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Brazzil - Year 8 - Number 132 - December 1996

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JOVINO, SPREADING HERMETO'S GENIUS

Year 8 No. 132— December 1996

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BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1596


After two years and a half in place, the Real Plan, that for the time being, has squelched the Brazilian endemic inflation, hasn't pleased everybody. Some people seem to be hurting from all the price hikes and credit squeeze. And from some houses you can hear baby cries. These, however, are not from children who are hungry or sick, but just maybe a little too spoiled. They are the sons and daughters of Real, babies who were born in the

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last few months because their parents — all upper-middle class and wealthy — are hopeful in the future and have finally included another mouth in their budget. The Brazilian media have been talking about a new baby boom. And there are enough signs to back this up. Maternities for the well-to-do have seen a 20% increase in births since July 1994. The baby industry earnings have increased a healthy 70% in the last two years. Multinationals like Procter & Gamble and Johnson & Johnson are all , too eager to jump into the baby wagon. , In the general population, however, i fecundity rates continue to drop, a trend

CONTENTS

that has started in the 60s, when women had an average of 6.28 children. Today the average family has 2.8 children. As our cover story reveals the Real didn't bring only booms. There are busts all over too. Unemployment has reached record highs. The underground economy is thriving so much that half of the population now, in a way or another, is making money under the table. R.M.

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Cover

Short story

Real Plan's little bundles of joy

Marcos Rey's Mon Gigolo

16

34

Indians

Travel

Body Shop & a no-kosher business in the jungle

Rio de Janeiro for beginners - Part III

19

Cover by Aylan Mello

37

Ecology

Impressions

Mother Theresa of wealthy runs into trouble

An Englishwoman tells her juicy time in Rio

22

42

Racism

Music

In Brazil, the white foe is black himself

Jovino's mission: to spread Hermeto Pascoal

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54

Interview

Special

Candid chat with writer Rachel de Queiroz

A flattering portrait of the Amazon caboclo TIME TO RENEW? Send mail to: P.O. Box 42536 - Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 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) 374-0096 - WASHINGTON, DC: Wilson Velloso (Correspondent) (301) 585-6549 - BRAZIL: Celso Sawaia (011)885-9288 E-mail: csawaia@brhomeshopping.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 (threeldollars) 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 SAE (self addressed and stamped envelope) if you want your material mailed back. Brazzi/ 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 - DECEMBER 1996

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00011—fiNurfr Nt It suit is is i_s Protest

la Lorena "Help, call an ambulance. This woman is crazy. She cut my dick." It was 5 in the morning in Vitoria (capital of Espirito Santo) when the desperate call was placed to luxurious Motel Status's reception desk by guest Joao Carlos Mattos de Faria, 27. He had come to the motel at 10 PM accompanied by J.G.Gomes Savicth., a 17 year old female. Now, J.G. had cut Faria's penis with a kitchen knife. The underage blonde, tall and gorgeous, had been Faria's girlfriend fo seven months. The young man, owner of an importedfood shop, had met the girl at his business place, but since September he ha been trying to end the relationship and hinted that he was in love with another woman. When she showed at Faria's store on the night of November 2, she said all she wanted was a last night of love. In the offices of the Juvenile Department where she was taken by police, J.G. confided to a social worker: The night was marvelous as always." Doctors who examined her said she showed no sign of insanity. Joao Carlos was taken by plane to Sao Paulo's Hospital Nove de Julho where he had his penis reattached. The member had been placed by a motel waiter in a bucket with ice and flown to sao Paulo with the youngster. Two weeks after the successful surgery, Faria had a full erection

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Breasting injustice The big winner of the 29' Festival de Cinema de Brasilia, 1996 edition, was Paulo Caldas's 0 Baile Pei:Annul°

(Fragrant Ball). The film won four prizes including best film and best firsttime director. Also rewarded were all BrazilPeeping ian Toms who were offered a treat after actress Cristiane Tricerri, 34, performed a protest striptease in front of Palacio do Planalto, the presidential residence.

Tricerri wanted to show her disdain for the jury, was unable to select, according to her, the really best movie 0/has de Vampa (Vamp's Eyes). It goes without saying that Cristiane starred in the passed up film. To the oglers' disappointment the actress only exposed her breasts to the air, Capital keeping her clothes from the waist down as required by protocol

When February comes Do you think that just watching Rio's Carnaval pageant is no longer enough? Are _you interested in parading in one of those luxurious outfits and listening to the maddening crowd screaming your name? No sweat. Rio's Samba schools have just announced that now is the time to apply for such an opportunity. Do it quickly, though. The best costumes and places are going fast. At Mangueira, the most traditional of all Escolas de Samba, a costume costs between $250 and $400. After paying for it all you have to go is to participate in a few rehearsals in January. Outside people have been the norm nowadays. From the 5,000 plus who march for Mangueira only 1,500 belong to the community. The rest are outsiders. Salgueiro, another heavyweight, will take to the avenue 4,500 participants, of whom only 1,000 actually come from the favelas (shanty towns). Close to 2,000 are Paulistas (from Sao Paulo) who pay for the privilege of parading with the Escola de Samba. In Salvador (Bahia), mortalhas, the costumes that guarantee the reveler a secure cordoned-off place in the streets to jump at Carnaval during three days are also on sale. A Bloco do Camaledo mortalha costs $530 and the group will have the band Chiclete corn Banana as their main attraction. Bloco do Crocodilo is charging $360 for theirs and singer Daniela Mercury will be livening their party. The most popular of the blocos, the Traz a Massa (Bring the Crowd) charges $150 for its mortalha. They will be presenting the band Gera Samba, the greatest sensation in Bahia these days. If you still only want to watch the Rio's Escolas de Samba at the Sambodromo, you better order your tickets ASAP: they are already on sale. Prices have been cut 30 percent in comparison to last year. On the bleachers, prices vary from $5 to $150 depending on how close to the action you want to be. Boxes and loges can set you back from $1,450 to $31,000. There will be close to 60,000 tickets available for each one of the two days, but less than half of them are in the so-called popular sectors.

(including the part severed), but his ability to function as a man was still in doubt. After years of spousal abuse Venezuelan-born immigrant Lorena Bobbitt became an tant world celebrity in June 1994 after she Meted the same treatment o her American husband John Wayne Bobbitt. She seems to be inspiring some jealous Brazilian women to replicate her get-even act. Two weeks.-.1 after the Vitoria incident, another woman decided to cut her husband's phallus after learning of his infidelity. Raquel , Nair Lucio, 33, confessed she was inspired by news reports when she decided to cut off the penis of Luis Carlos Ferraz, 61. They live in Tiete, a town 90 miles west of Sao Paulo. Raquel herself called the police who arrested her. Ferraz also had his organ surgically reattached. And there was Eva Maria Pires, 62, who after a fight with her „ farmer husband Geraldo Abilio Fagundes, 57, cut off his left testicle. Eva is in jail. Despite the pain and the humiliation Fagundes doesn't seem to hold a grudge. "She has a temper," Fagundes said. "But I don't want her to rot in jail."

Big-time off-line Something went very wrong with Embratel, the much reviled Brazilian communication's monopoly, in its way to give Brazilian Internet surfers an easier time on line. While the country went

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


into a three-day break to vote and celebrate November 15, the Republic's Proclamation holiday, Embratel's engineers started what should be a revamping of, the system's backbone and promised to those complaining of blackouts "an immediate improvement" as soon as the job was finished. It never fit was. What went wrong? After six days of tinker. ing with the main Internet trunk in the country, leaving at least 40 percent of Brazil isolated from the Internet for four days, the state company went back to square one, undoing all: the changes. A terse communiquÊ explained: "We opted to go back to the previous situation." Those who are against the monopoly and they seem to be the majority — are screaming even louder now that the service be privatized. Users grew even more incensed because during the whole blackout the company continued to say that everything was going as planned and it was under control. Some users were even advised to check their own modem, the device that makes computer to talk over the phone. One Embratel user unloaded his anger, "Why doesn't Embratel offer a course to its technicians and engineers instead of letting them practice live in the Net, abusing the patience of every 4 Internet surfer?"

The AIDS scare In an effort to block the spread of AIDS and STD (sexually transmitted diseases) among the

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

Executive death One week after its worst aerial accident Saol Paulo city heard from Cenipa (Center of Investigation and prevention of Aeronautic Accidents) concluded that the tragedy that took 98 lives was caused by a structural defect in the Fokker 100, the plane involved. The aircraft had its right turbine's thrust reverser (the device that helps planes stop when they land) deployed automatically when the airplane was still racing down the runway. Unlike other aircraft as the ones manufactured by Boeing, the Fokker has no alarm system to warn of such an occurrence. Flight 402 was a TAM' s shuttle service between Rio and Sao Paulo. All 96 passengers and crew members aboard were killed together with two other people on the ground. The October 31 crash occurred in a pleasant street of Jabaquara, 25 seconds after the plane took off from Congonhas airport. Congonhas, located five miles from downtown Sao Paulo, is Latin America's busiest airport in take off and landing and Brazil's third in volume of passengers, just behind Rio's Galeao and sao Paulo's Cumbica. The early-morning flight had aboard 28 high ranking executives of domestic and multinational corporations. Among the dead there were eight executives of Unibanco. Banco Real, Banco Cidade. Citibank also lost directors. The crash was immediately reflected in the Sao Paulo's stock market. The very successful TAM, that had seen its stock prices soar in the last few years, suffered a drop of 28 percent in one trading day. Pilot Jose Antonio Moreno, at 35 one of TAM's most seasoned professionals, had 18 years' experience and over 3,000 hours flying the Fokker. In the first hours after the accident he was made a hero. alobo Reporter, a sensationalistic program of Globo TV disclosed a conversation that Moreno was supposed to have with the to*r. In the dialogue reproduced by G/oba newspaper and weekly newsmagazine Yeja, the pilot says, "I have an emergency... I'm going back... I'm clearing the school." The plane fell very close to Dr. Angelo Mendes de Almeida elementary school where 800 children were having class. Later it was learned that everything happened too fast and the pilot didn't exchange a single word with the tower. In the wreckage, a 10-lb cocaine package was found. TAM quickly denied that the drug had been in the plane, and suggested that it belong in a house hit by the Fokker. The Sao Paulo police would soon confirm, however, that the package was been carried by a passenger, identified as Mauro Rodrigues Matos, well-known drug trafficker. At the Rio's airport, local police were waiting or him with a warrant.

Indian population in ko Brazil, the Brazilian government will soon start a program of handling condoms to the natives. Since 1989, when the first case of AIDS was diagnosed in a tribe in Santa Catarina, in the South, there have been 13 known cases of HIV-infected Indians. All but two of them have died. According to the government there are 325,000 Indians in the country with 165,000 of them living in Northern Brazil. The condom distribution program, set to start in the first quarter of 1997 will initially involve only aculturated tribes and those Indians who have more contact with the white man, including the Ianomami, the Bororo, the Xavante, the Guajajara, the Guarani and the Apinaje Indians. On the defensive, Pedro Chequer, the program coordinator explained, "I know condoms are not a part of the Indian culture. But we can't stand here watching while Indians die of AIDS."

In Campinas (Sao Paulo State), residents don't need cash, check or credit and debit cards t anymore in order to purchase a series of products. They are taking part in a pioneer pilot program called Visa Cash. It's a card similar to a credit card, with a credit up to $600 and it can be "recharged" in tile


Losers weepers .branches of the 14 'participating banks. In this first phase of the ,program, which started December 2, 50,000 intelligent cards will be t available. The new money is already being accepted by at least 500 merchants in the city.

Dreaming of the Games During its visit to Rio 'to analyze the city's chances to hold the 2004 Olympic Games, the 1.!International Olympic 'Committee's delegation iv decided to visit a favela t (shanty town), an event !.'that wasn't in the official program. Caught by ;surprise, Ronaldo Cezar Coelho, President of the t,Committee Rio 2004, t chose Parque Royal favela in Ilha do Governador, a neighborhood close to Fundao island, the place where ilthe Olympic stadium and village should be built. 'Parque Royal, which has newly-built shops and even a sports plaza with a soccer field, is part of the t, Favela-Bairro project, a re-urbanization plan created by city hall. The IOC envoys, who also met President Fernando Henrique Cardoso, talked for two hours with Coelho and Carlos Langoni, former *president of the Central 113ank, showing a lot of interest in the economy and poverty in Brazil. .They were particularly worried about a possible Ireturn to unbridled inflation. "I want to meet the person responsible for

According to the TSE (Electoral Superior Court), PMDB (Party of the Brazilian Democratic Movement) made 1,287 mayors in the Brazilian latest elections. With this Brazil's largest political party kept its big lead with more than double the number of mayors elected by runner-up PPB (Brazilian Progressive Party) which elected 624 mayors. The run-off election was held only in cities where the October 3 election didn't guarantee 50 percent of the votes to any of the mayoral candidates. The results don't include 156 smaller towns which six days after the November 15 run-off election were still counting ballots. It wasn't good news for PSB (Brazilian Socialist Party), President Fernando Henrique Cardoso's party. They lost three state capital in which they had the mayor. These elections could make it harder for Cardoso to realize his dream of being reelected. To stay in the Palacio do Planalto, however, he needs Congress to adopt a constitutional amendment, as the current charter mandates a single nonrenewable four-year term. Newly elected local political bosses would have a say in the decision. There were no big surprises in the run-off, with voters for the most part confirming the favorites of the first round. As expected, Celso Roberto Pitta do Nascimento, a former finance secretary, got 57 percent of the votes becoming the first elected black mayor of Sao Paulo, Brazil's biggest and most prosperous city, with 12 million people. Despite the fact that roughly 50 percent of Brazilians are black or of mixed race, there are very few prominent dark skinned politicians in Brazil. Celso Pitta's victory is a boom for his sponsor, the current Sao Paulo's mayor Paulo Salim Maluf who intends to run for President two years from now. In Rio, as in Sao Paulo, it was also a virtual unknown who got elected for Mayor in Rio. In both cases the winner was the current mayor's protégé. State legislator Sergio Cabral was defeated by Luiz Paulo Conde, who is Rio's Urban Planning Secretary. Conde was handpicked by mayor Cesar Maia, who despite having an image of eccentricity was also very popular for massive building projects undertaken. Women also had good news. Three of them got elected mayors in three state capitals.

Rio's finances," said Thomas Bach, the chairman of the delegation, when he was told that city hall had $900 million available in its coffers. During a visit to Maracana soccer stadium, Bach and his colleagues played some soccer and at the end posed for a picture as if they were a soccer team. The Rio 2004 Internet address is http://athos.labma.ufrj.br/ rio2004.html

Blacks needn't apply At the end even US Ambassador Melvyn Levitsky and American human rights activist Rev. Jesse Jackson, who was visiting Brazil, intervened so 6-year-old Carlos Rossi, a darkskinned student, would get his visa to visit the US together with his classmates. Rossi needed the visa in order to participate in an exchange program in Florida. The boy's father had applied three times for the visa stamp that other Rossi's colleagues — all white — had received without any bigger effort. Accused of discrimination Rio's consulate defended itself saying the boy's parents hadn't presented the right documentation and they feared the boy would stay in the US after the program ended. After Luis Carlos Rossi, the boy's father, went public with his complaint, the director of Dice English Course, Ricardo de Oliveira Lima, revealed that black children in his school always have problems getting a US visa.

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


Street talk There goes the good doctor , He was considered a citizen above any suspicion. As a doctor served as health minister under three presidents. He was the man of whom President Fernando Hen rique Cardoso said, "I would like to have a cabinet of Jatenes". All of this, however, wasn't enough to ensure Health Minister Adib Jatene's post. He was, as they say in Brazil these days for politicians who are dumped, fritado. And apparently he was fried in order to help Cardoso in his efforts to gain a constitutional amendment allowing the President to launch his candidacy for a second term. Jatene's honeymoon with the country was very short. Soon after assuming the ministry in 1995 he started building an image of a do-nothing and a crybaby always complaining about the lack of money. Thanks to his friendship with the President, the heart specialist was able to have Congress create the CPMF, Provisional Contribution on Financial 'Movement, a big name to say that everybody writing a check had to pay a .25 percent fee per check to help the health ministry. The new levy was approved, but Jatene never touched the money. After several threats of leaving the government he delivered his letter of resignation November 5.

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

In the many tribos (tribes) of Sao Paulo everyone seems to have its own patois. Surfers and skaters use a lot of English terms, clubbers apparently invent new words every day and even office boys have their own secret communication code. Just a sample: Clubbers: Aqiiendar: to pay attention Bagaceira: (lit, grape or sugarcane bagasse) slob Dramatico: cool, but it can also mean trash. Used to praise or to pan. Dzarm: uncool Who: (corn) something good Office-boys: Area: to get out o v6io: (hi, old-timer) a greeting Rapi10: in a hurry Buscio: bus Surfers: Crowdeado: crowded Dropar: to go down Merrequeiro: fraidy cat Prego: (nail) good-for-nothing Skaters: Aazzzaaarr: (hard luck) use to start or finish a sentence. It means too good and it means too bad. Boca: (mouth) bad Esquema: (scheme) nice Tipo: (type) conceited Music

Hardcore noise With close to 2 million records sold after only three releases Marisa Monte is the hottest Brazilian singer these days. Just on time for Christmas she is now releasing Barulhinho Born (Nice Little Noise), a double CD album, one containing live performances during her world tour and the other recorded in a studio. Buridhinho Boni has critical acclaim and popular success written all over it. Why did then Monte decide to add a little spice and controversy to release number four including pornographic artwork on the cover and in the leaflet accompanying the CD? They are crude and graphic scenes drawn by Carlos Zefiro in banned booklets that were the delight of many boys and adult men before the advent of porno videos and slick imported hardcore magazines. Nobody knew who Zefiro was until recently when the public servant Alcides Cam inha stepped out in the open and confessed to be the author of the blue saga. Marisa Monte is certainly of the opinion that sex is Brazil's favorite sport. "These drawings represent Brazilian collective unconscious,- she not-sheepishly explained.

Supreme humiliation, friend Fernando Henrique made Jatene wait for one hour and a half in the waiting room before receiving him. In a sentimental farewell, the minister and his aides cried openly. Apparently relieved, Jatene vented his frustration: "I am no crybaby," he said. "I am no beggar."

Looking for the chaff Its official name is Exame Nacional de Curso (Course's National Examination), but it has been baptized as Provao (The Big Exam). The government-mandated aptitude test for those leaving college was used for the first time in November under protest from students who threatened to boycott it and schools who considered it unnecessary, superficial and even harmful. Created by the Ministry of Education the examination, according to their own creators, doesn't intend to measure the student's abilities, but verify if the school in which he studied gave him a minimum level of proficiency. In a first phase the test was taken only by 55,000 students of Law, Administration and Civil Engineering courses. Brazil has 851 colleges, being 633 private and 218 public. There is more than a little suspicion that some of these schools are mere diploma mill where learning is an oxymoron.


budg t bust A chance combination of prosperity, ticking biological clocks and the search for family values and intimacy is keeping Brazilian maternities, baby sitters and child product manufacturers very busy these days. With inflation unbelievably low (by Brazilian standards), many couples are finally considering the big jump to baby land. Simply put, it's boom time for babies. But there many other people crying and it is not from teething. RODOLFO ESPINOZA

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They are being called the children of Real. They are the boys and girls born in the last few years who are reaping the fruits of the Real, the new currency and economic plan implemented July 1994. More specifically, children of Real are those babies who arguably owe their existence to the Real Plan, since their parents decided to have them only because of the new perspectives and opportunities presented by the Real. And it seems that there are plenty of these children of Real. So much so that there is talk of a new baby boom in the country Newborn Antonio Franco is a legitimate representative ofthis generation. He is the son of Cristiana and Gustavo Franco, one of the Real's fathers and the Central Bank's Director for International Affairs. If not diplomatically, the old Franco has colorfully and irreverently explained the relationship between the economy and the current baby boom: "I have no doubt that inflation was one of the causes of impotency in Brazilian homes. It's good to know that the Real has induced a national hardon." He makes a strong case. For decades, Brazilians, living with a monthly inflation rate of around 50 percent, couldn't seriously budget for a year in advance much less for nearly two decades that it takes to raise a child. There is no lack of signs that it's boom time for middle-class newborns. The evidence can be seen in the maternity wards for the well-to-do in Rio, Sao Paulo and Belo Horizonte (capital of Minas Gerais) where there was an average 20 percent increase in births since July 1994. Hospital Sao Luiz in Sao Paulo is spending $1.2 million on new facilities to meet the demand. The signs are evident BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


phy and Stati tics), in 1970 this number had fallen to throughout the industry that caters to babies. Earnings in 5.76, in 1980 o 4.35, and all the way to 2.8 in 1994, the the sector have increased a whopping 70 percent in the last last year for w ich the IBGE has data. Due to this trend, 2.5 years generating $1 billion per year. population gr wth has fallen from a yearly average of There is an explosion of shops selling to the newborn 2.48 percent between 1971 and 1980 to 1.93 percent set. Opened in Sao Paulo at the end of 1995, a 51-store during the poiod of 1980 to 1991. mall specializing in products for children, Kids — a $10The middl -class baby boom is also occurring against million investment — is already recording $1 million a the backdrop fa series of tragedies involving newborn month in sales. Just one year ago, its creators were dreambabies in Oct ber and November. In a 50-day span, at ing of making $2.5 million a year. The Market Place, least 92 babie died in public maternity wards throughanother shopping mall with children in mind, has out the count y, all due to overcrowding and lack of innovatively provided shopping carts for children in the proper care nd hygiene in the hospitals. Forty nine supermarket so the tots can do their own shopping. babies died a Maternidade Escola Assis Chateaubriand According to SBEP, a company that specializes in in Fortaleza state of Ceara) in the first two weeks of organizing fairs for the baby industry, the number of November. here were 32 other cases in Boa Vista shops selling baby stuff has skyrocketed from 7,000 in (capital of R raima) and 11 in Niter6i (Rio de Janeiro). mid 1994 to 20,000 today. The XI Expo Bebe e Gestante, One third f the 150 million-strong Brazilian populaa fair with products for babies and pregnant women that tion is 14 yea s old or younger. Some 15 million of these took place last October in Sao Paulo, featured more than children bel ng to the middle class. They represent a 200 stands representing companies from all over the market of $50 billion or 10 percent of the Brazilian GNP. world. And this is before any consideration of their leverage in Times are so promising that Yankee companies Gracco buying almo t everything else in the house, including and Century ,two of the world's biggest names in baby car cars (miniva s have been invading the Brazilian market seats and strollers, have already made known their plans as in the US) computers (adults are generally too dumb to invest in Brazil in 1997. They will be joining multinato know whi • h machine to buy and 26 percent of all home tionals such as Johnson & Johnson — which has ancomputers a e bought due to the insistence of a child), nounced $70 million in fresh investment to develop new and even ho ses. According to industry sources, Brazilchildren's products — Kimberly Clark/Kenko, and Ameriian children pend $1 billion a year on cookies and $4.8 can Procter & Gamble, which is also committing $70 billion on so t drinks. million to produce more diapers. They are working under "Everyth ng a child wants, he gets," said ad agency the assumption — for lack of an official number — that McCann Er ckson's director Helena Quadrado in an the Real has generated eight million children so far. interview with weekly newsIn an interview with weekly magazine Veja. "No one refuses anymagazinelsto E, Ruy Marco Ant6nio, thing to their children." In a recent the director superintendent of HosBaby Blues study, McCann Erickson found that pital e Maternidade Sao Paulo, arBrazilians not only make less than their 63 percent of Sao Paulo city's gued: "The middle class worries too neighbors to the north, they have to pay much middle-class 13-years-old or much about consumption. They almore for a similar baby product. The discrepyounger have a TV set in their own ways want to know how much they ancy occurs in almost every other sector of the bedroom. The research has also reare going to spend to raise a child. economy. vealed that allowances, as a fixed Inflation scared them. Now they can amount of money given to the child budget their expenses" Brazil Us every month, are on their way out Another service in high demand 60 Baby bathtub 173 (less than half of the children reis in vitro fertilization. Do to its high 100 256 Stroller 80 ceive them) while an open budget 191 Car seat expense —typically from $3,000 to 30 100 High chair and more freedom to spend the 7,000 — artificial insemination is 180 80 Rocking chair money have become the norm among restricted to the upper middle class 80 280 Play pen these children. and wealthy. Celeste and Joshua, the 6 6 Feeding bottle This new independent breed of newborn twins of Assiria Seixas children, who had to learn to fend Lemos and Edson Arantes do Nasfor themsel es while both parents often had to work to cimento (Pele), are merely the most famous of a crop of make ends meet, doesn't seem particularly greedy or babies born through this method. Pele, the legendary undisciplin d. Books for children have both mirrored soccer player who is now Brazil's Sports Minister, opted this new re lity and helped empower children to question for this method after a failed operation to reverse a authority, • oing away with the absolute power and infalvasectomy 17 years ago. The clinics that specialize in this libility oft e adult. Among the current book heroes there kind of treatment have seen a measurable growth since the are Ruth R • cha' s Marcelo Marmelo, Martelo, the saga of introduction of Real. Close to 2,000 couples tried to a little bo who has his own ideas and even decides to artificially conceive a child in Brazil in 1995. In Sao create a ew language, and Ziraldo' s 0 Menino Paulo, for example, the Clinica Roger Abdelmassih exMaluquin o, the crazy little boy who used to get an F in pects to end the year with 700 in vitro fertilization trials behavior, ut was very happy anyway. up from 450 just two years ago. At the me time, a reevaluation of the role of parents All of this happens in a country where the fecundity and in pa cular that of mothers, is occurring. As in the rate has been falling consistently since 1960, when there US, many razilian women who had prosperous careers was an average of 6.28 children for every child-bearingare redirec mg their energies and often reassuming their aged woman.. According to IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de posts as h • memakers, but no longer as the celebrated Geografia e Estatistica — Brazilian Institute for GeograBRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

11


queens of the household of past generations. The personal-success-at-any-cost attitude has given way to a desire to achieve personal and affective realization. And many women in their 30s are listening to their biological clocks ticking and have decided that it's the time to start or expand the family. While maternity leave in Brazil lasts four months, not the one month or less that's the norm in the US, many women think this is not enough time to bond with their newborn. Some celebrities have adhered to the back-to-home concept in recent months giving the idea their seal of approval. Among them is actress Patricia Travassos, 44, who has given up a successful career on TV and the stage to dedicate herself to her home and her 7 year old son Nicolau. While enjoying herself at her apartment in Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, she told /sto E about the different standards applied to men and women: "If a man is late to work because he went to take his son to the dentist, he is considered a good father. When this happens to a woman, we are not considered good professionals because we are bringing our domestic problems to work." For some 9.6 million women who are single parents, the task of juggling outside and home work can be formidable. According to IBGE, one in every four families in Brazil are managed by a woman, often without any financial or other help from the former husband. It's estimated that by the year 2000, 40 percent of all jobs will be held by women in Brazil. This doesn't mean, however, that women will get new respectability in the work place. Right now, the average salary for a woman is 24 percent lower than that for a man.

