geladeira, maquina de lavar roupa, enceradeira, liquidificador, batedeira, maquina de lavar pratos, torradeira, ferro eletrico e secador de cabelos. Betty tambern trabalha. Ambos sAo castos. 0 casamento é marcado. Urn amigo de Roberto, Tiago, pergunta a ele, vais casar virgem?

Precisas ser iniciado nos misterios do sexo. Tiago, entAo, leva Roberto na casa da Superputa Betatron. (AtencAo, Monica Tutsi, o nome é uma pitada de ficcao cientifica).

Quando Roberto chega la verifica que a Superputa é Betty, sua noivinha. Oh! ceus! surpresa terrivel! Alguem dird, talvez urn porteiro, crescer é softer! Fim da novela.

— Uma palavra vale mil fotografias, disse Monica Tutsi, estou sempre na banda podre. Daqui a pouco eu volto.

Dr. Nathanael. Gosto de cozinhar. Gosto muito tambem de bordar e fazer croche. E acima de tudo gosto de col ocar urn vestido longo de baile, pintar os meus labios de batom carmesim, botar bastante ruge, passar rimel nos olhos. Ah, que sensacAo! E pena que eu tenha que ficar trancado no meu quarto. Ninguem sabe que eu gosto de fazer essas coisas. Estou errado? Pedro Redgrave. Tijuca.

Resposta: Errado por que? Voce esti fazendo mal a alguem corn isso? Já tive outro consulente que, como voce, tambern gostava de se vestir de mulher. Ele levava uma vida BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

normal, produtiva e ütil A sociedade, tanto que chegou a ser operario padrAo. Vista seus vestidos longos, pinte sua boca de escarlate, ponha cor na sua vida.

Todas as cartas devem ser de mulheres, advertiu Pecanha.

Mas essa é verdadeira, eu disse.

Nao acredito.

Entreguei a carta a Pecanha. Ele a olhou fazendo a cara de um tira exarninando uma nota grosseiramente falsificada.

Voce acha que e uma brincadeira?, perguntou Pecanha.

Pode ser, eu disse. E pode nao ser.

Pecanha fez a sua cara reflexiva. Depois: Acrescente na sua carta uma frase animadora, como, por exemplo, escreva sempre.

Sentei na maquina: Escreva sempre, Pedro, sei que esse nAo é o seu nome, mas nao importa, escreva sempre, conte comigo. Nathanael Lessa.

Porra, disse Monica Tutsi, fui fazer o teu dramalhao e me disseram que é chupado de urn filme italiano.

Canalhas, sucia de baboes, so porque fui reporter de policia estao me chamando de plagiario.

Calma, Virginia.

Virginia? Meu nome é Clarice Simone, eu disse. Que coisa mais idiota é essa de pensar que so as noivas dos italianos sAo putas? Pois olha, eu ja conheci uma noiva daquelas serias mesmo, era ate freira de caridade, e foram ver, tambern era puta.

Ta bem, garoto, you fotografar a historia. A Betatron pode ser mulata? 0 que é Betatron?

Tern que ser ruiva, sardenta. Betatron é um aparelho para a producao de eletrons, dotado de grande potencial energetic° e alta velocidade, impulsionado pela acao de urn campo magnetico que varia rapidamente, eu disse.

Porra! Isso é que é nome de puta, disse Monica Tutsi, corn admiracAo, retirando-se.

Compreensivo Nathanael Lessa. Tenho usado gloriosamente os meus vestidos longos. E minha boca tern sido vermelha como o sangue de urn tigre e o romper da aurora.

Estou pensando em colocar urn vestido de cetim e ir ao Teatro Municipal. 0 que achas? E agora you the contar uma grande e maravilhosa confidencia, mas quero que facas o major segredo de minha confissao. Juras? Ah, não sei se digo ou se nao digo. Toda a minha vida tenho sofrido as maiores desilusoes por acreditar nos outros. Sou basicamente uma pessoa que nao perdeu a sua inocenci a. A perfidia, a bocalidade, o despudor, a calhordice me deixam muito chocada. Oh, como gostaria de viver isolada num mundo utopico feito de amor e bondade. Meu sensivel Nathanael, deixe-me pensar. De-me tempo. Na proxima carta contarei mais, talvez tudo. Pedro Redgrave.

Resposta: Pedro. Aguardo tua carta, corn os teus segredos, que prometo guardar nos arcanos inviolaveis da minha rec6ndita consciencia. Continue assim, enfrentando altaneira a inveja e a insidiosa aleivosia dos pobres de espirito. Adorne o seu corpo sequioso de sensualidade, exercendo os desafios de sua mente corajosa.

Pecanha perguntou: Estas cartas sao verdadeiras tambern?

As de Pedro Redgrave sAo. Estranho, muito estranho, disse Pecanha batendo corn as unhas nos dentes, o que é que voce acha?

Mao acho nada, eu disse.

Ele parecia preocupado corn alguma coisa. Fez perguntas sobre a fotonovela, sem porem se interessar pelas respostas.

Que tal a carta da ceguinha?, perguntei.

Pecanha pegou a carta da ceguinha e a minha resposta e leu em voz alta: Querido Nathanael. Eu ndo posso ler o que 31

voce escreve. Minha avozinha adorada le para mim. Mas ndo pense que eu sou analfabeta. Eu sou é ceguinha. Minha querida avozinha esta escrevendo a carta para mim, mas as palavras sdo minhas. Quero enviar uma palavra de conforto aos seus leitores, para que eles, que sofrem tanto corn pequenas desgracas, se mirem no meu espelho. Sou cega _ mas sou feliz, estou em paz, corn Deus e corn os meus semelhantes. Felicidades para todos. Viva o Brasil e o seu Povo. Ceguinha Feliz, Estrada do Unic6rnio, Nova Iguacu.

P.S. Esqueci de dizer que tambem sou paralitica.

Pecanha acendeu urn charuto. Comovente, mas Estrada do Unic6rnio soa falso. Acho melhor voce colocar Estrada do Catavento, ou coisa assim. Vejamos agora sua resposta: Ceguinha Fel iz, parabens por sua forca moral, por sua fe inquebrantavel na felicidade, no bem, no povo e no Brasil. As almas daqueles que se desesperam na adversidade deviam se nutrir do seu edificante exemplo, urn facho de luz nas noites de tormenta.

Pecanha me devolveu os papeis. Voce tern futuro na literatura. Isto aqui é uma grande escola.

Aprenda, aprenda, seja dedicado, ndo esmoreca, sue a camisa.

Sentei na maquina: Tesio, bancario, morador na Boca do Mato, em Lins de Vasconcelos, casado em segundas nupcias corn Frederica, tern urn filho, Hipolito, do primeiro matrimonio. Frederica se apaixona por Hipolito. Tesio descobre o amor pecaminoso entre os dois. Frederica se enforca no pe de manga do quintal da casa. Hip()lito pede perdao ao pal, foge de casa e vagueia desesperado pelas ruas da cidade cruel ate ser atropelado e mono na Avenida Brasil.

Qual o tempero aqui?, perguntou Monica Tutsi.

Euripides, pecado e morte. Vou contar uma coisa: eu conheco a alma humana e tido preciso de nenhum grego velho para me inspirar. Para urn homem da minha inteligencia e sensibilidade basta olhar em volta. Olhe bem para os meus olhos. Voce ja viu pessoa mais alerta, mais acordada?

Monica Tutsi olhou bem para os meus olhos e disse: Acho que voce esta é maluco.

Continuei: Cito os classicos apenas para mostrar o meu conhecimento. Como fui reporter de policia, se rido fizer isso os cretinos ndo me respeitam. Li milhares de livros.

Quantos livros voce acha que Pecanha ja leu?

Nenhum. A Frederica pode ser preta?

Boa ideia. Mas o Tesio e o Hipolito tern que ser brancos.

Nathanael. Eu amo, urn amor proibido, urn amor interdito, urn amor secreto, um amor escondido. Eu amo outro homem. E ele tambem me ama. Mas ndo podemos andar na rua de maos dadas, como os outros, trocar beijos nos jardins e nos cinemas, como os outros, deitar abracados nas areias das praias, como os outros, dancar nas boates, como os outros. Ndo podemos nos casar, como os outros, e juntos enfrentar a velhice, a doenca e a morte, ,como os outros. Ndo tenho forca para resistir e lutar. E melhor morrer. Adeus. Esta é a minha (Atli= carta. Mande rezar a missa para mim. Pedro Redgrave.

Resposta: Que é isso Pedro? Vai desistir agora, que encontrou o seu amor? Oscar Wilde sofreu o diabo, foi esculhambado, ridicularizado, humilhado, processado, condenado, mas agilentou a barra. Se voce ndo pode se casar, se amasie. Facam testamento, urn para o outro.

Defendam-se. Usem a Lei e o Sistema em seu beneficio.

32

Sejam, como os outros, egoistas, dissimulados, implacaveis, intolerantes e hipocritas. Explorem. Espoliem. E legitima defesa. Mas, por favor, ndo faca nenhum gesto tresloucado.

Mandei a carta e a resposta para Pecanha. As cartas s6 eram publicadas corn o visto dele.

Monica Tutsi apareceu corn uma garota.

Esta é Monica, disse Monica Tutsi.

Que coincidencia, eu disse.

Que coincidencia o que?, perguntou a garota Monica.

Voces terem o mesmo nome, eu disse.

Ele se chama Monica?, perguntou Monica apontando o fotografo.

Monica Tutsi. Voce tambem é Tutsi?

Ndo. Monica Amelia.

Monica Amelia ficou roendo uma unha e olhando para Monica Tutsi .

Voce me disse que o seu nome era Agnaldo, ela disse.

La fora eu sou Agnaldo. Aqui dentro eu sou Monica Tutsi.

Meu nome é Clarice Simone, eu disse.

Monica Amelia nos observou atentamente, sem entender nada. Via duas pessoas circunspectas, cansadas demais para brincadeiras, desinteressadas do proprio nome.

Quando me casar meu filho, ou minha filha, vai se chamar Hei Psiu, eu disse.

E um nome chines?, perguntou Monica.

Ou entio Fiu Fiu, eu assobiei.

Estas virando nii 1 ista, disse Monica Tutsi, retirando-se corn a outra Monica.

Nathanael. Sabe o que é duas pessoas se gostarem? Eramos n6s dois, eu e Maria. Sabe o que é duas pessoas perfeitamente sintonizadas? Eramos nos, eu e Maria. Meu prato predileto é arroz, feijao, couve a mineira, farofa e lingiiica frita. Imagina qual era o de Maria? Arroz, feij do couve a mineira, farofa e tinguiça frita. Minha pedra preciosa preferida é o Rubi. 0 de Maria, estas a ver, era tambern o Rubi. Milner° da sorte o 7, cor o Azul, dia Segunda-Feira, flume, de Faroeste, livro 0 Pequeno Principe, bebida Chope, colchdo o Anatom, clube o Vasco da Gama, musica o Samba, passatempo o Amor, tudo igualzinho entre eu e ela, uma maravilha. 0 que nos faziamos na cama, rapaz, ndo é para me gabar, mas se fosse no circo e a gente cobrasse entrada n6s ficavamos ricos. Na cama nenhum casal jamais foi tornado de tamanha loucura resplandecente, foi capaz da performance tao habil, imaginativa, original, pertinaz, esplendorosa e gratificante quanto a nossa. E repetiamos varias vezes por dia. Mas ndo era apenas isso que nos ligava. Se voce não tivesse uma perna eu continuaria te amando, me dizia ela. Se voce fosse corcunda eu ndo deixaria de te amar, eu respondia. Se voce fosse surdomudo eu continuaria te amando, dizia ela. Se voce fosse vesga eu nao deixaria de te amar, eu respondia. Se voce fosse barrigudo e feio eu continuaria te amando, dizia ela.

Se voce fosse toda marcada de variola eu nAo deixaria de te amar, eu respondia. Se voce fosse velho e impotente eu continuaria te amando, ela dizia. E n6s estavamos trocando essas juras quando uma vontade de ser verdadeiro bateu em mim, funda como uma punhalada, e eu perguntei a ela, e se eu nao tivesse dentes, voce me amaria? e ela respondeu, se voce nAo tivesse dentes eu continuaria te amando. Entdo eu tirei a minha dentadura e botei em cima da cama, num gesto grave, religioso e metafisico. Ficamos os dois olhando para a dentadura em cima do lencol, ate que Maria se levantou, colocou urn vestido, e disse, you comprar cigarros. Ate hoje nao voltou. Nathanael, me explica o que foi que aconteceu.

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

0 amor acaba de repente? Alguns dentes, miseros pedacinhos de marfim, valem tanto assim? Odontos Silva Quando eu ia responder, surgiu Jacqueline e disse que o Pecanha estava me chamando.

Na sala de Pecanha estava urn homem de oculos e cavanhaque.

Este aqui é o dr. Pontecorvo, que é — o que que o senhor é mesmo?, perguntou Pecanha.

Pesquisador motivacional, disse Pontecorvo. Como eu ia dizendo, primeiro nos fazemos urn levantamento das caracteristicas do universo que estamos pesquisando. Por exemplo: quern é o leitor de Mulher? Vamos supor que mulher e da Classe C. Em nossas pesquisas anteriores já levantamos tudo sobre a mulher da Classe C, onde eta compra seus alimentos, quantas calcinhas eta tern, a que horas faz o amor, a que horas ve televisao, os programas de televisao que assiste, em suma, urn perfil completo.

Quantas calcinhas eta tern?, perguntou Pecanha.

Tres, respondeu Pontecorvo, sem vacilar.

A que horas eta faz o amor?

As 21:30, respondeu Pontecorvo prontamente.

E como é que voce descobriu tudo isto? Voces batem na porta da D. Aurora, no conj unto habitacional do INPS, ela abre a porta e voces dizem, born dia D. Aurora, a que horas a senhora da a sua trepadinha? Olha aqui, meu amigo, eu estou ha vinte e cinco anos neste neg6cio e nao preciso de ninguem para me dizer qual é o perfil da mulher da Classe C. Eu sei por experiencia propria. Elas compram o meu jornal, entendeu? Tres calcinhas... Ha! Usamos metodos cientificos de pesquisa. Temos sociologos, psicologos, antropologos, estatisticos e matematicos em nosso staff, disse Pontecorvo, imperturbavel.

Tudo para tirar dinheiro dos ingenuos, disse Pecanha corn indisfarcavel desprezo.

Alias, antes de vir para cá, coligi algumas informacoes sobre o seu jornal, que acredito sejam do seu interesse, disse Pontecorvo.

E quanto custa?, perguntou Pecanha corn sarcasmo.

Esta eu the dou de graca, disse Pontecorvo. 0 homem parecia feito de gelo. Nos fizemos uma minipesquisa sobre os seus leitores, e, apesar do tamanho reduzido da amostra, posso the assegurar, sem sombra de dirvida, que a grande maioria, a quase totalidade dos seus leitores é composta de homens, da Classe B. 0 que?, gritou Pecanha.

Isso mesmo, homens, da Classe B. Primeiro Pecanha ficou palido. Depois foi ficando vermelho, e depois arroxeado, como se estivesse sendo estrangulado, a boca aberta, os olhos arregalados, e levantouse da sua cadeira e caminhou cambaleante, os bracos abertos, como urn gorila doido em direcao a Pontecorvo. Uma visao chocante, ate mesmo para um homem de aco, como Pontecorvo, ate mesmo para um ex-reporter de policia.

Pontecorvo recuou ante o avanco de Pecanha ate que, corn as costas na parede, disse, tentando manter a calma e a compostura: Talvez os nossos tecnicos tenham se enganado.

Pecanha, que estava a um centimetro de Pontecorvo, teve um violento tremor e, ao contrario do que eu esperava, nao se atirou sobre o outro como urn cao danado. Agarrou os proprios cabelos corn forca e comecou a arranca-los, enquanto gritava, farsantes, vigaristas, ladroes, aproveitadores, mentirosos, canalhas. Pontecorvo, agilmente, escapuliu em direcao a porta, enquanto Pecanha corria atras dele atirando-lhe ostufos de cabelo que arrancara da propria cabeca. Homens! Homens! Classe B!, rosnava Pecanha corn ar aloprado.

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

Depois, ja tudo serenado — creio que Pontecorvo fugiu pelas escadas Pecanha, novamente sentado atras de sua escrivaninha me disse: E a esse tipo de gente que o Brasil esta entregue, inanipuladores de estatisticas, falsificadores de informacties, empulhadores corn seus computadores, todos criando a Grande Mentira. Mas comigo eles nao tern vez. Coloquei o sacripanta em seu lugar, nao coloquei?

Eu disse qualquer coisa, concordando. Pecanha tirou a caixa de mata-ratos da gaveta e me ofereceu urn. Ficamos fumando e conversando sobre a Grande Mentira. Depois ele me deu a carta de Pedro Redgrave e a minha resposta, corn o visto dele, para eu levar para a composicao.

No meio do caminho verifiquei que a carta do Pedro Redgrave nao era aquela que eu havia enviado para ele. 0 texto era outrd: Prezado Nathanael, tua carta foi urn balsam° para o meu coracao aflito. Deu-me forcas para resistir.Nao farei nenhum gesto tresloucado, prometo que...