Growth Pains and Rewards The same Real that has saved Brazilians from the mandibles of apparently chronic inflation has also caused some conflicting feelings, ranging from an initial shopping euphoria to a lingering despair for those who lost their jobs after the government put on the brakes. In the first drive, the taming of inflation made people feel very powerful and brought them in droves to the stores in a festival of consumerism. Government intervened through a double dose of high-interest rates and short period payments for sales on credit. As a result of these measures, there was a retraction in the economy and unemployment became rampant. Jobless figures reached a peak of 16.2 percent in the Greater Sao Paulo area in June and have been falling since, but rate is still in double digits. An optimist by profession, Finance Minister Pedro Malan declared recently: "No one can deny that the country has become a better place. Economic stabilization is a marathon with barriers. We have already passed several of them and certainly we will have new one to overcome. But we have the lowest inflation since 1957 and perfectly sustainable growth rates." Experts are predicting a 4 percent growth rate in the Gross Domestic Product for 1996. There are fears that an expansion larger than this might bring inflation back. The rate, however, seems good enough to keep the economy humming along, with enough production and sales not to

add to the hordes of unemployed. Economists are just hopeful they will not have to endure other crises such as the one that followed the Mexican debacle of 1995, when Brazil lost $10 billion from its reserves, money already recouped by now. Another serious setback was caused by the insolvency of Economic° and Nacional, both among the five largest Brazilian banks. A much-feared chain reaction that would hit other financial institutions hasn't materialized and the economy seems to be recuperating fast from the shock. There are, however, some business practices that are causing the economic policy makers to worry. One of them is the credit that supermarkets are extending their clients for buying food staples. Jose Roberto Mendonca de Banos, the Finance Ministry's secretary of Economic Policy, has expressed his discontent in face of theseemingly dangerous trend. "The length of credit has increased too fast and these sales are not backed up by durable goods," says Mendonca de Barros. "We need to call these folks for a little chat." Last year in Sao Paulo, two million people were on the black list of bad debtors, but this number has since been cut in half The economy is growing again, and while some sectors continue to hurt, other industries, including those that manufacture electronics and home appliances are booming. From January to September, Brazilians bought 6.4 million TV sets, 4 million irons, 2.8 million refrigerators and2 million video players. While 76 percent of the houses had a TV set in 1993 this number had increased to 81 percent by the end of 1995. The number of households with refrigerators grew from 72 percent to 75 percent, while 27 percent of Brazilians now have a washing machine (compared to 24 percent two years ago) and 15 percent have a 'freezer (compared to 12 percent before the Real). Since the intrbduction of the Real, income has increased an average of 30 percent. The poor got the bigger benefits. Those workers who were making around $60 had their income doubled. Capital goods and auto parts — national manufacturers are feeling the squeeze from foreign companies are two of the sectors that are still limping. Despite generalized complaints from the auto industry, that sector increased its production by 10 percent in 1996 whencompared to 1995 and automakers are committed to inveging $9 billion in three years to expand their factories. Brazilians are also eating better since the advent of the Real. Consumption of products like beef, chicken and canned food has increased almost 5 percent in comparison to 1995. Thanks to the new currency, 11 million people were upgraded from poor to lower middle class, producing an increase in sales of non-essential products such as soft drinks, linens, and beach paraphernalia. A study from IPEA (Instituto de Pesquisa Econ6mica Aplicada — Institute for Applied Economic Research) has shown that since the end of 1994, the number of people under of the poverty line fell from 16 million to 11 million. As for inflation the reality has been rosier than the predictions. For 1997, it's expected that inflation will not surpass 8 percent for the year. In response to the market, the federal government is again and very cautiously relaxing credit through the lowering of interest rates and the lengthening of time for financing. A car, for example, can BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996 •


be bought over 48 months, much more feasible than the less than one year plans of the recent past. As extra protection, Brazil has $58.7 billion in reserve for eventual foreign debts. Only Japan, Germany and the US have bigger reserves. Different from the IBGE, which uses the salaries of all the family members to rank the prosperity of the people, , the research company Marplan groups Brazilians into five different categories (A to E), according to a basket of services and goods that people receive. The classification, widely used for marketeers, shows that Brazilians from the lowest classes (D and E) measured only 33 percent in 1995. A similar study in 1986 showed that 42 percent of the population belonged to those classes. Ten years ago the C group was 32 percent and it has increased to 38 percent. The most privileged, the A and B layers have also grown from 25 percent to 29 percent during the same period. Changes in consumer habits have forced DIEESE (Departamento Intersindical de Estatistica e Estudos Sociais - Inter-Union Department of Statistics and SocioEconomic Studies), a research institute maintained by workers' unions, to eliminate some items and include others on the list it uses to compute the cost of living index. Products like vinyl records and black and white TV sets have disappeared from their inquiries while new products like disposable diapers and yogurt have been added or were given more weight. Despite all the improvements and better distribution of wealth, Brazil continues to be a land of huge contrasts between the extremes of poverty and wealth. While the poorest 70 percent take 26 percent of the country's income the richest 10 percent take 47 percent of all the wealth. Services continue to be a problem, too. Forty percent of the houses are not served by public sewers, 24 percent have no tap water, 28 percent don't get their trash picked up and 8 percent still don't have electricity at home. All this without even mentioning telephones. Before the Real, only 19 percent of residences had a phone. Today a mere 22 percent have one.

Underground Market Unemployment figures have been scary. According to DIEESE (Departamento Intersindical de Estatistica e Estudos Sociais — Inter-Union Department of Statistics and Socio-Economic Studies) there were 1.32 million unemployed in Sao Paulo in August. That's 15 percent of that city's workforce. Such dire numbers are the worse in memory except for August 1992, when the recession provoked by the Plano Collor (the economic plan named for impeached President Fernando Collor de Mello) was at its peak. Even though this perception of the worst of times might also be due do the fact that measurement is a little more precise nowadays, the situation would be much worse if Brazilians weren't so malleable and inventive. They have been doing all kinds ofjobs and tricks to survive. A large contingent of them has entered the so-called informal market. From the 70-million strong Brazilian work force at least 35 million get their main source of income or part of it through work on the side. Such a huge informal economy can only be matched by countries of the so-called Fifth World, like Somalia BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

and Banglades . These clandestine business people, who have no healt insurance and end up using the overcrowded publi health system, are responsible for a $220 billion econo y, or close to 35 percent of Brazil's official GDP (Gross omestic Product). In the first official effort ever to find out how widespread the und r-the-table economy is, IBGE studied it in Rio de Janeir and found that there are 444,420 informal outfits functiOning without permits in that city. Guaranteeing work 0:or 560,000 people, these outlaw activities generate $6 billion a year, an amount that not even Shell of Brazil can match. This amount represents 18 percent of Rio's GDP. Surprisingly the average monthly income of an informal business is $1,100, 11 times the minimum wage. That means that a treet peddler in Rio brings home five times more money than a teacher from a public school, and four times more than a bank cashier. Quite curiously, such informality in some cases has been a blessig in disguise. Many people who go underground after they are fired find out that they wouldn't take their old job back if it was offered to them. There are stories of people graduated from college who are doing much better selling in the streets without a permit than they were before in their underpaid white-collar jobs. Isto E rec ntly told the story of Frederico Ladeira, 36, a high-schoo teacher who instead of taking home a $400 monthly sal ry, is now making 2,000 selling chocolate candy that he manufactures at home and sells without any permit or re1ceipts. All under the table. "Professional fulfillment doesn't fill the stomach," he told the magazine. "I wanted to do something to make money." For 22 years now, the number of jobs in Brazil has been shrinkirig — as in the rest of the industrialized world for that matter. While the population was increasing at a rate of around 2 percent a year and the industry grew 2.9 percent beoVeen 1974 and 1983, the number of jobs expanded a miserly 0.15 percent. Since 1983, industry growth fell to 1.9 percent and the job market started showing a iegative result: an average of minus 1.35 percent a y ar. The Bra ilian bureaucracy is in part responsible for the size of the informal economy, which consists not only of street vendors and people hawking their goods at stop lights. Man people work for companies that never register them, afvoiding the costs of official hiring, which would mor than double the cost of an employee. There are close to 20 fees that have to be paid by the employer, including fees for social security, unemployment fund, and education-salary. The outlaw workers are starting to organize themselves. Throughout the country there are already 11 unions for workers in the informal market. "We are paying close attention to the situation," says Vicente Paulo da Silva, Vicentinho, the president of CUT (Central Unica dos Trabalhadores — Workers' United Central). "We recommend that those people who are in the informality organize themselves." CUT is planning a national conference for the first semester of 1997 to deal exclusively with the theme. Sao Paulo's Informal Economy Workers' Union has close to 3,000 members. At least 50 people everyday comet o their office to inquire about starting their own business vk, hile ditching all the government bureaucracy • and fees. 13


HERE LIKE THERE Reading your "Red Tape Addiction" article in the November issue made me stop and reflect on my days while I lived in New York City: the circus at the Department of Motor Vehicles in New York produced an atmosphere where the civil service employees almost said that they were doing you a favor. Mister, so just wait... It seems that bureaucracy is a built-in ingredient of government. I underlined the fact that the Brazilian government has on its staff a Venetian blind technician, among others. Would you believe that, while in 'the States', I was dealing with the use of Venetian blinds for a different purpose, and Jam looking for some guidance in this field. Please be advised that I do not condone bureaucracy, but if this person 'specializes' in Venetian blind knowledge, I would like to contact him/her — my inquiry may help make his position more credible. I will really appreciate it if you could advise me how to contact him by phone and/or fax. Even though I am not fluent in Portuguese, my Brazilian associate can perform that task. Thanks for a very interesting article.

Milton Volan Rio de Janeiro, Brazil IT WAS OUR MARCH COVER I'm currently working on a research paper for a class regarding Brazilian emigration all over the world, but especially in the United States. Because this is a relatively recent topic I haven't been able to find that much information to write about it. If possible, I'd really appreciate it if you could let me know if Brazzil has ever covered such topic, and if so, what issue was it published in. In case the issue is very old, I'd appreciate it if you can let me know how to get ahold of one. I hope you understand why I would ask your staff for guidance: you seem to be extremely aware of our community in the US and about our concerns. Therefore, I'd really appreciate your help. A million thanks.

Priscilla Leite University of California, Berkeley INSPIRING SUBJECT It's a pleasure to write to you. I've been living in the US for 10 years and this was the first time I read something written about Brazilian women writers ("Paper Women", October '96). Your article made me rethink about the situation of Brazilians overseas and our lack of opportunity to read or know more about Brazilian You are ins ited to participate in this dialogue. Write to: Letters to the Publisher P.O.Bos 42536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536 or send E-mail to: brazzil'a brazzil.com brazilnens'a aol.com Please, include a phone number in the es ent sse need to reach you. Thanks!

literature. I'm a student at Hayward University in the Department of Latin America Studies. For years I have been dreaming of startin a reading group in Portuguese dealing with Brazilian authors. Your article brought back this old dream and I'm now in the process of collecting ideas to put everything together. This letter is just to congratulate you and your effort to maintain the Brazilian culture so far way from home.

Tania Davey Hayward, California TIME TO IMPROVE Please renew my subscription, for which I am attaching a check. Let me congratulate you for the quality of your magazine, as far as content. I also hope that in the near future you can improve the quality of the printing. When you print white type over black background with illustration it becomes rather hard to read, at least for me. An example of this is the article on feijoada (November '96). I had to squint so much to read it I almost stopped salivating over the dish. Thank you for meeting the need for information on Brazilian affairs for so many of us residing here. Best wishes for the season.

R. F. Bentes Van Nuys, California BRAZIL PAPER I am a student from Toronto and I am doing a project on Brazil. If you have any information regarding the current environmental issues in Brazil and what the government is doing about it, please send it to me.

Krista Zanni Ontario, Canada STUCK ON BRAZIL I'm so glad you know that there are some Americans out there who are completely apaixonados for Brazil. I spent five months there last year and now estou corn muitas saudades for its beaches, buses, barracas, juices (maracuja), music, dances, people... Well, you get the picture. I miss everything. Thanks for bringing a little piece of Brazil into my life. Even from up here in Beantown, I feel connected. Axe, paix, amor.

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William Richard Jones Austin, Texas NAME THAT TUNE A short note to express my appreciation for all Bruce Gilman, you music editor, is doing to educate, honor, and promote the forces of Brazilian music. I will soon be launching what I hope will be the best WEB guide to the three big Carnaval of Brazil and we will include links to some of Brazzil's articles.

C. M. Collins San Francisco, California LOOKING FOR IVAN Just a short note to tell you what a pleasure it is to receive your magazine every month. My wife and I met in a Portuguese class at University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and our interest in things Brazilian has grown ever since. Would you happen to know where we might find the sheet music for Ivan Lins' music? We are currently living in Panama, but travel frequently to both Brazil and the US. Take care and boa sorte!

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— — Chief Pykati-re Kayapo at a Brighton-UK Body Shop

Broken promises Thanks in great part to its "green" image British company Body Shop has prospered in the 80s. In the 90s the firm tried to increase its world visibility linking its image to Brazil's rainforest and approaching the Brazilian Kayapo Indians with a program they called 'Trade Not Aid.' The association generated a barrage of free and laudatory media stories about the activities of Body Shop. More recently however this image has been bruised. Is the Body Shop social conscience just a sham? TEXT AND PHOTOS BY SAULO PETEAN* Body Shop's much vaunted 'Trade Not Aid' policy with indigenous peoples is running into serious problems in the Amazon where it sources Brazil nut oil for one of its best-selling beauty products. Since 1991, Body Shop has been buying oil processed by the Mebengokre Indians, also called the Kayapo. Brazil nut oil makes up about one and half percent of its rainforest hair conditioner. The 'Trade Not Aid' project has long been the centerpiece of Body Shop's attempts to market itself as a 'socially responsible' business. But the relationship, rocky for years, has become a sore point for the Indians. The problems hit the international press in March when the Amazon Chief featured in Body Shop promotions sued the company for failing to deliver on its commitment to pay for using Indian images in marketing efforts. The picture of Chief Pykati-re, in traditional feathered headdress making a 'thumbs up' gesture, has been used in posters and leaflets, and decorates the Body Shop factory in England. It has also adorned the walls at more than 1400 Body Shops around the world. The chief's lawyer, Hildebrando Pontes Neto, is a specialist on image rights. Pykati-re is an elder of Pukanu village, which along with Aukre village in remote northern Brazil, processes the oil. His image was featured in an American Express advertisement alongside Body Shop founder Anita Roddick. It was also used in publicity to raise funds in Europe to help the Kayapo. Village elders complain that much of that money never made it to the communities. Problems with the Kayapo have been simmering for years. In 1993. Body Shop was showered with favorable press when it announced it had reached the world's first cultural and 'intellectual property' agreement between a Western company and an indigenous tribe. However, an independent evaluation of the 'Trade Not Aid' links with the Mebengokre, commissioned by Body Shop but ultimately suppressed because it was so damning, says Body Shop has consistently misrepresented the relationship. 16

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


According to the 56-page study by the Institute for Development Studies at Sussex University (UK), "The Kayapo leaders do not consider that they have conceded rights of use of image to the Body Shop." Among the other charges: Body Shop International (BSI) misrepresents the for-profit trade link as a non-governmental organization (NGO) activity; the company has disrupted centuries-long social structures; BSI also used to buy hand-braided wrist bands but unilaterally discontinued that business to the consternation of Kayapo women. The report ads: "Is the Body Shop's trading link with the Kayapo "aid", or has it been deliberate profitable investment in the marketing of the company's name?" This is only the latest in a series of ethical blow-ups involving Body Shop. In recent months, BSI has suffered sharp criticism for selling products with formaldehyde, for its strained relationships with employees, franchisees and investors, as well as for exploiting its third world suppliers. Terrence Turner, an anthropologist from the University of Chicago who speaks fluent Kayapo says Body Shop is engaged in classic exploitation. He calls its trade program 'Aid Not Trade,' a play on the Body Shop 'Trade Not Aid' slo gan. "Body Shop gets the aid in the form of native images," says Dr. Turner. "In return, natives get almost no trade". The distrust between Body Shop and the Kayapo dates back to its founding in 1989. Among Body Shop head franchisers Anita Roddick raised some $800,000 for chief Paulinho Paiakan and his community. Of this, $100,000 went toward the purchase of a used aircraft and initial expenses. The rest of the money was never accounted for. In 92 and 93, Gordon Roddick, Anita's husband and BSI's executive director, brought four Body Shop country head franchisers to the Indian communities, charging them BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

$25,000 each. Again, the Indians never saw any of this money. After one of Anita Roddick's earliest visits, she announced that Body Shop would Behind the scenes extend the project to other Mebengokre villages. They, began competing for Body The Body Shop is a multinaShop's favor, which strained relations among tional cosmetics company with the traditionally egalitarian culture. Roddick 1,407 shops in 45 countries and a and Body Shop never made good on their billion dollars in retail sales. It promise. started out as one tiny store in In the meantime, Body Shop began Brighton, England, founded by heavily promoting its links to the Kayapo. It Anita Roddick in 1976. She has announced what it called the "first ever" since emerged as the world's best intellectual property rights agreement. Howknown feminist business leader. ever, the Kayapo had agreed to nothing. In The company's rapid expansion on 1993, a group of 30 Kayapo chiefs were the 1980's was in great part due to hastily called by Gordon Roddick to a meetits "green" brand image and its asing in Brasilia, capital of Brazil. The chiefs sociation with social causes such happily believed that Body Shop was at last as: recycling, AIDS awareness, going to make good on its promise to expand human rights and opposition to purchases of nut oil. What they did not know animal testing. was that Body Shop had recently gotten On the 1990's the centerpiece word that the press was about to report that of Anita Roddick's marketing efit had never reached an intellectual property forts was the rainforest promotion rights agreement with the Kayapo. The chiefs with Kayapo (Mebengokre) Indiwere stunned and frustrated when it became ans from whom she sourced a tiny clear that Body Shop was trying to get the amount of Brazil nut oil produced chiefs to legitimize the agreement, which by two villages for her hair condistill had not been negotiated. tioner, generating dozens of enthuThe Body Shop has publicly dismissed siastic stories about Body Shop's the recent allegations but has worked feversocially conscious activities. ishly behind the scenes to contain the damBut the Body Shop's associaage. Gordon Roddick and Body Shop's Bration with indigenous communities zilian liaison Juneia Mallas happened to and its business ethics have been in Brasilia when they found out that Pyka the source of severe criticism worldre had contracted a lawyer. Mallas, who wide in recent years, becoming an the ex-wife of the NGO "Friends of t example of how the company takes Earth" director, Charles Secrett, tried to d advantage of native imagery to suade Pontes Neto from taking the case pocket a lot of money. Consumers offering him a contract to work for Bo have paid a hefty premium for Body Shop. Pontes Neto refused. Shop's products believing that they Body Shop then retained Brazil's larg st were natural, and that the company legal firm, Pinheiro Neto, and promised to practiced social responsibility conwork out an indemnification settlement to sistent with what it preached. keep the case out of court. Chief Pykati re The company's reputation suffixed a sum of $1 million. fered a serious setback in SeptemBut behind the scenes, Body Shop pub ed ber 1994 when the article "Shatstrings to pressure the chief to drop the tered Image: Is the Body Shop Too claim. In early March, Roddick and Mal s, Good to Be True?" was published. accompanied by the Funai's (National nThe indicting story was written by dian Foundation) regional administra or, American investigative journalist Benigno Pessoa Marques, flew to the Puk nu Jon Entine, and published in the village in a freighted plane. Roddick rep rtUS magazine Business Ethics. In edly threatened that Body Shop would isthe article, Entine revealed that the continue purchases of all oil from the in igcompany stole the Body Shop name enous communities. Only a small pro orand marketing concept from a San tion of the Indians benefits directly from the Francisco commercial outfit, fabproject, but villagers in Pukanu and A re ricated the origins of key products, generally support the project because o the misrepresented its charitable conextra income it generates. Under int se tributions and fair trade programs, pressure, Pykati-re agreed to drop the s it. and has been beset by employee Body Shop helped craft a letter for Py atimorale and franchise problems. re and sent it to Pontes Neto together w h a Moreover, its lotions, shampoos note from Marques. "Body Shop pays ore and fragrances were never "natufor the nut oil bought from the village" it ral." reads, "than the price of the oil includin the price that Body Shop pays for the use of the Indians' images." Of course, that dir ctly 17


contradicts Pykati-re's original accusations. The Body Shop says it pays $35.a kilo for the oil, well above the 'world market price.' In fact, there is no market price for the oil since Body Shop is the only commercial user of the product. Body Shop unilaterally sets the price it pays to the villages. The Kayapo project has provided a windfall for the company. Over five years, Body Shop has sold 1.3 millions liters' of Brazil nut oil conditioner valued at $28 million. From this the Kayapo of Aukre and Pukanu villages have received $686,000. The marketing value of the project is immeasurable. Anita Roddick had starred in an international American Express and print campaign which stressed Roddick's concern for the Kayapo. The commercials gave the company a high-profile boost. While Roddick herself received $600,000 for the campaign, the Indians got $1,632.50 for the use of their images. Even getting that meager amount took some doing. At first, Gordon Roddick tried to maneuver American Express to give the Kayapo payment first to Body Shop so he could deliver it personally. He wanted to demonstrate his "generosity" and help diffuse public criticism for exploiting the Indians. Ogilvy & Mather, the American Express advertising agency, refused to hand it over to Body Shop, instead demanding a receipt directly from the Kayapo, Although Body Shop has managed to get the Kayapo controversy out of the headlines, problems still linger. BSI still misleadingly presents itself as the sponsor of an indigenous health project. In 1993, Mallas spearheaded a fund raising effort among Body Shop head franchisers from various countries. It raised $367,000 that was supposed to be earmarked for health care programs in Aukre and Pukanu villages. However, the funds were never used to help those corn18

munities. Mallas then claimed that she discovered a for. gotten" $89 million loan for the control of rn aria in the Amazon that she claimed she directed t the villages. In fact, the health care projects were developed by the Brazilian Ministry of Health and Funai, funded by the World Bank. Meanwhile, the contract dispute still remains unsettled. Roddick and Mallas \returned to Brazil twice last spring trying to get Funai's president Julio Geiger to give Brazilian government support for the "new" contract with the Aukre and Pukanu villages. Geiger refused. The contract is not considered valid under Brazilian law because the indigenous communities were not represented by independent counsel when the contract was drawn up. Under Brazilian law (The Indian Statute —law no. 6,001), the state does not recognize the trade that Body Shop conducts with the Kayapo. The Indian share Body Shop has cultivated a reputation as a "green" company that has pioneered trading links with indigenous cultures. They have provided the company millions of dollars in free advertising and marketing. However, Body Shop's own trading records indicate that the amount of products was tiny by 1993. At the height of Body Shop's promotions, only 0.16% of its turnover was with the Third World. Body Shop shares fell sharply in August 1994 when US-based ethical investment fund, Franklin Research and Development, recommended that clients sell Body Shop shares because of ethical concerns about its operations, particularly its 'Tr de Not Aid' programs. The London Stock Excha4ge stock dropped from 253 pence to 107 pence be recovering slightly. The Body Shop has long benefited from its s fpromotions as an ethical company with a :hi$h minded Mission Statement and Trading Charter. If Body Shop does not match its own promises with deeds, it faces severe problems. Unless it begins respecting indigenous cultures who ask only for fair compensation for the use of their image and intellectual property, it may find itself unwelcome in Brazil which has always opened its arms to foreigners, especially those who promise fair trade. Indigenous natives who have been used as a very effective marketing tool by Body Shop now run the risk of being discarded *hen their usefulness runs its course. The Mebengokre (Kayapo) are approximately 4,500 Indians in 20 villages occupying seven reservations covering 120,000 sq. kilometers in the south of the State of Para and the north of the Mato Grosso State. Each village constitutes a politically and economically independent unit. They call themselves"men bengokre" which me "people from within (or between) the waters". The Pukanu village is located on the left bank êf the Iriri river, a tributary of the Xingu. It is 4 kilometers to the east of Redencao in the south f Para, and is part of the district of Altamira. Together with the Kubenkokre, the Pukanu village is part of the 49,000 sq. kilometers Mekranoti res vation, delimited by the Brazilian governinent 1992. Pukanu has at present 254 inhabitants:

Aukre has a population of 150. It is located on the right bank of the Riozinho river, a tributary ofthe Xingu, in the Para district of Sao Felix do Xingu. Together with five other villages, Kokraimoro, Kubenkankren, Gorotire, Moikarako and Kikretum, it is part of the 33,000 sq. kilometers Kayapo reservation, delimited in 1985. The Brazil nut is the fruit of the Brazil nut tree (Bertholletia excelsa), one of the biggest native Amazon trees, reaching up to 130 feet in height. The tree flowers in December. The capsuleshaped fruit have a diameter of 4 to 6 inches and weigh from 2 to 3.5 pounds. The fruit takes from 12 to 14 months to ripen. Each capsule contains from 12 to 20 nuts. * Saulo Petean, 44, is a Brazilian independent consultant. From 1990 to 1996, Petean was a consultant for Body Shop. He lived with the Mebengokre Indians as business advisor for the Aukre, Pukanu, Kubenkokre and Kapoto villages. Petean helped establish the first two Indian export companies in Brazil: the Aukre and Pykany Trading companies. Before working with BSI, he lived with the Parakateje Indians in the Para'state and the Ashaninca from the Envira river, in the Acre State, and he also worked with the rubber tappers' leader Chico Mendes before his murder in 1988. Saulo was fired by Body Shop in January 1996 after being accused of stirring up trouble. BSI's executive director Gordon Roddick then engineered a police investigation of Petean in an attempt to prevent him from disclosing the contents of a highly critical 56-page report on the troubled relationship between the Kayapo and Body Shop. That document, written by two Brazilian anthropologists. Iara Ferraz and Rubem Almeida. and English sociologist Pat Stocker, substantiate the history of the broken promises between Body Shop and the Mebengocre. Currently Saulo works as an. independent consultant researching ethical market for Indian communities. He can be reached by E-mail at: saulopeteline.com.br • BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


The Queen of Bubble Bath She has been called "The Mother Theresa of capitalism". But in the past few years Anita Roddick's reputation has suffered more a few bruises. The founder of Body Shop has been accused of several unethical business practices including the exploitation of Brazilian Kayapo Indians. JON ENTINE*

Anita and Gordon Roddick in the Intl river visiting the Pukanu village

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

"I'd rather promote human rights, environmental concerns, indigenous rights", whatever, says Anita Roddick breathlessly, as she opens yet another Body Shop, at a mall near San Francisco, "than promote a bubble bath." Roddick is framed b a shelf-full of bubble bath, one of fourteen varieties of soap suds sold bj Body Shop; there is not a hint of irony in her voice. "Anita is a myth-o-manic," says Mara Amats, a trade consultant who has worked closely with Roddick. Amats, like many Body Shop observers, struggles to understand wh such a charismatic business woman continues to make one ethical misst p after another. For years, Body Shop had prospered because of the sci eaky-clean reputation of its founder and CEO. Roddick even has long post d a sign in her office proclaiming that "we will be the most honest cosmeti company" in the world. But today, that ragsto-riches-to-Robin Hood corporate myth is in tatters as Roddick and her company struggle with sca dal and organizational disarray. The past few years ha e certainly been a reversal of fortune for the Body Shop which had k own only exponential growth and fawning publicity for most of its hi tory. With the help of a $6,000 loan, Roddick opened a tiny cosmetic ship in 1976 in Brighton along England's south coast,. She catered to the ippie counter-culture, selling "natural" shampoos and lotions and of ring "one-stop" ear piercing. Much to her surprise, her cash register rang madly. A decade of spectacular international expansion followed In the late 1980s, Rouidick expanded her "green" brand image by associating herself with si cial causes including an opposition to animal testing, recycling, promot g AIDS awareness, human rights. The centerpiece of Body Shop's m rketing efforts, however, was the rainforest promotion with the Kayaps from whom she sourced a tiny amount of nut oil for her hair conditio er. The media loved her. Before long, this eccentric and outspoken e trepreneur emerged as the world's best known feminist business leader. "The Mother Teresa of capitalism," she was called. Roddick's socially res onsible reputation became a gold mine. Body Shop is now a multinational beauty company with 1,407 shops in 45 countries, and a billion do lars in retail sales. Roddick herself has amassed a fortune estimated at ore than $200 million. She owns a castle in Scotland and a flat in L ndon, and her husband Gordon, Body Shop's Chairman, flies his favor te polo ponies around the world on a chartered airliner. But despite its en rmous financial success, the Body Shop empire is beset by scandal and 1 sses in its key US market. Until a few years ago Body Shop's generated dozens of enthusiastic stories every year abou its innovative, socially conscious, activities. Consumers were willin to pay a hefty premium for its commodity 19


products because they believed its cosmetics were high quality and natural, and that it practiced social responsibility consistent mith what it preached. But the image shattered irreparably in September, 1994 with the publication of my article "Shattered Image: Is The Body Shop Too Good to Be True?" in the US magazine Business Ethics. It detailed dramatic contradictions between BSI's idealistic public image and its operational practices, questioned the company's ethical reputation and challenged Anita Roddick' honesty, if not her sincerity. "Shattered Image" documented that the company stole the Body Shop name and marketing concept, fabricated the origins of key products, misrepresented its charitable contributions and fair trade programs, and has been beset by employee morale and franchise problems. Moreover, its lotions, shampoos and fragrances were never "natural." The breadth of misrepresentation is startling and covers every dimension of its operations. A few of the lowlights: "Natural" Products: Despite the green hype, its products are lackluster and drug-store quality. BSI uses only microscopic and ineffective levels of botanical extracts and combines them with extensive amounts of petrochemical ingredients such as isopropyl myristate, petrolatum, and triethanolmine. As recently as January of 1996, a Danish lab found two of its best selling products filled with formaldehyde, confirming findings by Oko-Test, a leading German consumer magazine. In April, the international trade publication Women's Wear Daily quotes an industry consultant as saying "You can't offer low-end products at a premium price, which is where they [Body Shop] are at." 20

Charity: Rather than giving away "an inordinate amount of pre-tax profits to charity" as Roddick claimed, the company had given zero dollars to charity over its first 11 years and gave far less than the average company over its entire history. Franchising: Ninety percent of Body Shop's stores are franchised. In effect, it is an international wholesale operation in which its franchisees assume most of the risk of expansion. It's also led to huge problems: Recent franchise suits in Israel, Singapore, France, Canada and Norway have resulted in more than $10 million in settlements. The US Federal Trade Commission launched a 16-month fraud investigation of Body Shop. While the probe was ongoing, Body Shop revamped its franchise financial documents and all but ended expansion in the United States, where it has lost money for two years running. The Body Shop's vaunted Trade Not Aid promotion is particularly misrepresented. Gordon Roddick calls fair trade the "cornerstone" of the company. It is a tiny cornerstone indeed: according to its own statistics, fair trade represented less than 0.16% of turnover when my exposĂŠs appeared. Kirk Hanson, a Stanford University business lecturer hired by the company as a consultant characterizes its trading schemes as "small and few in number" and says they have not been forthrightly promoted. The problems with the Brazilian Kayapo project described by Saulo Petean are just the tip of the iceberg. Its micro-projects with the Pueblo Indians in the US and with natives in Tanzania and the Solomon Islands have been grossly exaggerated and beset by problems. Pauline Tiffen, who linked the Body Shop up with the Mexican Indian natives who were the subject of Body Shop's advertising campaign with American Express, has a harshly blunt, but not uncharacteristic observation. She calls Roddick "schizophrenic" and "sociopathic... She took the project we set up and tried to subvert it," according to Tiffen.