A carta tertninava ai. Tinha sido interrompida no meio.

Estranho. NA° entendi. Havia algo de errado.

Fui para a minha mesa, sentei, e comecei a escrever a resposta ao Odontos Silva: Quern nao tern dentes tambem nao tern dor de dentes. E como disse o heroi da conhecida pep Papo Furado, nunca houve urn fil6sofo que pudesse agtientar corn paciencia uma dor de dentes. Alem do mais, os dentes sac) tambern instrumentos de vinganca, como diz o Deuteronomio: olho por olho, dente por dente, mao por mao, pe por pe. Dentes sao desprezados pelos ditadores. Lembra-se do que Hitler disse para Mussolini sobre urn novo encontro corn Franco?: Prefiro arrancar quatro dentes. Voce teme estar na situacao do heroi daquela peca Tudo Legal se no Fim Ninguem se Ferra — sem dentes, sem gosto, sem tudo. Conselho: ponha os dents novamente e morda. Se a dentada nao for boa, de murr0 e pontapes.

Eu estava no meio da carta do Odontos Silva quando entendi tudo. Pecanha era Pedro Redgrave. Em vez de me dar de volta a Carta em que Pedro me pedia para mandar rezar uma missa e que eu havia the entregado junto corn a minha resposta falando sobre Oscar Wilde, Pecanha me entregara uma nova carta, inacabada, certamente por engano, e que deveria chegar as minhas maos pelo correio.

Peguei a carta de Pedro Redgrave e fui ate a sala de Pecanha.

Posso entrar?, perguntei.

0 que é? Entre, disse Pecanha.

Entreguei alele a carta de Pedro Redgrave. Pecanha leu a carta e percebendo o engano que havia cometido empalideceu, como era do seu feitio. Nervoso, mexeu nos papeis sobre a sua mesa.

Era tudo umabrincadeira, disse depois, tentando acender urn charuto. Voce esta aborrecido?

A seri° ou brincadeira, para mim tanto faz, eu disse.

Minha vidadá um romance... disse Pecanha. Isto fica entre nos dois, esta certo?

Eu nao sabia bem o que ele queria que ficasse entre n6s dois, a vida dele dar urn romance ou ele ser o Pedro Redgrave. Mas respondi: Claro, s6 entre n6s dois.

Obrigado, disse Pecanha. E soltou urn suspiro que cortaria o coracao de qualquer outro que nao fosse urn exreporter de policia.

This sho t story was originally published under the title "Coracees Solitarios." This is the version published

by Status magazine on its special edition (No. 23) called "25 Contos Brasileiros."

33

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Now, relax Minas has several hydro-mineral spas and a number of prehistoric caves.

They are the perfect resting place for those in need of some relaxing from too much rush, too much beach or too much colonial beauty.

This is the third article in a series of three about Minas Gerais. The first two dealt with Ouro Preto and other historic colonial cities.

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996 ,

Th2 state of Minas Gerais, which is as large as France, is part of a vast plateau that crosses Brazil's interior. Rising along the state's southern border with Rio and sao Pluto is the Serra da Mantiqueira, which has some of Brazil's highest peaks.

These mountains stalled the development of Minas Gerais until the gold boom at the beginr ing 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.

Milas has good roads, but travel is usually a sinuous affair. Much of the terrain is characterized by hills, deep valleys, and plateaus running off the larger mountains. Because of the plentiful rains, the south, east and much of the center 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 g:een, but forests are pretty much limited to Minas' severa large parks and reserves. The north35

em extension of the state is serteio 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).

Minas also has several hydro-mineral spas in the mountainous southwest corner and a number of prehistoric 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 visitor.

MINERAL SPA TOWNS The southern mineral spa towns of Minas are well-developed health resorts possessing excellent mineral springs with various therapeutic applications. Of the 13 spa towns, Caxambu, with its century-old Parque das Aguas, and Sao Lourenco, surrounded by the green hills of the Serra da Mantiqueira, are of most interest to the traveler. Been traveling hard and fast? Recovering from a tropical disease? Sick of seemingly idyllic beaches?

Overdosing from too much baroque? If the answer is yes to one or all of these questions, the spa towns await you.

CAXAMBU Caxambu is a combination of two African words: cacha (drum) and mambu (music). A cacha-mambu or caxambu is a conically shaped drum from the Congo which the founders ofthe city likened to the knolls of the area. In 1748, with the construction of a chapel dedicated to Our Lady of Cures in the parish of Baependi, the settlement of Cachambum, later called Caxambu, was put on the map.

In 1814, according to tradition, the first mineral foun36

tains were discovered by an illustrious European traveler whose name was not recorded, but it wasn't until 1870 that the springs were first tapped. Realizing the curative properties of the waters, medical practitioners flocked to the town.

In 1886 Dr. Policarpo Viotti founded the Caxambu water company (nationalized in 1905).

The water of Caxambu was celebrated on the international water circuit, winning gold medals long before Perrier hit Manhattan singles bars.

Caxambu took the gold medal in Rome's Victor Emmanuel III Exposition of 1903, and another gold medal in the St. Louis International Fair of 1904, then the Diploma of Honor in the University of Brussels Exposition of 1910.

These water Olympics were discontinued during W.W.I, and Caxambu's history was uneventful until 1981, when Snpergasbras and Superagua, private firms, took over the government concession. Caxambu is sold throughout Brazil, and in Miami, Florida, where the US Food & Drug Administration has approved it.

Caxambu is the only Brazilian mineral water thus honored.

Caxambu iSA tranquil resort for the elderly and middle class — people come here to escape the heat of Rio and the madness of Carnaval.

The town has not changed for 50 years and some couples have been coming here every summer for 30 years and more.

Information Tourist Office — In Praca 16 de Setembro, the tourist office is open from 8 to 11 am and noon to 6 pm. The staff have maps and other information.

Parque das Aguas The Parque das Aguas is like a Disneyland for the rheumatic. Given the proper temperament and surroundings, nursing your ailments can be fun. People come to take the mineral waters, smell the sulfur, compare liver spots, watch the geyser spout every Wo or 21/2 hours, rest in the shade by the canal or walkin the lovely gardens.

The park is not only good, it s good for you.

Liver problems? Go to the Dona Leopoldina magnesium fountain. Skin disorders? Take the sulfur baths of Tereza Cristina. Anemic? The Conde d'Eu e Dona Isabel fountains are rich in iron. VD? The Duque de Saxe fountain helps calm the bacteria that cause syphilis. For stomach troubles, drink the naturally carbonated waters of Dom Pedro (there's a water-bottling plant on the premises). The alkaline waters of the Venancio and Viotti fountains are good for dissolving kidney stones, while the Beleza waters soothe the intestines. The multipurpose water of the Mayrink fountains 1, 2 and 3 is good for gargling, eye irritations and table water (without the bubbles).

The park is open daily from 7 am to 6 pm.

Separate fees are required for paddleboats, the rifle range, hydrotherapeutic massages at the bathhouse, the jacuzzi, sauna, c is ails, swimming pool, skating rink

top of Morro Cristo.

Other Attractions Morro Cristo hill has an eight-meter-high image of Jesus. On Rua Princesa Isabela is the Igreja Santa Isabel da Hungria, built by the princess once she conceived due to the miraculous waters of Caxambu.

Take a horse-and-buggy tour into the countryside. The standard tour includes a minizoo, the Fabrica de Doce and the Chacara Rosallan. The mini-zoo at the Hotel Campestre has caged monkeys, a wilting peacock, and a sanema bird which looks like an eccentric European aristocrat, disgraced and in exile.

The Fabrica de Doce has locally produced honey, liqueurs and preserves. The last stop is Chacara Rosallan, an old farm with a flower orchard and fruit grove.

Rosallan is famous for two of her fruit liqueurs: jab oticaba and bottled tangerine.

Empty bottles are passed over the tiny tangerines and strapped to the tree; the tangerine grows within the bottle and weeks later is made into a liqueur.

Getting There & Away There are seven daily buses between Caxambu and Sao Lourenco on 49 km of winding, wooded road; four to Sao Paulo, (61/2 hours); and two to Rio (51/2 hours), at 8 am and midnight via Cruzeiro and Resende.

SAO LOURENCO Sao Lourenco is another pleasant city of mineral waters. Just south of Caxambu, it's 275 km from Rio de Janeiro, 296 km from Sao Paulo and 401 km from Belo Horizonte. The principal attraction is the Parque das Aguas, featuring waters with a variety of healing properties, sauna, and a lake with paddle boats. It is open daily from 8 am to 5.20 pm. Other diversions include goat cart rides for children and horseand-buggy rides for adults.

Information Tourist Office—In front BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

of the Parque das Aguas, the tourist office is open every day from 8 to 11 am and 1 to 6 pm. Staff have a list of hotels and a map of the attractions.

Circuito das Aguas Half-day tours of the Circuito das Aguas (Water Circuit) can be arranged. If possible organize it the day before. The vans will take up to eight people and normally visit Caxambu, Baependi, Cambuquira, Lambari and Passo Quatro, but you can also talk (bribe?) the driver into taking you to the mysterious stone village of Sao Tome das Letras (80 km away). Taxis and vans congregate at Avenida Getfilio Vargas.

You could also visit Pops de Caldas, a city built on the crater of an extinct volcano; this mineral spring town was settled by crystal glass blowers of the island of Murano, near Venice. Fullday tours to Pops de Caldas leave at 7 am.

Templo da Euboise Members of the Brazilian Society of Euboise believe that a new civilization will arise in the seven magic cities of the region - Sao Tome das Letras, Aiuruoca, Conceicao do Rio Verde, Itanhandu, Pouso Alto, Carmo de Minas and Maria da Fe. You can visit their temple on weekends from 2 to 4 pm, but you won't be allowed in if you're wearing shorts or sandals.

Entertainment The night life is pretty tame. In the evenings teenagers and young adults dress up and hang out on the fence and entrance of the Hotel MetrOpole. The club there has dances with a large-screen music video and bar.

Getting There & Away There are six buses daily to Rio de Janeiro (five hours), five buses daily to sao Paulo (six hours) and 11 to Caxambu (45 minutes).

SAO TOME DAS LETRAS BFtAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

In southern Minas, 310 km from Belo Horizonte, Letras is a stone village at 1450 meters. The name refers to the inscriptions on some of the many caverns in the region. If you're into mysticism or superstition, this is the place to go. Fueled by the inscriptions, the town is filled with strange stories of flying sau ers, visits of extraterrestrials, a cave that is th entrance to a subterranean passageway to Ma chu Picchu in Peru, and more.

This is also a beautiful mountain region, with great walks and several waterfalls.

Information The Prefeitura Municipal is opposite the bus stop in the main square, but can provide only verbal information in Portuguese. There's a shop in the main square, to the left as you look 4 the church, that sells maps.

Things to See & Do Most of the town's churches and buildings are old and made from slabs of quartzite. One that isn't is the Igreja Matriz de Sao Tome, dating from 1785, in the main square. It contains some excellent frescoes by the artist Joaquim Jose da Natividade. Right next to the church is the Gruta de Sao Tome, a small cave which, as well as its shrine to Sao Tome, has some of the strange inscriptions. The Igreja de Pedra is made of stone and worth a photograph. The lookout only 500 meters up from town provides great views and is a good place to watch the sunst or sunrise.

The caves Carimbado (3 km) and Chico Taquara (31/2 km) both contain the puzzling inscriptions. Popular waterfalls to walk to are Euboise (3 km), Prefeitura (7 km) and Veu de Noiva (12 km).

Festivals In August, the Festas de Agosto attract lots of pilgrims.

Getting There & Away The town is best reached from Tres Coracaes (which happens to be Pele's birthplace and has a statue of him), 38 km to the west. Buses leave Monday to Saturday at 3.30 pm. The dirt road up the mountains is precarious and buses are canceled during hard rains.

Hitching is possible, but not easy. To try hitching from Tres CoracOes, cross the river next to the bus station and turn into the first street on the right, the one with the train track down the middle. About 50 meters down on the left-hand side there's a bus stop. Take the 13 Ventura' bus to its final destination. It'll $ave you a long uphill walk through town.

Sao Tome das Letras can also be reached from Caxambu, 60 km to the south, but not by local bus.

NATIONAL PARKS Parque Nacional de Capara6 This park is popular with climbers and hikers from all over Brazil. The panoramic views are superb, taking in the Caparao valley that divides

Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo. Capara6 contains the highest mountains in southern Brazil, including the third highest peak in the country: the Pico da Bandeira, at 2890 meters. Other peaks include Cristal (2798 meters) and Calcado (2766 meters). All three can be reached via a good network of trails that exist within the park. Climbing gear isn't necessary.

Despite being ravaged by fire in 1988 and by human interference for the last 300 years, the park has a few lush remnants of mata atlantica, mostly in Vale Verde, a small valley split by the Rio Capara6.

Wildlife in the park is not exactly plentiful, but there are still some opossums, agoutis and spider monkeys to be seen. Birdlife includes various species of eagles, parrots and hummingbirds.

Between November and January there's lots of rain and it's too cloudy for good views. The best time to visit the park is from June to August. Although these are the coldest months, the days are clear. Bring warm clothes!

The park is open daily from 7 am to 5 pm. Make sure you pick up a map.

Getting There & Away Capara6 can be reached via Belo Horizonte or Vit6ria, in Espirito Santo. You'll need to catch a bus to the town of Manhumirim and then another local bus to Alto do Capara6, a further 25 km away.

Unfortunately the bus timetables work against the budget traveler. There are two buses a day to Manhumirim from both Belo Horizonte and VitOria. From Belo, they leave at 10 am and 5 pm, from VitOria at 9.30 am and 3.30 pm. The trip from either takes around five hours.

The problem is that there are only two local buses a day to Alto do Capara6: at 8 am and noon. To avoid staying in Manhumirim, catch one of the many buses going to Presidente Soares and ask 37

to be dropped off at the Caparao turnoff, and hitch the rest of the way. Alternatively, if you can afford it, take a taxi from Manhumirim to Alto do Capara6. It costs between $10-20, depending on the mood of the driver and your own bargaining ability.

Parque Nacional da Serra do Cipo Formed by mountains, rivers, waterfalls and open grasslands, the Parque Nacional Serra do Cipo is one of Minas' most beautiful. Its highlands, together with an arm of the Serra do Espinhaco, divide the water-basins of the Sdo Francisco and Doce rivers.

Most of the park's vegetation is cerrado and grassy highlands, but the small river valleys are lush and ferny, and contain a number of unique orchids. Animal species include the maned-wolf, tamarin monkeys, banded anteaters, tree hedgehogs, otters, jaguars and large numbers of bats.

Birdlife includes woodpeckers, blackbirds and hummingbirds. The park is also home to a small, brightly colored frog which secretes deadly toxins from its skin.

Brazilians call it Sapo-de-Pijama - the Pyjama-Frog.

Other attractions of the park include the 70-meter waterfall, Cachoeira da Farofa, and the Canyon dos Bandeirantes, named after the early adventurers from Sdo Paulo who used the area as a natural road to the North in their search for riches. Unfortunately, the park contains no infrastructure for tourism.

Getting There & Away Located about 100 km to the northeast of Belo Horizonte, the park is reached by catching a bus to Lagoa Santa, and then another one to Conceicao do Mato Dentro.

The road passes next to the park and Cartl Mota, the nearest town Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra In the southeast of Minas Gerais, the Parque Nacional da Serra da Canastra is the birthplace of the Rio Sao Francisco â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the river of national unity. With altitudes varying between 900 to 1500 meters, the vegetation is cerrado with grassy tablelands.

Although the fauna has been devastated by hunting and bushfires over the years, the park is a reasonable place to see animals, especially early in the morning.

Maned-wolves, deer, armadillos, banded anteaters and jaguars may be spotted, as well as eagles, vultures and owls.

Another big attraction is the 200 meter high Casca Excerpts from Brazil D'anta waterfall.

A Travel Survival Kit The best time to 2nd edition, visit the park is beby Andrew Draffen, tween April and Deanna Swaney October. and Robert Strauss. For Getting There more information call & Away Lonely Planet: (800) 275From Belo Ho8555. Copyright 1992 rizonte to Sdo Lonely Planet Publications.

Roque de Minas is Used by permission. a distance of about 350 km.

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Salvador's Carnaval became the most popular festival in Brazil, surpassing the one in Rio. The sixday-long street party attracts an estimated 2 million people. More than 160 groups parade on different locations and everyone is welcome to join in. But Carnaval is just the beginning. There's the Lavagens, the Yemanja festival, the pre-Carnaval. Salvadorenses are always inventing an excuse for having a party.

Whew!

PRAVI NA SHUKLA

BRAZIL -AUGUST 1996

The best time to visit Salvador, the capital of Bah a, is in the summertime, between the months of Dec mber and March. At this time the city is on fire wit religious, folk, and popular festivals all filled wit music, food, drinks, agua de cheiro (perfumed wat r), flowers, dancing and happiness. Almost every eekend in this time frame there is either a lava em (ritual washing of a church which culminate into a party) or a Candomble 'beating of the dru s' (a ceremony in the Nigerian Yoruba religion of C ndomble). The three most popular festivals are: the avagem of the Church of Nosso Senhor do Bon im, the Festa of Yemanja (Yoruban Goddess of the cean) and of course, Carnaval.

Lavagem do Bonfim his festival takes place the second Thursday of January every year. This ritual has been occurring in Salvador since 1754. All meet at one church, Church of Conceicfto da Praia and march to the Church of Bonfim 10 kilometers away where the ritual washing is to occur. At 10:00 am, the cortejo (procession) is sch4luled to leave for the Church of Bonfim. In front of th Church of Conceicao da Praia there are Baianas dres ed in all white with multicolored sacred beads, car r ing long white vases on their heads filled with perfumed water and white flowers. here are also horse-drawn carriages, musicians, as w 11 as government officials, including the mayor of S lvador. The Carnaval group Filhos de Gandhy (So s of Gandhi), who traditionally lead the procession march right behind the Baianas all the way to the hurch of Bonfim. Whereas the procession group and ystanders congregate outside the church, tens of thou ands of others are scattered around among booths off od and drinks, and trio eletricos featuring such mus cal favorites as Olodum, Ara Ketu, Gera Samba. he ten-kilometer procession is full of energy, druniming, chanting. The sun is piercing hot, the people stay cool by drinking water, beer, orange juice, or by pouring little bags of water over their heads. All participants, Filhos de Gandhy, Baianas and regular people alike wear white, the color of the Yoruba God Oxala., who is syncretized with Senhor do onfim. After an hour or so, all arrive at the Chu ch of Bonfim, lined with spectators and policemen. The Baianas starts pouring the perfumed water from the vases onto people's hands and heads, for bles ing, and on the steps of the closed church; the flow rs are dumped at the steps all well. owadays, the water is ritually poured on the outside as a symbolic gesture of cleansing; originally the inside of the church was washed. At this point, all sing the anthem of Senhor do Bonfim. Next the party disp rses ove all which direction. People go to the boot s by the Church of Bonfim to eat and drink.

Ther 's dancing on the streets, among the traditional boot s of Baianas selling acaraje (West African food made of black eyed peas fried in palm oil).

There are many young vendors of the ribbons of the Church of Bonfim which most visitors to Bahia come back adorned with. These ribbons come in all colois, the length of each is the exact length of the arm I)f' the sacred statue of Senhor do Bonfim with lives inside the church. Tradition states that the tying of the ribbon on the wrist grants the wearer three wishes which come true by the time the ribbon falls off.

People either stay at the Church of Bonfim to party or take one of the many city buses back down to th Conceicao da Praia Church where the trios blast music until morning. Although the festival attra ts tens of thousands of people, a suffocating 39

mass of bodies, the day is a beautiful feast for all the senses: flowers and beads, scented water, delicious food, great music.

Festa de Yemanjit This beautiful festival dedicated to the Goddess of the Ocean is celebrated every year on February 2nd. At dawn the area around the Rio Vermelho beach is lit up with fireworks. Shortly thereafter hundreds of people, all dressed in white, start to line up outside the temporary shack erected to hold the gifts to Yemanja. Inside the shack is where the 'main gift' is kept, a statue made of either silver or bronze of the goddess admiring herself in a hand held mirror. Sitting by and guarding the statue are a few Baianas dressed in the traditional white dresses, head coverings and beaded necklaces.

Around the statue are huge wicker baskets ready to accept the offerings either brought from home or bought from street vendors just outside. These gifts consist of either plastic necklaces, perfume bottles of Alfazema, white roses. soaps, mirrors. Yemanja is believed to be very beautiful and she knows it; offerings to her reflect this vanity. Many people write notes to her, asking her to grant them a wish. These notes will also enter the baskets later to be dumped into the ocean for her acceptance.

Adjacent to where the gifts are held there is a Candomble ceremony, involving Miles de Santo (Candomble priestess) dancing and chanting. The area is dark, but the white garments, lively dancing and drumming brighten up the room with gaiety and vibrance. The gift baskets, once full, are taken to an area where all the baskets are held until the time they will be loaded onto boats, usually around 4:00 pm. This area is colorful, sweet smelling with about fifty huge baskets all filled with roses, carnations, chrysanthemums, as well as miniature boats, plastic dolls, perfume bottles, and ribbons from the Church of Bonfim.

At around 4:00 pm, all gather around and wait to witness the yearly spectacle.

The fishermen's boats are filled with the baskets. The main gift, the silver statue, arrives and passes everyone on her way to the shore. All stand in awe as the beauty of Yemanj a gleams in the sunlight and graces everyone with her)* magical presence. She will accompany the boats, will oversee' the dumping of the baskets, but will return with the fishermen, for she must be present the following year.

Once the boats leave, people party to live music on the,,',1-, streets until dawn. Salvador has once again pleased the everpowerful Godde-- Legend has it that fishermen's wives would send offerings to Yemanja to appease her so that she would ' return their husbands back to them, since once at sea, the fishermen were symbolically married to Yemanj a and belonged only to her.

Carnaval.

This year's Carnaval was the biggest ever. In fact, Salvador's Carnavals have surpassed that of Rio de Janeiro, making it the most popular festival in Brazil. The six-day long festival attracts an estimated 2 million people, who consume 5 million liters of beer, 3 million liters of soft drink, 2 thousand tons of sandwiches and 300 tons of ice cream! The 162 Carnaval groups parade on different locations simultaneously, including the Historic Center, Campo Grande and the Avenida, and Barra / Ondina.

Unlike the Carnaval of Rio where Samba Schools parade, in Salvador everyone is welcome to parade with their favorite group, all you need to do is buy a costume. The costume grants: you the right to parade inside the corded-off area around thet. bloco, where it is much safer than on the streets. The costumes' 40

go from $200 for the blocos Afros all the way to $600 for Timbalada and Chiclete Com Banana, and must be ordered ahead of time.

Another distinguishing factor of Salvador's Carnavals is the trio eletrico, invented in 1950 by Osmar and Dodo. These are essentially huge trucks with many speakers, rumbling loudly, carrying the band and singers of the blocos. Participants usually follow behind, dancing and jumping.

This year's highlights were the ever popular Chiclete corn Banana (in bloco Camaleao), Daniela Mercury (in bloco Crocodilo), Netinho (in bloco Pine!),, and of course, Gera Samba (in Bizu) with their super hit "E 0 Tchan". All these blocos had masses of people behind them, wearing a tunic shirt (abada) and matching shorts and bandanna, and the occasion pom-pom. The costume is the same for men and women and usually comes in a day-glo color. .

In the Liberdade district, the 22-yearold he Aiye made its traditional Saturday night entrance with its yearly Candomble festivities. he's theme this year was "Bantu Civilizations"; its 2,000 participants looked majestic in costumes representing Mozambique, in he colors: white, red, yellow, and black. he is the only bloco in Salvador that restricts participation only to Blacks.

From the Historic Center of Pelourinho, the Afoxe Filhos de Gandhy made their much anticipated entrance into Carnaval on Sunday afternoon, after a ritual Candomble ceremony held at the Largo do Pei& The all-male bloco of 5,000 participants wear white long pants and shirt, a white turban with a sapphire blue plastic stone on it, white sandals and sapphire blue socks. They are beautifully adorned with many necklaces of blue and white plastic beads which they carry and distribute on the streets.

Founded in 1949, this bloco originally formed to honor India's Mahatma Gandhi is well respected and aesthetically overwhelming. Friday night marks the official entrance into Carnaval of perhaps Bahia's favorite Afro band, Olodum. This year 3,000 participants wore red sailor-inspired costumes to represent the group's theme "Sons of the Sea." Their 16th Carnaval entrance was heralded by 200 drums, all painted in the colors of Olodum: red, green, gold and black. The drummers consisted of the youth of Salvador, both men and women, led by their master Neguinho do Samba.

Carlinhos Brown's Timbalada was, as usual, a huge success. Thousands came to watch the bloco the three times it paraded. It was an extravaganza for the senses: beautiful people displaying body paint all over their bodies, beating on timbau drums, dancing and singing with a tremendous amount of energy. In fact, on the last day of Carnaval, Ash Wednesday, it is Timbalada who leads thousands on an arrastao behind them marking the official end of Carnaval.

Does the city rest after Carnaval? No way. Some blocos, such as Olodum, still continue to hold their weekly ensaios (rehearsals), there are many shows cleverly referred to as Ressacas (hangover) of Ara Ketu, Timbalada, Gera Samba. It is party as usual for this wonderful city, which in spite of its poverty manages to celebrate life. 1996 in fact marks the first time Salvador will have a "pre-Carnaval" in October, complete with trio eletricos, blocos Afros, Afaxe, abadds. Here we go again...

Pravina Shukla is a Ph.D. candidate in Folklore and Mythology at UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles).

BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

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I"ospent last Carnaval at my mother's house in Salvador (in the northeastern state of Bahia) with my husband, my daughter and some American friends, one of whom was Adrian. Well, Adrian is an American with a degree in International Relations from Berkeley, who did not know about Brazil and little by little fell in love with ur land. Last year he had spent a few months traveling between Rio and Salvador and he learned some Portuguese at that time.

A week before Carnaval there was a lava gem (washing of a church followed by a street party) in Santo Amaro da Purificacao, the town where renowned composer and singer Caetano Veloso was born. I love Caetano and since for the finale ofthe lavagem there was going to be a show with Caetano, Gilberto Gil, Elba Ramalho, Timbalada, and others, we — my husband, Adrian and myself— decided to go to Santo Amaro.

What a confuslio (mess)! We couldn't find any vacant hotel, and in the end, after walking around the city for many hours, the man from the store at the corner of the main stage offered us a place at the heart of the party. We didn't care that the place was being painted, and we didn't complain that our only amenity was two mattresses on the floor, after all, all we cared about was the show.

We went to eat some muqueca (regional spicy dish) in one of the food shacks, and since we were talking in English, two girls from Sao Paulo decided to approach us. They worked in movies. We talked for a while and they were coming on to Adrian, but they had leave to find Rodrigo, Caetano's brother. According to them, they were supposed to spend the night at Dona Cano (Ceatano's mother) house. They came back a little later and took Adrian with them to see the show closer. That's when we got separated. The show was wonderful!

My husband and I slept on the mattress. We were supposed to return very early in the morning to Salvador, since my 9-month-old daughter needed my care as soon as possible.

Adrian did not come back to share the mattress, so we assumed he had spent the night at the Veloso's home with the Paulista girls. We went there and talked to Dona Cane', who told us that there were lots of people sleeping there, but she was not sure if there was an American guy among them.

At that time, 8 A.M., she was the only one awake. We decided to have some breakfast and come back later. The only place open was the bus station. Over breakfast we started wondering what might have happened to Adrian. "Should we look for him at the hospital or police station," I asked my husband. "No, he must be sleeping with the Paulistas," was his answer.

By the way, Adrian is a dark-skinned American who had darkened his skin even more after a week at the beach. While we were talking about what to do, a policeman came in for coffee and more for peace of mind's sake I started talking with him about my American friend. To my utter surprise, he told us that there was a guy in jail, a liar, who insisted that he was an American. We ran to the police station, but it was Sunday, and the only person there was a sleeping man. We woke him up, but he could neither solve nor inform anything.

We ended up finding out that Adrian was really in jail. There was some kind of mêlée during the show and they arrested him, the Paulista girls, and others. Everyone was taken to the police station and released, but Adrian didn't have any document. He explained that he was an American, and that he was without his passport because he was afraid of losing it, and that he had left his documents in Salvador. The delegado (police chief) did not believe that he was American, because he doesn't have blond hair and blue eyes.

Since he speaks Portuguese, though haltingly, they thought that he might be pretending and could even be a wanted criminal.

According to Adrian, the delegado even asked him some questions about the United States, like who was the President, and details about the constitution. In spite of all his right answers the delegado said that he had everything wrong, and ordered him taken from the police module directly to the police station. All of this I only found out later.

At the time nobody informed me of anything. I had to walk around the city looking for the delegado's house since he doesn't work on Sundays.

It was very hard to convince the delegado to come to the window, but we succeeded, but despite our explanation he still wouldn't believe that the guy was American. Well, Adrian spent a night and a day in a cell like a true criminal. The cell only had cardboard on the floor and a hole to answer the call of nature. Insects were all over. He was also roughed up to tell the truth, since he stuck with the story that he was American. Another thing: the delegado didn't let him make the phone call that every person arrested has the right to make. He could have called Salvador, and someone could have brought the documents immediately. Salvador is less than an hour away from Santo Amaro.

Despite the crazy experience, which gave him a file at the Brazilian police, Adrian loved Bahia, and went to see Gil on July 22, in San Francisco, California. As for going back to Brazil he seems ready and willing as soon as there is another chance to jump on a southbound plane.

• 41

e can beget from all He's been called 0 Bruxo (The Sorcerer) such are the soun consider him the kinds of instruments and live and inanimate creatures. S world's most innovative and gifted composer alive. Yet his r cent 60th birthday wa virtually ignored both in Brazil and in the US. Here's our littl contribution to repair this oversight.

BRUCE GILMAN

I recently took part in a heated discussion with a group of Brazilian music enthusiasts who love bossa nova, Brazilian rock, and samba but had little if any concept of Hermeto's music. In fact it barely surfaced.

"Who is Hermeto?"

"Are there any recordings available?"

"You can't expect me to know anything about him if he's over 40!"

Pushed to the wall I screamed, "I'm probably taking too much for granted (my own brother had just discovered Olodum). But Hermeto is the Hermeto Pascoal, the reigning wizard of Brazilian music who plays everything and anything. Piano, flute, sax, live pigs, you name it. He's the only one who can write a kick-ass samba in 3/4!"

This lack of awareness about the planet's greatest musician coming from people who pride themselves on their knowledge and appreciation of Brazilian music astounded me. Yet these aficionados had plenty of company. Considering his international artistic stature, observances of Hermeto Pascoal's sixtieth birthday both in Brazil and in the United States were reprehensibly sparse.

That wizardly looking mystical presence with the turbulent white hair and beard was born June 22, 1936 in Lagoa da Canoa in Arapiraca, state of Alagoas.

Many say Hermeto resembles the other Northeastern Albino accordion player with the Santa Claus beard â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Sivuca, Hermeto's old bandmate from the group 0 Mundo em Chamas (World on Fire).

Actually, Sivuca has complained that people passing him on the street think he is Hermeto and ask him for his autograph and how he gets those bizarre sounds from pots and pans.

And although they are like brothers, Hermeto jokes that it is upsetting to be confused because he is more handsome.

If they were Americans some advertiser would probably employ the two for one of those silly look-alike gum or jeep commercials. In reality, Sivuca is bald, taller, and older than Hermeto. Hermeto's knack for creating musical instruments from found objects and "junk" reminds others of the American composer of experimental music and inventor of instruments Harry Partch. And because of dar42

ing instrumentation and Hermeto's integration of forms (free jazz,frevo,maxixe, xaxado, baido) and use of odd meters, the contemporary French composer and conductor Pierre Boulez also comes to mind.

Hermeto's prowess for transmuting noise into music is anything but imaginary. In the liner notes to Brazil, Universo Hermeto says that although his music is born in Brazil, it is inspired by the universe, that instruments are all around us, just waiting to be discovered. It only requires a mind free of any prejudices.

His music truly has no borders. He has composed for ensembles that include wash basins, tea kettles, sewing machines, chickens, goats, geese, turkeys, and pigs.

A perfect example (my favorite) is the screaming forro "0 Tocador Quer Beber" (The Player Wants to Drink) where the climax of Hermeto's solo on accordion elides with and is augmented by squawking chickens played by Marcus Vinicius. The effect is outrageous and stylistically perfect. Try it on your answering machine! This single tune is worth the price of the entire recording.

Brazil, Universo is a must for any serious collector and also contains "Criancas" (Children) and "Peixinho" (Little Fish), tunes which reveal Hermeto's utilization of odd meters and the human voice as an instrument, as atmosphere, as part of the musical texture, but not to present lyrics that convey some sort of story. Currently, among his numerous activities, Hermeto is writing Sinfonia da Boiada (Symphony of the Herd) that will place on stage a multitude of accordion players, violeiros (musicians from the Northeast of Brazil who play guitar-like instruments), and creatures who make bleating sounds.

As a child, the maestro taught himself to play flute, quickly moved on to the sanfona (accordion), began exploring the indigenous music of the Northeast, and was fronting a localforro band by the time he reached his eleventh birthday. Since then each of Hermeto's groups, like those of Art Blakey and Miles Davis, has been a training ground where extraordinary talent has harvested.

Known for musical aggressiveness and daring, Hermeto's lack of commercial BRA77IL - WGUST 1996

potential often scares uninitiated record company execuday by performing numerous concerts, Hermeto started at tives who are prospecting for hit records, which may the Municipal Theater in Sao Paulo accompanied by the explain the disparity in his popularity.