In January, its shea butter project in Ghana became BSI's latest trade scheme to hit the headlines. The Toronto Globe and Mail, in an article entitled "Grief in Ghana" reports that Body Shop contracted to buy huge amounts of shea butter, only to renege, leaving the local economy devastated. Trade experts say it's a now familiar pattern. These problems are not just the mistakes of over-enthusiastic idealists. A particularly revealing story is Body Shop's first fair trade program. In 1987, Roddick began sourcing foot massagers, which she calls "footsie rollers", made in India at the Boys Town orphanage. In the early 1980s, when Richard Adams was head of the fair trade company Traidcraft (UK), he sourced a different Boys Town product, wood carvings. He soon discovered that Joe Homan, the project's director, was sourcing the carvings from sweat shops and was molesting the boys. He kept the police at bay by using a slush fund kept full by church agencies that were innocently sending him money. When Adams found out that the Roddicks had linked up with Homan, he was horrified. He immediately advised them of the problem. "I never heard back," he says. Two alarmed members of the Catholic order which had kicked out Homan years before also visited Roddicks at their home. Still, nothing was done. "Gordon was aware of Roman's reputation," writes Anne Downer, the former Body Shop head franchisee in Singapore, in a signed, legal affidavit. At the Roddicks invitation, Downer had accompanied the family in India for the dedication of Boys Town. "I slept in accommodations close to where some of the BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


boys lived," writes Downer. "I was approached by one of the assistants to the project. He informed me about Homan's behavior and the sexual molestation. He was concerned and extremely anxious that I inform Gordon and Anita. I remember Gordon saying: "We've heard those rumors, but I don't believe it." Downer continues: "He didn't seem unduly concerned and didn't seem to take it seriously." Over the next few years, as Homan went about stealing charity funds and buggering orphan boys, the Roddicks sent out glowing reports to their franchisees. One idyllic account in 1989 reads: "Joe's work in Boys Town is ceaseless; he cares for the boys and girls and they really appreciate what he is doing for them." The roof caved in the next year when the story broke in the English and Indian press. The Roddicks first tried to suppress the story and then tried to turn it into a public relations advantage. "This story has not hit the... .press yet, but could erupt at any time," read one memo to employees and franchisees. "It is important that you know your facts. Anita. ...blew the whistle on Joe." Many journalists, trade experts and social activists who have interacted closely with Body Shop have come away shaken. Geoffrey Brooks, president of Brooks Pharmaceuticals, which has processed the corn protein. bought from the Pueblo Indians for use in Body Shop's blue corn 'Trade Not Aid' line, calls Roddick "a modern day colonialist." Stephen Corry, director of Survival International which once had a joint promotion with Body Shop, now calls the company "sleazy" and "no more ethical than heap of beans." The ethical contradictions begin with the very founding of the company. According to Anita Roddick's friends and colleagues, she stole the BFtAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

company name, many of its product ideas, and its marketing tactics from a California company, also called The Body Shop. The California store was founded at the height of the hippie revolution in 1970 six years before Anita started her Body Shop, and the same year that the Roddicks visited the San Francisco bay area where the stores were located. The misrepresentations don't end there. Two of Roddicks earliest partners, cosmetologist Mark Constantine and Janis Raven, head of Bubble Publicity who ran the Body Shop's public relations for seven years, contend that almost every one of Roddick's romantic stories about how she "discovered" her ingredients in visits to native lands was fabricated. "What we were looking for was unusual ingredients," Raven remembers. The [pineapple] facial wash, you know, we talked about Anita Roddick going to Sri Lanka and seeing the women rubbing pineapples over them. You know, that kind of nonsense." Why was it nonsense? "Because it wasn't true. That was Mark's information and we just decided to make it a bit more romantic." Michael Johnson, former editor of International Management magazine calls Body Shop a marketing fraud. He was threatened by Gordon Roddick in 1986 when he provided the first public details of its California hijack. "The Body Shop is a gangsterish operation hiding behind a veil of social responsibility," says Johnson. That veil is there no longer. Today, the ethical realities of the Body Shop have been the subject of media and academic reports around the world. Moreover, Body Shop has lost many of its once loyal backers who remember the earlier, ' more innocent days. "I was the first person who would , have remained loyal, says Janis Raven with almost no bitterness in her voice. "It was a company we all built together. But Anita Roddick has no loyalty to anybody. Everybody is a slave, a new slave of the month comes around and you get dumped in favor of them." "You know," Raven says, "Anita's gone a little bit over the top. She just disappeared up her own backside. She started to believe her own publicity and this is always the death knell to anybody. We used to joke that I've created a Frankenstein. If you start believing all this stuff that is written about you, you have got to go dotty, haven't you?" Mark Constantine is sad about the turn of events. "I used to say to Janis, 'can't you do something about Anita?" He erupts in a characteristic laugh then sighs, thinking back to those bloody fun early days, mixing weird potions in his kitchen while Anita and Gordon looked on like eager kids in a candy store. "There is still a mass of innocence to those two despite it all." Even with all the mounting problems, no one can take away Anita Roddick's success in building her cosmetic empire. She has amassed a fortune of almost unimaginable proportions. But when the history books are written, she is not likely to be remembered by today's public pers na as the world's most socially responsible en repreneur.

Even ifthe Body Shop should retool its ethical framework, it is a company built on the shaky financial prospects of its franchisees and the betrayed expectations of its idealistic employees and customers. Anita Roddick never could decide whether she wanted to practice her social vision or merely exploit it. "She stands full square between Estee Lauder and Elizabeth Arden," says Constantine. "They all wrote their own stories." Anita Roddick is one more beauty baroness who created her own myth to make her entrepreneurial dream come true. So ultimately, Anita is the baby boomers New Age queen of bubble bath? "That is exactly it. That's exactly it." *Jon Entine is a maverick journalist who specializes in business ethics, race and sports. His investigation of UK-based The Body Shop cosmetic company was awarded a National Press Club award in 1995. He has also written extensively on Ben & Jerry's Homemade for deceptive marketing and for sourcing Brazil nuts for its flagship Amazon "rainforest" ice cream from some of Latin America's most notorious agribusinesses. His recent articles have focused on cause-related marketing, ethical investing, corporate governance and social responsibility for both the popular and academic press. Entine has also won more than a dozen major awards for his television reporting with ABC News and NBC News, including two Emmys for documentaries on reform movements in China and former Soviet Union. Entine lectures on business and journalism ethics. He is also finishing a book for Macmillan on why blacks dominate sports, based on his award winning NBC documentary Black Athletes: Fact and Fiction. Entine lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife Ellen Turner, a marketing executive, and his loyal dog Apollo. He can be reached by E-mail at: runj onrun@earthl ink. net • 21


White lies Brazilians are far more dishonest about race than Americans. The "whites" who are the racial villains in Brazil are close relatives of "blacks". That's why grudgingly I admire the North American Anglo racist. WILLIAM JAVIER NELSON

Brazzil is to be commended for its attention placed on race relations. The focus of much of this has been the problem of "white" versus "black" in Brazil. Were it not for the fact that I am a Dominican Latin American, I would let my reaction to these articles run to simple praise and little else However, I have been dismayed by the dishonesty of Brazilians when it comes to relations between "blacks" and "whites". Just as North Americans have learned a little about their racial illogic from looking at the model of Brazil, so, it is my contention that Brazil can learn something from the North Americans. And the first thing that Brazilians must learn is that, in one important respect, they are far more dishonest about race than US citizens. Anglo North Americans have always taken hits for their well-documented racism against, you name it, AfricanAmericans, Latinos, Asians, Indians, etc. However, they have been the most vilified for their treatment of African Americans ("blacks"). The literature abounds (both fictionally and academically) with descriptions and analyses of Ncrth American Anglo racism. Much as indulgent parents are used to hearing from their teenagers that they are "not with it" (and, so, expect to hear this complaint from the younger generation on a regular basis), Anglo North Americans rather expect to hear the cry of '`racism!" whenever they encounter persons who are not "white". Standard reactions include such things as denial and/or "conservatism" (which has, for many years in the United States, come to be associated with "anti-black" attitudes and postures). However, in one respect, they are much more honest than racists in countries like Brazil, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Most Anglo racists of North American (US) culiure belittle and berate persons (blacks) with whom they have little ancestral connection. The United States is a country which was initially taken from the "Native Americans' (Indians) by large number of immigrants from Northwestern Europe (Southern and Eastern Europeans came later). Most of these immigrants had little African ancestry. Unlike the Spanish and the Portuguese, these immigrants 22

were inclined to confine their procreative energies to those who were also European. Although a number of researchers have pointed out that miscegenation has certainly existed in the US (Edwin Byron Reuter was one of the first, writing in the early twentieth century), it has never assumed the proportions it has in Latin America. The recent anthropological work Mestizaje in lberoAmerica, by Claudio Esteva-Fabregat is a continuation of a long line of literature chronicling the extensive miscegenation among Iberians (Spanish and Portuguese), Indians and Africans in Latin America. On the other hand, extensive mixture between Caucasians and Africans is just beginning to blossom in the United States and it has not been a significant factor in the life of whites in the US. The recent US Census has disclosed that only one out of a thousand men classified as -white" has a black wife. Miscegenation. far more of a factor in Latin American life, has had a different historical effect. What the North Americans are beginning to openly discover (race mixture) has been part of the Latin American cultural landscape for centuries. Latin American countries (including Brazil) have therefore had a far more elastic definition of "white". The recent US case of a judge telling a woman who was 63/64 European that she was black would be unheard of in Latin America, especially Brazil and the Dominican Republic. Many Dominicans, Cubans, Brazilians and Venezuelans who call themselves "white" have African or near African grandparents. The Dominican dictator Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina (assassinated in 1961) was African on both sides of his family. Because of the elastic Dominican definition of "white", however, Trujillo was considered as "white" by many Dominicans (he is officially listed as "mulatto" in many US historical accounts). A very close Dominican friend of mine has a father who would be considered a dark-skinned "black" in the US. His olive-skinned wife (who herself has African ancestry) and behave a fine, healthy boy who, in physical appearance, fits the phenotype of a white "crillollo". Cases like this are BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


innumerable in the Dominican Republic. As I have visited Brazil and have studied its culture and people for years, I know that this is commonly the case in Brazil as well. It is also something which can occur in "Indian" countries like Mexico (not normally thought of as having African input). When I come across Brazilian articles detailing the struggles, trials and tribulations of "blacks"',A have two reactions. The first, of course, is one of relief for a belated admission by Brazilians that discrimination and "racial" hatred are possible in the "Racial Paradise". The second, however, is one of bemusement: I know that the "whites" who are the racial villains in Brazil are the first cousins, grandparents, grandsons, brothers, sisters, aunts and uncles of these "blacks". I am then forced to (often against my will) admit a bit of grudging admiration for the North American Anglo racist. Although he has no love for blacks, he has implemented a Civil Rights program which has resulted in a great deal of progress for black Americans. Don't misunderstand me— most of the time the Anglo racist's behavior is inexcusable; however he is at least not discriminating against his cousins, grandparents, aunts, uncles and brothers. William Javier Nelson, Ph.D. 24 October 1996 Anglo North Americans have always taken hits for their welldocumented racism against, you name it, African Americans, Latinos, etc. However, they have been most vilified for their treatment of African Americans. The literature abounds (both academically and ficationally) with descriptions and analyses of North American Anglo racism. However, in one respect, they are more honest than racists in countries like Brazil, Cuba and the Dominican Republic. Most Anglo racists of North American (US) , culture berate and belittle persons with whom they have little ancestral connection. For example, most of the US bound European immigrants of the nineteenth and early

twentieth centuries had little African ancestry. Even the well-documented cases of US Southerners having ancestral similarity with African Americans speak of persons who might be 1/16 or 1/32 African or less. On the ()ter hand, Latin American countries (including Brazil) have had a far more elastic definition of"white". Matiy`Dotriiiii ans, Cubans, Brazilians, Venezuelans who call themselv. s "white" have African (or near African) grandparents. he Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo (assassinated in 1 61) was African on both sides of his family. Because of t e elastic Dominican definition of "white" however, T illo was considered as "white" by many Dominicans ( e is officially listed as "mulatto" in many historical acc unts). A very do e Dominican friend of mine has a father who , would be con• idered as a dark-skinned "black" in the US. His olive-ski ned wife (who herself has African ancestry) and he have fine, healthy boy who, in physical appearance, fits the o henotype of a white "crillollo". Cases like these are inn imerable in the Dominican Republic. As I have visited : razil and have studied its culture and people for years, I k ow that this is commonly the case in Brazil as well. When I c o me across articles speaking of "blailcs" in countries lik the Dominican Republic and Brazil (which are known w qrldwide as mulatto countries), I sometimes shake my he :d in amusement because I know that the "whites" whs are the villians iri these articles are the first cousins, gran • parents, grandsons, brothers, aunts and uncles of many oft ese "blacks". I am the forced to (often against my will), admit a grudging bit if admiration for the North American Anglo racist. The glo racist's behavior is inexcusable; however he is at east not discriminating against his cousins, • grandparents aunts, uncles and brothers.

COSTA AZUL TRAVEL NOW IS PART OF THE GRAND FAMILY OF

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The fact of laving won the Moinho Santista Literary Prize in the romance category, a prize that many consider the most important in the country, served only as an excuse for a chat with the writer Rachel de Queiroz. After a 60 year career, she has received so many awards that one more doesn't make much difference. Her talent is known by all, as proved by the front of the building where she lives. The sig at the entrance to the building says: Edificio Rachel de Queiroz (Rachel de Queiroz Building) — In honor of e building's most illustrious resident. Even with t e notoriety, she says she is happy and excited with th prize she just received and the recognition of her work . Between cups of coffee in her apartment in lower Leblo , one of the most hectic neighborhoods in Rio that contr sts drastically with the serenity of the author, she spoke of the beginning of her career, her militancy in the PCB (Brazilian Communist Party), about literature and her hope for both Brazil's political and literary future.1 During the interview the coffee is brought in. Rachel de Queiroz then reveals talents that have nothing to do with literature. She picks up a piece of paper, folds it a few times, and transforms it into a little cup. She pours the coffee into it and drinks it. "This was how we drank coffee in the old editorial rooms of newspapers. I didn't drink coffee in those filthy cups. This is much more sanitary", she says.

"I began to write very early. I wrote in secret because I was afraid of my siblings and my mother. I thought they would make fun of me. I did stories that had daggers, lightning and I don't know what else. I wrote them and ripped them up."

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1955

How did y u become interested in literature? I was born into an intellectual, Cearense (from the state of Ceara) family. Everyone read and wrote a lot. My father preferred Eca de Queiroz and French writers, while my mother liked the Russians, especially Gorky and Dostoievski. When she died, besides a passion for Russian authors, s e left us a library with 5,000 books. So in this environm nt, it would be strange if I didn't follow this tradition. would have differed from the rest of the family. And the teginning of your career? What was it like? When ! go married, I was 22, had left Ceara, and !was already work g at the newspaper for four years. But, I began to writ very early. I wrote in secret because I was afraid of my siblings and my mother. I thought they would make un of me. I did stories that had daggers, lightning and I don't know what else. I wrote them and ripped them . Until, when! was 16, ! decided to write, hidden from veryone, a letter to the editor of the newspaper 0 Cear. '. The newspaper had published a story with the title "A ainha dos Estudantes" ("The Queen of the Students"). I the letter I made some jokes, making fun of "A Rainha do Estudantes" and !signed it Rita de Queluz. The editor li ved the letter and tried to find me. The problem was that no one knew who was this Rita de Queluz. The they saw the postmark, stamped from Quixada, wh re we have a farm. The circle closed until Jader de Ca alho, who worked at the newspaper and knew me, ended up finding out the story. Then, the editor of the newsp per asked my father for permission to let me work in the Iewspaper, 0 Ceara. I think if he would not have let me, 1 would have committed suicide. And in hat year did this happen? In 1927. eight after, in 1930, when I was 19, I wrote 0 Quinze (T e Year '15), which was my first romance. Is there 4 relationship involving 0 Quinze and your 25


giving up your militancy in the PCB? Did the party want to control your work as a writer? The truth is that I began my political militancy as a journalist. I had two friends, one a doctor, and one a journalist, that introduced me to writings about Communism. I joined the party the same year I wrote 0 Quinze. I got some digs because I hadn't shown the book to the members of the party. But the big problem was when I wrote Joel° Miguel, my second romance. I typed the book on my old Corona typewriter without carbon paper; I only had the originals. It was when the members of the party knowing that I was going to publish the book, called me for a meeting on the docks. This was in 1932, when I was already living in Rio. When I arrived, there were three guys there. I was afraid. They criticized the book and said I couldn't publish it. Even afraid, I was furious, and besides this, there was only that one copy of the book. I got up and said, "Comrades, I just have this original and I will make the corrections that you want me to do." I took the original from one of them, went to the door and said I didn't recognize them as any literary authority to criticize the book. I shoved the chair I was sitting on with my foot and ran out. Based on your experience, do you believe that politics and literature are compatible? Yes and no. If the writer sees politics from the angle of the common man, it's possible. He has his ideologies, but the literary aspect of his work has more strength. Now, I don't believe in engage literature. Engage literature is a sermon, not literature. But, it's possible to make art and express your political feelings, just with talent, without preaching anything. Is there someone in Brazil that does this type of literature and you consider is well done? Graciliano Ramos was a Communist and never let this reflect in his work, and, nevertheless, of our contemporaries, he was the best of all. Even in Memorias do Carcere ("Memories of Prison"). The book is a personal testimony of a person imprisoned for being Communist, not a work of propaganda for Communism. Dias Gomes and Jo5o Ubaldo Ribeiro also have leftist works, but they respect, in their subjects, the freedom of thought and of speech. You mentioned renowned authors. Is there any revival in Brazilian literature? Do you see new writers who can continue the tradition of good Brazilian literature? There are many good people that haven't had time yet to win a big audience. I'm referring to Ana Miranda, Maria Alice Barroso and Lygia Fagundes Telles, that's the women. Among the men, Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro. The youngsters are showing up, and once in a while,,we have a pleasant surprise. Brazilian literature is on the right path. Returning to politics. During the last 60 years, almost the same as your writing career, Brazil went through two dictatorships: Vargas', during the Estado Novo (New State) and the military one, after 1964. How did you go through this troubling period in Brazilian history? Before Vargas decreed the Estado Novo, in 1937, he did a type of purge among Brazilian intellectuals. The command was to imprison all the leftist intellectuals. This was in October, the coup was in November. At that time, I was manager of an export house in Fortaleza since the newspaper wasn't paying me enough. I was •working when the police arrived and took me to the fire department's quarters. I stayed there under arrest for three months and only was let go in January of 1938 when the coup was consolidated. In jail, my window looked out on the courtyard where the firemen did exercises; so a great friendship arose between me and the firemen. They were in end of the year tests and would send me paper to make crib sheets for them; they did serenades and such things. Even today, when the old firemen see me on the street, they say hello. 26

And in 1964? •In •1964 I was with the conspirators. I was really horrified with JangO, Brizola, etc. I was a supposed leftist that never was leftist. But I only supported the movement until Castel° Branco left. He was virtually overthrown by the hard-liners: The movement of '64 ended with the entrance of Costa and Silva. Castelo Branco was a democratic man. I remember that during a luncheon, asked about the ugliest word in the language, he responded- "dictatorship". At one point, I supported the AI-5 regime. And the Brazil of today? Do you have hope that the country will get better? When we become older, we become more patient, and funny, with more hope. When I was young, I would feel hopeless about the country, today no. Translated by Barbara Maglio who can be reached at 70674.2143@compuserve.com

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Mon Gigolo By then the first gray hairs showed up, his belly grew up a little signaling that he was growing old and his liver started to protest. The gigolo profession is a healthy one, but it doesn't prevent old age. And a gigolo in love suffers as much as an armless worker. MARCOS REY BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

major receio de Mjon Gigolo era o de que alguem descobrisse que amava uma m ga chamada Celina, a quem (verdade!) dava ate dinheiro. Se o seus amigos intimos, entre eles Gianini, sabiam disso, mas lhe respeitavam, sem comentarios, o segredo e a fraqueza. Por ela, inclusive, trabalhara durante dois meses a fio como uma especie de relagifies pablicas duma firma comercial, quando a esposa do patrdo lhe ofereceu uma .ela carteira de couro alemdo e ele perdeu o emprego. Mon Gigolo muito cedo, muit cedo mesmo, teve de cavar a vida, pois, tendo-lhe morrido a tia, que era a ante de seu pai... Bern, passemos por cima desse capitulo. Sempre que se fala de sua familia, surgem logo os incredulos e aqueles que nos acusam de pecar do exagero. Como diziamos, desde a mais tenra idade, Mon Gigolo teve de nfrentar o mundo. No contava ainda vinte anos quando organizou uma bibli teca circulante que lhe garantiu, atraves de alguns invernos sem casaco, o p o de cada dia. Era uma vintena de livros pornograficos, uns dois ou tits i strados, que alugava a preps extorsivos. Cobrava o aluguel dos livros por h ra e, se a obra era das mais valiosas, exigia depositos. — Me de urn daqueles livros pediam-lhe. Mon Gigolo retirava uma fich amarela do bolso: — Preencha a ficha. — 0 que? NAo confia em mim — Voce é uma for de criatura mas eu vivo disso, meu caro. Ampliando o seu comercio, e como tudo se expande nesta extraordinaria metrepole, Mon Gigolo passou a v nder retratos e figuras obscenas, que levava dentro duma pasta, envoltas em pa el de seda. Diante dum provavel comprador, mostrava apenas uma, "filando" c mo no poker, para lhe agugar a curiosidade. Usava tambem esse material como rinde de Natal aos leitores de sua biblioteca. Certo dia, Mon Gigolo entrou uma gravadora de discos, impulsionado por uma id6ia genial: — E para ficarmos ricos, meu senhores! — Ah, sim? — Abram os ouvidos e ougam. Mon Gigolo queria gravar um long-play, intitulado Noite de Napcias de Dois Tarados, todo feito corn ruidos imorais. Seria o mais belo e arrojado trabalho de contra-regra e sonoplastia já realizado. 0 long-play correria o mundo, corn a vantagem de n'ao requerer tradugdo, e traria a fortuna na volta. 0 dono da gravadora repeliu: — 0 que o senhor prop& 6 um absurdo! Mon Gigolo fechou a cara: — Urn dia embarco para a Frantga, vendo a ideia e voces ficardo corn agua na boca. Sempre tentando novos empre ndimentos, Mon Gigolo fundou no barracdo da casa dum amigo celibatario um cineminha para a exibigdo de filmes eroticos. Ele mesmo se colocava atras dum uiche improvisado e cobrava por uma entrada o prego dum camarote do Municip 1. Depois, ia per a maquina em funcionamento. A policia bateu la: — 0 senhor esta preso. — Por que? — Atentado aos bons costumes. 0 exibidor clandestino ficou furioso: — 0 que os senhores entendem de cinema? Que autoridade possuem para julgar um trabalho de arte? — Recebemos denuncia. — Olhem, vdo sentar na prim• ira fila e vejam que grande filme é A Loura e o Cachorro. Coisa francesa da m lhor qualidade. Os policiais atenderam ao pe ido. A saida, humildes, perguntaram: — A gente pode voltar na se ana? Mais tarde, ele surgiu corn a deia de fundar uma revista. Dizia que era uma publicag o destinada a combater a degeneragdo dos tempos modernos. Produziu corn razoavel habilidade urn "boneco" para exibir aos acionistas e anunciantes, em c ja primeira pagina se ha um editorial assinado por um padre. Em cada uma das p ginas e em algumas paginas duplas, as pessoas que folheavam o "boneco" arreg lavam os olhos ante as cenas da mais grosseira e imaginavel pornografia. As 1• gendas, no entanto, cram dum puritanismo 29


azedo: "Vejam, senhores, a que ponto cllegou a humanidade!"; "E preciso acabar corn isto ou nao?"; "Nao mostre esta foto a seus filhinhos!"; "Observem o que estes dois debochados estao fazendo!"; "Onde esta a policia que nao ye isso?". 0 apelo final a vigilancia da policia encontrou eco e Mon Gigolo foi preso logo no lancamento da revista. Ao sair da cadeia, esperava-o urn emprego de picotador num taxi-girl. Mas nao se demorou au: abriu uma boutique de bibelos obscenos, cartdes postais indecorosos e livros proibidos. Chegou, dizem, a reunir excelente freguesia e a comprar um Citroen usado, mas a policia novamente implicou corn ele e fechoulhe a loja. No se deu por vencido: foi cantar velhos tangos num cabare e deu inicio a sua carreira de gigolo, corn um exito que despertou inveja e ciumeira ern seu meio. Homem vivido e corn alguma leitura, baseava-se nuns determinados pontos para conquistar uma mulher: a) Costumava dizer que sabia ler as linhas das maos. Segurar a mao duma jovem por largo espaco de tempo era urn passo para a posse. Alem disso, a quiromancia perm itia-lhe penetrar na intimidade da mulher desejada. b) Quando se interessava por uma mulher, mandava-lhe fibres. Todas as mulheres gostam de flores. c) Fingia gostar de tudo que sua presa gostava. Suas predilecOes sempre coincidiam corn as dela. Se gostava de criancas, comparecia aos encontros levando pela mao os lithos de alguns amigos e mesmo criancas que andavam sem leu pelas ruas. d) Era aos olhos da mulher um grande infeliz e uma grande vitima. Tudo que ganhava era para o sustento da mae doente. Amara uma vez, sim, mas a amada morrera duma doenca horrivel nas vesperas do casamento. Gracas a esse esquema, Mon Gigolo ia vivendo. Na primeira oportunidade, mudava-se para o apartamento de suas apaixonadas. "Nao suporto a vida longe de voce, bonequinha. Vamos repartir as despesas". Em seguida, corn muito jeito, convencia-se de que nao era ciumento. NA° se importava se elas tivessem outros amantes. Compreendia a vida era homem superior. Chegava ate, descaradamente, a ficar intimo dos seus "rivais", apresentando-se a eles como "primo do interior". Apos a mudanca de apartamento, punha-se a mancar e dizia as amantes que sofria duma paraplegia incuravel e por isso nao podia trabalhar. Para outras, explicava que lhe negavam trabalho 30