Sao Paulo Symphony Orchestra with the distinguished Hermeto's music is an ear stretch and not something Isaac Karabtchevsky conducting. one finds on the easy listening channels. Like Stravinsky The program presented the Brazilian debut of who left Los Angeles in the 1950s frustrated with people Hermeto's piano suite Pixitotinha. The Copenhagen Symwho claimed to be devotees of his music but who were just phony performed the World Premier four years ago in beginning to listen and really "hear" the music he had Denmark, and the performance was broadcast all over written fifty years earlier, it may be some time before Europe. This was not the first scholarly incursion by the those who listen (let alone the public at large) will fully Sorcerer of Sound. In 1990 he presented his Sinfonia em appreciate Hermeto's work.

Quadrinhos (Cartoon Symphony) with the Youth Sym"As far as I'm concerned, it is criminal how little of phony of Sao Paulo in the same Municipal Theater and Hermeto's recorded works are available in this country has had his works performed by the Berlin Philharmonic. and how little of his work has been recorded at all," Hermeto sees no problem in going from what many complained Steven Cantor of NPR affiliate KOPB 91.5 see as a popular music format to the more erudite. He feels FM in Portland, Oregon. Cantor, a radio host that celthat his music is universal and has pondered bringing in ebrated Hermeto's birthday on-air, put together a two the Italian tenor Luciano Pavarotti for the performance of hour special of the maestro's music which included a Sinfonia da Boiada. Maestro Karabtchevsky, the 61 year playlist that had been selected by Hermeto himself. old musical director of the Teatro La Fenice, the Venice Cantor believes that Hermeto's genius is neglected in Opera, and the Municipal Theater in Sao Paulo, has been the United States because he is Brazilian and doesn't an Hermeto fan for over 25 years. Hermeto's total instruspeak much English, because he is uncompromising and mental mastery, his rhythmic, harmonic, and melodic can be very difficult to work with, and because virtually ingenuity, and his vision that embraces all musical forms all of his work is instrumental music. "It's a complete and sounds has always impressed the conductor. mystery to me," criticized Cantor, "why On Hermeto's most recent release, the American jazz community hasn't Festa dos Deuses (Festival of the Gods), picked up on Hermeto a long time ago." the thirteenth release of his fifty year In fact, one of Hermeto's most ardent career, Hermeto has again surpassed himadmirers was the revolutionary jazz trumself. Besides the opulent harmonies, the pet player, band leader, and composer highly recommende brilliant rhythmic corners, and the exMiles Davis. Without speaking the other's traordinary improvisations that come tosuper highly recom language the two became friends. Ingether with the cock-a-doodle-doo of a deed, a short time before Miles died in rooster and the singing of birds; he has Does not include dozens of re1991, the two had decided to make an brought in the music of human speech. ordings as a sideman) album together. When Hermeto went to This compositional technique, baptized Miles's house to show him some compoSom da Aura (Aura's Sound) by Hermeto, uarteto ovo sitions, Miles insisted on recording all of makes use of recorded sounds and inciHermeto them. Hermeto refused, joking that he dental noises and has been referred to as Musica Livre de Hermeto Paswouldn't have anything left to play himMusique Concrete. coal* self. Davis did record two of Hermeto's By means of synthesizer he transcompositions, "Nem um Talvez" (Not Slave's Mass formed portions of a speech by ex-presiEven A Maybe) and "Igrejinha" (Little Cerebro Magnetic° dent Fernando Collor, a poem read by Church), on the historical album Live/ Montreux Jazz Live actor and poet Mario Lago, and even a Evil, from 1970.

Hermeto Pascoal & Grupo swimming class offered by his daughter Miles, like Ellington, developed the Fabiola. In 1984 Hermeto employed a Lagoa da Canoa Municipio de habit of taking credit for tunes that were similar technique. Extracting a short Arapiraca* written by the members of his groups. phrase from an excited soccer announcer's So Nao Toca Quern Artio Quer* Two obvious examples being Wayne play-by-play coverage and developing a Brazilian Adventure Shorter's tune "ESP," and the Bill Evans tape loop and accompaniment for the loop, Solo por Diferentes Caminhos composition "Nardis". After all, who was Hermeto conjured up the unequivocally Brazil, Universo** going to complain? These musicians hypnotic "Tiruliruli."

Festa dos Deuses** weren't about to give up their gig. They Festa dos Deuses is perpetuating rewere honored to share the bandstand, let percussions outside of Brazil. Hermeto alone record with one of his vanguard received a tape from Germany of a stutterensembles. Although Miles was ultimately responsible ing man reciting love poems. Of course, Hermeto is bent for deciding who he played with and for the group's on orchestrating and metamorphosing it into a compositrajectory, his barometer for determining jazz's next phase tion. This may sound odd to the unilluminated, but Som was often the musical pulse he took from his band conda Aura could be the music of the future? Isn't it already? stituents. Unfortunately, many of his colleagues' pieces Myriad disciples around the world, from Lyle Mays to were later recorded by other artists or published in arMoleque de Rua, continue to be fascinated and inspired rangements for various sized ensembles, and on each

by Hermeto's sonic vocabulary and approach to defining occurrence were attributed to Miles. So it was a pity that music. At sixty years old,The Enigma of the Instruments on the first pressing ofLive/Evil that the record company remains a touchstone for our international music commudid not give Hermeto credit for his work. Could there nity. really have been any confusion of authorship?

Too often and too long neglected, the most original Bruce Gilman plays cuica for Mocidade contemporary musician of our time, the internationally Independente Los Angeles, received his MA from celebrated composer and multi-instrumentalist from California Institute of the Arts, and teaches English Alagoas, celebrated his sixtieth birthday without waiting and ESL in Long Beach, California. You can reach for official festivities. Deciding to have a musical birthhim through his E-mail: cuica@interworld.net BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

43

"True love is an act of total surrender... This book is about the importance of that surrender."

Paulo Coelho has taken a new approach with a familiar subject. His fourth novel to appear in English is narrated by a young woman of twenty-nine named Pilar, whose childhood friend — an unnamed 'he' — is now a reputed miracleworker. They have not seen each other in over a decade but have sporadically remained in touch.

Pilar has been going to school in Zaragoza, Spain, and one day she travels four hours by train to Madrid to hear him lecture. She listens from the audience as he begins: "You have to take risks. We can fully understand the miracle of life only if we allow the unexpected to happen."

She waits for him afterwards. "I believe in the feminine side of God," he tells her; and later he'll say that "One of the faces of God is the face of a woman." Not only is he paying obeisance to the feminine principle in all things — God is the father, and the mother— he also claims to have seen the Goddess. It was She who bestowed upon him the powers of healing.

Pilar accompanies the old friend with whom she's been reunited to Bilbao, BY ri.t" RTVE, PiWt where he is to lecture. He reveals to her that he has loved her consistently these I Sr DOWN & W many years, but in this matter Pilar doubts his sincerity. He tells her: "I'm going to fight for your love. There are some things in life that are worth fighting to the end for... You are worth it."

By the River Piedra I Sal 1)01117 and :rept, If the reader has leafed through any two of Coelho's three previous books —

by Paulo Coelho. trans. by Alan R. Clarke The Alchemist, The Pilgrimage, The Valkyries — then it will be noticed that the larper San Francisco, 240 pp.. 520) same themes are again being explored by characters who tend to be mouthpieces for the author: "The universe always helps us fight for our dreams, no matter how foolish they may be. Because they're our dreams, and only we know the effort required An excerpt: to keep them alive." Or, "The moment we begin to seek love, love begins to seek us. And The gods throw the dice, and they don't ask if we want to be in the game to save us." Variations of these lines can be or not. They don't care whether you leave behind a lover, a home, a found in all of Coelho's novels. career, or a dream. The gods don't care whether you have it all, if it Pilar, it turns out, is having difficulty in seems like your every desire can be met through hard work and 'letting go.' Part of her is still back in Zaragoza persistence. The gods don't want to know about your plans and your studying for final exams and relaxing with her hopes. Somewhere in the universe, they're throwing the dice — and friends; the other part really would like to you are chosen. From then on, winning or losing is only a matter of surrender to the passions of the moment. This 4 chance. ,g • may be why Coelho has cast his tale in what is The gods throw the dice, and free love from its cage. Love is a force simultaneously an interior monologue and a that can create or destroy — depending on the direction of the wind at journal (written after the fact) that cover the the time it was set free. events, day by day, of one fateful week in For the moment, the wind was blowing in his favor. But the wind is as December, 1993. Since the main thrust of the capricious as the gods — and, deep inside myself, I began to feel some story is also about ousting the Other, or presidgusts ing over that part of oneself that says we should be cautious, seek money and comfort, the author could have generated some real inner tension, resulting in believable character growth, but Pilar is not only childish (headstrong one minute, indecisive the next) as well as a bundle of conflicting emotions, she later spouts the kind of wisdom that even Socrates would be hardpressed to top.

Perhaps because of his unexpected proximity to her, our unnamed miracle-worker suddenly seems to be buffeted about by the winds of uncertainty. When Pilar capitulates to her innermost • • thoughts and dreams, to paraphrase another of Coelho's themes, and then admits that she, too, is in love, he has to decide how to sever and yet retain his ties to the ways of his church. He seeks to embrace and adapt, and we are led to believe that he resolves his dilemma, that he has been able to reconcile his proselytizing the faith with his being married to Pilar.

Ultimately, then, this book is a pilgrimage for all concerned, and not just an inner pilgrimage either since the last few days take place in Saint-Savin, just over the Spanish border into France, and in Lourdes, where in 1858 the Virgin Mary appeared several times Paulo Coelho's latest book to be to a poor girl named Bernadette. released in the US is neither a One can read By the River Piedra I Sat Down and Wept as a memorable tale nor is it particularly love story with spiritual overtones, but it is not a particularly well written. While The Alchemist was memorable tale nor is it particularly well written. In this regard, it an auspicious beginning for the joins The Valkyries as a book with little to recommend it: both author, if he doesn't- change his tune books seem awkward and simplistic. While The Alchemist was an he may soon lose his American auspicious beginning for Paulo Coelho in this country, if he audience. doesn't change his tune (or at least his presentation of it) I'm BONDO WYSZPOLSKI afraid that he may lose his audience. Should that happen, I just don't think he'll get it back.

•

The magic I gone

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BFtAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

Brazilian Notas SCOTT ADAMS

Horn's caressing vocals. John Hendrick's inventive scatting on "No More Blues" (Chega de Saudade), recalling his contribution to the rise of Bossa Nova in the United States, with the penning of new English lyrics for that song and others, including "Desafinado" (Out of Tune) and "Outra Vez" (Once Again).

For thousands of Brazilians, the "rites of Spring" begin with

the annual Free Jazz Fest in Rio and Sao Paulo. The week long event brings together a musical "who's who" of famous musicians from around the world.

And on one rainy Sao Paulo night in September of 1993, an all-star cast gathered to pay tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim.

But no one, not the audience, not the musicians on stage, knew that this would be Jobim's final Brazilian concert performance.

Verve's new Antonio Carlos Jobim and Friends captures the magic of that special night. Running with an idea from the Festival's producers, Oscar Castro-Neves quickly settled on pianist Herbie Hancock as musical director. Saxophonist Joe Henderson and singers Gal Costa, John Hendrick and Shirley Horn would front bassist Ron Carter, drummer Harvey Mason and percussionist Alex Acufia. Castro-Neves would share guitar play with Jobim's talented son, Paulo and Cuban pianist Gonzalo Rubalcaba would split keyboard duties with Hancock, who recalls: "One thing I noticed with all of the many stars we brought to Sao Paulo was that everyone expressed to me a shared purpose: They love the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim. And so do I." In its 74 minutes, Antonio Carlos Jobim and Friends contains many songs that have become timeless favorites: "Wave," with its special piano duet between Jobim and Hancock.

"Once I Loved" with Shirley

But perhaps the best moments of that incredible evening were reserved for Jobim and Gal Costa. This Brazilian siren, now entering her role as Grand Dame of Brazilian song, captures the spirit and soul of what Jobim's music is about. Make no mistake: whatever images you may have of Rio's wide sandy beaches, golden bronzed bodies and the endless pulse of samba and Carnaval have been shaped to some great degree by the legacy of this man's life. And when you hear Gal Costa sing "Se Todas Fossem Iguais a Voce" (Someone to Light Up My Life) and "Caminhos Cruzados" you'll understand what Jobim has said all along: "For me, there is no more beautiful voice for my music than Gal Costa's."

Costa is featured again in a remarkable duet with Hancock's piano on "A Felicidade" and then during the concert's finale, "The Girl From Ipanema" which finds her trading lines from "Take The "A" Train" with Jobim before each of the musicians have their turn.

Yes, September 27, 1993 was a memorable night.

Jobim's final performance would come less than eight months later at Carnegie Hall, and his unexpected passing only a few short months after that. Antonio Carlos Jobim and Friends is a musical snapshot of one of the world's most gifted songwriters, and will become a treasured addition to you collection for years to come.

In both 1993 and 1994, the Sharp Primeiro award for "Best Instrumental Jazz Recording" has been presented to Rio de Janeiro's Caju Music. It's the highest honor in Brazil's recording industry. US distributor Milestone World Music has included three more Caju titles in their summer release schedule. Canhoto da Paraiba, having influenced the careers of Baden Powell and Nonato Luiz among others, could well be described as a "founding father" of modern Brazilian samba. Pisando em Brasa (Dancing on Hot Coals) finds the 67 year old, left handed guitarist recalling his years with such legends as sax player Pixinguinha and Donga in a well-produced setting that features the late Brazilian guitarist Raphael Rabello and long time compatriot Paulinho da Viola.

Before his untimely passing from AIDS due to a tainted blood transfusion in 1988, guitarist Francisco Mario developed a keen interest in preserving the roots of his country's musical past. The result is Retratos (Portraits), which resurrects a variety of Brazilian song forms through a heady combination of instinct and

curiosity. Elegantly recorded, the original material in Retratos succeeds so well in maintaining the undiluted dignity of these styles that it's hard to believe it's not the work of some contemporary vision. Not surprisingly, the album received little fanfare in Brazil, where musical tastes run internationally, but the critics loved it and you will, too. And finally, Dirceu Leitte's Leitte de Coco (Coconut Milk) finds the talented reedman in a jazzy mixture of choro and samba that revolves around several originals as well as works by Nascimento, Ary Barroso and Chico Buarque.

Caju Music has dedicated itself to producing the highest quality Brazilian Instrumental music, with the understanding that each new release breaks new ground. Owner Barry Powely paints an enthusiastic picture for Brazilian instrumental music with a clear understanding of his labels' objectives. -When we started with Caju, our idea was to provide high quality recordings of both new and established musicians and give them the opportunity to create and record under the best possible conditions. We're working to become the Deutsche Gramophone of Brazil, and our quality is something we feel Brazilian music fans will continue to appreciate as they become more aware of what Caju/Milestone has to offer."

Want to stay current with all that's happening with Brazilian music?

Call (847) 292-4545 to sign up for a free subscription to our Brazilian Music Review newsletter. Each issue details the best of Brazilian music and it's free.

The father of bossa nova in a final historic performance. with ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM • BERRIE HANCOCK • JOE HENDERSON • SHIRLEY HORN JON HENDRICKS • GAL COSTA • GONZALO RUBILICABA • OSCAR CASTRO-NEVES PAULO JOBIM • HON CARTER • HARVEY MASON • ALEX ACURA Antonio Carlos Jobim's songs hold special meaning for jazz musicians and fans alike. In one of Jobim's final appearances, recorded live in Sao Paulo, Brazil, an extraordinary roster of stars was assembled to honor him. With Herbie Hancock as director, the event gave each performer a unique opportunity to express their love for Jobim's music. visit us at verveinteractive.com

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

Includes 74 minutes of previously unreleased material.

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Movies Alo? Madame!... — It all starts when two friends get a phone number that belonged to a palm reader and decide to take the clients for themselves. By Marcelo Saback and Vinicius Marques. In Rio. Burundanga, a Revolta do Baixo Ventre —There' s panic in a small town when two swindlers passing for military men talk about an impending revolution. Written by Luis Alberto de Abreu. Ednaldo Freire directs. In Sao Paulo.

Cabaret FilosOfico — The theater becomes a bar where life's existential questions start to be asked. Written and directed by Domingos de Oliveira. Ana Borges and Frederico Eca star.

In Rio. A Comedia — Complicated and funny love-triangle. Mauricio Lencasttre wrote and directs Viviane Dias, Ludh Raposo and Gabriela Neri star. In Sao Paulo.

Como Encher um Biquini Selvagem — Written and directed by multitalented Miguel Falabella with Claudia Jimenez.

A story of loneliness in the big city. In Rio. 0 Livro de J6 — Inspired by Job's biblical ordeal, the play discusses the divine power.

Adapted by Luis Alberto de Abreu. Directed by Antonio Araajo. With Maria Lima and Matheus Nachtgaele. In Sao Paulo.

Mary Stuart — By Shiller, directed by Gabriel Villela, with Renata Sorah and Xuxa Lopes.

The dispute between queens Mary Stuart of Scotland and Elizabeth I of England. In Rio. Master Class —Maria Callas' s memories. Her career and marriage to Aristoteles Onassis.