porque era comunista. Se a amante Ledor de Paulo de Koch, comecou possufa jOias e objetos de valor, a falar-lhe do Paris do seculo XIX. Na sugeria que os vendesse. Corn o verdade, Paris e sempre a mesma. Mas produto das vendas, faziam belos ele abusava: conhecera Toulouse passeios e temporadas nos bons Lautrec, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Emile hoteis no Guaruja. Zola e todos os luminares das artes. As amantes de Mon Gigolo — Bern, you descer aqui. eram as mais variadas na forma e — Coincidencia eu tambem. no conteudo: dancarinas de cabares Foram caminhando juntos pela rua. e taxi-girls, cabeleireiras, uma — 0 que o senhor faz? senhora que vendia roupas a — Arquiteto. domicilio, uma himgara dona dum — Bonita profissao. restaurante, onde ele fazia refei— Linda. cOes e mesmo levava outras No dia seguinte, Mon Gigolo mulheres, sem pagar a conta, a esperou Celina no ponto do bonde. caixeira dum grande armazem cen- Trazia na mao uma rosa roubada dum tral (que lhe passava furtivamente li- vaso das Mexicanitas. tros de uisque), uma viirva corn tres — Como o senhor ë atencioso! filhos e alguma economia, a quem ele No outro dia, urn pacotinho de chamava de "mamita"; intermitente- bombons: uma das Mexicanitas adoramente explorava uma velha cantora de va chocolate. radio e a amante dum combativo — Voce adivinha o que eu gosto. deputado da oposicao; tirava muito Ela trabalhava num escritorio, dinheiro das Mexicanitas, uma dupla secretariazinha dum patrao insignifide irmas que cantava e dancava nos cante. Mon Gigolo segurou-lhe a mao: "inferninhos"; mensalmente dava urn — Ate outro dia. giro corn uma professora solteirona — Nao vem amanha? magra como urn cabo de vassoura, a — Viajo. Minha maezinha, que quem pedia dinheiro para completar mora em Sorocaba, esta muito doente. urn curso de quimica, e finalmente Nao sei quando posso voltar. noivava a seri° corn uma parteira que Fazia parte do piano. A ausencia de tinha a cara e as cicatrizes faciais do alguns dias quebraria o habit° dos ex-pugilista Rocky Marciano, alem de encontros e Celina mergulharia na simples namoradas, entre estas, saudade. Uma semana inteira Mon balconistas, manicuras e mocas de Gigolo foi visto, naquele horario, espirito aberto. Urn homem, sem ter a passeando na Barao de Itapetininga figura do Rodolfo Valentino, pode fazer corn caixeirinhas fardadas. Ao voltar a muita coisa nesse terreno se se dispuser Celina, levava na mao urn presentinho. a trabalhar oito horas ou mais por dia - Mamae mandou para voce. corn o afinco e a dedicacao do Mon — Ela esta melhor? Gigolo. — Tive de internar a coitadinha. Estava ele numa fase de sucesso, — Filho unico? muito intimo das Mexicanitas, quando — Filho conheceu a pequena e tenue Celina. No sabado foram comer feijoada. Foi num trajeto de bonde. Costumava Depois, cinema. A saida do cinema, viajar de bonde e de onibus para fazer drinque. Mas ainda era cedo: foram se novas conquistas. Nos vefculos cole- agarrar no Je Rev iens, onde Mon Gigolo tivos, os homens tern o pensamento no tinha cadeira cativa. lar e no trabalho. Bern barbeado, sempre Numa semana, estavam Intimos. cheirando a colonia, Mon Gigolo subiu Nessa ocasiao, Mon Gigolo morava num coletivo sem pressa, muito calmo, num minirsculo apartamento da Jaguae corn os olhos abertos. Sentou-se ao ribe, que pertencia a urn amigo em lado de Celina, que viajava corn um viagem. Tracou um piano para atrair livro sobre as pernas. Celina ao apartamento. Mon Gigolo esticou os olhos: Born — Ando muito doente — disse-lhe. Dia, Tristeza, de Sagan. — Vou ter de ficar algum tempo em — Ah, dulce France... — suspirou. repouso absoluto. Ela voltou-se, interessada: — Nao you ver voce? — 0 senhor conhece a — Ficarei na janela, se quiser Franca? me ver. Mao lhe convido para ir — Morei no Quartier Latin. ao meu apartamento porque voce Fala frances? daria a bronca. — Nao. Da janela do apartamento, — Pena. Mon Gigolo viu Celina. Ela lhe Alivio, isto sim. Mon falava, alto, mas ele, levando a Gigolo arranhava o castelhamao em concha ao ouvido, fingia no, que aprendera corn amannao escutar. Cansada de gritar, tes chilenas e paraguaias, mas ansiosa por saber como ia de nada entendia de frances. sairde, resolveu subir as escadas — Gosta de Paris? do predio. — Para mim so existe — Nao... nao... — implorou Paris. Mon Gigolo quando ela entrava. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


— Eu a amo demais para ficar a sos corn voce num quarto. A moca foi entrando, admirando a honestidade dele. Sentaram-se na cama. Beijo daqui, beijo dali. Palavrinhas faladas nos ouvidos. Risinhos maliciosos. Ela entao se abriu: — Tive urn namorado que... — Canalha! — Mas sempre fui mop direita, apesar daquilo. — Minha bonequinha... Comecou assim. Dias depois, chegava o dono do apartamento e Mon Gigolo ficava sem teto. As Mexicanitas recebiam uma tia e nao podiam lhe dar espaco em sua casa. A s6sia de Rocky Marciano andava brava. A professora morava corn urn irmao. 0 jeito era morar no apartamento dela. — Para economizar, o melhor morarmos juntos. — Claro, meu bem. No fim do mes, ele teve uma crise de melancolia: — Vida miseravel... — 0 que ha? — A inflacao... Viu como subiu o Mar? Ele nao podia ajuda-la no pagamento do aluguel. — Tenho dinheiro. — Bonequinha... Mais intimo, confessou-lhe urn dia que nao era arquiteto. Estudara, mas nao se formara. E como seria possivel se todo o seu dinheiro mandava a mae doente? Como? Realmente era impossivel. Celina compreendeu. —0 que eu ganho dá para nos dois. Gigolo ficou triste, porem nao disse nada. Dias depois, ela, ele e urn judeu, dono duma loja, iam a urn restaurante. Antes da saida, explicou a Celina: — Homem cheio do ouro. No restaurante, o judeu encantouse pela moca. Mon Gigolo levantou-se para pentear os cabelos e demorou-se uma hora. Na volta, Celina disse: — Nao gostei do seu amigo. — Homem born esta ali. — Urn desavergonhado é o que ele 6. A noite, Mon Gigolo ficou no apartamento a contar longas historias a Celina. Fez-lhe ver o futuro negro que os aguardava. A inflacao, a alta dos preps, a falta de empregos, a falta de credit°, a falta de confianca. Um discurso tenebroso, amargo, desanimador. Havia uma ameaca a porta: a fome. Celina se ofendeu: — Quer que me entregue ao judeu? Mon Gigolo abriu cervejas, cantarolou um tango e no fim lhe estendeu a mac): — Adeus... — Aonde vai? Sacudiu a cabeca dramatico: BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

— Por at... Set Deus sabe... — Mas o que ha? — A alta, a inflacao, a falta de credito... Celina no permitiu que o amante se fosse: — Fique. No dia seguinte, os dois, mais o judeu foram ao cinema assistir a uma reprise do Motim a Bordo. Depois, comeram uma pizza no Gigeto. De tudo que o judeu dizia, Mon Gigolo se na. Achava-o simpatico. Naquela semana, ao voltar do Minueto, ele encontrou Celina amuada. Apontou para a ca na onde estavam algumas notas de mil. — Olhe, o judeu deixou. Mon Gigolo, discreto, nap pergu tou nada. 0 dinheiro dava para pagai o quarto e sobrava para algumas desp sas extras. —Vou ao bar comprar uma Brahria e volto logo. Depois do judeu, Mon Gigo o apresentou a Celina um prOspe o corretor de imOveis, o Abreu. E te deixava algumas camisas no apa amento que ele usava. 0 Pestana, c nhecido colunista de jornal, ajudou tambem, como Ode, o necessitado casal. Depois veio o italiano Gino, homem seri° e compenetrado. — Celina, quero lhe apresentar o Romeu. — Prazer, senhorita. Romeu tinha urn carro esporte, usava blusa de couro e trabalhava n m grande escriterio do pai, a qu m chamava de "papai". Era a mel or apresentacao que Mon Gigolo fizer a Celina, e corn uma vantagern: o ra az supunha que os dois fossem prim s. Para afastar qualquer suspeita, Mon Gigolo deu a entender a Romeu que (ra homossexual. Certa noite, ao voltar para casa: — Celina... Celina! A mop chegou depois dele! — Voce já esta al? Saiu corn o Romeu? — Corn o Romeu. Mon Gigolo estaria enciumado? — Cara chato, IAD? — Nao é chato, nAo. Voce acha? Mal chegava do trabalho, Celina embarcava no carro lustroso do Romeu e entravam noite adentro. SO voltava de madrugada. Vinha abrindo a boca. Mon Gigolo andava bronqueado. — Por que perde tanto tempo coin esse otario? — E dele que vem o tutu, nao é? E vinha mesmo. — Onde arranjou esse anelao? — 0 Romeu. — E de ouro, no duro

Celina enfiou-se debaixo das cobertas e dormiu. De manha cedinho ela acordou, cantando. Eu amanheco, pensando em ti... Eu anoiteco, pensando em ti... Mon Gigolo fez a prova do tango: cantou, quase corn filria, o Mano a mano. Como ela parecia insensivel, dobrou a parada corn o El dia en que me quieras. Mas Celina estava noutra "onda". Os amigos de Mon Gigolo, aquela semana, foram encontra-lo embriagado no Minueto. — Porre? — Dor de cotovelo, Gianini. — Voce? Ninguem acreditaria, era melhor esconder o fato. Tentou reconquistar Celina. — Olhe, toma para voce. — Tres mil! Onde arranjou? — Estou comprando e vendendo. — Comprando e vendendo o que? — Tudo. Mentira: Mon Gigolo pedira o dinheiro a uma das Mexicanitas. Queria, no entanto, uma recompensa: sair corn Celina. — Ah, hoje nao... — Vai sair corn o cretino do Romeu? — Vou. Ele ia perdendo a linha: — De o bolo nele. — 0 bolo? Nao sou besta. Quern dá o tutu? Nao é ele? Mon Gigolo visitou todas as suas amantes e ex-amantes. Nao foi muito feliz. A parteira amigara-se corn urn rapazinho que jogava sinuca. As Mexicanitas estavam de partida para o Rio de Janeiro e depois iriam a Brasilia. A tal viUva ia casar. A caixeira do armazem so fornecia bebidas. Pensou ate num emprego. — Tern documentos? PO's a mao no bolso. Tinha, sim, mas se visse seu nome registrado numa firma e fosse obrigado a assinar o ponto, morreria de vergonha. — Vou buscar. 0 certo era dedicar-se a sua verdadeira profissao. Cada macaco no seu galho. Mas sO Ode medir a extensao de seu ciüme quando viu Celina e Romeu, ambos felizes, passarem no carro esporte. Resolveu percorrer todas as boates para encontra-los e fazer escandalo. Conseguiu localiza-los, na decima. Mas se acovardou e permaneceu no balcao, enchendo a cara. Voltou para casa e se plantou a espera de Celina. Eta so apareceu no dia seguinte, depois do meio-dia. — Nao foi trabalhar? — Esqueceu que é sabado? Ele já perdera a nocao dos dias. 31


Esquecera tambem os seus pianos frios, matematicos, calculados, e fazia perguntas que a tecnica ndo recomendava: — Gosta de mim, Celina? — Que pergunta. — E do Romeu? — Ele é bonzinho. — Voces andam juntos todas as noites? Uma tarde bela e ensolarada encontrou-se corn o Romeu na rua. — Ala, Romeu... — Queria !he agradecer, amigo... Ihe agradecer... — 0 que? — A garota que voce me apresentou. E uma uva! Mon Gigolo voltou para o quarto embriagado e la rid() estava Celina para desvesti-lo. Sozinho, cantou um dos tangos, na noite mais solitaria de sua vida. Aquela semana tentou varias conquistas, todas fracassadas, inclusive corn uma manicura que faturava bem. 0 amor atrapalhava-lhe os calculos. Cometia erros, falhava o bote, saia tudo errado. — Fique em casa hoje, Celina. — Ah, ndo posso... Comecou urn tango que ela ndo ouviu todo porque tinha pressa. Ele surrou o travesseiro. Dias depois, desesperado, propos a amante: — Por que não vai duma vez corn o Romeu? Ela riu: 4i — Quem ndo quer é ele. — Por que? — SO quer passar o tempo. — Por isso voce se gamou por ele, nao e? Mon Gigolo pen sava ate em suicidio quando travou contato corn uma senhora muito refinada, D. Zuleika. Dizendo-se ter sido diplomata, conseguiu conquistar-lhe o afeto. Ela morava num rico palacete corn duas criadas e um motorista japones. Mulher rica e generosa. — Se voce fosse pobre, gostaria de ser seu amante — dizia-lhe Mon Gigolo. — Meu dinheiro impede? — Impede, sim, porque sou pobre. Todo poeta é pobre. — E recitou, como seu, urn poemeto de Guilherme de Almeida. — Lindo... Mon Gigolo nao saia de sua casa. — Venha viver aqui. — Mao posso, moro corn minha velhinha doente. — Filho unico? — Filho anico. D. Zuleika tinha uma proposta: — Se prometer fazer versos para

mim, Ihe dou uma mesada. — NA° abandono nem voce nem a poesia. Sdo a mesma coisa para mim. — Traga um novo poema, amanha. Ele passou pela livraria Brasiliense: — Me de urn livro de poesias. Born, hein? Tinha boa letra e copiava os poemas corn capricho. — Zuleika, veja se gosta deste que eu "bolei" ontem. Ela ouvia atenta: — Gostaria de publicar urn livro? Financio. Mon Gigolo corou: —Ndo, meu amor. Escrevo set para voce. Jamais mostre esses versos a alguem. Jura? — Mas sdo tdo bonitos — Jura? Na primeira quinzena de amor corn D. Zuleika, Mon Gigolo correu corn a carteira cheia para o apartamento. Felizmente a sua amada estava la. — Vamos sair, Celina? — Hoje podernos. — Ainda bem. — Mas o Romeu vai junto. Mon Gigolo riu, nervosamente: — Isso é ridiculo. Ele ir junto... —0 que ha de mais nisso? Sempre saimos em tres. Esqueceu? Tristemente, Mon Gigolo aceitou a proposta. Sairam os tres, juntos. Foram ao cinema e depois a um restaurante. Como houvesse muito vinho a mesa, Romeu soltou a lingua: — Sabe, primo, que eu e Celina nos amamos? — Nao sabia. — Queremos o seu consentimento. — Para que? Romeu sacudiu os ombros: — Para nada. Mon Gigol8 consolava-se nos bracos de D. Zuleika. 0 dinheiro que ela lhe dava, transferia-o para Celina. E nao era dinheiro facil, pois a ricaca era feia e ele tinha que copiar os poemas dos livros de Guilherme de Almeida e Olegario Mariano. Foi nessa epoca que lhe apareceram os primeiros fios de cabelos brancos, que a barriga lhe cresceu urn pouco, mostrando a chegada da idade, e que seu figado assinalou os primeiros protestos. A profissdo de gigolo é saudavel, mas ndo afasta a velhice. E urn gigolo apaixonado sofre como urn operario sem braco. — Como se chama esse poema? — perguntava D. Zuleika. — Carta a Minha Noiva. — Voce é sublime! Mon Gigolo esperava impa-

ciente o pagamento da quinzena, mas sem uma palavra de revolta. Corn ar apaixonado, recitava os poemas para D. Zuleika. Nos dias 15 e 30, recebia, pontualmente, e dava quase tudo a Celina. —Nao é preciso tanto! Romeu tern me dado... — Ora, compre urn troco qualquer para voce. — Mas como é que tern ganho? — Comprando e vendendo. 0 dia do pagamento era feliz para Mon Gigolo porque ia passear corn Celina, embora na companhia de Romeu. Nao havia nada mais humilhante, mas alimentava a esperanca de que algum dia urn se cansasse do outro. Al jamais apresentaria alguern a Celina. Talvez se casasse corn ela. Ninguem teria nada corn isso. Numa dessas noites, Romeu deu a noticia: — Sabe que eu e ela vamos casar? Sabia, primo? Era verdade, Celina confirmava. Os papeis estavam prontos: haviam corrido na surdina. — E sabe quem sera o padrinho? — Aceito — respondeu Mon sorrindo corn hipocrisia. Celina segurou-lhe a mdo sobre a mesa, pela primeira vez sentindo que ele a amava. — Visitarei voce — disse ela. — Afinal, somos primos. Desta vez ele sorriu de verdade: a coisa ia continuar, mais pecaminosa corn o casamento. 0 enganado seria Romeu. Celina, amante do padrinho, do falso primo. Voltaria a ser o verdadeiro Mon Gigolo. Quem sabe, ate atraves dela, conseguisse dinheiro do marido otario? — Uma vez por semana irei ver voce — ela confirmava. Corn alma nova, já sem Odio de ninguem, Mon Gigolo deixou os noivos, despedindo-se cordialmente de Romeu, e foi andando a pe, muito feliz, rumo a cidade. — Born moco, o seu primo— ouviu Romeu dizer a Celina. Quando Celina, horas mais tarde, chegou ao apartamento, ja encontrou Mon Gigolo. Corn toda a atencdo, corn uma letra redonda e caprichada, copiava os versos dum livro aberto sobre a mesa. 0 melhor aluno da classe fazendo a licdo. — Boa noite, padrinho! — exclamou Celina. Mon Gigolo piscou marotamente urn olho e voltou ao trabalho. Originally published in

0 Enterro da Cafetina, Marcos Rey, Civilizacao Brasileira

32 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


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TRAVEL 33


Where everyone leaves his heart This is the third in a series of articles on Rio de Janeiro. Just 15 minutes from the concrete jungle of Copacabana and Ipanema, 'Rio offers a real jungle, the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. And a great number of parks including Quinta da Boa Vista, Jardim Botanic° and Parque do Flamengo. Part III Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf) Sugar Loaf, God's gift to the picture postcard industry, is dazzling. Two cable cars lift you 1300 meters above Rio and the Baia de Guanabara. From here, Rio is undoubtedly the most beautiful city in the world. There are many good times to make the ascent, but sunset on a clear day is the most spectacular. As day becomes night and the city lights start to sparkle down below, the sensation is delightful. Everyone must go to Sugar Loaf, but if you can, avoid (loin°, from about 10 to 11 AM and 2 to 3 PM when most tourist buses are arriving. The two-stage cable cars leave about every 30 minutes from Praca General Tiburcio at Praia Vermelha in Urca. They operate daily from 8 AM to 10 PM. On top of the lower hill there's a restaurant/theater. The Beija Flor samba school puts on a show on Monday from 9 PM to 1 AM. Less touristy shows are the Friday and Saturday Carioca Nights. They have some excellent musicians; check the local papers for listings. To get to Sugar Loaf take a bus marked 'Urea' from Centro and Flamen go (No 107); from the :ona sul, take No 500, 511 or 512. The open-air bus that runs along the lpanema and Copacabana beaches also goes to Sugar Loaf.

Corcovado & Cristo Redentor Corcovado (Hunchback) is the mountain and Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is the statue. The mountain rises straight up from the city to 709 meters. The statue, with its welcoming outstretched arms, stands another 30 meters high and weighs over 1000 tons (a popular song talks about how the Cristo should have its arms closed against its chest because for most who come to Rio the city is harsh and unwelcoming). The statue was originally conceived as a national monument to celebrate Brazil's 100 years of independence from Portugal. The I 00 ) ears came and went in 1922 without the money to start construction, but in 1931 the statue was 34

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


completed by French sculptor Paul Landovvski, thanks to some financial assistance from the Vatican. Corcovado lies within the Parque Nacional da Tijuca. You can get there by car or by taxi, but the best way is to go up in the cog train— sit on the righthand side going up for the view. You can get a taxi there or a bus marked 'Rua Cosme Velho'- a No 422, 498 or 108 bus from Centro, a No 583 from Largo Machado, Copacabana and Ipanema, or a No 584 from Leblon. During the high season, the trains, which only leave every 30 minutes, can be slow going. Corcovado, and the train, are open from 8 AM to 6.30 PM. Needless to say, the view from up top is spectacular. Santa Teresa Bondinho The bondinho (little tram) goes over the old aqueduct to Santa Teresa from Avenida Republica do Chile and Senador Dantas in Centro. Santa Teresa is a beautiful neighborhood of cobbled streets, hills and old homes. Favelas down the hillsides have made this a high-crime area. Young thieves jump on and off the tram very quickly. Go, but don't take valuables. Public transport stops at midnight, so you'll need a car if you are going anywhere after that time. There's a small Museu do Bonde at the central tram Station with a history of Rio' s tramways since 1865 for bonde buffs. You may wonder why people choose to hang onto the side of the tram even when there are spare seats. It's because they don't have to pay. The Museu Chacara do Ceti, Rua

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

Murtinho Nobre, 345 Santa Teresa, has a good collection of art and antiques. Parks & Gardens Parque Nacional da Tijuca — Tijuca is all that's left of the tropical jungle that once surrounded Rio de Janeiro. In 15 minutes you can go from the concrete jungle of Copacabana to the 120-sq-km tropical jungle of Parque Nacional da Tijuca. A more rapid and drastic contrast is hard to imagine. The forest is exuberant green, with beautiful trees, creeks and waterfalls, mountainous terrain and high peaks. Candomblistas leave offerings by the roadside, families have picnics, and serious hikers climb the summit of Pico da Tijuca (1012 meters). The heart of the forest is the Alto da Boa Vista with several waterfalls (including the 35-meter Cascatinha Taunay), peaks and restaurants. It's a beautiful spot. You can get maps at t e entrance. The entire _park closes at sunset a d is rather heavily policed. Kids ha e been known to wander off and get 1 St in the forest — it's that big. Jardim Botanic° — Open dal)/ from 8.30 AM to 5.30 PM, the gard n was first planted by order of the prin eregent Dom Joao in 1808. There are over 5000 varieties of plants on 141 hectares. Quiet and serene on weekdays, the botanical garden blossoms with families and music on weekends. The row of palms, planted when the garden first opened, and the Amazonas section with the lake containing tpe huge VitOria Regia water lilies, are

some of the highlights. It's not a bad idea to take insect repellent. The garden is on Rua Jardim Botanic° 920. To get there take a `Jardim Botanico' bus: from Centro, No 172,409 or 438; from the zona sul, No 558 or 571; from Leblon, No 574. Note that these buses don't coincide with Rio tourist booklet info. After the garden walk, go a few blocks down Rua Jardim Botanic°, away from the beach, to Alfaces at Rua Visconde da Graca 51 for an excellent light lunch with an assortment of salads, good desserts and outdoor tables. Parque Lage — Just a few blocks down from the Jardim Botanic° at Rua Jardim Botanic° 414, this is a beautiful park at the base of Parque Nacional da Tijuca. There are gardens, little lakes and a mansion which now houses the Instituto de Belas Artes — there are often art shows and sometimes performances there. It's a tranquil place, with no sports allowed and a favorite of families with small children. It's open from 8 AM to 5.30 PM. Take a Jardim Botanico' bus. Parque do Flamengo — Flamengo is a park with loads of fields and a bay for activities and sports. There are three museums — Museu Carmen Miranda, Museu dos Mortos da Segunda Guerra Mundial, and Museu de Arte Moderna. Inside the park, along the bay, the Barracuda Rio restaurant is a great spot for bay and people watching. There's a deck and tables outside where you can drink or eat, and inside you can get a more substantial meal; it's also open for dinner. Parque da Catacumba — With high-rise buildings on both sides, Catacumba is on the Morro dos Cabritos, which rises from the Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas. It was the site of afavela which was destroyed to make the park. A shaded park for walkers only, it's a good place to escape the heat and see some excellent outdoor sculptures. At the top of the hill there is a great view. Catacumba also has free Sunday afternoon concerts during the summer in its outdoor amphitheater, featuring some of Rio's best musicians. Check the Sunday newspaper for details. Parque da Cidade — Up in the hills of Gavea, this park is also calm and cool, and popular with families. Open daily from 8 AM to 5.30 PM, the 35


Take any of the city-bound buses and get noff .near Avenida Rio Branco, or take the metro to Carioca station. Museu Historic° Nacional — Restored in 1985, this former colonial arsenal is filled with historic relics and interesting displays, one of the best being the re-creation of a colonial pharmacy. The building is near the bay at Praca Marechal Ancora. Museu FolclOrico Edson Carneiro -- The small Edson Carneiro museum should not be missed — especially if you're' staying nearby in the Catete/ Flamengo area. It has excellent displays of folk art — probably Brazil's Museums Museu Nacional — This museum richest artistic tradition — a folklore and its grand imperial entrance are still library and a small crafts store with stately and imposing, and the view from some wonderful crafts, books and folk the balcony to the royal palms is ma- records at very cheap prices. The museum is next to the grounds jestic. However, the graffitied buildings and unkempt grounds have suf- of the Palacio do Catete. The address is fered since the fall of the monarchy. Rua do Catete 181, Catete, and it's The park is large and busy, and be- open Tuesday to Friday from 11 AM to cause it's on the north side of the city 6 PM, and Saturday Sunday and holiyou'll see a good cross-section of Ca- days from 3 to 6 PM. Museu da Republica & Palacio riocas. The museum is open Tuesday to do Catete — The Museu da RepUblica Sunday from 10 AM to 5 PM. There and the Palacio do Catete have been are many interesting exhibits: dino- wonderfully restored. Built between saur fossils, saber tooth tiger skeletons, 1858 and 1866 and easily distinguished beautiful pieces of pre-Columbian ce- by the bronze eagles on the eaves, the ramics from the littoral and planalto of palace was occupied by the president Peru, a huge meteorite, hundreds of of Brazil from 1896 until 1954, when stuffed birds, mammals and fish, gory Getnlio Vargas killed himselfhere. His displays of tropical diseases and ex- bedroom, where it took place, is on display. The museum, which occupies hibits on the peoples of Brazil. The latter are most interesting. Rub- the palace, has a good collection of art ber-gatherers and Indians of the Ama- and artifacts from the republican pezon, lace workers and jangadeiro fish- riod. It's open Tuesday to Friday from ers of the Northeast, candomblistas of noon to 5 PM. Museu do Indio — At Rua das Bahia, gaachos of Rio Grande do Sul and vaqueiros (cowboys) of the sertAo Palmeiras 55, Botafogo, the Museu do are all given their due. What's interest- Indio has a good library with over ing about these exhibits is that with a 25,000 titles, a map and photo colleclittle bit of effort and a lot of traveling tion and a quiet garden. The Indian you can see all of these peoples in the exhibits in the Museu Nacional at the flesh. The Indian exhibit is particu- Quinta da Boa Vista are better. Museu H. Stern — The headquarlarly good — better than that of the ters of the famous jeweler H. Stern, at FUNAI Museu do Indio. Museu Nacional de Belas Artes Rua Visconde de Iraja 490, contains a — At Avenida Rio Branco 199 is Rio's museum. You may find the 12-minute premier fine art museum. There are guided jewelry tour interesting if you're over 800 original paintings and sculp- in the neighborhood. With a coupon tures in the collection. The most im- you can get a free cab ride to and from portant gallery is the Galeria de Arte the.store and anywhere in the zona sul. Museu Carmen Miranda — The Brasileira, with 20th-century classics such as Candid° Portinari's Café. There small Carmen Miranda Museum in are also galleries with foreign art (not Parque d9 Flamengo is across the stree terribly good) and contemporary ex- from Avenida Rui Barbosa 560 and is open Tuesday to Friday from II AM to hibits. The museum is open Tuesday to 5 PM, and Saturday and Sunday from Ito 5 PM. Carmen, of course, as Friday from 10 AM to 5.30 PM; and Saturday, Sunday and holidays from 3 Hollywood's Brazilian bombshell, alto 6 PM. Photography is prohibited. though she was actually born in Portu-

Museu da Cidade is on the park grounds. Parque do Catete — The grounds of the old presidential palace are now the Parque do Catete, a quiet refuge from the city; the park has monkeys hanging from the giant trees. Quinta da Boa Vista —Rio's main park and museum of natural history makes a great Sunday outing, and if you want to make a day out of it, the nordeste fair and Maracana soccer stadium are both nearby. The park is open daily from 8 AM to 7 PM.