Translated by Millar Fernandes, the text was written by Terence McNally and directed by Jorge Takla. Marilia Pera e Callas. In sao Paulo.

Todo Mundo Sabe que Todo Mundo Sabe — Another play from prolific and multitalented Miguel Falabella who also directs it. A socialite struggles to avoid economic disaster. In Rio. 46

American films just released: Down Periscope (Por Agua Abaixo ), Flirting with Disaster (Procurando Encrenca), Mission: Impossible (Misstio Impossivel), Nina Takes a Lover (0,Amante de Nina), Up Close and Personal (Intim° e Pessoal), The Cable Guy (0 Pentelho), Fargo (Fargo), Dunston Checks In (0 Hospede Quer Bananas), City Hall (City Hall — Conspiraceio no Alto Escalao), Showgirls (Showgirls), Twister (Twister), Last Dance (A Ultima Chance), The Hunchback ofNotre Dame (0 Corcunda de Notre Dame) Cassiopeia, a Filme (Cassiopeia, the Film) — Brazil — 1995 — Computer animated adventure about the invasion of planet Ateneia by intruders trying to steal their energy.

The Horseman on the Roof (0 Cavaleiro do Telhado e a Dama das Sombras) — France — 1995 -- An independent French young lady and an adventurous Italian horseman get romantically involved in a repressed and plague-infested 19th century Europe. With Gerard Depardieu and Juliette Binoche. Directed by Jean-Paul Rappeneau.

J'ai pas Sommeil (Noites sem Dormir) — France/Germany/Switzerland — 1994 — Russian actress gets involved in series of murders in Paris while trying to get a job in the French capital. Directed by Claire Dennis with Katherina Golubeva.

Land and Freedom (Terra e Liberdade) — England — 1995 — Director Ken Loach's story about a youngster who decides to join the Republican militia during the Spanish civil war. With Ian Hart, Rosana Pastor, Iciar Bollain and Tom Gilroy.

Mil e Uma (One Thousand and One) — Brazil — 1994 — Special prize at the Gramado Festival. Filmmaker tries to make a movie on artist Marcel Duchamp's imaginary visit to Brazil. Suzana Moraes directs.

With Giovana Gold and Alexandre Borges.

Sombras de Julho (July's Shadows) — Brazil — 1995 — Two families from Minas Gerais farmlands get entangled in a clispute over land. Director: Marco Altberg. Angelo Antonio, Othon Bastos and Lu Mendonca star.

Stonewall (0 Lugar dos Meus Sonhos — Stonewall) — England — 1995 — Nigel Finch directs Guillermo Diaz, Fred Weller and Brendan Corbalis in this story about a New York bar which becomes a bastion for gay rights in the US. The White Baloon (0 Bala° Branco)— Iran — 1995 — The dreams of a little girl whose only ambition is to get a red fish as gift. Jafar Pahani is the director.

Fiction 1. 0 Mundo de Sofia Jostein Gaarder 2. 0 Corcunda de Notre Dame Walt Disney 3. 0 Xango de Baker Street Jo Soares 4. Mas Serd o Benedito?

Mario Prata 5. A Profecia Celestina James Redfield 6. 0 Carteiro e o Poeta Antonio Skarmeta 7. 0 Corredor da Morte V.I. (Duas Meninas) Stephen King 8. Manha, Tarde e Noite Sidney Sheldon 9. 0 Corcunda de Notre Dame HistOrias Encantadas 10. Comedia da Vida Privada Luis Fernando Verissimo

Nonfiction 1. Inteligencia Emocional Daniel Goleman 2. Almas Gemeas Monica Buonfiglio 3. A Assustadora Historia da Medicina Richard Gordon 4. Frases Paulo Coelho Mamonas 5. Bld, Assassinas Eduardo Bueno 6. Anjos Cabalisticos Monica Buonfiglio 7. Minutos de Sabedoria Torres Pastorino 8. Guia New York — Compras Katia Zero 9. Encontros, Desencontros e Reencontros Maria Helena Matarazzo 10. 56 o Amor E Real Brian L. Weiss According to weekly newsmagazine Veja BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

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BOSSA NOVA REDUX US-based Gaticho (from Rio Grande do Sul) composer and pianist extraordinary Manfredo Fest has just released Fascinating Rhythm in another show of his alchemist power to magically mix Brazilian sounds to American jazz.

Besides the title song which is from George Gershwin the new CD contains Tom Jobim's "Samba do Avido," Baden Powel's "Berimbau," Fest' s "Arigo" and Paulo Jobim's "Samba do Soho."

Fest, after being raised in Porto Alegre where he also got a degree in music, moved to Sao Paulo in his early twenties.

He's been in the United States (Minneapolis, Los Angeles with Sergio Mendes, Chicago, back to Minneapolis and then Miami) since 1967. Fascinating Rhythm is a Concord Jazz release. You can get more information at (510) 682-6770.

RAZILLORIDA CONNECTION

P

With Brazil as Florida's greatest trade partner Tigertail Productions is going full-steam ahead with the idea of transforming its New Visionâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Florida/ Brazil festival into an international event that should attract people from across the US. Since 1986, Mary Luft, Tigertail's director, has been traveling to Brazil to meet with artists and cultural authorities. This has already given birth to cultural projects both in Brazil and the US. This year the two-week program to be held in November will include Brazilian painting, dance, movies, discussion panels and concerts. Among the names being expected at the festival are director Fabio Barreto and his Oscar-nominated 0 Quatrilho, visual artist Arnaldo Antunes, and the jazz ensemble Pau Brasil. You want to know more? Call (305) 324-4337.

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

BRINGING BACK CARNAVAL For those who missed Rio's latest Carnaval parade and for those who saw it on tapes . made out from what Brazilian TV has shown of the spectacle and thought it to be too tame A-Vid International is offering a second chance. The Washington-based company has released "Brazil Carnaval '96", a one-hour compilation of sounds, colors, sweat and a lot of flesh.

All the main Escalas de Samba (samba schools) and their samba enreclos (samba plots) are featured on the tape. The video comes with the disclaimer: "For mature audiences only." In the same line, A-Vid is also offering titles as "Samba Rio," and "Hot Nights in Rio,- and promises for soon a collection of three tapes entitled "Erotic Nights in Rio" and another called "Gay Nights in Rio".

For more information you can call (800) 750194 I.

Learn Anothe Language on Your Own! Leam to speak a foreign language fluently on your own and at your own pace with what are considered the finest i n-depth courses available. Many were developed by the Foreign Service Institute of the U.S. Department of State for diplomatic personnel who must learn a language quickly and thoroughly. Emphasis is on learning to speak and to understand the spoken language. A typical course (equivalent to a college semester) includes an album of 10 to 12 audio cassettes (10 to 18 hours), recorded by native-born speakqrs, plus a 250-page textbook. Some of our Courses: 0 Arabic, Saudi $185 El German I $18 0 Latin $160 El Serbo-Croatian $195 0 Egyptian $185 El German II $15 0 Latvian $185 El Slovak $185 0 Bulgarian $245 0 Greek $18 0 Lithuanian $135 D Spanish I $185 0 Cantonese $185 0 Haitian Creole $22 0 Mandarin $185 0 Spanish II $165 0 Catalan $185 0 Hebrew $25 D Norwegian $125 0 Swedish $185 El Czech $125 0 Hungarian $19 El Persian $185 0 Swahili $225 0 Danish $185 0 Italian D Polish $18 $185 0 Tagalog $295 0 Dutch $125 0 Japanese $18 0 Portuguese $215 0 Thai $195 El Estonian $295 D Khmer $22 (Brazilian) 0 Turkish $195 El French I $185 o Korean $195 0 Romanian $115 0 Ukrainian $195 0 French II $215 o Lakota $185 0 Russian $225 El Urdu $185 0 Vietnamese $225 You can order now with a full 3-week money-back guarantee.

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46-36 Vernon Blvd., #4 Long Island City, NY 11101 (718) 937-0574

IIRGENTE! WANTED PORTUGUESE-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNICABLE PEOPLE $$ 2000-4000 PIT $$ 4000-8000 F/T CALL

(310) 470-2506

PORTUGUESE LANGUAGE SERVICES (415) 587-4990

Legal, Medical, Scientific, Business Documents and School Transcripts Certified by the California Judicial Council and filed with the Brazilian Consulate Since 1981

"'CHILD CARE CRISTAO VOCE ESTARIA INTERESSADO EM MANTER AS TRADUES CRISTAS BRASILEIRAS NA EDUCACAO DOS SEUS FILHOS? ESTAMOS EN, FASE DE ESTABELECER 0 PRIMEIRO "CHILD CARE" ONDE CONCILIAMOL, 0 DIA A DIA AMERICANO COM AS TRADIcOES BRASILEIRAS EM UM AN1BIENTE ESTR1TAMENTE FAMILIAR E CRISTAO. CRIANOAS DE 0 A 4 ANOS INFeRmAgOES. ADELMA

(310) 739-5103

(818) 897-3661 IMMIGRATION MATTERS DEPORTATION DEFENSE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CALIFORNIA

CENTRO BRASILEIRO PARA 0 TRATAMENTO DE VIOLiNCIA DOMESTICA, DROGAS, ALCOOLISMO, DEPRESSAO, SAUDE MEN TAL EM GERAL

7635 EALLBROOK AVE WEST HILL CA 91304

(818) 592-0402 IMMIGRATION ATTORNEY

STEVEN R. LAN DAAL uromes, kowas lenleratiom Iseqen lawman • GREEN CARDS THROUGH MARRIAGE& FAMILY • EMPLOYMENT VISAS FREE1151151CONSULTATION MONTHLY PAYMENT PUN MEW i

I ALSO HANDLING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDENTS1

1 16 3rd

el:144m'

Tab (310) 395-2828

WHEREVER YOU ARE IN THIS GALAXY

FOR A DAILY 3 PAGE SUMMARY OF THE BRAZILIAN PRESS, SUBSCRIBE TO THE

VOLUNTEERS FOR

A MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

PROOFREADING WRITING MAINTAINING MAILING LIST & EVERYTHING ELSE

AGENC1A ESTADO

213-255-8062

(800) 237-8236

brazzil@brazzil.com

(305) 285-6980

I

ATTORNEY AT LAW/AROGADIVADVINADO MEMBER, STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA

DR. JEFFEPSON SA

FAX NEWSPAPER SERVICE BY

FAX YOUR REQUESTFOR A ONE WEEK FREE TRIAL TO

I WANT MORE INFORMATION ON ADVERTISING IN bioni PLEASE SEND ME A MEDIA KIT. COWPANY: CONTACT: ADDRESS CllY, ST, ZIP: PHONE. PRODUCT:

FX

http://www.brazzil.corn RETURN THIS FORM TO:

BRAZZIL - P.O. BOX 42536 LOS ANGELES, CA 90050 OR CALL (800)354-4953

ht-tp://home.earthlink.net/—brazzil

FOR AD CALL NOW 213 255-8062 48

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

FEIRA LIVRE. OPEN MARKET CLASSES

(800) 589-5884.

Looking for a very fast, effi-

cient, and pleasant way to learn Brazilian Portuguese? (415) 9913476 [141] COLLECTIBLES

Capoeira Masters Trading Cards! Complete sets available

for $11.65. Californians add 8.25% sales tax. Donald Coley 969 62nd Street Oakland, CA 94608-1360 [127] COOKING

Best Selling Brazilian Cookbook - Delightful Brazilian Cooking

by Eng Tie Ang. Over 130 authentic, quick and easy recipes. $14.95, plus $3.00 shipping and handling. P.O. Box 30818 - Seattle, WA 98103 - Phone and Fax (206) 789-3693. [126] HEALTH & FITNESS

Westside Acupuncture Clinic

— Chinese herbs for sexual enhancement, weight loss and sports injuries. (310) 914-1624 [128]

PERSONAL WOMAN SEEKS MAN

Attractive, sophisticated eco-

nomically independent Brazilian lady seeks nice Americano 4560 for serious commitment. Write to Claudice, SQN-308 Bloco "H" Apt. 605 - Brasilia DF 70000 Brazil [124] Sophisticated, attractive lady

with Scandinavian art degree seeks professional, attractive 4758 man — non-American, non smoker—for love eventual marriage. (213) 851-2767 [125] Sou Ellen, americana coin coracao brasileiro, bem educa-

da, que adora a musica, a cultura, a lingua e o povo brasileiros.

Quena conhecer um brasileiro solteiro de 40 anos ou mars, em boa forma, morando em New York City ou pertinho. E-mail: 73160.3237@compuserve.com [130] PERSONAL MAN SEEKS WOMAN

JOB OFFERED

American, male, 44 years old,

Revolutionary marketing Co.

would like to meet a Brazilian lady. I speak English only. Call (415) 994-8470 (San Francisco)

ready for international growth.

High income potential, serious inquiries only. Via South America-Call (310)312-9956. Travel & training available. [126] Urgente! Wanted Portuguese-

English speaking communicable people. $$ 2000-4000 p/t, $$ 4000-8000 f/t. Call (310) 4702506 [133] JOB SOUGHT

Business liaison - Bilingual ex-

ecutive will represent your company in Brazil or your Brazilian connection in US. (818) 7941572 LOOKING FOR

Procura-se Karla/Eduardo de

Culver City. Vim Vasp 4/12/96 Elizabete (310) 441-9406 [127] Music

Brazilian Music in its totality.

Samba, bossa nova, chorinho, baiao, axe, and more. Merchant Express - (800) 589-5884.

NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES

Jornais e revistas do Brasil.

Recebemos jornais diarios e todas as principals revistas, incluindo masculinas e femininas. Tel. BRAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

[124] American Plastic Surgeon. In-

ternationally recognized. Attractive. Athletic. Has toured Brazil.

Seeks intelligent, athletic, attractive, non smoking Brasileira who likes skin diving, aerobics, surfing, outdoor photography & cooking. Ages 22-30. Send photos and C.V. to G.M. - 2318 Washington - Great Bend, Kansas, 67530 - U.S.A. Americano, 38 anos, alto,

delgado, branco, olhos azuis, professor de Ingres, procura brasileira 18-30 anos. (310) 2895719 William - Ou: 1223 Broadway #143, Santa Monica, CA 90404 [124] Americano, young 44, honest,

romantic, seeks brasileira 27-39.

Has toured Brasil. Likes your people, music, soccer. Falo Portugues. Letter/photo to Douglas, 18 Grand Rio Cir., Sacramento, CA 95826 [125] Blue eyes, 6' tall college grad,

business owner, traveler near Marina Del Rey, California, seeks a sharing, caring, sensual relationship with a petite, ethnic, Brasileira— Barrett (310) 3902586 [124]

FEIRA LIVRE RATES: 50e 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. Sorry, no credit card at this time. Your canceled check is your receipt. Please, include address and phone number, which xs ill 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 or money order to:

BRAZZIL P.O. Box 42536 Los A ngeles, CA 90050-0536.

Brazilian Gaucho, 2,5'4" tall, ted, roman-

118, protestant, edu tic, likes music, soc raphy, seeks can pretty lady 20-28 fo romance. Letter/ph iam, PO Box 17 Plaines, IL 60017-1

er, photogg, honest, friendship/ to to Will1 — Des 41[129] Divorced white ma e, 45, seeks for correspondence friendship, marriage, warm, k nd, loving, non-smoking Brazi ian women 18-33 years, some nglish, one child OK. I will corn lete graduate business school nd travel to Brazil June 1998. Se ious inquiries only please. Ph to and letters: James King, 20 S. Elm St. Apt. C, Greenville, NC 27858, USA. Also you c E-mail to: grjking@ecuvm.cis. cu.edu PERSONAL MAN SEEKS MAN

Goodlooking athletic American

M 32 6 185 brn/bluer seeks other goodlooking Brazilian/Argen tine guys 18-30 for friendship or more. I traveled to Argentina and Brazil for 6 months 4nd loved it.

Letter and photo to: P ter Ehason; 4960 Almaden Exp #179; San Jose, California 9511 —E-mail: sjsharks7 aol.com or 1-800761-4983. 128] Quiet gay white mal , 38, 5'9",

150#, brown hair, m stache. No smoke, no drink, nj drugs, no car. Simple living, but love to travel worldwide. Seek Brazilian with similar interests. Letter/ photo to: Steve, 840w. Larrabee, #4-121, West Holl wood, CA 90069 Sou gay american , 28, 6'2", 190, branco. Procur brasileiro bonito para amiza e e mais.