36

gal. She made it to Hollywood in the 1940s and has become a cult figure in Rio. During Carnaval hundreds of men dress up as Carmen Miranda lookalikes. The museum is filled with Carmen memorabilia and paraphernalia, including costumes, posters, postcards, T-shirts, records and a small exhibit. Museu Villa-Lobos — This museum is in a century-old building and is dedicated to the memory of Heitor Villa-Lobos. This great Brazilian composer, regarded as the father of modern Brazilian music, was the first to combine folkloric themes with classic forms. As well as personal items, there's also an extensive sound archive. At Rua Sorocaba 200 in Botafogo, it's open from Monday to Friday from 10 AM to 5.30 PM. Museu de Arte Moderna —At the northern end of Parque do Flamengo, looking a bit like an airport hangar, is the Modern Art Museum. Construction began in 1954, but for much of the past fe,w years all that one has been able to see of the museum are its grounds, done by Brazil's most famous landscape architect, Burle Marx (who landscaped Brasilia). The museum was devastated by a fire in 1978 which consumed much of its collection. It is still being renovated and therefore is often closed. Museu Naval e Oceanografico — This museum chronicles the history of the Brazilian navy from the 16th century to the present. It's close to Praca 15 de Novembro and it's open every day from noon to 4.45 PM. Museu Naval — In Bauru, behind the Modern Art Museum, the Naval Museum is open Tuesday to Friday from 1L30 AM to 5.30 PM, Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 5.30 PM. It documents the Brazilian navy's role in WW TI and has ship models. To be continued.

Excerpts from Brazil A Travel Survival Kit 2nd edition, by Andrew Draffen, Deanna Swaney and Robert Strauss. For more information call Lonely Planet: (800) 2758555. Copyright 1992 Lonely Planet Publications. Used by permission.

BRA7_ZIL - DECEMBER 1996


I've just come back from Rio de Janeiro. It was the first time I'd ever been there. There are lots of bars selling fruit juice in Rio; the one across the street from where I stayed sold 19 different juices. I decided to try each one of these in turn as I explored the city. Here is the result, a postcard for you, in the form of a basket of fruit. ABACAXI (Pineapple) I drank a pineapple juice straight away at the bar. It tasted nothing like pineapple juice in England; it was almost white, very light and sweet, with strands of pulp and a white froth like sea foam. In the church along the street they were singing a hymn to Iemanja., the mother of the seas. Tanned bathing-trunked young men carrying surfboards crossed the road. I followed them to the white beach where the foam was creamy. Waves broke over my feet like champagne. Rio is built round a natural bay. In the southern half of Rio no one lives more than a few blocks from the beach. The beach is used as a living room, people go there to sit, talk, read, relax, play football. Imagine living in your bikini. Cariocas (the name for the inhabitants of Rio) are a happy-go-lucky, informal people, living for the moment. Life's a beach. ACEROLA There's no translation in English for acerola. It's a fruit I'd never heard of. Some things in Rio have no English equivalent. I drank acerola out of a plastic cup with a silver top in a dusty street near the commercial centre, having got lost many times in side-streets and wrong turnings. Each time Tasked the way, if the person I asked didn't know, they would walk with me until they found someone who knew and spoke English. Not only that, they all talked to me as though they were having a particularly nice day and it was a pleasure to meet me. As though we were at a rather good party and I was asking where the drinks were, and would they like one too? I'm used to the equation that the larger the city, the less welcoming it is to strangers, and the more people keep themselves to themselves. I'm from London, I know New York. Finding a huge city so open and friendly gave me a sensation for which there's no name in English, it's sweet, intense and orange, let's call it acerola. Rio de Janeiro, gosto de voce Gosto de quern gosta Desse ceu, desse mar, dessa gente feliz. ComposerAry Barroso Rio de Janeiro, I like you I like those who like This sky, this sea, this happy people. AcAl

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I drank acai at a small bar near a newsstand. The drink was the consistency of mud, a muddy maroon in colour. There were seeds floating in it. When I drank it I tasted cinnamon in my nose. On the newsstand: Bomb found in Maracana stadium minutes before match Gun battle between police and criminals in Rio tunnel Houses destroyed in mud-slide in Rocinha A taxi-driver had pointed Rocinha out to me, in a curious mixture of pride and disgust, as "the biggest slum in the world". On the edge of the road by the beach there was a heap of muddy straw and rags. As I went past, it moved. Jerkily. Something was underneath. Dark limbs with reddish spots like clot' seeds. Another twitch. It was a homeless man, I couldn't see his face. I felt frightened, without understanding why. There's no translation in English for acai, either. Eu ndo tenito onde morar E por isso wit-0 na areia Singer-composer Dorival Caymmi I have nowhere to live And so I live on the beach

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

37


AMEIXA (plum) The Carnaval parade in Rio takes place in the Samb6dromo (Sambadrome), a stadium designed for it by Oscar Niemeyer. A bus I took in Rio passed beside it, late at night. The sky was purpleblack. The concrete of the SambOdromo was illuminated and for an instant I glimpsed inside a procession, something dancing like a Chinese dragon, a woman wearing a bell-shaped plum skirt large as a tree, a fairground wheel, and then blackness again as the bus passed by. I turned to my father on the next seat and asked, "did you see that too or did I imagine it?" "I saw... a parade, something like a huge circle, something purple", he said. Come, my mulatta Take me back! You're the joker in my pack Plum in my pudding Pepper in my pie My packet of peanuts The moon in my sky. Anonymous Carnaval samba, translated by Elizabeth Bishop BANANA Rio has bananas. Banana palms, lush and unkempt. An English friend before I went told me that Rio is bananas. The bananas I ate in Rio were smaller than the Caribbean ones sold in England, and had a delicate flavour. I ate banana bread in Avenida Presidente Vargas. High up in the tree above me were draped fairy lights. A banana-coloured plastic ribbon was tied round the trunk in a bow. Further on a Carnaval costume had been left casually on top of a wall. It had pointed shoulders and pink and silver tinsel braid as an epaulette. Carnaval musicians and traffic policewomen are almost the only people in Rio to wear jackets. I passed several traffic policewomen. They wore green and gold suits with a braid over the shoulder. They were all beautiful mulatas,17 or 18 years old. Bananas are my business Carmen Miranda COCO (coconut)

38

At night the beach kiosks look from afar as though they have plastic footballs on the side slung up in nets. Come closer and you see they're coconuts. The kiosk man cuts a cross-shaped hole in the top with a machete, with apparent danger to his fingers, so that I can suck the milk out with a straw. The waves break on the beach as regular as a lace edging. Coconut milk is refreshing and not too sweet, similar to Ii chee juice. The young man at the next table has two gold earrings in his left ear. His girlfriend is plaiting his hair. Apart from the rasta plaits he looks rather like Romario, who escaped from the Rio slums by playing football with supernatural skill. On the floodlit beach little boys play, with a goal mouth drawn in the sand. A kick sends the football high into the sky, and as it descends it seems to rest for a moment between the horns of the moon, white as hope or coconut milk. GOIABA (guava) Botafogo vs. Fluminense, two local teams. Botafogo: Black and white stripes. Fluminense: three colours, the prominent one a dusty red, like guava juice. Maracana stadium, capacity 200,000. Maracana stadium, blessed by God, illuminated by General Electric. Paulo Roberto, the hypnotically graceful Fluminense number 2, charms the ball, dodging four zebras simultaneously to bring it to the goal mouth, but I am watching the crowd, who are dancing with kites, flags, balloons, fireworks, horns, drums, who yell and sing Botafogo fogo fogo! Ole OW It's a dance, it's a party, it's religion. In Rio, as in Liverpool, football isn't a matter of life and death, it's more serious than that: but in Liverpool it's because football is desperately, grimly important, whereas in Rio it's because life and death are not to be taken seriously, they're only syncopations of the samba. Samba drums are the battery of Rio. They beat everywhere, continuously, generating energy for the city. At Maracana they beat fortissimo. The reserves limbering up do a samba step. Fluuuuuuuuminense! Fogo, fogo! G0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000al! The match ends 1-1. Rio is the winner. The guavacoloured flags fold again and the fans surge out, still drumming. In Macunaima by Mario de Andrade, three brothers annoy each other by magically creating two bugs and a leather ball and throwing them at each other: It was thus that Maanape introduced the coffee bug, Jigue the cotton boll weevil and Macunaima the football; three of the main pests in the country today. LARANJA (orange) At the Hotel Caesar Park, whose feijoada is famous, they told me that the secret of a good feijoada is the orange. Here's the recipe: Feijoada Caesar Park (serves 20) 41b 4oz black beans 21b 2oz dried beef lib 1 oz salt-cured pork 1 lb 1 oz bacon 1 lb 1 oz smoked sausage 6 pieces of dried sausage 1 piece smoked beef tongue 2 of each: pig's ear, tail and trotter Method: Place beans and salted meats in separate bowls and cover with water. Leave for 24 hours changing water every 6 hours. Put all ingredients into a cooking pan and cover with water. Add half an orange, 3 bay leaves, I chopped onion, and pepper. Cook everything over a low heat and gradually withdraw meats as they get cooked, to prevent them from getting too soft. If you need to add water, always use

boiling water. In a separate pan, heat 2 tbsp. soybean oil and fry 6 cloves of garlic, and 2 chopped onions. Pour it into the beans and mix well. Separate a small portion of beans and crush it with a wooden spoon in order to make the sauce a little thicker. Serve with: White rice, fried manioc flour, kale cut into thin strips and fried in oil and garlic, orangeii, and hot peppers. "No," said my Brazilian friend Andre, "The secret of a good feijoada is that it must have two pig's ears, one left and one right. "They use every part of the pig except the squeal," said my father. The band started a number using the cuica, a highpitched Carnaval instrument, rhymes with squeaker. So that's what they use the squeal for. Feijoada is the national dish of Brazil, and has notable physiopsychological effects: every time I finish eating a feijoada I feel an enormous benevolence, I feel happy and generous and lackadaisical. Perhaps the reason Brazilians are so likeable is simply the feijoada? I also feel like sleeping for two hours and not eating â&#x20AC;&#x201D; anything at all â&#x20AC;&#x201D; for two days. Brazil is a country that doesn't believe that you can have too much of a good thing. You like rivers? Have the Amazon. Football? Maracana. A bite to eat? Afeijoada. Drumming? Put three hundred drummers in a Carnaval group and have them play for days. This generosity is unsettling to me with my English upbringing. Perhaps moderation isn't in itself virtuous. Perhaps excess doesn't after all corrupt or satiate. I wouldn't know, I'm too English to ever let myself find out. (Miranda gives a big wink and goes to dance the samba till dawn.) LIMAO (lime) I drink my lime juice in a caipirinha. The ice cubes are transparent, only their curved edges visible in the glass. Caipirinha (recipe taken from the Internet) 1 lime 2 ounces of cachaca (Brazilian rum) Sugar to taste Ice cubes Wash the lime and roll it on the board to loosen the juices. Cut the lime into pieces and place them in a glass. Sprinkle with the sugar and crush the pieces (pulp side up) with a pestle. Add the cachaca and stir BWOL-DECEMBER1996


to mix. Add the ice and stir again. It is delicious and potent! I take the cable car up to the top of the sugar-loaf, the humpshaped island in the bay of Rio. From the top of the sugar-loaf the city is displayed in curves of air. Hills, descents, heights, lakes, lanes, beaches, delicate flyovers; islands looking like clouds and clouds like islands; a sculpture of intersecting curvilinear surfaces containing empty space. I trace waves on the shoreline with my fingertips. The hillshapes are shoulders, knees, cheekbones. Muscular ridges. The bridge of a nose. The turn of a neck. The contour of a thigh. The hollow curve of a crushed lime, its juice sharp and sweet on my tongue. MACA (apple) Maga means apple; maga do rosto — literally, apple of the face — means cheekbone. The delicate chap in the corner of the bar where I am drinking apple juice has exceptional apple-slice cheekbones. I think that he must have some Indian blood. No two faces in this bar are the same hue; everyone except me is a Black-White-Indian mixture. We are in the centre of the city, on a busy street. Just across the way is a little display of a copy of the decree signed by Princesa Isabel abolishing slavery in Brazil. It's an illuminated manuscript, decorated with joyful squiggles in coloured ink, apple yellow, apple green, apple red.

E tempo de Barra de ouro Barra de Rio, sim sinho, E tempo de Barra de sala Unido de tres ragas par am or. Carnaval song from Barra, suburb of Rio It's the time for Barra of gold Barra of Rio, yes Sir It's the time for Barra of the hall Union of three races in love. The tall mulata dancing to the jukebox in the juice bar has the nose and hair of her white ancestors, the eyes and bottom of her black ancestors, skin of dark gold, and a feline insolence all of her own. She, is, gorgeous. I can see that the chap in the corner thinks so too.

are sweet as the sweetest orange, juicy as the juiciest pear, and tasty as the tastiest apple. They look like melons with orange flesh and dark blue seeds. The pulp has medicinal properties; they are used in simile heart operations. It does my heart good to eat them. After the papaya you have a roll with soft cheese. Fried pumpkins or fried bananas. Then cake, yes cake, light and flavoured with coconut, made from manioc flour. Juice of orange, passion fruit, or cashew to drink, and coffee of course. Street-sellers sell and eat this breakfast at market stalls. This is in a continent where breakfast usually means a pastry and a coffee. Lying under my feet are flamboyants; they are crimson flowers, big as my hand, with orange-yellow stamens and four curly petals. They come from the tree above my head. The woman washing my break st plate sings "my heart is full as never before". Cidade maravilhosa, cheia de encantos mil Cidade maravilhosa, coracdo do meu Brasil Rio Carnaval song Wonderful city filled with enchantment Wonderful city, heart of my Brazil MANGA (mango) Outside the botanical gardens a man is lyibg on his back on the pavement with his legs propped up bn a tree trunk and one brown foot waving nonchalantly hi the air. The mango trees inside the gardens are gnarled and wise-looking, festooned with creepers and orehids. In this climate a gardener's main task must be to stop things from growing. I trigonoestimate a Jackfruit tree: fourteen times my height. Giant bamboos creak above me. I have a slight headache. The air is shimmering-surreal with the heat and I wonder whether in fact the garden is English-sized but I have shrunk. Huge mango-coloured butterflies alight on a tree whose flowers are da-glo orange pompoms for Carnaval outfits. I pass a shrubbery whose plants I recognise from England, except that they are all taller than I am. It must be true. One of the fountains in the garden is a yello -brown statue of woman carrying a cornucopia of frui . She is waving one foot in the air, carefree. My headac e intensifies. I close my eyes and see spots in the khAki, gold and fuchsia-pink colours of a Brazilian cactus. Mameie eu quero, mameie eu quero, Mameie eu quero pra bailar Um mangueiro, urn mangueiro Urn mangueiro pra dancar Song of the Mangueira (mango tree) Carnaval group Mama I want, mama I want, Mama I want to dance With a mango tree, a mango tree To dance with a mango tree MARACUJA (passion fruit) La no avarandado Na luz do meio-dia Urn segredo nos teus olhos Tanta coisa me dizia 0 cabelo so/to ao vento 0 teu jeito de olhar E no teu corpo moreno A for de maracuja.

MAMAO (papaya) JoAo Donato e Lysias Enio (sung by Gal Posta) Let me tell you about the Brazilian breakfast. You start with slices of papaya. Papayas BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

There on the veranda In the mid-day light

A secret in your eyes Was saying so much to me Hair loosened to the wind Your way of looking at me And in your dark body The flower of the passion fruit. MELAO (melon) Brazil is green and gold. Green of the vegetation, gold of the sun, green and gold of a melon. I noticed the predominance of these colours in the clothes, fruit, and buildings of Rio, before realizing that — together with the blue of the sky — they're also the colours of the Brazilian flag. Green for the leaves of the sugar cane, the rubber tree and coffee bush; gold for topazes and cacao pods, gold for gold. The composer Villa-Lobos had a big round balding head. I drank melon juice just before visiting his house, which has been turned into a mini-museum displaying his photos, his walking sticks, his huge cigars, his tiny gilded coffee cups. Each object is like Villa-Lobos music, cheerful, comfortable, warmhearted. On the wall are musical scores, including a song for a Carnaval group beginning "Brazil, green and yellow", and a quotation from him about his music: "Se ela é em grande quantidade, e fruto de uma terra extensa, generosa e quente." "If it is in great quantity, it is because it is the fruit of a vast, generous, and warm country." In the courtyard the sun filters gold through green leaves. The birds are whistling VillaLobos tunes. MELANCIA (watermelon) At Estudantina they are dancing the samba, the forro, thefrevo, the seresta, the sambade-roda, the sambuo. The band is hot, the band is kickin'. A dumpy middle-aged woman with an enormous bottom like a giant watermelon, in a black leather miniskirt, oh dear, gets up from her table and advances cat-like towards a scrawny gangly man. The moment they start dancing together he turns into Fred Astaire and she is Venus Herself, launching waves of sexy happiness throughout the dance-hall with 39


each magnificent wriggle, and she knows it and she's delighted and so am I. I don't know these dances, I sit watching other ordinary-looking people turn into their secret extraordinary selves. While there is dance there will always be hope.

Motto above Estud ant ina' s door You can't dance? Who 'cares! Come and dance anyway. With me. Yes, now, why not? — And suddenly I see there's no reason why not, I take his hand, and somehow I'm doing the right steps, and the joy of the samba is thrilling through me, and we spin around embraced and we're dancing floating dancing bump! The couple I bumped into laughs and dances on. As I learn the dance it feels like opening a watermelon, hard and inedible outside, luscious pink and light inside and sweet, so sweet. "To dance properly you have to hear the music outside you, but also the music inside you", says Andre, who is teaching me the seresta. Coco verde e melancia Para sempre amor Vinicius de Moraes Green coconut and watermelon For ever love MORANGO (strawberry)

What are clothes for? Warmth? — In Rio? Don't make me laugh. Eigthy degrees F at 9 PM in midwinter. Marking social status? — Well, someone I know was robbed of his too-fashionable sneakers at knife-point on a Rio bus, however in a city where the business uniform is jeans and a T-shirt there's only so much status-marking possible. Modesty? — In Rio?! The tall and tanned and young and lovely girl from Ipanema reacts to my European bathing suit as I would react to English nineteenthcentury bathing drawers; with sympathy for a buttoned-up society, and with giggles. Fun, creativity, making your dreams live, attracting lovers, binding together a group of friends, giving happiness to the onlooker and the stranger? —that's more like it. With those design criteria the result is the clothes in the Carnaval Museum, my next stop after a strawberry juice. These clothes have no fabric at all. The token concession to modesty is a sequinned piece of dental floss. For the rest they are feathers, pompoms, baubles, gewgaws, goldand-silver-paper beads, flowers, strawberries, leaves, squiggles, swirls, fake-jewels, fake-fur, rainbows, frogging, piping, bangles, 40

tinsel, ribbons, braid, lace, stars, spik curls, and more Sequins. I came out ofthe Carnaval Museumatinkitig, wh4t is life foe: Surviving and keeping warm? Increasing yottrrsocial status? Hiding yourSelf away? Surely

Voce sorriu tul4a Depois surn de carnaval Sera que fontit 04 0 athore rnandou seu sinal? Caetancr Veloso You smiled,for, e Then you Wert lost in the crowd Was it a Carnaval mirage Or did love send me its signal? In the sky abeve the mnseum floats Christ the Redeemer, embrhelpi Rid, The statue is on a hill m all of the -city. high enough tote is possible. wearing the sintti

a mixture 4f

FORTE trong), carrot and

res Oft for birdie Copacabatutts t a perfect tan, toil ita Copacabana a bodY muscles, have sex,. , en) good music, ingest many pleasure-ifldqgemicals, surf, buy and teetream, and play f sell other bodies, #,,,xcept that you hit volley (beach vtiil -tnstead of hands, ball with head sti, 4advanced bodies). tremely difficult foi At every hour' 'the day and nigh in • Copacabana you c hear the cry of the nt. instructors: stretch three four, one, three four, and'-.tree four. tronger than I api, The Super ong in Copacabana, I can't finish it. Is of and my tanning have no muscled sequence is wh hite, freckled-white, freckled-pink, lobt et-red. Two muscle-men aredoing twisting s' ps, , in unison on the ficach, toning their abdominals.` They're very serious about it. Perhaps there's a new Synchronized Abdoininals event in the Olym. pics and they're (*Brazilian team. When I leave the beach two hints later they're still at it. TANGERIDIA

lite)

Tangerine, you With your eyes o and your hair o In the velvety tropic evening I see a g at fire on the hills in the poo part of Rio. The flames are red and tangerine. A column of smoke blackens the sky. I can smell ashes. I walk down the street from the juice bar past the Banco do Brasil. On the pavement outside the ' bank there lies sleeping a barefoot young man. He has hair dyed flame-colour and he is holding a flyer advertising a dance night. ' U,TTI (all fruit) ' TYTT01 I find a fruit-juice bar specializing in fruits from the North of Brazil. Cafe', it advertises.

Cupuacu. Jenipapo, guarana,jambo,jaboticaba, pitanga, umbu. I realise that I haven't even begun to taste the fruit of this country. My next postcard, perhaps. I drink a Tutti Frutti. It tastes of every fruit I can remember or imagine.

I'm the girl in thkTutti Frutti hat *men Miranda

Singer Carmen Miranda personified Brazil for Hollywood; she danced the samba whilst wearing a turban piled with fruit, basketsful of fruit, barrelsful of fruit. A Carmen Miranda number is a straightforward celebration of the joy of being alive underneath a very silly hat. There's a Carmen Miranda museum in Rio, with her tutti frutti frocks, records, and hats. When I visited it I couldn't stop giggling. I thought that there was no-one like Carmen Miranda. But no, Brazil is crammed with people with her gift for turning everyday life into a party, and frivolity into a spiritual affirmation. The rest of the world has something to learn. The Carmen Miranda block dances through Rio throughout the Carnaval period each year, It consists of hundreds of men all dressed as Carmen Miranda. Outside the Fruits of the North bar I balance an imaginary fruitbasket on my head and sing my favourite Carmen Miranda number, one of her silliest:

111 I 1, hike you verrrry much 11111, I thinkyou 'rre grrrrand When when when when when oh when I feeeel your touch My heart starts to beat to beat the band 1111 see see see see • IIIIsee see see see that you'rrrre for me! And I blow a kiss to this juicy city, this sweet delicious brightlycoloured city filled with flesh and pips and pith, capital of the fruitiest country in the world. SOURCES:

Macunaima by Mario de Andrade, 1928, translation publ. Quartet books Personalidade, Gal Costa II PolyGram Records

Elizabeth Bishop, the Complete Poems, publ. The Noonday Press, NY. Estudantina, Praca Tiradentes, 11 PM-4 AM Friday Hotel Cesar Park, lpanema, Rio Caipirinha recipe from http:// maria-brazil.healthtouch:com

•Vynius de Moraes, Livro de Letras, publ. Companhia das Letras, 1991

Tieta do Agreste, film soundtrack by Caetano Veloso That Night in Rio, film starring Carmen Miranda Assorted flyers, museum exhibits, TV programmes, songs, folk sayings. Miranda Mowbray can be reached by E-mail at miranda@cibi.it

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


"Jazz, classical, folk, world, those are all labels that music merchants use to put on bins at record stores. They should never be applied to a musician's brain."

Sorcerer's Apprentice

something challenging to play. He composed new music in front of us, so we could see the process taking place. Since the group's line-up was constant for so many years, he also could write with these "When you really learn mumusicians in mind. Now that sic, you learn all music. MuI am working on my own comsic is like the air and the positions and arrangements, water. It flows from here to I see how important that facthere, changes its aspects, tor is! but its essence is timeless. It Seattle-based Jovino Santos Neto has Did the other members truly holds the world toone mission: make Hermeto Pascoal of 0 Grupo also see Hermeto gether." as their teacher? musical genius known to the world. He Yes, as I said before, has collected Hermeto's original During his 15 year tenure Hermeto knows which lanmanuscripts and has a file of over one with Hermeto Pascoal and 0 guage to use with any spethousand of his compositions. Maybe Grupo, Jovino Santos Neto cific musician, so that his Jovino can help us solve the mystery was endowed with an unparideas are felt and understood. why despite being considered a genius alleled musical language and That is why most of the musiin Europe Hermeto is all but philosophy that continues to cians who came in contact awe the world's top musiunknown in the US. with him speak so highly of cians. An incredibly articu"0 Campedo" â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the Champ. late musician whose gentle BRUCE GILMAN That is what he called his comanner conceals his prowworkers, and in turn what they ess, Santos Neto has made it called him. his mission to dispatch the Can you describe a typimusic of Hermeto Pascoal to cal 0 Grupo rehearsal? the world. He has collected The rehearsals were all of Hermeto's original where everything happened. manuscripts and created a file There we would play a theme of over one thousand compoover and over, dissecting all sitions. of its parts. Sometimes we Everything from orcheswould work with only one or tral and chamber settings to two parts then add the others the pieces that were actually one by one. The reason for performed and recorded by 0 this was that each of the muGrupo is being transcribed sicians would get to know all and notated so that other muthe other parts and then be sicians will be able to read much better equipped to blend this unique repertoire. As a in his individual voice. It was result of his tenacity, much of a great exercise in concentraJovino and Hermeto Pascoal this vast body of work will tion and focus. However, tk, soon be available through a Hermeto knew well when to German publisher. In addibreak the rehearsal and go tion, to celebrate Hermeto's 60th birthday, Hermeto would compose right in front of into something totally different, such as Santos Neto recorded a stunning CD of us. We were his apprentices and he made composing a new theme on the spot or Hermeto's music for solo piano. sure we developed our own styles. The launching a jam session so that everyone The pianist, flutist, and co-producer of first thing he taught us was to listen to could relax. most of Hermeto's albums juggles an im- ourselves. At times we would not play a He would often sit at the drums, and possible schedule that includes touring and gig for months, but we would be there that would be a sign that we would start recording with Fourth World (lead by two preparing new music. Recording was al- something wild and free. We would spend other Hermeto alumni, Airto Moreira and ways a rare event. Only a small fraction of a lot more time, however, reading music Flora Purim), teaching Jazz Ensemble at Hermeto's vast output as a composer was than improvising. We would often work Cornish College of the Arts, in Seattle, recorded. We did a fair amount of touring, for months on arrangements that we would freelancing as a session player and con- mostly in Europe and a couple of US tours. rarely, if ever, play onstage. Hermeto said ductor, re-orchestrating Stravinsky's Rite During the times when we would be work- that this was to form the musical ideas in of Spring, and performing and recording ing on recording a new album, we would our minds, a way to increase our repertoire with his own group, The Jovino Santos sometimes spend a month in Sdo Paulo n of ideas, so that when we would play a Neto Quartet. Refreshingly, Jovino is as the studio for at least 12 hours a day. solo, at last, there would be a lot more unpretentious a player as he is a formidable Do you feel that Hermeto was yo r inspiration to draw from. Now as I teach one. Our interview took place during a teacher as well as your band leader? my students, I understand how important break in Fourth World's hectic touring Yes, Hermeto has a natural gift f r that time was in my formation as a musischedule and touched on many aspects of discovering the potential talent in a young cian. It is amazing how some remark that his esteemed career beginning with his musician, and he knows how to make that Hermeto or some other fellow musician years as a member of 0 Grupo and with talent grow and mature. For example, he from 0 Grupo made surfaces now in my Hermeto Pascoal. told me right after I joined his group that I mind, and I see exactly how that transWhat was it like working with could become a conductor. At first I thought formed my way of hearing and playing Hermeto? this was nonsense, because I had no idea of music. The only thing we could be sure of what conducting was. But with time I beYou mentioned that Hermeto made when playing with Hermeto was that we gan to take care of his scores for orchestras sure each player developed his own style would be rehearsing from Monday to Fri- and big bands. Now I am a conductor. and repertoire of ideas. How did he do day, from 2 to 8 p.m. There wasn't much Hermeto also knows how to write music that? chance of becoming bored, however, be- that is just beyond what you are capable of During my first years with 0 Grupo, cause every rehearsal was different. One playing at the time, so that in the process of Hermeto was often there with us, coachday we worked on something that Hermeto studying that particular piece you lea n ing, guiding, and playing with us. As time composed. The next rehearsal was com- exactly that new skill that was lacking. n passed, he would leave us playing by ourpletely improvised. And the next day his arrangements, all the parts are given selves, until he would come upstairs to the

th

Jr.-

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

41


rehearsal room with a new piece for us to play. In the last two or three years I spent there, he would not rehearse with us, not even before a major tour. We would prepare the themes, and he would improvise over them during our performances. When he was not in the room, he was downstairs practicing the cavaguinho (small fourstring guitar) or the button accordion and listening to soccer games on the radio, one of his favorite pastimes. How did Hermeto channel all the energy of 0 Grupo on stage, with respect to entries, dynamics, meter, and nuance? Were there ever conventional rehearsals for these details? All of our stage dynamics, cues, and a lot of the music was done by Hermeto on the spot. The only thing we knew was that we had to keep all of our attention on him because he might change the structure of a piece at anytime. This kept us always on our toes, and when we were surprised by what we were doing, so was the audience. The band was so tight that it was very hard for a listener to tell when we were playing written scores or when we were improvising. A live performance with Hermeto must be very different from the live performances with Fourth World? The differences between performing with Hermeto and with Airto are many, but the most important thing is that I feel it is a privilege and an honor to have had the chance to play with two of the most important musicians of this century. I admire them both, and have learned a lot from both of them. There has never been a "typical" concert with Hermeto. Our repertoire was quite big (from 30 to 50 working songs at one time), but we never knew which ones we would perform until he would call them. Besides, he would often create new themes on the stage, and we would join him. His ability to create new music almost instantly never ceased to amaze me. The open sections were always a surprise, and Hermeto would often invite other musicians onstage to play with us. The band was super tight, due to our routine of rehearsals, six hours a day, five days a week. This generated a kind of telepathy among the band members, so we could almost predict when Hermeto would cue us to stop one arrangement and start another. Playing with Airto and Fourth World has given me a whole new set of challenges. Airto is a fantastic drummer and percussionist. He is incredibly sensitive and intuitive in his playing. Up until the time I joined Fourth World, I was mainly a pianist. Suddenly I became a keyboardist as well. For me, this was like learning a totally new instrument. Airto has helped me a lot in discovering new sounds and ways to incorporate them in our sets. Even though our song lists are more structured with Fourth World, there are always free sections where we create fresh music in every performance. Airto has the power to conjure up energy and focus it on the audience. It is great to see how the public reacts to his pandeiro (tambourine) solo, no matter where in the world we might be. Both Airto and Flora Purim have played with the greatest musicians of the world, and their experience is reflected in the way they perform. How is a pianist's approach and a 42

keyboardist's different? What I mean by being a keyboardist is that there are things that you can do on a keyboard that you could never do on the piano and vice-versa. I have been learning how to explore these possibilities. They include the use of samples, pads, blending sounds to create new colors, the use of pedals, aftertouch, and effects. I still need to go daily to the piano, however, and work on all those things that you can never do on keyboards. There were some rather unusual 0 Grupo performances. Do any in particular stand out? In one instance, in 1983 at a concert in Itabira, Minas Gerais, Hermeto collected all of our music folders two minutes before the show and told us that on that day no one was going to read anything. Instead, he composed all of the music we played onstage. He started on the piano then cued us in until the themes were in full swing. No one in the audience noticed what was going on. At other times, some spontaneous idea was so good that we would incorporate it in the next shows. That was the case of the "Bandinhas." Once, in 1982, while playing at the IBAM theater in Rio, we started to leave the stage with piccolo, two saxes, tuba, and percussion and go out of the theater to the streets playing some themes that Hermeto had written for that line-up. The audience followed us outside. We paraded for a while and then went back in to finish the show. That proved to be such a hit that we ended up doing it at a great number of concerts all over the world. This created some extremely funny situations, such as our climbing aboard city buses, entering bars, and sometimes going miles away from the venue. At times we had literally thousands of people dancing behind us through the streets. The Pied Pipers... So the "Bandinhas" were a group within the group? The "Bandinhas" were like a portable version of our group. Instead of piano, bass, and drums we would play tuba (Where), flute/piccolo (me), saxes (Hermeto and Carlos), and percussion (Marcio, Pernambuco, and Fabio). That line-up enabled us to actually march out of whatever venue we might be playing, go into the streets, and play while the crowds were following us. Hermeto penned a whole lot of compositions just for this formation. Some are like traditional maxixes and marches, others are like contemporary chamber music pieces. I transcribed a couple and played them with the Campinas Symphony Orchestra in 1993. Jovino, there have been times when I'd be listening to a recording by another artist and all of a sudden....I'd be grinning ear to ear and swear I was hearing 0 Grupo. For example, didn't you guys play on Maria Bethania's 1990 disc Canto do Paje? Yes, the whole Grupo played on the cut "Tomara," on the Bethania CD. Hermeto wrote the arrangement, and I played piano and conducted the string section. I am also featured on Hermeto's arrangements of "Arrastao" by Edu Lobo and Vinicius de Moraes, "Modinha" by Jobim and Vinicius (available on the Songbook series on the Lumiar label from Brazil) and on "Marina" by Dorival Caymmi (on the Caymmi se-

ries, same label). Hermeto's concept of The Sound of the Aura is hard for many listeners to grasp. Can you break it down a little? Hermeto has broken down the barriers that define what music is and what it is not. His sensitive ears hear music in people's speech, in bird songs, in traffic noises, in industrial sounds. The curious thing is that once people hear what he does with these sounds, they too can only hear them as music. The Sound of the Aura is still in its beginning stages; there is so much that can be done with it. Can you imagine a film where the actors' dialogue is also the soundtrack? I am still preparing myself to be able to do more of this. It requires an ear sharp as a razor and intense concentration. Even though some other people have tried to do something similar, in my opinion, only Hermeto has succeeded in capturing the musical essence of speech. Why is Hermeto recognized as one of the 20th century's most important composers in Europe but known only to a select audience â&#x20AC;&#x201D; primarily musicians â&#x20AC;&#x201D; in the United States? Well, you know that in this country you are only considered to be someone in the music business if your CDs are in every store, and how many of them you sell, and if your video plays on MTV. Even though we made a lot of records with 0 Grupo, they are poorly distributed here and hard to find. Besides that, Hermeto never really got along well with record companies. They tend to consider his music something for the elite only and never promoted it like they should have. We played live to audiences all over the world, and we could see how the music touched people, no matter where we were. A lot of his music is actually stuff you can dance to, happy and with a lot of swing. When I produced Festa dos Deuses, it was meant to be distributed by Polygram in the US. But then Polygram said that the American public was not ready for this kind of music. Do you agree with that? When is the American public ever ready? I believe there is a tremendous lag time between the first performance of serious new music (Cage, Stravinsky, Pascoal) and the American public's acceptance, let alone appreciation of it. Americans are too dependent on the record companies to tell them what's OK. Jovino, about three years ago you made Seattle your home. It was a dramatic climatic shift from Rio. What besides your studies of conducting prompted your move to the Pacific Northwest? I cannot really explain the reasons that led me to move to Seattle. It was a very intuitive decision. I felt good when I played here with Hermeto in 1990 and even better when we returned one year later. I considered going to New York, Boston, Los Angeles, London, or Zurich. After visiting many schools, I realized that I could never teach or study in an institution where music is separated into categories such as "classical," "jazz," etc., not after what I had been exposed to with Hermeto. It was then, in 1993, that I got in touch with Julian Priester, the great trombonist and a teacher at Cornish. He told me how much they would like me to come here. Cornish is a 'school where the walls that separate musiBRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


cal styles are very thin, and I collaborate frequently with players and composers from every department. This is a very advanced place and has been the creative home of people like John Cage and Imogen Cunningham. came with my wife and two children, and I am very happy to live here. Of course, I travel a lot all over the world, and! get to meet a lot of interesting musicians, but I love my home base here. My study of conducting was never pursued with the intention of obtaining a degree or achieving fame as a "maestro." I wanted to learn the language of the orchestra, so that I could translate to a wider circle of musicians the musical concepts that I learned with Hermeto. I feel that I am now able to communicate with any musician, regardless of whether he is classically trained or does not read a note of music. As with everything else, this is an ongoing process and by getting involved in projects like The Rite of Spring, I expand my knowledge and fulfill my mission of making music a truly universal tool for growth. Tell me about your re-orchestration of Stravinsky's Rite of Spring. Will you be conducting? Since I first heard Stravinsky's Rite of Spring, I was impressed by its rhythmic richness. What! am trying to do is imagine that Igor is alive today and realizes how the resources available to a composer have evolved and that he can add these resources to the original ideas of the piece. For instance, when he wrote it in 1911, the only way you could have big sounds with an orchestra was by using a lot of brass and the usual symphonic percussion instruments. Now the concept of percussion has been brought to a new level by people like Airto Moreira. By using keyboards, we can get huge sounds that do not sound heavy and cumbersome. Today we also have more musicians who have been exposed to a wider variety of rhythms and who can retrieve the original grooves in The Rite. It's incredible how the piece starts to sound now that! am playing it in my hoine on my sequencer. My idea is to create a performing core unit of up to 10 musicians who will tour and perform with local symphony orchestras. I'll be using the strings and some woodwinds from the original arrangement and working with dance companies and multimedia artists to generate the visual part. It is a big project; and it might take a while, but! am getting ready to do it. I know that this might stir up some "purists" who believe that a piece of music is made of concrete and should not be touched, but in my mind I can see old Igor smiling at the idea. Controversy is what his piece created when it was first performed. Maybe I should call it The Riot of Spring. Which 20th century conductors have influenced you? I cannot really tell you which conductors have influenced me, apart from Roger Nelson, my conducting professor at Cornish College in Seattle. I actually do not look at all at conductors when ! hear orchestras playing. I try to hear how the music is being performed. For me, the. best conductor is the one that does his job so well that he is almost transparent, becoming one with the music. When I studied conducting, I learned from a variety of sources about the techniques employed, BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

but the core of my concept of music was formed during my years in Jabour, Rio, playing Hermeto's music. That has prepared me to face any musical situation, in any kind of style or setting. I am not saying that I know everything â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that would be ridiculous and arrogant. What I am saying is that! have learned to see and hear music as one infinite field of possibilities without any walls or divisions between what people commonly call popular, or jazz, classical, folk, world, etc. Those are labels that music merchants use to put on bins at record stores. They should never be applied to a musician's brain. When you really learn music, you learn all music. In Hermeto's words, "Music is like the air and the water. It flows from here to there, changes its aspects, but.its essence is timeless." It truly holds the world together. Your students at Cornish College of the Arts must really appreciate a teacher with a professional career in progress. How does your touring with 'Fourth World and performing with The Jovino Santos -Net° Quartet impact your students at the college? How do you like academia? For me, it is a great opportunity to be able to teach and share my experiences with younger musicians. It-brings to my mind all the remarks Hermeto and the other musicians in 0 Grupo would make way back when I was learning the basics. When you can see yourself in the two positions, teacher and pupil, at the same time, it gives you a great feeling. I only teach a few hours each week. Most of my time is spent composing, arranging, and practicing on my instruments.-! often go on the road, performing mostly with Airto or as a solo pianist, and I play with my quartet here around Seattle. This is also a good source of inspiration for my students, since! speak about the reality of life as a touring and performing musiciartinstead of only theory. Are students at Cornish College hungry to learn Brazilian music? How do you structure your class? I teach Latin Jazz Ensemble at the unâ&#x20AC;˘dergraduate level. Basically4 use this'class to explore a variety, of rhythms, and since it is a good size, I can try out all sorts of arrangements and orchestrations. It is very rewarding to see people who were not born in Brazil begin to understand and feel Brazilian rhythms such as liaitio, samba, maracatu, and frevo and be able to incorporate these patterns into their everyday playing. We are all excited about an upcoming performance in December at the College. also teach students on a private basis, and here I go into other areas such as composition, arranging, and the basic concepts about being a musician. Your philosophy of music and its role as a tool for transformation reminds me of the 1+1 theory of language acquisition. When you are able to see music as a tool for transformation, you can put yourself on a never-ending path of evolution. I study music every day, and every day I find new aspects of it I had not seen before. Hermeto was a real inspiration for this path, because he wrote music for us to play that was just beyond what we were capable of at the moment. In the process of learning that particular piece, you developed a skill that you .did not have before, and you

, added another item to your repertoire of musical ideas. After you convince yourself that music is a universal language, you realize that every musician is on his or her path of evolution. It does not really matter how far you are on that path. It is more important to feel that there is such a way and that you can improve your own skills through concentration and discipline. The Stepping on White Sand CD (pieces for solo piano) really drew my attention to Hermeto's extraordinary harmonies. They are so beautifully exposed in this setting. When I tried to describe them to another musician, I was hard pressed. Eventually, I said that they were a cross between Charles Mingus and Igor Stravinsky. It's always hard to explain Hermeto's harmonic concepts, even to other musi-

Contagious enthusiasm Prior to my interview with Jovino, I spoke with mandolin virtuoso Mike Marshall, a musician known for his work with Stephane Grappelli, the David Crisman Quartet, Bela Fleck, and many others. Marshall recently finished recording a duet project with Jovino and had this to say about the versatile multiinstrumentalist: What an amazing musician and a gold mine of musical inspiration. His work with Hermeto and all the guys in that group was some of the most inspiring music that I've ever come in contact with in any genre. What dedication to this creative genius those musicians had. A perfect moment in musical history where a brilliant mind is surrounded by young, eager talent and where the elements all came together to make these incredible artistic statements that will last forever. For me to get as close as! have to Hermeto's music through Jovino is something that I will be eternally grateful for. His enthusiasm for the music seems to be boundless. It is as if even he had just discovered this music yesterday. He is completely willing to play this music with anyone at any time, to share the work and teach the music at whatever pace you can grasp it. As for Jovino's own music, I really see it as a natural outgrowth of this incredibly fertile environment that he was a part of for so many years. His own music uses some of the same musical concepts as Hermeto's, but within this framework, he has found his own voice and is creating some truly unique work with his own beautiful signature. To be able to play these duets with Jovino for my recording was an incredible inspiration. His enthusiasm is so contagious. We hit it off from the first notes that we played together. I would say that we hit it off even before that. Just talking with him on the phone before meeting I felt this kinship, this brotherhood that developed very early on and continues to deepen each time we are together, fueled by this incredible amount of mutual respect and love for the music. I only hope that more musicians and scholars will understand the importance of the gift that Jovino has to offer in terms of sharing his experiences with having worked with one of the true living geniuses of our time. It is really something to be around. 43


cians. When asked how he developed his harmonic sense, Hermeto said that he used to hang around as a kid at his grandfather's blacksmith shop. There he used to pick up pieces of iron and hit them, and then he tried to emulate all the harmonics he had heard on his little button accordion. Remember that this was a place with no radio or even electricity. I believe that this fact shows how sensitive to sound his ears became. Because he does not follow the usual chord progressions in his music, it always sounds fresh and unexpected. The other interesting thing about his chords is that even though they are quite elaborate, they are mostly composed of simple triads (three-note chords) stacked over each other. This approach is radically different from the one taught at most music schools. It offers a way to create music that does not use scales and modes. I have been showing this concept to my students here at Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle, and it is amazing to see how they react when they discover that simple chords can create complex harmonies. There are so many works to choose from. How did you select the pieces for the Stepping on White Sand project?

I basically decided to record those pieces that have become favorites of mine, music that I have been playing over the years. Some of them are actually just the piano part of an 0 Grupo arrangement. Hermeto always said that in his arrangements each individual part could be played as a solo, so I did just that. There are a lot more than those pieces. I play his compositions every day, and I am always surprised at how much beautiful music there is to be played. I am working now with Hermeto on a piano suite that he wrote in 1987, and which he is now re-working. It should last over 20 minutes when ready. You don't record material that Hermeto has already recorded. I find that really interesting.

The reason I do not feel like recording music that Hermeto has already done is that there is so much that has not been done. Even so, I re-recorded the piece "Spock na Escada" (originally on Lagoa da Canoa, Municipio de Arapiraca, from 1984) with Mike Marshall, the mandolin player from California, on a CD that will be released on the Earth Beat label. We had a lot of fun doing that piece. We also did "Desencontro Certo." It also interests me to show Hermeto's other sides, as a composer for flute quartets, string quartets, big bands, and chamber ensembles, as well as music for solo instruments. Will we ever have the opportunity to experience more than a fraction of Hermeto's musical treasures?

Since I left Hermeto's Group, in 1993, I made it one of my priorities to make his music available to musicians all over the world. I have always been a sort of librarian for his manuscripts, filing and organizing them. When I moved to Seattle, I started to prepare computer scores of some pieces. Now we are getting close to publishing a book with some of his solo piano music. This should be followed by some flute ensembles, string quartets, orchestral works, big band charts, and, of course, some of the arrangements from our group. I have over one thousand pieces on file, so this will take a lot of effort. I am, however, 44

the one responsible for this, and I regard it as my mission to make sure that this amazing body of music gets passed on and heard. I am working closely with Hermeto on this project. We hope to have the first book out quite soon. The Jovino Santos Neto Quartet is getting ready to release their first CD. What sorts of things can we look forward to? What will the disc be titled?

We are now in the pre-production stage of my first CD as a group leader. We were in the studio at the end of November and are planning a spring release on Liquid City Records — a Seattle-based label with national and international distribution. For this first work I am preparing a batch of new compositions featuring Hans Teuber on flutes and saxophones, Chuck Deardorf on acoustic and electric basses, and Mark Ivester on drums and percussion, as well as myself on piano, flute, and keyboards. These guys are among the best musicians here in the Pacific Northwest. They have been playing my music for almost three years, and I am very pleased with our sound. We will record mostly my compositions and arrangements, but I want to include at least one piece by Hermeto. The record is not yet titled. You're a superb flautist. How did you get involved with playing the instrument?

Having heard Hermeto's flute playing, I became very interested in learning the instrument. He helped me a lot, by giving me music to play that was so challenging that I am still learning every day from pieces he wrote over 15 years ago. It was also very inspiring to see him learning to play a new instrument. He did it with electronic keyboards, trumpet, drums, trombone, guitar, and a whole lot of other instruments he created himself. Playing several instruments is not about how many; it's about understanding the nature of each one and bringing that nature out as music. I'm happy to hear you'll be playing flute on the quartet's disc. I've always been blown away by your flute playing with 0 Grupo. Yes, I will be playing flute on this

recording. There is one tune inspired by the Bandas de Ptfanos of the Brazilian Northeast called "Utopinga" in which we do a flute duet with bass and percussion. I will also have some surprise guests. I believe that the timing is good for such a release. Airto?

Airto will be playing some percussion and will also be involved with the sound and production of the project. What are Barn/as de Pifanos? Banda de Pifanos could be translated as a fife band. These were ensembles with two bamboo flutes, zabumba, snare, and cymbals that were very popular in the Brazilian Northeast for a long time. Can you describe some of the music on the quartet's new recording?

The music is the result of all the influences I have received in my life. Of course, there is the accent from the school where I studied (Hermeto's Group), but I have also been very inspired by the atmosphere I found here in Seattle and the willingness of the guys in the quartet to embrace the concepts I brought when I moved here. They are all great players and improvisers.

I want to create something unique and very special. There are sambas, maracatus, frevos, chorinhos, marcha-ranchos, and many other rhythms in my compositions, and I keep writing more.... Discography

1996 Fourth World — Encounters of the Fourth World (B&W Music) 1995 Jovino Santos Neto —Stepping on White Sand * 1995 Flora Purim — Speed of Light (B&W Music) 1993 Jovino Santos Neto — The Curumim's Journey ** 1992 Hermeto e Grupo — Festa dos Deuses (Polygram,England) 1992 Sergio Mendes — Brasileiro (Elektra) 1990 Various Artists — One World, One Voice (Virgin) 1990 Maria Bethania:— 25 Anos (Polygram) 1989 Hermeto e Grupo — Mundo Verde Esperanca *** 1987 Hermeto e Grupo — S6 Nao Toca Quem Nilo Quer (Som da Gente) 1985 Hermeto e Grupo — Brasil Universo (Som da Gente) 1984 Hermeto e Grupo — Lagoa da Canoa, Municipio de Arapiraca (Som da Gente) 1984 Nene — Ponto dos Masicos (Paris) 1982 Hermeto e Grupo — Hermeto Pascoal e Grupo (Som da Gente) 1980 Hermeto e Grupo — Cerebro Magnetic° (WEA Brasil) 1979 Hermeto e Grupo — Ao Vivo em Montreux (WEA Brasil) 1978 Hermeto e Grupo — Zabumbebum-ci (WEA Brasil) *Stepping on White Sand will be released pending label negotiations. ** The Curumim's Journey started as a soundtrack for a theater play back in Rio in 1993. Jovino plays keyboards, creating all sorts of musical landscapes, from orchestral to very rhythmic grooves with the help of Fabio Pascoal (Hermeto's son) on percussion. ***Mundo Verde Esperanca was supposed to be released in 1989 by Som da Gente. However, Hermeto got upset with them and walked out of the studio when the project was 80% mixed. It has never been released. Polygram wanted to release it in 1992, but could not get the master from Som da Gente. This is a beautiful record, with added strings and guest musicians. Maybe it will come out one day. You can check out Fourth World's concert itinerary on the web at: http:// www.onri.go.jp/musica/af/tour.html Bruce Gilman plays cuica for Mocidade Independente Los Angeles, received his MA from California Institute of the Arts, and teaches English and ESL in Long Beach, California. You can reach him through his E-mail: cuica@interworld.net BFtAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


ort Takes JORGE DA SILVA For many fans here in the US, the term next Brazilian wave has an intriguing, almost romantic quality to it. After all, when Bossa's incredible pop appeal waned in the mid 60s, the quiet giant's musical export went dark for many years. The 80s saw a resurgence spurred by the rebirth of artists like Astrud Gilberto and Sergio Mendes. This decade provided the same momentum carried on the back of important releases from Manhattan Transfer and David Byrne's collections to provide a pop context for our music.

"But for three or four 'Years In the 60s bossa was the rage, T and it's never really gone away.. e lucky part of bossa nova was th t most of the songs had English lyrics rewritten for them, so that helped to Put the music on the map in the US" Red Hot + Rio provides a new perspective for Brazilian music. By coinbining world-class talent like Stereolab, Sting, David Byrne and songwriter Crystal Waters with Brazilian stars including Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Milton Nascimento, producer fieco Dranoff has found yet another synthesis for the Brazilian musical form.

Dranoff turned toBStereolab, Maxwell and Everything The e Girl for that element of this groundbreaking g album. Crystal Dawn's vers. version of from Ipanema" is being readie-dâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;forBth oye dance floor with an eight minute club remix and i makeoverdo'reneives such a radical that it becomes almost new again For many of us long time fans, it takes 'some getting used to, but the nice thing about perspective is that you can changei t, right?

ranoff thinks so 'When I spoke to Ben Watt from Everything But The Girl, he said that he remembers his father listening to bossa when he was a kid , andmany of the musicians said they remember bossa in the same way, "Use Your Head" from Mone from their parents. I think that Acid Mark of The Beastie Boys provide Jazz and Lounge music have brought the perfect starting point. "Its a sort of that nostalgic element back to a new retrothing,"said Dranoff. "We fig- generation world wide. In England ured out thato in the sound, and there are nightclubs devoted to this But as we approach the new millen- when I heard it n the studio, I thought music and the new recording groups nium, Brazilian music faces another "This is the opening track th appe- all have that bossa element in their ' e phase of this unending challenge: how tizer." The record took approximately music. So, lately Brazilian music has to define this pop appeal for the next two years to complete. Because of tbe! been coming back in a stronger pop generation. In this case, we're talking difficulty in pulling together all of the! sense than before. Of course, some about Generation X. X'ers think dif- talent on this record. The performers Brazilian purists may say that this is ferently, are driven by different value were all super interested, but they all not Brazilian music, but for me it is, systems and are decidedly undecided had their own careers, touring and because it carries that bossa spirit and about their future. Come to think of it, schedules to work around. So it was the groove. It might not be Jobim or this sounds a lot like that rough edged easy to get the "yes's" from the every- Joao Gilberto but it is the groove, group of renegade musicians who be- one, but getting them in the studio, that much like Brazilians doing rock and gan bossa nova on the beaches of was the hard part. Because most of the roll. It's still rock and roll but it's Ipanema and Copacabana over 35 years tracks are collaborations (just a few are Brazilian. ago. solo tracks) it was a challenge to get "PM Dawn came up with the Flora the right people together. Some were & Airto concept. When I contacted Enter producer Beco Dranoff and in Brazil, some in Paris, London or them originally they said 'we're alThe Redhot Organization. Long knownJapan. apanli Some were in Salvador. So to ready working: on t some thing with for their work with AIDS awareness get a of the artist together with the them' and I said "Oh great!" You and fundraising, Redhot concentrates producers it took a year and a half and must remember that this' bossa concept on musical recordings to reach out to then a few more months to wait for the wasn't anything I pushed on anybody, the masses for support. And when they George Michael track with Astrud it was enthusiastically accepted by all set their minds to a new idea, the whole Gilberto. of the artists. For instance the English industry sits up to take notice. Redhot group Stereolab must have listened to + Rio is the latest release (Antilles) and "They were in London together to a lot of bossa nova in their day, you in addition to being a catchy spirited record the track in late August and it catch in their music all the time. The album, it also may be signaling the was the last track to come in," Dranoff fact that they're the band of the year in next big thing from Brazil. continued. "George has done things England because of their long trancefor other Red Hotp rojects, and when like and hypnotic tracks, only under"What I always say is that Brazil is we invited him to do this one, he said, lines this aspect." very lucky with its music," observed 'I really want to, but right now I'm But the purpose of Red Hot + Danoff during a recent conversation. working on my new album So if you Rio goes beyond ea these exciting new "Brazilian music is one of the few can hang in there I'd love .to partici- hybrid sounds.World AIDS Day on international styles that has true pen- pate.' We said, 'Of course we'll wait,' December 1still feature an internaetration power. There's something and I sent him many of :the he k oaldow clsassics tional broadcast B st of hthe Red Hot + Rio about the music that is magical and to look over. Of course Bra- Concert via Bravo ere in the US and easily related to all over the world. For zilian music very well, and when Older MTV world wide.And don't forget to instance, you can't say that about Ger- came out and I saw thatit was dedi- pick up NovaBossa, a companion CD man music. Not everyone remembers cated to the memory of Antoni C to Red Hot + Rio featuring 23 of the that bossa nova was a really big deal Joabim ° os best Brazilian sounds. With Red Hot + to expect a marvelous here in the 60s. I think "The Girl from track from him." George finally de- Rio, sometimes music is the message Ipanema" was on the Billboard charts cided on the duet with Astrud and the and sometimes it's the messenger. You for over 70 weeks, and the only thing song was of course, "Desafinado," one may sample this album on The Brazilthat sidelined bossa nova was the of bossa's true gems. And when we ian Music Review Buyer's Club LisBeatles in 64 when the whole rock finally got the tape we were all blown tener Line by calling (847) 292-4545 thing started. When the Beatles broke away by his Portuguese." 24 hours a day. You'll also receive a out, they changed pop music. free subscription to The Brazilian Muwanted to listen to bossa anyrn But GenXer's like to dance and sic Review just for calling. BRA7711_ - DECEMBER 1996

45


7:

MIMI/

Cr

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dlIMIIN

Rio 0 Burgues Ridiculo (Ridiculous Bourgeois) — Adapted from a Moliere's comedy. Directed by Guel Arraes and Joao Falcao with Marco Nanini and Betty Gofman.