Morava no Brasil e gora tenho saudades. (213) 660- 617 [122]

Very handsome, p ofessional, kind and generous gay American

man who loves truly the music, seeks caring, sincere Brazil man 25 to 45 from Los Angeles or Brazil. Call or write: Occupant 12425 Texas Ave. #13, Los Angeles, CA 90025 - (310) 2078793 [123] PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP

Sou brasileira, tenho 16 anos,

quero me corresponder corn mocas e rapazes brasileiros, latinos ou americanos. Luciene Pinto—Rua Leonardo Da Vinci, 13 — Senador Camara — CEP 21831-100 Rio, Brazil [122] PSYCHOTHERAPY

Chronic & Life Threatening illnesses, A.D.D. & dyslexia, life transitions, bicultural & relationship issues, sexual identity conflict — Edison de Mello, M.D., Ph.D. — MFCC Lic# 021323 —Portuguese/ Spanish/ English. (310) 656-6987 [131] Emotional & psychological help - Elizabete Almeida MFCC licensed psychotherapist. English/Portuguese. Reasonable rates. (310) 281-7536. [133] RENT

Vacation apartment for renting in Salvador-Bahia at Amaralina Beach (415) 256-1213 [124] SERVICES

Silent's— Fine line tattoos. By appointment only. (310) 8428628, (310) 843-1377 or (619) 965-9655 [129] TRANSLATION & INTERP.

English to Portuguese, technical translation. Precise, fast turnaround - Ricardo Paoletti (716) 839-5310. Fax: (716)839-5410.

E-mail: paolett@ibm.net

49

RADIO COAST TO COAST SHORT WAVE RADIO Radio Nacional da Amaz6nia - Daily, especially on evenings and early morning -6,180 & 11,780 Khz Radiobras - All universal time - From 12 noon to 1.20 PM, in English and from 1:30 PM to 2.50 PM, in Spanish 15,445 Khz BOSTON Coragao Brasileiro - Every Sunday, 12:00 noon with Dennis Miller - 88.1 FM WMBR CHICAGO The Sounds of Brazil - Every Saturday, 10:00 pm Midnight, 95.5 FM, WIVUA with Scott Adams Show Brazil - Every Friday, 8.00 am - 11:00 am, 91.5 FM, WMFO with Edna Moreno Brazilian Style of Music Every Friday, 11:00 am 2:00 pm, 91.5 FM, WMFO with Marlon Catao LOS ANGELES TV Canal Brasil - Every Sunday, 9-00 pm, Continental Cable, Channel 28 RADIO Sounds of Brazil - Every Thursday, Noon - 2:00 pm, KPFK, 90.7 FM with Sergio Mielniczenko Brazilian Hour - Every Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 am - 10.00 am, KXLU, 88.9 FM with Sergio Mielniczenko MIAMI RADIO Brazilians Love Jazz - Every Sunday, 5.00 pm - 6:00 pm with Gina Martelli -93.9 - Love 94

50

THURSDAY 1 BERKELECIZSALI

THURSDAY 8 BERKELEY, CAL.

8:30 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

8:30 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

FRIDAY 2 WASHINGTONIDD 10:00 PM - Grupo Mistura at Samba Brasil - (202) 462-2050

REDONDO BEACH, CAL 6:00 PM - Katia Moraes at South Bay Gallena (310) 371-7546

ROMPANDEBFLORtDA

FRIDAY 9 WASHINGTON, DC

8:00 PM - Clauduarte at Rebecca's (954) 785-7766

10:00 PM - Grupo Mistura at Samba Brasil - (202) 462-2050

LOWANGELES

LOS ANGELES

9:30 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

9:30 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL

ANAHEIM, CAL.

7:30 PM - Marcos Santos & Santana at Ginga Brazil

7:30 PM - Marcos Santos with Santana at Ginga Brazil

SATURDAY 3 NEWYORK

SATURDAY 10 SAN FRANCISCO

8:30 PM - Juliana Aquina & Manhattan Samba Group at SOB

PIRLADELPHJA

9:00 PM - Copacabana Rio Band & Celia Malheiros at Coconut Grove Supper Club 1415 Van Ness Ave (415) 776-1616

2:00 PM - Ana Paula Alves dos Reis in African Drum & Dance Festival at Cozen P.A.L.Center, 732 N 17th St. (215) 222-5261

7:30 PM - Lois & Zelao at Ginga Brazil 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

SAMIOSE; CAL 2:00 PM - Voz do Brasil & Aquarela in Summer Festival at the I E S

SAW RANC I SCO 9:00 PM - Copacabana Rio Band & Celia Malheiros at Coconut Grove Supper Club- 1415 Van Ness Ave. (415) 776-1616

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Sergio & guest at Ginga Brazil

LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

SUNDAY 4 SAEFFRANC SCO 6:00 PM - Capoeira Baptism at International Center - (510) 6558207 8:00 PM - 0 Judeu (The Jew) Portugal/Brazil co-production directed

by Jom Tob Azulay at Cubberley (415) 776-1999

PASADENA, CAL 7:45 PM - Sonia Santos at Twin Palms - 101West Green St (818) 577-2567

LONG' BEACH, CAL. 7:00 PM - SambaLa show and enredo contest at the Foothill

WEDNESDAY 7 NEW YORK 8:00 PM - Cidade Negra at the Supper Club

ANAHEIM, CAL.

SUNDAY 11 LONG BEACH, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sam baLa Samba School at the Foothill

TUESDAY 13 NEW YORK 8:00 PM - Tania Maria at Blue Note (212) 475-8592

WEDNESDAY 14 LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Axe at Zabumba

THURSDAY 15 BERKELEY, CAL. 8:30 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

SHERMAN OAKS, CAL. 8:00 PM - Katia Moraes at Prezzo (818) 905-8400

FRIDAY 16 WASHINGTON, DC 10:00 PM - Grupo Mistura at Samba Brasil - (202) 462-2050

SANTA MONICA, CAL. 8:00 PM - Katia Moraes at 14 Below (310) 451-5040

LOS ANGELES 8:00 PM - Ballet FolclOrico do Brasil at Plaza de La Raza - 3540 N Mission Road (213) 223-2475 9:30 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL. BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

7:30 PM - Kleber Jorge at Ginga Brazil

SATURDAY 17 STUDIO CITY, CAL. 9:30 PM & 11:30 PM - Katia Moraes at La Ve Lee (818) 980-8158

REDLANDS CAL 9:30 PM - Ana Gazzola at Jazz and Java - 349 Orange St. (909) 792-8083

SAN, FRANCISCO

SUNDAY 25 LONGIBEACH;ICAL

9:00 PM-SueIdo Soares at Coconut Grove Supper Club (415) 776-1616

7:00 PM - Samba La Samba School at the Foothill

BERKELEY, CAL.

WEDNESDAY 28 LOSANGELES

9:30 PM - Liza Silva & Voz do Brasil + Oxumare at Ashknas ANAHEIM, CAL 7:30 PM - Sergio with guest at Ginga Brazil 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

THURSDAY 22 JACKSONVILLE, OREGON

8:30 PM - Axe at Zabumba

THURSDAY 29 BE RKELEY,7CAL. 9:00 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

SHERMAN.OAK;TCAL.

TV & RADIO TV BTN (Brazilian TV Network) 11:00 pm - 1.00 am, DCI ch.

40, S. South ch. 51, Adelphia ch. 52, Gold Coast ch. 99 Luqui Corporation - Jornal Bandeirantes - 11.00 pm - 1.00 am, Dynamic ch. 20, S. South ch. 41, Gold Coast ch. 44, DCI ch. 45

8:00 PM - Katia Moraes at Prezzo (818) 905-8400

NEW YORK

BERKELEY, CAL.

LOS ANGELES

RADIO

9:00 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

12:00 NOON - Ana Gazzola at Pershing Square Concerts -532 S. Olive St - Downtown

8:15 PM - Ballet FolclOrico do Brasil at The Britt Festival - (800) 882-7488

REDLANDS, CAL. 9:30 PM - Ana Gazzola at Jazz and Java 349 Orange St (909) 792-8083

FRIDAY 23 WASHINGTON, DC

FRIDAY 30 WASHINGTON, DC 10:00 PM - Grupo Mistura at Samba Brasil - (202) 462-2050

10:00 PM - Grupo Mistura at Samba Brasil - (202) 462-2050

LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - MILA Escola de Samba at Cafe Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL.

STUDIO CITY, CAL. 9:30 PM - Katia Moraes at La Ve Lee (818) 980-8158

LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - MILA Escola de Samba at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM; CAL.

7:30 PM - Lois & Zelao at Ginga Brasil

REDLANDS, CAL. 9:30 PM - Ana Gazzola at Jazz and Java 349 Orange St (909) 792-8083

SATURDAY 24 ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Kleber Jorge & Zola° at Ginga Brazil

SHERMAN OAKS, CAL. 9:30 PM - Katia Moraes at Prezzo (818) 905-8400

LOS ANGELES 11:00 PM - Meia Noite & The Midnight Drums Band at Luna Park -(310) 726-6968 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Cafe Danssa

at Ginga Brazil - 821 N. Euclid, ANAHEIM,

714) 778-0266

( BERKELEY slikenaz - 1317 San Pablo Ave. (510) 525-5054 Nino's - 1916 Martin L. King r. (510) 845-9303

LOS ANGELES elniv - 1348 14th St., Santa Ica -(310) 451-5040 BRAZZIL - AUGUST 1996

43SZ9 44:9441Pe9C1 7 909-M (Ea) 1190Jo 0S 006 VO "V-1 9£SZV xoe '0'd 0/ new -woo t o e•sArteulgegi (3/1! lleiu-g `Lgpc-Lgz (ELz ) o op! aep ualeo J noAxe

calendar - august 96 - u.s.a.

7:30 PM - Marcos Santos & Santana at Ginga Brasil

SATURDAY 31 W.;.HOLLYWOOD,:`CAL 9:30 PM - Katia Moraes at Luna Park (310) 652-0611

ANAHEIMCAL. 7:30 PM - Sergio & guest at Ginga Brazil

LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - Ana Gazzola at Cava 8384 W 3rd St - Los Angeles (213) 658-6600 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

Cafe Danssa - 11533 W. Pico 131. West L.A.- (310) 478-7866 Foothill - 1922 Cherry Ave, Long Beach -(310) 983-9190 La Ye Lee - 12514 Ventura Bl. - Studio City - (818)980-8158 Zabumba -10717 Venice Blvd Culver City - (310) 841-6525

NEW YORK Blue Note - (212) 475-8592 SOB - (212) 307-7171 Supper Club -(212) 977-4414

Scala Brazil -(212) 243-4940

OAKLAND, CAL. Yoshi's - 6030 Claremont Ave (510)652-9200

SAN DIEGO Café Sevilla - (619) 233-5979

S. FRANCISCO Bahia Cabana-(415)861-4202 Chambord - 152 Kearney St. (415) 434-3688 Coconut Grove-(415)776-1616

Brasil corn S - Every Saturday, 9.00 PM with Judith King, 88.3 FM - WBGO Brazil Street Samba - Every Friday, 10:00 PM with Leo Costa & Alberto Lopes - 89.9 FM - WKCR Radio Amazonia - Every day, 6.30 PM on short wave -6.185 MHZ TV Brazil Update - Every Saturday, 3.30 PM - Channel 69 Brazilians in America-TV Every Sunday, 5:30 PM - Channel 16 S. FRANCISCO Brasileirinho - Every Wednesday, 9:30 PM, KZSC, 88.1 FM with Renato Frota Brasil Musical - Every Sunday, 1.00 PM - 5:00 PM, Radio Bilingue, 91.5 FM via satellite, with Ricardo and Amarina Pugh - Fresno Cants, Brasil - Every Sunday, 6.00 PM - 8:00 PM - KKUP, 91.5 FM, with Xuxu, Maria Jose and David Heyman Programa de Domingo - Every Sunday, 1:00 PM - 2.00 PM, KSQQ 96.1 FM with Lino Bugatti A Taste of Brazil - Every Sunday, 11:00 PM - 12:00 AM, KKSF, 103.7 with Dick Conte Tropicalia Brasiliana - Every Friday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM, KUSF, 90.3 with Raimundo Franco WASHINGTON, DC Waves of Patropi - Every Saturday, 6.00 PM - 9:00 PM, WDCU, 90 FM with Andr6 Lacerda

51

Boston Area Books Livraria Plenitude (800) 532-5809 Consulate Consulado G. do Brasil (617) 617-542-4000 Dentist Sylvia P. Lessa (617) 924-1882 Food & Products Aqui Brazil (617) 787-0758 Brasil Brasil (617) 561-6094 Instruction Approach Student Ctr (617) 787-5401 Jerry's Cachaca (617) 666-5410 Instruction Braz. & Amer. Lg. Inst.

(617) 787-7716 Music Brazil CDs (617) 666-3747 Publications The Brazilian Monthly (617) 566-3651 Bossa: Braz. Jazz Guide (617) 262-9997 Restaurants Café Brazil (617) 789-5980 Ipanema (508) 460-6144 Tropicilia (617) 567-4422 Pampas Churrascaria (617) 661-6613

Chicago Consulate Consulado G. do Brasil (312) 464-0244 Translations Portuguese Lang. Ctr. (312) 276-6683

Los Angeles Accountant Sheila Shanker (310) 836-3436 Airlines \Twig (800) GO VARIG Vasp (310) 364-0160 Arts & Crafts Bakari Art Studio (213) 938-0523 Folk Creations (310) 693-2844 Uniquely Brazil - Folk (818) 458-1474 Zebi Designs (310) 391-6530 Auto Repair Cosmo Auto Parts (213) 259-9818 Banks Banco do Brasil (213) 688-2996 Catering Joy's Catering (310) 438-3415 Churches Comunid. Evang. Bras.

(310) 793-8745 52

Ministerios Renascer (888) RENACER Clothes Samba (310) 628-9789 Summer Brazil (310) 455-1772 Clubs & Associations Brazil-Cal. Chbrof Corn.

(310) 202-6820 Centro Cultural Gaucho (213) 256-6548 Clubinho da Crianca (818) 248-3667 MILA - Samba School (310) 391-6098 SambaLi -Esc. de Samba (310) 628-9789 Consulate Brazilian Consulate (213) 651-2664 Dentists Gilberto Henriques (213) 464-0524 Events Promotion Brazilian Nites Prod.

(818) 566-1111 Pegasus - Parties & Ent. (818) 549-0383 Ricardo Gehr (818) 831-0992 Food & Products Brazilian Market (310) 827-9139 Health & Fitness Herbs from Brazil (213) 852-7016 Westside Acupuncture (310) 914-1624 Import/Export N & R International (909) 626-3656 Instruction Brasil Brasil Cult. Ctr (310) 397-3667 Modern Lang. Center (310) 839-8427 Legal Services Meiojas & Ferraz (310) 360-0901 Music Bossa Nova - Georgia (818) 891-0912 Braz. Jazz /All Occasions (310) 839-3788 Jazz - Richard Samuels (818) 798-5424 Physician Paulo Coharte (310) 285-9670 Decio Rangel (310) 828-7454 Ingrid Rodi - Gynec.

(310) 451-8144 Nilson A. Santos (213) 483-3430 Psychother/Counsel.

Elizabeth Almeida M.A. (310) 281-7536 Fatima Castro (310) 822-6770 Dr. Jefferson SO (818) 592-0402 Publications Brazzil (213) 255-4953 Real Estate Cent. 21 - Solon Pereira (310) 633-0787 Cold. Banker -J. Freitas (818) 304-9562 Restaurants & Cafés Bossa Nova (310) 657-5070 Bossa Nova (310) 657-5070 Brazilian Tropical 714 720-1522

By Brazil (310) 787-7520 Café Brasil (310) 837-8957 Ginga Brasil (714) 778-0266 Lulu's Alibi (310) 479-6007 Voile's Brazilian Steak (714) 251-0722 Zabumba (310) 841-6525 Translation/Interp.

Brazilian Int. Affairs (310) 854-5881 Tocantins Communic.

(818) 248-3667 Travel/Tours Around the World Trl. (800) 471-6333 Brazil Air (800) 441-8515 Brazil Tours (818) 767-1200 Cheviot Hills Travel (310) 202-6264 F & H - Hotel Repres.

(800) 544-5503 IVA C. W. Travel (909) 988-7127

Miami Airlines Transbrasil (800) 872-3153 Varig (800) 468-2744 Vasp (800) 732-8277 Banks Banco do Brasil (305) 358-3586 Banco Nacional (305) 372-0100 Banco Real (305) 358-2433 Banespa (305) 358-9167 Clubs & Associations ABFC - As. Bras. da (407) 354-5200 Cam. Corn. Brasil- EUA (305) 579-9030 ARARA - Amazon. As. (813) 842-3161 Consulate Consulado do Brasil (305) 285-6200 Dentists Arnaldo Souza (305) 595-3238 Hedimo de Si (305) 262-8212 Food & Beverages All Braz. Imp. & Exp. (305) 523-8134 Guarani Esteves (305) 345-1540 Via Brasil (305) 866-7718 Physicians Dr. Jorge Macedo (305) 271-7311 Dr. Mario Sanches (305) 541-7819 Dr. Neri Franzon (305) 776-1412 Publications Florida Review (305) 374-5235 Restaurants Brazilian Tropicana (305) 781-1113 Brazilian Delight (305) 374-0032 Brazilian Pie (305) 866-1001 Cheese Bread House (305) 443-5358

Gula Gula (305) 532-3636 Travel Agencies 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 Venture Travel (305) 379-7678 Via Brasil Travel (305) 866-7580

New York New Jersey Books Luso-Brazilian Books (800) 727-LUSO Clubs & Associations Brazilian Ch. of Com. (212) 575-9030 Brazilian Corn. Bureau (212) 916-3200 Brazilian Trade Bur. (212) 224-6280 Consulate Brazilian Gen. Cons.

(212) 757-3080 Food & Products Amazonia (718) 204-1521 Coisa Nossa (201) 578-2675 Merchant Express (201) 589-5884 Publications The Brasilians (212) 382-1630 Brazilian Voice (201) 955-1137 Portugal-Brasil News (212) 228-2958 Samba Newsletter (718) 937-0574 Restaurants 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 Tapaj6s River (201) 491-9196 Travel Agencies Barb Tour Service (201) 313-0996 Odyssea Travel Service (212) 826-3019

San Diego Attorney Ivan Porto (800) 314-4826 Clubs & Associations Clube Bras. San Diego (619) 295-0842 Sunday Night Cl. Brazil (619) 233-5979 Import/Ex port Brazil Imports (619) 234-3401

Money Remittance Vigo-California (619) 479-VIGO

San Francisco Area

Voz do Brazil

(415) 586-2276 Musical Instruments Tamborim & Samba

(415) 871-2201 Physician Dr. Guilherme Salgado

(415) 832-6219 Printing

Airlines

M. C. Printing

Varig (415) 986-5737 Vasp (800) 732-VASP Attorney

(510) 268-8967

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53

F

rom June 24, 1985, until February 21, 1986, the whole of Brazil was held in thrall by the tale of a small town that had become rich and famous because of the reputation of a local martyr but stood to lose everything when the supposedly dead saint returned home to reveal himself as alive and altogether unsaintly. Weekdays and Saturdays just before 8:30 P.M., restaurants, bars, theaters, and cinemas emptied. Telephone lines fell silent, and Brazilians from Belem to Porto Alegre sat transfixed in front of their television sets, as the continuing saga of Roque Santeiro (Rogue the Saint-Maker) unfolded.

The setting for the Globo network's hit telenovela was a small town called Asa Branca somewhere in the hinterlands of Brazil. The story line went like this: Seventeen years have passed since a young man who made a humble living carving images of saints lost his life while defending the town against bandits. The killers threw the body of Roque Santeiro into a river, and it was never recovered. Then a sick girl claimed that she saw him rise from the waters and that the apparition miraculously cured her. The common folk began to venerate the dead man as a saint, and Asa Branca, like some giant magnet, began to draw pilgrims from all over the country. But the sudden, mysterious reappearance of Roque threatened to undermine the foundation on which the town's prosperity rested.

Among the nearly forty characters were Asa Branca's ruthless political boss, a wealthy landowner who has been pretending that his mistress married Roque Santeiro just before his death, in order to profit from her status as a town celebrity; Roque's real sweetheart, who has remained faithful to him; the owner of a factory that produces medallions with Roque's likeness on them; the weak-kneed mayor of Asa Branca and his domineering wife; an old priest who defends traditional Catholicism and a young priest committed to the cause of social justice; the owner of the town bordello; and members of a television crew in town to make a film about Roque.

The remarkable success of Roque Santeiro, which earned audience ratings that from time to time reached 100 percent, stemmed from, first of all, the superb quality of its script, direction, and cast. Its author was Alfredo Dias Gomes, one of Brazil's most talented dramatists. Some of the country's best actors and actresses lent luster to the telenovela 's colorful characters.

In addition Roque Santeiro appeared at a pivotal moment in the life of the country. Brazil was in the process of emerging from two decades of authoritarian rule and was struggling to find itself. The telenovela, with its biting satire of smalltown corruption and hypocrisy, gentle spoof on Brazilian mysticism, and deft incorporation of topical concerns, struck viewers as holding a mirror to Brazilian society. Even the ending, which permitted

Christiana Oliveira in Pantanal

One of the fascinating aspects of the Brazilian telenovela is that it does not have a rigid or immutable story line. Real-life exigencies and audience reaction may dictate changes.

The telenovela has become the major source of worldwide impressions of Brazil everywhere but in the United States, where there is a strong distaste for dubbed programs.

the villain to depart unrepentant and unpunished, seemed typically Brazilian. As a bellhop in a Salvador hotel observed, - We see ourselves and our reality in it."

Finally, there was the element of curiosity. The Globo network had actually begun filming episodes of Roque Santeiro in 1975, but the military regime's censors would not permit the series to be televised because they considered it an "offense to public morality and a threat to national security." As the regime eased restrictions on what Brazilians could watch on television, viewers clearly relished a taste of previously forbidden fruit.

The Roque Santeiro phenomenon brought renewed attention to an art form that had attained the level of a national institution. Some observers hailed the telenovela as the consummate articulation of popular culture in Brazil; others complained that the telenovela was in fact destroying the ways in which Brazil's common people expressed themselves artistically, and that it was implanting hollow values throughout the country.

Both sides of the debate shared the assumption that telenovelas were having a significant impact on Brazilian society from top to bottom. There was also general agreement that these television programs were affecting the way the rest of the world looked at Brazil, because the Globo network was aggressively exporting its distinctive telenovelas to 128 countries.

An understanding of Brazilian telenovelas (or novelas, to use the shortened expression) must begin with the recognition that it would be misleading to call them soap operas, a term that conveys a particular meaning to North Americans.

The novelas have a beginning, a linear plot, and an ending, as opposed to American "soaps," which are virtually interminable. Telenovelas reach television screens six nights a week over an eight-month (or longer) span during prime time, whereas in the United States soap operas are televised either every weekday afternoon or once a week during prime time. Novelas may be romantic, tragic, or comic (and occasionally all three). They may deal with contemporary or historical themes.

Or their plots may derive from classics of Brazilian literature, such as the novels of Machado de Assis or Jorge Amado. And they have had a cultural impact, both nationally and internationally, far beyond anything the US soaps have been able to effect.

In Brazil, where fact operates on several discrete levels, the telenovela often merges with or supersedes reality. For example, when the death throes of President-elect Tancredo Neves paralyzed the entire country in 1985, there were those who were convinced that the dramatic events filling television screens were part of a telenovela. As Alex Shoumatoff points out in his absorbing book The World Is Burning, when rubber tapper Chico Mendes was assassinated, there were those who thought that the killer might be the same person who had murdered a leading

character on a popular novela that was being broadcast at the time. ut perhaps the most astonishing blending of life and the art of the novela occurred on December 28, 1992, when police discovered the body of Daniela Perez, punctured eighteen times with a pair of scissors, on a road above the Rio neighborhood of Barra da Tijuca. The twenty-two-year-old actress had been appearing in De Corpo e Alma (With Body and Soul), a very popular novela written by her mother. Indeed, several hours before she was murdered, she had filmed a scene in which her character had angrily broken up with her boyfriend, a jealous, violent, and possessive punk rocker. When the actor who played the boyfriend and his nineteen-year-old pregnant wife were arrested for the crime, the country obsessed on the incident. Even the announced resignation of President Collor the day after the murder seemed to fade into irrelevance.

Telenovelas serve a validating function. The late Claudio Abramo, a distinguished Sao Paulo journalist, claimed in a 1987 interview that "many people here realized there was torture [during the military regime] only after they heard about it on Roda de Fogo [a novela]." The popularity of Pantanal, a Manchete network telenovela about the struggle to protect the ecology of the great Pantanal marshlands of central Brazil, did more to raise public awareness about conservation than all prior agitation on the part of the country's environmentalists.

The addictive appeal of the telenovelas has become a kind of glue that binds together the disparate elements of Brazilian society. Residents of shacks in frontier towns in Amazonia and high-rise apartments in Sao Paulo, wealthy matrons and humble maids, children and their grandparents, attorneys and janitors (and even many intellectuals who insist that they despise television) all share a common fascination with the characters and the plot convolutions of hit novelas. One French writer has dubbed this phenomenon "a strange and fleeting televisual democracy."

Being very communicative individuals who love to chat with neighbors and friends at home, through open windows, on the street, in the beauty parlor, or at the beach, Brazilians everywhere have made the characters of the telenovelas a major source of their daily gossip. Moreover, as talented television director Guel Arraes once noted wryly, "Telenovelas are the great aspirin of Brazil." People have become so dependent on them that they feel deprived and upset, and complain vehemently whenever one of the telenovelas does not live up to the standards they have come to expect.

The novelas have also become an integral part of the national culture, for better or for worse. The most successful of them convey the aspirations and concerns of large segments of the population. Critics who complain that novelas manufacture the aspirations and concerns of the view-

B

-.RAZZIL -AUGUST 1996

ing public with some hidden agenda in mind are overestimating the manipulative powers of the medium. Roque Santeiro was clearly a reflection of what was in many people's minds at the time, as was Vale Tudo (Anything Goes), a subsequent Globo series that matched Roque 's ratings by capturing the mood of cynicism that was gripping the country at the time.

It is, of course, true that novelas promote consumerism in numerous ways, from the luxurious Rio and Sao Paulo lifestyles they often depict to the not very subliminal product advertising that is woven ceaselessly and shamelessly into their plot lines. They have also affected the way people throughout Brazil talk and dress, and have influenced tastes in popular music by their insinuating use of theme songs.

But the link between the telenovela and its audience is perhaps better described as interactive, since the impact of the novela on viewers is matched by the impact of viewers on the novela. The networks use polling and specially organized discussion groups to determine how viewers are reacting to a program in progress.

Depending on the viewer response, there may be script alterations, and the roles of characters may be expanded or contracted depending on their popularity.

A more serious charge is that the telenovela is destroying the ways Brazil's lower classes express themselves. Brazilian popular culture has been amazingly rich, especially in rural areas, where traditions rooted in the country's Portuguese, African, and Indian past have survived intact or have blended to produce new forms. As television has spread to the far corners of the land, viewing is consuming leisure time that used to be spent on these cultural pursuits. As a result, there has been a marked decline in creative activities such as the production of cordel literature, the narrative folk poetry that is composed by literate or semiliterate poets mainly from theNortheast, printed in cheap booklets, and sold in marketplaces, bus and railroad stations, and public plazas.

Of course, it would be unfair to place all the blame for this decline on the telenovela. The inexorable process of modernization and the population shift from countryside to city probably bear a much greater responsibility. Indeed, if the telenovela did not exist, there would be other new forms of distraction that would have a similar impact.

Like most elements of popular culture, the telenovela is the result of a process of evolution. Its roots date back to the feuilleton, or serialized novel, which was highly popular in nineteenth-century France. Technical advances in printing and increases in levels of literacy, especially within the middle class, contributed to the success of these tales of romance and adventure, which appeared in newspapers and pamphlets. The feuilleton also crossed the Atlantic and found an avid readership in Brazil and other parts of Latin America. Most of the Brazilian versions were translations from the French.

The advent of radio in the United States produced an unrelated yet parallel phenomenon, when the need to attract daytime audiences composed mainly of housewives triggered the development of what came to be known as the soap opera, pioneered by corporations seeking to market, by the most cost-effective means possible, detergents and similar household products. The soap opera differed from the feuilleton in that it continued indefinitely and did not tell one principal story.

The same companies that were instrumental in inventing the soap opera in the United States transplanted this type of radio programming to Latin America. The most fertile new market turned out to be in Cuba, because its proximity to the United States made the island nation highly vulnerable to North American influence, and because Cuba was the Latin American country with the largest number of radio sets. What was called a radionovela went out over the Cuban airwaves for the first time in 1935 and captivated large numbers of listeners. The radionovela blended the structure of the soap opera with the tradition of the feuilleton, which had a long history in Cuba. The Cubans soon became so skilled at producing radionovelas that they began to export them to the rest of Latin America.

The genre, however, went through a process of adaptation in Latin hands. Elements of the feuilleton found their way into the radionovelas, the plots of which tended to be much more romantic and melodramatic than the US soap operas.

Before long the emergence of a "Latin formula" could be detected. The American companies that sponsored the programs throughout the region maintained control over them but realized that they were dealing with a distinctive audience, so they allowed their soaps to be Latinized.

In Brazil the first radionovela arrived in Sao Paulo in 1941. It was an Argentine production, sponsored by ColgatePalmolive. That same year a Rio station aired the translation of a Cuban radionovela. Soon these programs were staples of Brazilian broadcasting.

When television began to replace radio as the preeminent instrument of mass communication, logic dictated that the radionovela would assume a visual form.

The same corporate advertisers that underwrote radio soaps in Latin America pushed ahead with the development of the telenovela. It was a relatively cheap type of programming, since the same set and cast could be used repeatedly over an extended period of time. It would fill the same daytime hours as the radionovelas, and with luck it would attract and hold the same kind of audience. Cuba became the center of telenovela production for all of Latin America, as this type of programming became as popular as the radionovela. Argentina and Mexico were vigorous competitors and picked up the slack when the revolution of 1960 disrupted the filming of novelas in Cuba.

In 1951 a sao Paulo television station brought a telenovela to Brazilian viewers

for the first time. It may not have been love at first sight, but at this point in time there were very few television sets in use, and television was, in the words of one writer, "an electronic toy for Brazilian elites." However, over the next twelve years Sao Paulo channels televised an average of about fourteen novelas annually. Most were either purchased from Argentina or Mexico and dubbed into Portuguese, or produced locally from Argentine or Mexican scripts. hese programs generally aired only twice a week, and each chapter lasted about twenty minutes. The made-in-Brazil novelas were telecast live and were low budget, so there were all kinds of imperfections.

The actors often came from radio, so they were much better at conveying emotion verbally than with the physicality that a visual medium demanded.

In July 1963 Brazilian viewers in Rio and Sao Paulo were for the first time treated to a novela televised on a daily basis. 2-5499 Ocupado (Line 2-5499 Is Busy) told the story of a man who fell in love with a prison telephone operator, without ever seeing her face or knowing she was a convict. It was a case of history repeating itself: as with the first radionovela to be broadcast in Brazil, this groundbreaking telenovela was of Argentine origin and was sponsored by Colgate-Palmolive.

The shift to a daily format reflected a hope of replicating the success enjoyed by daily telenovelas in Argentina. It was also a way of catering to a mass audience, because the number of TV sets in use in Brazil had passed the one million mark.

Shortly afterward, Brazilian producers decided to lengthen telenovelas from four to six weeks to eight to ten months, a change the marketing implications of which pleased Colgate-Palmolive and other foreign companies selling soap and dental products in Brazil. Also each episode was expanded, eventually stabilizing at about fifty minutes.

It did not take long for these changes to pay handsome dividends. In 1964 TV Tupi of Sao Paulo, part of the Chateaubriand chain, scored a smash hit with the melodramatic 0 Dire ito de Nascer (The Right to Be Born), originally a Cuban radionovela and first broadcast in Brazil back in the 1950s. It depicted the travails of a bastard son who is rejected and threatened by his moralistic grandfather. He is rescued by the family maid, who takes him to another town and raises him. Finally he gains ultimate vindication when, after becoming a physician, he saves the life of his grandfather.

Although set in agrarian, preindustrial Cuba, Direito struck a chord with Brazilian viewers. Some named their sons after the leading man. The use of toilets fell off dramatically while the show was on the air. When the novela came to an end, rallies filled indoor stadiums in Rio and Sdo Paulo. Succumbing to mass hysteria, the crowds wept and chanted the names of the novela's characters.

T

56

With the popularity of the novela now demonstrated beyond cavil, the genre underwent a crucial process of adaptation with the televising of Beto Rockfeller, a TV Tupi production that is generally credited with being the first significantly Brazilianized telenovela. Running from November 1968 to November 1969, it featured a typical Brazilian rogue (a Sdo Paulo shoe salesman passing himself off as a millionaire), used Brazilian colloquialisms, and brought to life the contemporary urban scene in Brazil. In place of the heavy melodrama of the standard Latin American novela, it substituted wit and satire. Instead of starring a brave, romantic, idealized hero, it offered as its title character a deceitful social climber. And it was the first telenovela to use musical themes for each of its main characters.

Beto Rockfeller had its flaws. The novela ran for too long, characters occasionally disappeared from the plot because the actors who played them went on holiday, and the writing was uneven. Yet it offered an unmistakable glimpse into the future of the Brazilian telenovela.

TV Tupi was unable to replicate its hit. At this point the Chateaubriand empire was in an advancing state of creative as well as financial disarray, which produced increasingly frequent flashes of incompetence. The TV Tupi people proved incapable of identifying and reproducing the elements that had endeared Beto Rockfeller to Brazilian TV viewers.

It was a competitor network that fully understood the lessons of TV Tupi's hit and how to take full advantage of them.

The rise of Roberto Marinho's Rede Globo has been described in some detail in Chapter Six. The economic strength and technical know-how of the new chain of TV stations enabled the network to nudge aside the foreign advertisers that had been exercising substantial control over the production of telenovelas and other aspects of TV programming in Brazil.

In pursuit of as large and wide an audience as possible, the Globo people did their homework. They knew that they had to draw on themes and develop approaches with which a Brazilian mass audience could identify. The serialized novel was an obvious type of programming that could serve Globo's purposes, and Beto Rockfeller had demonstrated what type of novela could dominate the ratings.