Como Encher urn Biquini Selvagem (How to Fill Up a Wild Bikini) — A comic view of loneliness in the big city. Boy wonder Miguel Falabella wrote and directs. Starring Claudia Jimenez. A Dama do Mar (The Sea Lady) The sea is an image for the Elida's despair in which she dives every day. Directed by Ulysses Cruz. With Christiana Guinle, Paloma Duarte, and Tereza Seiblitz.

Roque Santeiro — 0 Musical (Roque, the Saint Maker — The Musical) — The romantic adventures of Roque and the widow Porcina. With Nicete Bruno and Agildo Ribeiro, Written by Dias Gomes, directed by Bibi Ferreira.

Sao Paulo Cenas de urn Casamento (Scenes of a Marriage) — Ingmar Bergman's text about a seemingly happy marriage. Vivian Buckup directs. Tony Ramos and Regina Braga star.

Drticula e Outros Vampiros (Dracula and Other Vampires) — A collection of comic and thrilling characters. Created and directed by Antunes Filho with Grupo de Teatro Macunaima. E Continua Tudo Bern (Everything is Still Swell) — The story starts when a couple celebrates the 25th anniversary of their first adultery. Written by Bernard Slade. Directed by Marco Nanini. Gloria Menezes and Tarcisio Meira star. Intensa Magia (Intense Magic) — Contemporary drama written by Maria Adelaide Amaral about a father and his relationship with the family. Silnei Siqueira directs Mauro Mendonca, Rosamaria Murtinho and Nina de Padua 46

American films just released: Tales from the Crypt: Bordello of Blood (Contos do Alem Ttimulo: 0 Bordel de Sangue), Multiplicity (Eu, Minha Mulher e Minhas Cop/as), Basquiat (Basquiat, Traps de uma Vida), The First Wives Club (0 Clube das Desquitadas), Beautiful Girls (Brincando de Seduzir), The Glimmer Man (Glimmerman — 0 Homem das Sombras), The Pallbearer (0 Primeiro Amor de um Homem), Maximum Risk,(Risco Maximo), Last Man Standing (0 Ultimo Matador), The Arrival (A Invailio), The Frighteners (Os Espiritos), Hoop Dreams (Basquete Blues), Tin Cup (0 Jogo da Paixdo) Jack (Jack), Barb Wire (A Justiceira), Courage Under Fire (Cora gem Sob Fogo) Doces Poderes (Sweet Powers) — Brazil — 1995 — A TV drama during an electoral campaign. Directed by Lucia Murat. With Marisa Orth, Antonio Fagundes and Otavio Augusto.

Como Naseem os Anjos (How Angels Are 1996 — Two children Born) — Brazil from the favela (slum) take an American family as hostage. Starring Priscila Assum, Silvio Guindane, Larry Pine e Andre Mattos. Directed by Murilo Salles. Fica Comigo (Stay With Me) — Brazil — 1996 — The difficult relationship between parents and teenagers. Directed by Tizuka Yamasaki. Starring Ant6nio Fagundes, Luciana Rigueira, Vitor Hugo and Lucia Alves. 0 Judeu (The Jew) — Brazil/Portugal 1995 —The story Luso-Brazilian playwright who was persecuted by the Inquisition in the 18th Century. Directed by Jom Tob Azulay. With Felipe Pinheiro, Dina Sfat, Jose Lewgoy, and Fernanda Torres. La Ley del Deseo (A Lei do Desejo)— Spain — 1986 — The dreams and drama of two siblings: one a homosexual, the other a transsexual actress. Directed by Pedro Almodovar. With Eusebio Poncela, Carmem Maura, Antonio Banderas, and Miguel Molina.

0 Monge e a Filha do Carrasco (The Monk and the Hangman's Daughter) — Brazil/ EUA — 1994 Directed by Walter Lima Jr., starring Murilo Benicio, Karina Bann, Patricia Pillar and Paul Dillon. A young Franciscan monk deals with faith and desires in 18th century Germany.

[1M Fiction 1. A Decima Profecia James Redfield

2. 0 Monte Cinco Paulo Coelho 3. A Profecia Celestina James Redfield

4. Opera cdo Cavalo de Tr6ia 5 J. J. Benitez

5. 0 Mundo de Sofia Jostein Gaarder

6. Novas Comedias da Vida Privada Luis Fernando Verissimo

7. MTh Es Tu, Brasil Marcelo Rubens Paiva

8. Carol Highsmith

9. 0 Xango de Baker Street Jo Soares

10. Escolha da Dra. Cole Noah Gordon

Nonfiction 1. Inteligencia Emocional Daniel Goldman

2. Minutos de Sabedoria Torres Pastorino

3. Frases Paulo Coelho

4. Almas Gemeas Monica Buonfiglio

5. S6 o Amor E Real Brian L. Weiss

6. Minutos de Sabedoria Simples — Torres Pastorino 7. Muitas Vidas, Muitos Mestres Brian L. Weiss

8. 0 Rio do Meio Lya Luft

Quern Matou Pixote? (Who Killed Pixote?)

9. A Verdade de Cada Um

— Brazil — 1996 — The film tells what happened to Fernando Ramos da Silva, the boy who starred in the worldwide acclaimed film Pixote. Jose Joffily directs. With Cassiano Carneiro, Luciana Rigueira, and Joana Fomm.

Zibia Gasparetto

10. Anjos Cabalisticos Monica Buonfiglio According to daily newspaper

0 Estado de S. Paulo BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


COSTLY UNPROMOTION "Why does the Brazilian government send money and the green plutocracy's chiefs on a pleasure trip to New York when the tribes in the jungle are in a permanent state of penury?" The question was posed by weekly newsmagazine Veja after September's Amanaka'a Amazon Network's VII Amazon Week in New York. According to the publication Amanaka'a was able to get almost $1 million from the Brazilian government being $600,000 from Suframa (Superintendencia da Zona Franca de Manaus — Superintendence of Manaus Free Zone), $150,000 from the Environment Ministry, $100 from Ibama (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renovaveis — Brazilian Institute for the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources) and $50,000 from Embratur (- Empresa Brasileira de Turismo — Brazilian Tourism Company). And what did Brazil get in return? Silence in the Yankee press and just a couple of curious Americans looking at the Amanaka'a's shows and exhibits. The only real interested seemed to be Brazilians. The group is now inviting those interested in an expedition to the Amazon Rainforest "which is destined to make both news and history." People are being invited to apply at Amanaka' a' s Web site at http:// www.. am anakaa. org/e xpedyes .htm. There is a form which needs to be filled up and mailed together with a deposit for $2,500. There's no date for the trip, however, and no final price for the expensive adventure.

BACK TO BRAZIL Miami's Brazilian consulate has never seen so many Brazilians asking for help so they can go back home. Since Tune there is a daily average of four people knocking at the consulate's door with the same problem: they are feeling the heat from the American INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service). Immigration agents in Florida have been constantly raiding companies that employ undocumented foreigners. BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

A RAR TRIBUTE

TROPICAL CHRISTMAS

Terry Vogt, chairman of the Brazil Society of Northern California and president of ARBI Transnational, Inc., a financial advisory company, has been awarded the Ordem ofRio Branco, the highest honor bestowed on foreigners by the Brazilian government. Vogt, who worked as a Peace Corps volunteer in Brazil, has dedicated his career to pursue activities linked to that country. In 1986 he formed ARBI which is affiliated with the ARBI Group of Rio de Janeiro. Vogt received his award from the Consul General of Brazil in San Francisco, minister Joao Almino.

Some of Brazil's greatest composers and singers have gathered around the Christmas tree for a Yuletide treat. It's A Brasilian Christmas with Brazilian spelled with an s. Just in time for Natal they are playing and singing the Season's favorite tunes: "Silent Night" by Dori Caymmi, "White Christmas" by Ivan Lins, - Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "Santa Claus is Coming to Town" by Joyce, among others. Global, a newborn group with musicians from Rio and Los Angeles, created by Oscar CastroNeves, gives new life to Bach's "Air on the '6 String" and Tchaikovsky's - Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy". They've redone these classics which are respectively called "Air on a Six String" and "Dance Natahl". A Brasilian Christmas is being released by Astor Place Recordings.

Learn Another Language on Your Own! Learn to speak a foreign language fluently on your own and atyour own pace with what are considered the finest in-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 speakers, plus a 250-page textbook. Some of our Courses: 0 Arabic, Saudi $185 0 German I $185 0 Latin $160 0 Serbo-Croatian $195 o Egyptian $185 0 German II $155 0 Latvian $185 0 Slovak $185 0 Bulgarian $245 0 Greek $185 0 Lithuanian $135 0 Spanish I $185 o Cantonese $185 0 Haitian Creole $225 0 Mandarin $185 0 Spanish II $165 0 Catalan $185 0 Hebrew $255 0 Norwegian $125 o Swedish $185 0 Czech $195 0 Persian $125 0 Hungarian $185 o Swahili $225 o Danish $185 0 Polish $185 0 Italian $185 0 Tagalog $295 o Dutch $125 0 Japanese $185 0 Portuguese $215 0 Thai $195 0 Estonian $295 0 Khmer (Brazilian) 25 o Turkish $195 0 French I $185 0 Korean 195 0 Romanian $115 o Ukrainian $195 0 French II $215 0 Lakota 185 0 Russian $225 0 Urdu $185 o Vietnamese $225 You can order now with a full 3-week mone -back guarantee. 9 Call (203) 453-9794, fax (203) 453-9774, e-mail: 74537.550@compuserve.com 1, Or clip this ad and send with your name and ad ress and a check or money order— or charge to any major credit card, by enclosing card number, expiration date, and your signature. Ask for our free 56-page Whole World Language Catalog with courses in 96 languages. 6

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FOR AD CALL NOW 48

213 255-8062 BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996


FERA LIVRE OPEN MARKET BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES

Own your own full or part-time business. Entrepreneurs sought for billion dollar US network marketing company expanding to Brazil. Highest paying company in industry. Call 1-800-9946238 for information. [133]

Jornais e revistas do Brasil. Recebemos jomais d iarios etodas as principals revistas, incluindo masculinas e femininas. Tel. (800) 589-5884.

CLASSES

WOMAN SEEKS MAN

Learn Portuguese now! Group or private lessons. (213) 4692204 Silene [131] Looking for a very fast, efficient, and pleasant way to learn Brazilian Portuguese?(415) 9913476 [141]

Attractive, sophisticated economically 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]

COOKING

Delightful Brazilian Cooking by Eng Tie Ang, two for one sale $14.95, plus $5 shipping and handling. Over 130 authentic, quick and easy recipes. P.O. Box 30818 - Seattle, WA 98103 Phone and Fax (206) 789-3693. [142] HEALTH & FITNESS

Do you want to lose weight? Increase your energy? Shape and tone? Achieve your goals with a certified fitness trainer. You deserve it! Falo Portugues. Call Stephen (818)278-1330. E-mail: coopfitness@earthlink.net [133] Westside Acupuncture Clinic — Chinese herbs for sexual enhancement, weight loss and sports injuries. (310) 914-1624 [132] JOB OFFERED

Extra cash! Companhia nutriclonal americanaprocurapessoas dinamicas. Junior (818) 5088753 [132] Urgente! Wanted PortupeseEnglish speaking communicable people. $$ 2000-4000 p/t, $$ 4000-8000 f/t. Call (310) 4702506 [133] JOB SOUGHT

Business liaison - Bilingual executive will represent your company in Brazil or your Brazilian connection in US. (818) 7941572 [133]

Music Brazilian Music in its totality. Samba, bossa nova, chorinho, bed°, axe, and more. Merchant Express - (800) 589-5884.

BRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1996

PERSONAL

Americana corn coraeao brasileiro, bem educada, que adora a musica, o samba, a cultura, a linguae o povo brasileiros, queria conhecer um brasileiro solteiro de 40 anos ou mais, em boa forma, morando em New York City ou pertinho.Ellen2125@aol.com [130] PERSONAL MAN SEEKS WOMAN

Americano, 31, professional, physically fit, happy and outgoing seeks Brazilian Lady 20-30 who is loving, happy, attractive and willing to relocate do the USA. Thomas Graff, 6705 Horsepen Road, Richmond, Virginia, 23228. tgraff@erols.com [130] 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] Brazilian Gaucho, 32, 5'4" tall, 118, protestant, educated, romantic, likes music, soccer, photography, seeks caring, honest,

FEIRA LIVRE RATES: 500 a xvord. 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 w 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 N% ith check or money order to: BRAZZIL P.O. Box 42536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536. pretty lady 20-28 for friendship/ romance. Letter/photo to William, PO Box 1741 — Des Plaines, IL 60017-1741[129] Divorced white male, 45, seeks for correspondence, friendship, marriage, warm, kind, loving, non-smoking Brazilian women 18-33 years, some English, one child OK. Serious i quiries only. Photo and letters: James King, 208 S. Elm St. Apt. ç, Greenville, NC 27858, U SA. E-mail: grjking@ecuvm.cis.ecu.edu Kind, stable, passionate, American, MD, 38, seeks lady under 35 in LA area. (310) 2713168 [133] PERSONAL WOMAN SEEKS WOMAN

Brazilian lesbian looking for other lesbians for friendship and more! Please call (213)871-8537 [132] PERSONAL MAN SEEKS MAN

Goodlooking athletic American M 326 185 brn/blue seeks other goodlooking Brazilian/Argentine guys 18-30 for friendship or more. I traveled to Argentina and Brazil for 6 months and loved it. Letter and photo to: Peter Eliason; 4960 Almaden Exp. #179; San Jose, California 95118 —E-mail: sisharks7 aol.com or 1-80076 1-4983 Ti 128] Quiet gay white m le, 38, 5'9", 150#, brown hair, ustache. No smoke, no drink, o drugs, no car. Simple living but love to travel worldwide. Seek BrazilIan with similar interests. Letter/ photo to: Steve, 840N. Larrabee, #4-121, West Ho lywood, CA 90069

PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP

Quero corresponder-me corn pessoas brasileiras para amizade. Maria Brawley - PO Box 14632 - Las Vegas, Nevada 89114 USA (702) 432-3824 [130] Sou brasileira, tenho 16 anos, quero me corresponder corn mops e rapazes. 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 — Portuguese/ Spanish/ English. (310) 656-6987 [137] Emotional & psychological help - Elizabete Almeida MFCC licensed psychotherapist. English/Portuguese. Reasonable rates. (310) 281-7536. [133] RELIGIOUS

Babalawo Zezito d'Oxum — 25 anos no Rio. Rua do Carmo, 15 - Parque Amorim - Belford Roxo (021) 761-1682 [133] TRANSLATION & INTERP.

English to Portuguese, technical translation. Precise, fast turnaround - Ricardo Paoletti (716) 839-5310. Fax: 716) 839-5410. E-mail: paolett ibm.net Portuguese Service Center in Chicago - Translations, Interpretations, Trade Shows, Brazilian Portuguese Classes (312) 525-0678 [132] Tocantins Communications Portuguese translation services. Fast, reliable, affordable translations. (818) 248-3667. [134] 49


calendar december 96 - u.s.a. LONG BEACH, CAL. 9:00 PM - Ricardo Fabio & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant - (954) 781-1113

COAST TO COAST

8:00 PM - Axe at Zabumba

SHORT WAVE RADIO Radio Nacional da AmazOnia - 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

ax our Ca lendar in o to ( 213) 257-3487, E-mail it to •razilnews ao .co

Coracao Brasileiro - Every Monday, 8.00 PM - 10:3 PM with Dennis Miller 88.1 FM - WMBR Brazilian Style of Music Every Friday, 11.00 am 2:00 pm, 91.5 FM, WMFO with Marlon Catao

LOS ANGELES BERKELEY, CAL. 6:30 PM - Capoeira "Roda" at UC Berkeley Hearst Gym #234 - (510) 655-8207

Mai BEVAMIIM NEW YORK 9:00 PM - Rio Zona Norte, Soul in the Eye, and Human Behavior at African Diaspora Film Festival' Brazilian Night at Cinema Village -22 E 12th St - (212) 749-6020

BERKELEY, CAL. 9:00 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Constellation Band at Zabumba

BERKELEY, CAL.

The Sounds of Brazil - Every Saturday, 10:00 pm Midnight, 95.5 FM, Wt\JUA with Scott Adams Show Brazil - Every Friday, 8:00 am - 11.00 am, 91.5 FM, WMFO with Edna Moreno

10:00 AM - 6:00 PM - 7th Annual Holiday Art Show and Sale - 25 women artists, including Brazilian Claudia Kussano, Maju Mauricia, and Simone Ejlers Odom at 2517 Sacramento Ave. Through December 15. (510) 233-9313

TV Brazil TV - Continental, Channel 38 (Fri - 9:30 pm), Buena Vision, Channels 6 & 56 (Mon. - 8:30 pm), CVILBCTV, Channel 65 or 57 (Wed. - 6.30 pm /Sat. - 8:00 pm) 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, 8:00 pm- 10 00 pm with Gina Martelli -93.9 - Love 94

POMPANO BEACH, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Ricardo Fabio & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant -(954) 781-1113

SAN FRANCISCO 5:00 PM - Liza Silva & Voz do Brasil at El Rio - (415) 802-9491 11111111MIMILIthiat

BERKELEY, CAL. 9:00 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Constellation Band at Zabumba

HOLLYWOOD, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Clauduarte SA at Brazil Samba Café - (954) 920-4426

COCONUT GROVE, FLOR. 11:00 PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Bahia Night at Zabumba 9:30 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL.

CHICAGO

LOS ANGELES

50

POMPANO BEACH, FLOR.

TV & RADIO

7:30 PM - Sam baLa at Tony's

COCONUT GROVE, FLOR. 11:00 PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553

HOLLYWOOD, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Clauduarte SA at Brazil Samba Café - (954) 920-4426

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Ronaldo Lima at Zabumba 9:30 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM- Lois sings Brazil at Ginga Brazil

..1111 III NBLVIrM. FORT LAUDERDALE, FLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM - Raizes do Brasil and show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil - (954) 561-8200

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Lois & guest at Ginga Brazil

7:00 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brasil

FORT LAUDERDALEvFLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM - Raizes do Brasil and show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil - (954) 5618200

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sergio with guest at Ginga Brazil

LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM & 11:30 PM - Katia Moraes & Brazil Nuts at La Ve Lee 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa 10:00 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba

LONG BEACH, CAL. 7:30 PM - SambaLa at Tony's mommiu nut I.

POMPANO BEACH, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Ricardo Fabio & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant -(954) 781-1113 m iyjiqu i rs .driummi

LOS ANGELES 8:00 PM - Axe at Zabumba

BERKELEY, CAL. 9:00 PM - Adriana & Carlos Oliveira at Nino's

LOS ANGELES

LOS ANGELES

9:00 PM -Constellation Band at Zabumba mminizai yl v& immisi

9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa 10:00 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba

9:00 PM - Clauduarte Sá at Brazil Samba Café - (954) 920-4426

HOLLYWOOD, FLOR.

bRAZZIL - DECEMBER 1 996


ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sergio with guest at

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

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM -Raizes do Brasil and show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil- (954) 5618200

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Lois & guest at Ginga Brazil 9:30 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

LONG BEACH, CAL. 7:30 PM - SambaLA's Christmas Party at Tony's

10:00 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba

10:00 PM & Midnight- KAtia Moraes at Luna Park - (310) 6520611

LONG BEACH, CAL. 7:30 PM - Sam baLA at Tony's POMPANO BEACH, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Ricardo FAbio & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant- (954) 781-1113

POMPANO BEACH, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Ricardo Fabio & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana Restaurant

PASADENA, CAL. 2:00 PM - Cheremoya Escola de Samba at Rose Bowl Parking Lot

-(954) 781-1113

- (213) 465-4762

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM -Constellation Band at Zabumba 1111111212/N.2

IY1[0101 PASADENA, CAL. 1:00 PM - Cheremoya Escola de Samba at Rose Bowl Parking Lot

HOLLYWOOD, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Clauduarte SA at Brazil Samba Cafe - (954) 920-4426

COCONUT GROVE, FLOR. 11:00 PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553 LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Bahia Night at Zabumba 9:30 PM - MILA Escola de Samba at Café Danssa ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brasil AT IRD 2: FORT LAUDERDALE, FLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM - Raizes do Brasil and

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 NEW YORK RADIO 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

- (213) 465-4762

014, 1 BliVici SAN FRANCISCO 9:00 PM - New Year's Party with Lisa Silva & Voz do Brasil at Barcelona - (415) 989-1976

9:00 PM - New Year's Party with Celia Malheiros & Friends at 30 Colusa - (510) 526-1500 9:00 PM - New Year's Party with Entre Nos at Bahia Cabana

Brazil Update - Every Saturday, 3:30 PM - Channel 69 Brazilians in America-TV Every Sunday, 5:30 PM -Channel 16 Media Flux: Brasil - Every Saturday, 4.00 PM - Ch 16 S. FRANCISCO

MIAMI

SOB -200 Varick St. (212) 3077171 Supper Club - 240 W. 47 St. (212) 921-1940 Scala Brazil - 35-50 31st St. Astoria (718) 937-0352

Brazil Samba Café - Hollywood (954) 920-4426 Scala Miami -(305) 371-5604

OAKLAND, CAL.

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 Canta, 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 So Da Brasil - Every Friday, 8:00 PM - 9:00 PM, KUSF, 90.3 with Jorge Lima & Simone Odom

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

WASHINGTON, DC

14 Below - 1348 14th St.. Santa

NEW YORK

S. FRANCISCO

Monica - (310) 451-5040 Cafe Danssa - 11533 W. Pico BI. West L.A.- (310) 478-7866 Tony's -701 Long Beach Blvd.

Blue Note - 131 West 3rd St. (212) 475-8592 Café Wha - 115 MacDougal St. - (212) 254-3706

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

show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil- (954) 5618200

ANAHEIM, CAL. Ginga Brazil - 821 N. Euclid, (714) 778-0266

BERKELEY Ashkenaz - 1317 San Pablo Ave. (510) 525-5054 Nino's - 1916 Martin L. King 0- Jr. (510) 845-9303

LOS ANGELES

BRA77IL - DECEMBER 1996

(E

- (213) 465-4762

TV & RADIO

O4 l ie 111-3 `Lapc-Lsz

PASADENA, CAL. 1:00 PM - Cheremoya Escola de Samba at Rose Bowl Parking Lot

9ESZV x o: 0dOiew - woo loe # smo upzeaq •

Ginga Brazil

9:00 PM - New Year's Party with Viva Brasil at Coconut Grove

LOS ANGELES 10:00 PM - New Year's Party 'at Zabumba

10:30 PM - Reveillon with Constellation Band at Café Danssa

(310) 628-9789 La Vk Lee - 12514 Ventura Bl. - Studio City. (818) 980-8158 Zabumba -10717 Venice Blvd Culver City -(310) 841-6525

our ea Z 908 99Z(cIZ) eo Jo0 006 • SZa1 • II -

COCONUT GROVE, FLOR. 11:00 PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553 LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Swing Brasil at Zabumba 9:30 PM - MILA Escola de Samba at Café Danssa ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Lois sings Brazil at Ginga Brasil

owl Jep uo le in° xe

calendar - december 96 - u.s.a.