By not stinting on expenses, the Globo network was able to hire the best directors, writers, and actors and to construct a state-of-the-art facility in the Jardim Botanic° neighborhood of Rio de Janeiro.

The emphasis at Rede Globo was on quality and professionalism, and the other networks found themselves unable even to approximate the standards being set by Globo.

In the 1970s telenovelas produced by Globo totally swept the field. Although the other networks attempted to compete, they were unable to keep pace. TV Tupi screened The Return of Beto Rockfeller and a remake of 0 Dire ito de Nascer, but neither created much excitement among

viewers. The financial woes of the Chateaubriand chain grew steadily worse.

In 1980 the Tupi network finally collapsed.

The Globo telenovelas of the 1970s were remarkable for the level of excellence they achieved and maintained, while at the same time appealing to a mass audience. In targeting the masses producers had to give critical heed to the fact that most of their viewers were illiterate and unsophisticated.

As one writer of novelas elaborated, "The artistic roots of us Brazilians don't come from the Greek theater, they come from the circus. We are a people of the Third World, a poor and ignorant people. I want to talk to my people in language they understand." Thus neither humor nor imagery could be overly subtle. Moreover, human passions had to be magnified, often to the verge of paroxysm, usually with the generous use of close-up shots.

In spite of these prescriptions the telenovelas were sufficiently well crafted to appeal to an educated audience. The photography was excellent, the acting surehanded, and the storytelling techniques effective. Of course, not every novela succeeded, but the quality of Globo's output during the 1970s was extraordinarily good.

The Globo novelas were also exceptional for their variety. Works of Brazilian literature made their way to television screens in the form of novelas, the most notable being the superproduction of Jorge Amado's classic novel Gabriela, Cravo e Canela (Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon), to commemorate the network's tenth anniversary in 1975. Some novelas re-created segments of Brazil's past. One of the more successful was Escrava Isaura (The SlaveGirl Isaura), an adaptation of a historical novel written in 1875 and relating the story of the passion of a coffee-plantation owner for one of his slaves, the child of a white father and a mulatto mother.

Although Globo carried on the process of Brazilianizing the telenovela, its authors did not hesitate to borrow ideas from abroad.

Thus Janete Clair, the wife of Dias Gomes and a highly successful writer, used a version of the central theme of Theodore Dreiser's An American Tragedy (and the film A Place in the Sun) in her hit Selva de Pedra (Stone Jungle), the first Globo novela to achieve a one-night audience rating of 100 percent. Dias Gomes incorporated the "magical realism" of Gabriel Garcia Marquez into one of his hits Saramandaia, which spun a tale of bizarre happenings in a small town in the interior of Brazil. Parts of the ending of Roque Santeiro came straight out of the film Casablanca.

The distinctive Brazilianness of Globo's telenovelas, far from hindering their exportation, seemed to make these programs more appealing to foreign viewers, especially elsewhere in the Third World. The first of its novelas to be sold abroad was 0 Bem-Amado (The Well-Loved Man), which also happened to be the first of its novelas to be filmed in color. But it was not until four years later, in 1980, that the company began to export its novelas aggressively, and the results surprised even Globo's own executives.

BRAZZIL -AUGUST 19%

he high quality of Globo's novelas and the universality of theirthemes obviously had much to do with their success abroad, but there were other important contributing factors.

Tropical sensuality, exotic locales, and multiracial casts proved appealing not only to Latin Americans and Europeans, but also to Africans and Asians. In Managua, Nicaragua, at the height of the civil war, a power shortage combined with the excessive demand for power created by a Brazilian telenovela that was mesmerizing the city every night forced the Sandinista regime to cut the flow of electricity into many neighborhoods. In Luanda, the capital of Angola, a huge market on the outskirts of town bears the name Roque Santeiro. The Slave-Girl Isaura was a smash hit in places like Cuba, Mozambique, Nigeria, Algeria, Morocco, and the People's Republic of China.

The telenovela has become the major source of worldwide impressions of Brazil everywhere but in the United States, where the viewing public's strong distaste for dubbed programs has been cited as the reason for Globo's failure to penetrate the lucrative American mass market. Indeed, the only nove/a-related export from Brazil to find success in the land of Uncle Sam has been Sonia Braga.

Newsweek once called her the "queen of Brazil's TV soap operas." This designation smacks of journalistic hyperbole; Regina Duarte, who starred in Roque Sante iro and numerous other hit novelas, has a much better claim to the title. Nonetheless, the sultry Sonia did make her initial mark on Brazilian television screens.

Her debut was in 1970 as a minor character in Irmiios Coragem (The Coragem Brothers), the Globo network's first megahit novela. After several other small parts, she secured the title role in Gabriela, after the producers had conducted a highly publicized search that shamelessly mimicked David 0. Selznick's campaign to find an actress to play Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With the Wind.

With traces of Brazil's three major racial groups in her blood and on her countenance, Sonia Braga was perfect for the part of Gabriela, the sensual childwoman from the backlands who becomes the servant of a Lebanese-Brazilian bar owner, beds and weds him, and then finds herself suffocated by his insistence on a conventional married life. The novela brilliantly reproduced the languid ambience of Ilheus, a town in the cacao-growing region of Bahia, and a society dominated by powerful "colonels."

The leisurely pace of the telenovela format proved far more congenial to Jorge Amado's masterpiece than the condensation perpetrated by MGM in its subsequent movie version, which starred Sonia Braga and a miscast Marcello Mastroianni.

But the American studio had secured worldwide rights from Amado just after the initial publication of the book in 1958 and gave Globo permission to telecast its novela only in Brazil. Therefore the network was unable to distribute its produc-

T

BRAZZIL - AU UST 1996

tion outside the country.

This arrangement did not prevent SOnia from exporting herself. Having become a big star in Brazil as a result of Gabriela, she gained international fame from her stellar performance in Dancin' Days, a widely marketed novela about a woman who serves an eleven-year prison term and then returns home in search of reconciliation with her daughter and reintegration into society. In addition, she was brilliant in the erotically charged title role of Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands), a Brazilian film adaptation of another of Jorge Amado's novels.

Dona Flor found a North American audience, and Sonia became the first (and thus far only) graduate of the Brazilian telenovela to make a career in Hollywood.

Yet the fact of the matter is that despite the hype that greeted her arrival in the United States, where she has been hailed as a "sex goddess" and the "thrill from Brazil," she has not yet been given roles worthy of her talent, and she has thus far failed to recapture the heights she reached in the television version of Gabriela.

The Globo network continued to prosper during the 1980s, despite its inability to follow in S6nia Braga's footsteps and claim a US audience. The success it enjoyed inevitably bred renewed competition, and in 1982 Rede Manchete (the Manchete network) came into being. The offspring of a magazine-publishing chain, the new kid on the block made the bold decision to challenge its powerful competitor at its strongest game, the production of telenovelas.

Manchete did well with its maiden voyage into the field, a two-month miniseries entitled Marquesa de Santos (The Marquise of Santos). Based on the steamy extramarital affair of the Emperor Pedro I with Domitila de Castro Canto e Mello, the program won critical acclaim and a respectable audience. More important for Manchete, it also made a superstar of Maite Proenca.

If Sonia Braga embodies the clichĂŠ of the dark-skinned Brazilian woman radiating raw eroticism, Maite Proenca provides a more contemporary, less exotic look. Projecting a classic beauty that turns male knees to putty, she is also an intelligent, plucky woman who has managed to survive the trauma she endured as a teenager, when her father, a law professor and public prosecutor, stabbed her mother to death with a knife during an argument about the mother's infidelity. (He was later acquitted on the ground that he had killed in "defense of his honor.")

Though she had previously graced Globo novelas, it was her performance as the Marquise dos Santos that propelled her to stardom and induced Manchete to gamble on producing a costly major project that would serve as a vehicle for her talents. Wisely waiting until Roque Santeiro had ended, the new network then launched Dona Beija (Lady Beija), a historical telenovela based on the life of a nineteenth-century courtesan from the dia-

mond-mining region of Minas Gerais Maite brought Dona Beija to life with a gritty, memorable performance. Moreover, Manchete capitalized on her physical charms by using, in the credits after each chapter, spectacular shots of her bathing in the buff beneath a waterfall. This was the first time that nudity had been used in a novela, and it obviously contributed to the popularity of the program.

Dona Beija established Manchete as a creditable competitor to Globo in the telenovela field. Globo still scored much higher in the ratings and still had at its disposal resources that were far superior to those of Manchete, but novela enthusiasts (that is, most Brazilians) now had options.

Indeed, television viewers seemed to have an insatiable appetite for novelas.

Globo responded by regularly screening three of them per night. This schedule has required an output that compares favorably with that of Hollywood studios during the 1930s.

The filming of a telenovela occupies the cast and crew five days a week, from 10:00 A.M. to 6:00 P.M., and occasionally evenings. It takes five days of work to complete six 50-minute chapters. Given Globo's high standards, this would be the equivalent of churning out six episodes of Melrose Place every week.

Interior scenes are taped at the large Globo studio in Jardim Botanic°. Exteriors are shot wherever necessary. For novelas like Roque Santeiro, elaborate outdoor sets are constructed at sites not far from the city of Rio de Janeiro. Because it is often necessary to work at Jardim Botanic° and on location simu.ltaneously, most telenovelas have two directors.

The writing of a novela is an exhausting chore. Until relatively recently, with the adoption of the practice of assigning assistants to authors, a single person was responsible for the script of an entire novela. The customary practice is to complete twenty or thirty chapters before the actual filming begins. Thereafter, the writer must produce a chapter (or about twenty-six pages) a day, and six chapters a week.

"I lose from 15 to 20 pounds when I'm writing a novela," disclosed Mario Prata in a 1989 interview in which he emphasized the "physical wear and tear" of the job. A versatile author of short stories, plays, and movie scripts as well as telenovelas, Prata described how he jots down ideas on napkins in restaurants. "You are the owner of forty persons [the novela 's characters]," he pointed out "and you have to think of them 24 hours a day for eight months."

Since it programs three novelas every night in prime time beginning at about 6:00 P.M., Globo must keep nine writers on the payroll simultaneously. Three work on the current novelas three work on the next ones, and three rest. There are only about fifteen active telenovela authors in Brazil. As one observer put it in jest, "If you kidnapped all of them, you could bring the entire country to a standstill."

ne of the fascinating aspects of the Brazilian telenovela is that Oit does not have a rigid or immutable story line. The author begins by coming up with the rough idea of a plot, a cast of characters and the conflicts among them. But in the course of writing and filming the actual novela, two sets of circumstances may dictate changes: real-life exigencies and audience reaction.

Both Globo and Manchete keep their fingers on the pulse of their audiences by constantly polling housewives. This device is especially useful when a novela is not connecting with its audience. Reactions of viewers may force the cutting back, or even the elimination, of a character or the augmentation of a role that has caught the fancy of the public.

The author himself gets constant feedback, since he hears people talking about his novela in elevators, on the street, and in restaurants. He also enters into a symbiotic relationship with some of his characters, who take on a life of their own and begin to -dictate" to the author.

The strain on the author of an ongoing novela is at least equal to that to which the actors submit themselves. Each chapter contains about 40 scenes, which means that some 240 scenes are televised each week. The principal characters appear in about 200 of these scenes, and thus the number of lines they must commit to memory on a weekly basis is staggering.

Unlike moviemaking which permits careful preparation for each shot, the production of a telenovela must move along at a brisk pace. The demands of the schedule make the actors virtual prisoners in a hectic process often bordering on madness and lasting for months on end.

While Globo enjoyed its total dominance of the telenovela market, the network could dictate terms of employment and salary levels. During the military dictatorship, which clamped down heavily on the legitimate theater, the steady work provided by the network's novelas became extremely attractive to the best and the brightest in Brazil's entertainment industry, and they were willing to accept whatever Globo offered. This meant a straight salary, with no overtime pay and no residuals for repeated screenings or foreign sales.

Globo and its competitors have a considerable stake in maintaining the status quo because of the enormous profitability of the telenovelas. A recent study has estimated that the average cost of a novela ranges from $1 million to $2.5 million, which would put the cost per chapter at about $10,000. In 1988, according to the same study, Globo was charging $19,800 per thirty seconds of air time for commercials during the novelas it aired at 8:30 P.M. Moreover, Globo has raised to a fine (and lucrative) art a device the Brazilians call, borrowing an English term, merchandising, which refers to advertisements inserted into the body of a telenovela. When a character drives up in a new automobile, opens a refrigerator door, sips a soft drink, or thumbs through the pages of a book on the coffee table, Globo is making money

for promoting the sale of a product. Even the T-shirts worn by younger cast members may serve as commercial billboards.

The price for each plug exceeds by 20 to 30 percent the cost of a one-minute commercial during the same program. The rate also varies depending on whether one of the actors actually uses the product, or whether the product appears only in the background. There may be as many as 130 plugs woven into a novela over the course of the months it is on the air. Globo has a special subsidiary that lines up contracts for merchandising before the airing of a series. Income from this type of product placement may cover as much as 30 percent of the cost of the program.

The imagination devoted to merchandising has produced remarkable results such as an ad campaign for women's panties that became a part of Roque Santeiro.

A billboard promoting the panties appeared in the main square of Asa Branca. The town drunk became convinced that the young panty-clad woman pictured on the billboard was shaking her hips at him. He even. scaled the structure to find out whether the billboard was using "one of those Japanese computers." Later the respectable ladies of Asa Branca grew outraged at the billboard and organized a protest to have it removed. These clever snippets caused the sales of the featured panties to hit new highs.

Given the profitability of telenovelas, it was inevitable that Globo would face intensified competition. Manchete, having tasted success with Dona Beija, spent an estimated $7 million on an ambitious series called Kananga do Japdo. Spanning the years between the 1929 stockmarket crash and the bombing of Pearl Harbor (the latter coinciding with Ary Barroso's composition of the immortal song "Aquarela do Brasil," or "Brazil," as it is called in English) the series took its name from its setting, a fictitious Rio nightclub (which was named after a trendy perfume). It incorporated historical events and actual persons, such as Carmen Miranda and Luiz Carlos Prestes, and improved Manchete's position in the ratings.

It was not, however, until the production ofPantanal that Manchete gave Globo cause for real concern. Filmed in the breathtaking setting of Brazil's south-central swampland, Pantanal regaled viewers with a natural beauty that many of them did not realize existed within their country's borders. It also made ecology fashionable and popularized country music from the interior. Following a trail blazed by Dona Beija, it offered renewed proof of the selling power of sex.

Pantanal starred the beautiful young actress Cristina Oliveira in the role of a sensual, rifle-toting backwoods woman.

Her naked dips in alligator-infested rivers had a hypnotic effect on viewers. The novela also featured love scenes that were more erotic than any previously seen on television. The program stirred up a reallife debate reminiscent of the controversy over the near naked panty-clad woman on the billboard in Asa Branca.

Near nudity and steamy romance had

long been components of Brazilian telenovelas, and they also made the programs marketable abroad. (Indeed, even commercials on Brazilian television occasionally displayed performers in advanced stages of undress.) The images projected on television were merely reflecting the carefree sexuality that permeates Brazilian society, at least on a surface level and in urban environments. But there had always been limits set on what could be aired.

Until the adoption of the new Constitution in 1988, the federal government had the legal authority to censor television programs. During the dictatorship, the regime exercised constant prior restraint over what the networks televised. The Sarney administration sharply curtailed this practice, although occasionally problems arose.

For example, in Mandala, a 1987 Globo novela based loosely on Sophocles' Oedipus Rex, the federal censors permitted only an innocent kiss and prohibited an act of intercourse between Edipo and his mother Jocasta. Incest, even though unwitting, was declared unsuitable for family viewing during prime time.

But in the wake of Pantanal and under a new Constitution that contained vague, aspirational, and by itself unenforceable language about the content of television programs, Brazilian television networks seemed to be adopting an "anything goes" philosophy in the interest of winning the battle for ratings. Globo, plainly shaken

by Manchete's success with Pantanal, responded with doses of nudity and eroticism in its own novelas. General programming on all the networks contained increased levels of violence. A survey reported by the magazine Veja in July 1990 found that in the course of a single week Brazilian television recorded 1,145 scenes of partial or total nudity, 188 references to homosexuality, 23 incidents of torture, and 1,940 gunshots.

While debate raged about whether the government should institute a ratings system with teeth, and whether the television industry should impose voluntary restraints on itself, the SBT network of Silvio Santos which had not been a serious player in the telenovela arena, scored a surprise coup in 1991 with an imported Mexican novela. Although badly dubbed from the Spanish and rudimentary in style, the program scored ratings that cut deeply into Globo's supposedly untouchable national newscast which had customarily dominated the 8:00 P.M. time slot.

Telenovela imports, however, had a limited appeal to Brazilian audiences.

Moreover, the high costs involved in producing first-rate novelas were a factor in the subsequent decline of the Manchete network, which became mired in serious financial difficulties. Thus Globo soon reclaimed its undisputed supremacy in the field.

Excerpt from The Brazilians by Joseph A. Page, 540 pp.

Copyright 0 1995 by AddisonWesley Publishing Company.

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