Waves of Patropi - Every Saturday, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, WDCU, 90 FM with Andre Lacerda

51


Boston Area Books Livraria Plenitude (800) 532-5809

Consulate Consulado G. do Brasil (617) 617-542-4000

Dentist Sylvio 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 99 Tropicana (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 Varig (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. Chbr of Corn. (213) 975-9237 Centro Cultural Gaucho (213) 256-6548 MILA - Samba School (310) 391-6098 SambaLa -Esc. de Samba (310) 628-9789

Consulate Brazilian Consulate (213) 651-2664

Dentists Gilberto Henriques (213) 464-0524

Events Promotion Brasil 'N You Prom. (310) 928-1770 Brazilian Nites Prod. (818) 566-1111 Pegasus - Parties & Ent. (818) 549-0383

Health & Fitness Herbs from Brazil (213) 851-7016 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 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 SA (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 & Cafes 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

Miami Airlines Transbrasil (800) 872-3153 Varig (800) 468-2744 Vasp (800) 732-8277

Banks

Monark Travel (305) 374-5855 New Port Tours (305) 372-5007 Venture Travel (305) 379-7678 Via Brasil Travel (305) 866-7580

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

Clubs & Associations Brazilian Ch. of Corn. (212) 575-9030 Brazilian Corn. Bureau (212) 916-3200 Brazilian Trade Bur. (212) 224-6280

Consulate Brazilian Gen. Cons. (212) 757-3080

Food & Products

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

Amaz8nia (718) 204-1521 Coisa Nossa (201) 578-2675 Merchant Express (201) 589-5884

Clubs & Associations

The Brasilians (212) 382-1630 Brazilian Voice (201) 955-1137 OCA Magazine (516) 596-1853 Portugal-Brasil News (212) 228-2958 Samba Newsletter (718) 937-0574

ABFC - As. Bras. da Flan (407) 354-5200 Cem. 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 Sá (305) 262-8212

Food & Beverages All Braz. Imp. & Exp. (305) 523-8134 Guarana 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 Green Card (954) 772-7600

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

Publications

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 Tapajes 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/Export Brazil Imports (619) 234-3401

Money Remittance Vigo-California (619) 479-VIGO

San Francisco Airlines Varig (415) 986-5737 Vasp (800) 732-VASP

Attorney Manoel Fa ria (510) 537-3533 Ralph Baker (510) 444-8100

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

Beauty Salon Bibbo (415) 421-BIBO Carmen's International (415) 433-9441 Neyde's (415) 681-5355

Clubs & Associations B.A.S.O. (415) 661-2788 Bay Area Brasilian Club (415) 334-0106 Brazilian Cult. Movem. (415) 437-6991

Computer Micronet (415) 665-1994

Consulate Brazilian Consulate (415) 981-8170

Dance Instruction Aquarela (510) 548-1310 Brazil Culture & Arts (510) 215-8202 Ginga Brasil (510) 428-0698 Escola Nova de Samba (415) 661-4798 Samba do Coracio (415) 826-2588 Samba, Swing & Suor (415) 282-7378

Dental Care Roberto Sales, DDS (510) 451-8315

Events Promotion F. B. C. Events (415) 334-0106 Nativa Productions (408) 286-9798

Food Brazilian Coffee Dist. (415) 648-5966 California Produce (415) 586-6200 HGC Imp. Wholesale (408) 947-8511

Instruction Portuguese - A. Frame (510) 339-9289 Portuguese Lang. Serv. (415) 587-4990

Money Remittance Brasil Express (415) 673-0262 Vigo (415) 863-0218 West Brazil (415) 695-9258

Music Celia Malheiros (415) 738-2434 Fogo na Roupa (510) 464-5999 Marcos Silva (510) 945-0138 Terra Sul (415) 752-9782 Viva Brazil (415) 342-8508 Voz do Brazil (415) 586-2276

Musical Instruments Tamborim & Samba

Physician Dr. Guilherme Salgado (415) 832-6219

Printing M. C. Printing (510) 268-8967

Publications Brazil Today (510) 526-1115 Brazzil (415) 587-4990

Restaur./Night Clubs Bahia Cabana (415) 861-4202 Balboa Braz. Rest. (415) 387-1118 Cafe do Brasil (415) 626-6432 Cafe Mardi Gras (415) 864-6788 Canto do Brasil (415) 626-8727 Colusa Restaurant (415) 526-1500 Joao's Restaurant (408) 244-1299 Little Rio (415) 441-3344 Michelangelo Cafe (415) 986-4058 Mozzarela Di-Bufala (415) 346-9888 Nine's (510) 845-9303 Paulo's Juice Bar (415) 437-0839 Stelladoro (415) 928-2662 Tropicana (408) 471-0294

Translation Port. Lang. Services (415) 587-4990

Travel Agencies Rio Roma (415) 921-3353 Santini Tours (510) 843-2363 Travel Americas (415) 334-0404 Tropical Travel (510) 655-9904 Tucanos Travel (415) 454-9961 Winship Travel (415) 863-2717

ashington DC Area Airlines Transbrasil (202) 775-9180 Varig (202) 331-8913 Vasp (202) 822-8277

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

Clubs & Associations Braz. Am. Cult. Inst. (202) 362-8334 Inst. of Brazil. Business (202) 994-5205

Embassy Embaixada do Brasil (202) 745-2700

Travel Agencies Intern. Discount Travel (703) 750-0101 Washington Travel (703) 527-6977

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An excerpt

Brave jungle people The Amazon caboclo vary in physical appearance from a darkcomplexioned European to black or Indian, with many combination in between. Although the racial heritage varies, the Indians traits predominate. Caboclos may be subservient, but for the most part they are also ambitious. NIGEL J. H. SMITH Rural folk in Amazonia subscribe to various religious beliefs, are of diverse racial heritage, and engage in a range of subsistence tasks and jobs throughout the year. Although their ethnic origins and occupations differ, peasants in the Brazilian Amazon are referred to as caboclos. The term can be used in a demeaning manner, much as country folk in the southern United States are occasionally called "rednecks." In the Brazilian Amazon, a person can be reminded of his humble origins by calling him a caboclo. Urban residents, even those belonging to the lowest economic strata, derive satisfaction from the fact that they no longer toil in fields or trudge through trackless jungle. On the other hand, a male friend may be called caboclo, a sign of affection, whereas a female may be referred to endearingly as cabocla. Many words in Brazilian Portuguese have two or more meanings. Caboclos typically live in isolated huts or in hamlets, are barely literate, nominally Catholic, and are acutely aware of their low ranking in the social order. Caboclos may be subservient, but they are generally ambitious. Peasants, like most of us, are keenly interested in bettering their lot. Caboclos are not conservative in the sense chat they shun change. On the contrary, they will seize any opportunity to accumulate goods. The chances for upward mobility for poor people are generally better in Amazonian towns and cities, hence the pronounced rural-urban migration in the region. In the countryside, the options open to caboclos are generally more restricted, so they are still heavily steeped in tradition. When development projects, such as mineral operations, take root in a rural area, peasants flock to such activities in search of employment. Peasant society is thus far from static. Poles of dynamic economic activity are multiplying, such as the mineral complex at Cara*, and are changing people's perspectives on nature. Development often results in rising incomes, a flux of newcomers, and improved schooling opportunities. The amoebalike growth of such large-scale enterprises inevitably provokes environmental and cultural change. To understand better the rapidly changing face of the region's rural society, the historical origins of caboclo culture need to be examined. First, the racial makeup of the Amazonian population will he discussed to provide an idea of the appearance of caboclos. Then the religious beliefs of peasants will be explored because they are important in understanding

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the lore of the region. The educational experience of caboclos is also examined to underscore the caboclos' close ties with nature and the informal quality of their instruction. Finally, the socioeconomic milieu of peasants is introduced to highlight the relationship of peasants to middlemen and consumers and so that exploitation of forest products can be linked to regional and world markets. Most caboclos are to some degree Indian in ancestry. In many cases, peasants are of pure Indian extraction, although a generation may have passed since they lived in a tribal setting. In most instances caboclos of Italian heritage no longer speak their native tongue and the groups that their ancestors belonged to have long since disappeared. Almost half of the indigenous groups in Brazil that have brushed against civilization in this century became extinct within fifty years. Unlike aborigines in Latin American countries such as Mexico, Guatemala, and Peru, Brazilian Indians often lose their distinctive culture when touched by civilization. Only in the Rio Negro drainage do significant numbers of nontribal Indians still speak their languages as well as lingua geral, a lingua franca spoken by Indians and Portuguese during the colonial period. But even along the Negro, many acculturated Indians have adopted western clothing and live in houses similar to caboclos throughout Amazonia. The switch from communal life, often with many families occupying a large long house or maloca, to isolated homesteads is one reason that indigenous people discard so many of their unique cultural attributes. Ceremonial parties with ritualized dancing and singing no longer have any meaning, or carmot be conveniently arranged, when families are strung along rivers and streams. Missionaries encourage Indians to live as nuclear families in separate houses, to wear clothes, and to abandon customs related to their animistic religions. Aborigines are taught the gospel, Portuguese or Spanish, and sometimes technical skills such as carpentry, so that they can function more effectively in national society. Those not under the charge of missionaries pick up Portuguese or Spanish, sometimes both, in border areas with Brazil, through traders and by working with peasants. Caboclos of Indian extraction do not generally look back on their ancestry with pride; European culture is regarded as superior, even as it wreaks havoc with their ancestral lifeways and the environ-

BRAZZIL - NOVEMBER 1996


ment. Upon meeting a caboclo of obviously pure Indian background it is virtually impossible to tell from which tribe he or she may be descended. The woman will likely wear a simple cotton dress with a printed design purchased in a store or made from material bought in a kilo shop, where fabric is sold by weight. The man will likely wear a Seiko or Citizen watch from Manaus and be clad in a T-shirt, shorts, and plastic sandals. He may go much of the time bare-chested and while in the field wear a straw hat with a broad, slightly down-curving rim to shade his face from the fierce tropical sun and pelting rain. Baseball caps, often advertising major construction companies and stores, are more prestigious than straw hats, even though they offer less protection from the sun. Gone are the distinctive body paint or colorful bird feathers. The practice in some cultures of deforming the body by shaping heads, scarring females to enhance their beauty, or shaving men's facial hair, has ceased. The two other main racial ingredients in caboclo culture stem from Europe and Africa. The Portuguese quickly mingled with the natives to produce a mestizo population in Amazonia and throughout Brazil. European women were scarce during the early years of colonization of the New World in the sixteenth century. Far from discouraging interracial marriage, authorities in Brazil encouraged it. Indian women excited the passions of Portuguese settlers because of their smooth, well-rounded features unencumbered by clothes, and their sleek, black hair. Sexual liaisons were quickly initiated. In Amazonia, the European genetic influence has been strongest in the large towns. The Portuguese engaged mostly in commerce and the management of sugarcane plantations and cacao extraction near urban centers. Slave raiders and riverine traders were mainly responsible for miscegenation in rural areas during the early colonial period. Few Portuguese settled the land as small-scale farmers; racial mixing occurred on plantations, on sporadic trips to the interior to obtain spices, dyes, and wood for construction, and in towns. Belem, Amazonia's major city with more than a million inhabitants, was established in 1616 and soon acquired a mestizo population. The Spanish erected missions and trading posts in the forests of western Amazonia in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. Miscegenation was also rapid and widespread in that portion of the basin. Dutch, French, and English traded with natives of the lower Amazon for close to two centuries after the discovery of the New World until they were routed by the Portuguese and their Indian allies. Small groups of Flemish, English, and Irish even settled among tribes of the lower Amazon during the seventeenth century. Dutch and English

BRAZZIL - NOVEMBER 1996

adventurers planted sugarcane along th lower reaches ofthe Tocantins and Xing between 1580 and 1640 while Portuga fell under the Spanish crown. Gene from several European nations thu found their way into the regional population soon after contact. The Portuguese were delighted to find numerous tribes in Brazil in the sixteenth century. They thought that the natives would be useful in extracting forest products and would serve as a labor pool for plantations. Although the Indians generally traded if they were well treated, they abhorred the strenuous and regulated life of a plantation. Introduced diseases such as influenza and smallpox soon took a devastating toll among indigenous groups. The Portuguese then turned to Africa for workers. From approximately the middle of the sixteenth century until the nineteenth century, millions of Africans from such groups as the Bantu, Minas, Yorubas, Geges, and Haussas were imported into Brazil to toil on sugar, cacao, and tobacco plantations from Para to Sao Paulo. The precise dimension of the black slave trade to Brazil is disputed, but at least three million Africans lost their freedom to produce sugar, molasses, alcohol, and rolled tobacco and collect cacao beans in Brazil. The imprint of African culture is strongest along the Atlantic coast, especially in Bahia, where slaves were put to work on sugar plantations. In the eighteenth century, substantial numbers of slaves were sent to Minas Gerais to mine gold, but few Africans were shipped to the North because most settlers could not afford them. By one account, 50,910 Africans were imported into Amazonia between 1755 and 1815, but most authorities put the figure much lower. Slaves were imported to Belem beginning in 1690, but because of mismanagement of the trading company charged with organizing the slave traffic and settlers' financial difficulties, only a few thousand Africans had been forcibly sent to Para by 1750. Between 1757 and 1800, a total of 23,884 slaves were landed at Belem. It is probably safe to assert that no more than 30,000 Africans were taken to the Brazilian Amazon. Although the volume of slave traffic to the Amazon basin was small compared to other parts of Brazil and the New World, the slaves' cultural imprint has been appreciable. The indigenous and European population remained small during the approximately 150 years Africans were being imported to the Brazilian Amazon. Thus, although their numbers were modest, the imported slaves' ethnic contributions have been far from negligible. Furthermore, the ancestry of many of the rubber tappers who poured into the Amazon basin during the late 1800s and early twentieth century can be traced in part to Africa. African Brazilians account for less than 10 percent of the region's population,

but their cultural impact is felt, particularly in eastern Amazonia and in towns and cities. Most of the slaves ended up in Para, and some descendants of former slaves even set up small settlements, called quilombos, such as in the Trombetas watershed. In the Santarem area, inhabitants of quilombos in the forest of the Trombetas are reputed to have discovered plants that are efficacious in treating snake bites. The tempo of racial blending picked up in the nineteenth century when the rubber boom drew thousands of fortune seekers, particularly from the droughtplagued Northeast, into the humid valleys of Amazonia. In 1878 alone, some 50,000 drought victims fled Ceara to tap rubber trees in the jungles of the North. From 1850 to 1915, between 200,000, and 350,000 northeasterners, mostly of mixed ethnic background, poured into the region. When the Japanese cut off rubber supplies from plantations in Southeast Asia during the Second World War, a brief boom attracted an additional 15,000 Nordestinos to the Amazon to collect the milky latex of wild rubber trees. Those Amazonian Indians that did not flee deeper into the forest or die from gunfire or introduced diseases, frequently joined the rubber collecting economy and settled down with outsiders. Caboclos thus vary in physical appearance from swarthy European to black or Indian, with many combinations along the broad physiognomic spectrum. Brazil is a racial melting pot and ethnic segregation is weakly developed. Except for a handful of descendants of quilombo settlements along the Trombetas, black caboclos do not live in isolated villages and they freely intermarry with other peasants. It is true that African Brazilians rarely hold prominent positions of power, but they do not live in ghettoes. In the Brazilian Amazon, black caboclos are sometimes affectionately nicknamed preto (black) or preteio (big black) without incurring their wrath. Such nicknames are not intended as racial slurs. In neither the countryside nor urban areas is there any stigma attached to having a black neighbor. Although it would be naĂŻve to suggest that racial discrimination does not exist in Brazil, it is fair to say that racial tensions are negligible, at least in the Amazon. Although the racial heritage of Amazonian peasants varies, the indigenous element predominates. A caboclo, then, is more likely to have bronzed skin, high cheekbones set in a rounded face, and straight, black hair. Gray or white hair generally only manifests itself in the very late years: "premature" gray hair is virtually unheard of among caboclos and a source of some puzzlement to them when they see visiting scientists in their forties with a complete head of white hair. Peasants are also generally short and muscular. Their sturdy build

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reflects a well-rounded diet and an active, outdoor lifestyle. Hunting, fishing, and farming consume far more calories than sitting behind a keyboard. Obesity is rare among Amazonian peasants, and a generous girth is associated with prosperity and well-being, the opposite of the modern urban perception that being overweight is ugly and a symptom of a person who is unhappy and no longer in control of his or her _ life. Many religions have been grafted into caboclo culture, producing a fascinating array of interpretations of the supernatural. The intricate cosmologies of indigenous peoples that existed prior to contact with Europeans compose the basic stock of religious beliefs, particularly as they relate to lore. The precise number of tribes that thrived in Amazonia at the time of contact with the white man in the early sixteenth century is not known, but it must have totaled several hundred. As late as 1957, even after three hundred years of decimating slave raids and successive epidemics of introduced diseases, some ninety-four indigenous groups remained in the Brazilian Amazon alone. The numerous tribes belonged to many different linguistic families, such as Tupi, Carib, Aruak, Ge, and Tukano, and each group had its unique repertoire of myths and spiritual ideas. Although rain-forest cultures share many religious attributes, and some themes are common to the mythology of widely separated tribes, the religious life of these diverse groups differed considerably, as it does today. The role of images, incantations, hallucinogenic drugs, and the cast of characters in the supernatural order vary among indigenous groups. Different interpretations on the origin and purpose of humankind and people's relationships with the spirit world have greatly enriched the flavor of Amazonian lore. Many tribes have slid into oblivion, but some of their cosmological notions and tales have survived, albeit in altered form, and are still recounted by caboclos. The complex mosaic of Indian cultures in Amazonia has resulted in avast array of religious beliefs and practices, but certain common elements can be distilled from these colorful cosmologies. The spiritual plane, for example, intrudes on the lives of humans in a number of ways. Souls of those slain in battle trouble enemy warriors, and the spirits of those who have died at home plague villagers. Ceremonies are often prescribed to ward off angry or dissatisfied souls, and the location of a house may be shifted to escape unwelcome visits by the departed. Game, fish, and certain trees also harbor spirits that need to be respected if the flow of forest and aquatic products is to continue. People are not free to exploit animals and plants at whim; they do not belong to humans. Excessive greed during

56

hunts, for example, is likely to be punished by supernatural game wardens. Such notions regarding the dangerous attributes of the souls of those who have died violently and ideas about spirit protectors of plants and animals are an integral part of caboclo lore. Intermediaries between the physical and ethereal worlds occupy prominent positions in tribal societies ofAmazonia, as is the case among aboriginal groups throughout the world. Shamans are responsible for deciphering the causes of sickness and curing patients, and they are expected to pinpoint propitious times for launching attacks on enemies. Shamans, of which there may be several in an Indian group, take drugs to contact spirits for information and advice. Hunters, for example, consult shamans for suggestions as to the most likely place to find game and fish. Caboclos also seek mediums for help, though the latter do not usually imbibe or inhale hallucinogenic compounds in their trade. A folk curer can be male or female and is known variously as a paje, curador, curandeiro, or curandeira. Strictly speaking, a paje is an Indian shaman operating in a tribal setting. But peasants call some curers pajes even if they practice in urban settings. Apaje would, however, be expected to use more rituals and ingredients from indigenous medicine, whereas a curandeiro employs a blend of indigenous and African and European folk medicines. A more modest curer who relies on prayers, rather than on tobacco smoke and various herbal remedies, is referred to as a rezador or benzedor (blesser). Distinctions between such healers are not sharp, particularly in rural and village life in today's fast-changing Amazon. Accordingly, terms for curers are used more or less interchangeably. Rural and urban folk consult pajes for advice in matters of love and finance and for the treatment of conditions attributed to evil influences. Curandeiras or curandeiros may be married or single and may reside in towns or in the countryside. If the fame of a curer grows, he or she may move to a town to facilitate their access to a larger clientele. Only the most famous pajes ply their trade full time; most farm, fish, and hunt if they are men, or gather forest products, work on farms, and run households if they are women. Peasant shamans dress in an undistinguished manner. One cannot tell simply by looking at a caboclo whether he or she is a medium. Pajes act as brokers between the land of the living and the next world. They relay messages between the dead and those still on earth, seek the help of spirits in changing the fortunes of their customers, and are well acquainted with the vast number of plants deemed to contain properties that ward off evil and cure the sick. Unlike shamans in some aboriginal cultures, however, caboclo curers are not feared. Sorcery is not the

art of curandeiros; they are healers, using their divinely bestowed powers in the service of humankind. Pajes are respected and generally admired by peasants and urban folk and normally receive a modest payment for their efforts, in the form of either cash or produce. It is considered inappropriate to set fees in advance or to demand payment, because the medium's power is thought to be a gift from above that should not be exploited for profit. Pajes provide a striking example of the meshing of native religions and Christianity. Many tribes subscribed to monotheism when they first met priests in the sixteenth century. Tupan, for example, was the supreme celestial being of the now-extinct Tupinamba tribe. The Christian idea of a conflict between God and Lucifer, the fallen angel who became the devil, is mirrored in aboriginal myths about heavenly twins, often the sun and the moon, who sometimes fight. Most caboclos recognize Christ as the supreme power of good in the universe. Roman Catholic saints and the Virgin Mary work in tandem with various Indian spirits in the eyes of most peasants; all are called upon by curers for help. The divine hierarchy of Catholicism is superimposed on the animated world of the Indians, but saints have not replaced the culture heroes and spirits that manipulate the fortunes of people. Several aspects of native religions and Christianity coincide, but they are not entirely compatible. The meeting of religions produced conflicts as well as syncretism. The early explorers, such as Orellana and Cabral, were often accompanied by priests or friars. Evangelism and the search for new riches went hand in hand. One of the first tasks of Portuguese and Spanish adventurers upon arriving at a native village was to erect a tall wooden cross. Various Roman Catholic orders, particularly the Jesuits, Franciscans, Capuchins, Carmelites, and Mercedarians, established missions in the Amazon between the sixteenth and nineteenth centuries. Missionary orders differed with respect to style and color of their habits, the order and duration of services, and the language of instruction. But they all had a similar impact on native cultures. Indians were brought into new settlements, preferably clustered near the church or chapel. The consumption of alcoholic beverages, made traditionally by fermenting manioc or maize, was discouraged. Nudity or parsimonious clothing and the reverence of pagan images were anathema to the new religious leaders. Nevertheless, congregational singing and the sprinkling of saintly images in chapels echoed some of the attributes of native religions. Missionaries inevitably suffered great hardships and setbacks. Sometimes people rose up against the priests and killed or expelled them. Friars often succumbed to fevers and other diseases in pioneer areas where medical care was rudimentary even by colonial standards.

BRAZZIL - NOVEMBER 1996


In spite of the many obstacles, priests penetrated deep into Amazonia along the meandering water courses. Their impact on native cultures was profound and far-reaching. Although aboriginal societies were forever altered when they were baptized by missionaries, it is not fair to pin all of the blame for the rapid deculturation of Indian groups after contact on priests. In many cases, missionaries acted as buffers between the appetite of Portuguese plantation owners for slaves and the desire of the fathers to keep their villages intact so that the gospel could be preached more effectively. Jesuits, in particular, often resisted the efforts of slave raiders to siphon off Indians. The Marquis of Pombal successfully urged King Jose of Portugal to expel the Jesuits from Brazil in 1759 because they were obstructing the efforts of plantation owners to obtain free labor. The relentless spread of the Christian faith has continued to the present. Along the Rio Negro, for example, Salesians provide biblical and primary school instruction to Indian children who board in missions located in Barcelos, Tapurucuara, and Sao Gabriel da Cachoeira. Priests from other Italianbased orders and from the Brazilian Catholic church make periodic visits to remote headwaters to administer to Indians and peasants. More recently, various Protestant sects have made impressive numbers of converts in Amazon towns and in the countryside. The New Tribes Mission and the Summer Institute of Linguistics have been active among Indians, and the Assemblies of God, Baptists, Lutherans, Presbyterians, Methodists, and Adventists have been busy establishing churches among caboclos. Most peasants in Amazonia are still nominally Catholic, but the overlay of fundamental Christian sects is gradually changing the flavor of caboclo culture. The doctrines of Pentecostal groups are far less compatible with Indian concepts of spirituality than the teachings of the Vatican. Evangelical Christians look askance at images, whether of the Virgin Mary or sacred flutes, as well as at smoking. Many Pentecostal Christians do not regard Catholics as brothers in Christ, and the Pope is the devil incarnate to some. Respect for saints' days is thus ridiculed by Baptists, for example, and Adventists toil on Sundays to the shock of Catholics. In a small village it is not uncommon now to find a Catholic chapel and several gospel halls built by various fundamental Protestant sects all vying for worshippers on Sundays. Open animosity between Catholics and Protestants is rare in Amazonia, but the nature of peasant culture is certainly being changed by the inroads made by aggressive revivalist groups. Whereas the impact of Christianity on the religious life of Amazonia has been enormous, the influence of African

BRAZZIL - NOVEMBER 1996

cosmologies has been less marked, par African Brazilian medium enter a trance ticularly in the countryside. African Bra in the Tocantins river town of Maraba. zilian cults in Brazil are strongest i She was an old woman of modest means Bahia, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo; i who left her farm along the Tocantins Amazonia, they are evident mainly i when her husband died. In Maraba, the the larger towns and cities. In urba gentle, soft-spoken lady with grizzled areas, the gods of African slaves hay hair and wrinkled face was known to be left a strong imprint on the regiona adept at contacting the spirit world. Alculture; witness, for example, the hug4 though I was only able to decipher a few throngs of people from all social leveli verses spoken by the medium while in a that gather on the Ponta Negra beach o trance in the living room of a friend's the outskirts of Manaus on New Year' house, the message uttered by two spirEve. Men and women, clad in white its indicate a blending of African and dance to the syncopated rhythm of tam Indian notions about the supernatural. A bourines and bongo drums until man dolphin spirit spoke thus: fall into trances. Dolls representin I come from Maraca Iemanja, the goddess of water, are place I am a little girl dolphin on model boats and launched on the I have come to play murky surface of the Negro. Africa Two species of dolphins are comgods are often reconciled with Catholi mon in the lakes and rivers of the region, icons; for example, Iemanja is associ with the larger pink dolphin occurring ated with the Virgin Mary. Fair-skinne in a wider range of habitats. Known and tall images of Iemanjรก ador locally as bolo, the pink dolphin figures umbanda stores, which specialize i prominently in peasant lore because it charms and herbal remedies. Gracefu allegedly transforms into human form. lemanja echoes aboriginal concepts o Pink dolphins can be malevolent and water nymphs in Amazonia as well a impregnate unsuspecting young ladies. European ideas on mermaids. All thre The smaller gray dolphin, called tucuxi, supernatural aquatic females have foun is considered a friend, and stories are niches in the regional lore. told ofthe social animals nudging people The most widespread African Bra to shore to prevent them from drowning. zilian cult in Amazonia is batuque. Ses The next spirit to speak up claimed sions are held at night in simple, open-ai to be a man: huts in urban areas where people sing I come from the middle of the ocean dance, and slip into trances. MediumI am Jose Tupinambci call upon African deities to help cus I am a caboclo tomers tackle their day-to-day problems I am from the middle of the ocean In rural areas, curers may also invok There is a rock that does not reach African spiritual forces as well as thos the bottom belonging to aboriginal religions an Evidently the spirit dwells on a rock Christianity. Batuque mediums are of in the Atlantic that is not attached to the ten elderly black women who pray t ocean floor. The second verse illustrates Catholic saints and communicate wit the mixing of Indian and African spiriOld and New World spirits. tualism as well as the stamp of ChrisIn practice, considerable variation is tianity. Oceans figure prominently in noted among African Brazilian religious the spiritual life of African Brazilians, a cults in Amazonia and elsewhere. Prac- reflection of the longing of slaves to titioners of African Brazilian religions return to their homeland from which call their groups by various names, in they were so rudely torn. Jose is Portupart a reflection of the diverse spiritual guese for Joseph, a biblical name, and traditions of the ancestors of black Bra- Tupinamba is the name of a now-vanzilians. In Macapa, for example, the ished tribe that lived along the coast of leader of one African Brazilian "church" Brazil. ( terreiro) was born in Belem but reUmbanda shops visited by both ruceived her training in Sao Luis, ral and urban folk typify the hybrid Maranhao. Mae Dulce has presided over nature of Amazonian religious life. FigTerreiro Santa Barbara in Macapa, the ures of Indians resplendent with capital of Amapa territory, for more than multihued feathers, elderly black men, a decade and attends to clients from blond nymphs, and hand-painted Cathorural areas as well. Terreiro Santa lic saints adorn the shelves ofsuch stores Barbara is a simple brick addition to the and compete for the attention of custommedium's home where the congregation ers. People from all walks of life enter gathers and where Mae Dulce has a pri- umbanda shops to purchase powders, vate consultation room. The terreiro ' lotions, and assorted herbal and animalcontains life-sized statues of several based remedies designed to purge the black, Indian, and Caucasian spirits as body of evil influences, provide a tonic, well as an altar crowded with various or kindle the passions of a desired partimages, including Saint George, Saint ner. Folk curers may prescribe commerSebastian, and Tema*. Mae Dulce treats cially produced concoctions for their the supernatural afflictions of hunters patients; these packaged items are made and fishermen, indicating that she has mainly in Belem from roots, flowers, acquired a blend of indigenous, African, bark, leaves, essential oils, and various and Christian approaches to healing. other ingredients. Many of the lotions One evening in 1979, I watched an contain alcohol; the powerful smell of

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this ingredient is thought to be helpful in warding off evil. The juxtaposition of vivid symbols and paraphernalia from various religions is not at all incongruous to locals. In peasant society the similarities, rather than differences, between spiritual beliefs are emphasized. Indian, African, and Christian notions about the realm beyond the five senses are perceived as variations of a theme. Roles in the supernatural play are interchangeable. Another major reason the Amazon region is such a rich depository of folklore is that most of the population has had a limited formal education. Wherever people are largely illiterate and still rural, the importance of storytelling remains strong. Most peasants have had no more than one or two years of primary school instruction. Many cannot read or write. Schools in the interior are scattered sparingly and function sporadically. Most rural schools consist simply of a thatch roof with open sides, a blackboard, and a few wooden benches without back supports. Teachers are poorly and irregularly paid, so absenteeism among instructors is nearly as chronic as it is among pupils. On the floodplains of major rivers, schools shut down for several months at high water because they become partially submerged. A desire to improve the educational opportunities of children is one of the main propelling forces behind rural-urban migration in the region. Peasants realize that literacy is vital if their offspring are to have a better standard of living. Amazonian peasants are by and large illiterate, but they possess the skills to make a living from the land and waters. Instruction by parents in hunting, fishing, and farming techniques begins at an early age. Boys are usually fishing with a handline when they are five years old, and by the time they reach their teens, they are likely to be proficient in several other fishing methods, such as the bow and arrow, the pole, and gill nets. Preteen girls help their mothers in farming chores, such as weeding vegetable nurseries, or in preparing manioc flour, a basic staple. The hut where starchy manioc roots are peeled, grated, and sifted and where the dough is agitated over a large, hot griddle provides a convenient setting for gossip and discussions about unusual events, such as ghostly apparitions. Daily contact with untamed waters and forest, rather than the classroom, accounts for the keen interest in the supernatural. Historically, settlement and cultural interaction in Amazonia have been especially intense along rivers that provide easy avenues for dispersal and trade. Rivers provide protein from fish, turtles, and the succulent flesh of the capybara, the world's largest rodent. The generous floodplains of silt-laden rivers are fertile ground for annual and tree crops. Maize, beans, vegetables, sweet potato,

58

and manioc are planted at low water and harvested when the rivers swell. Bush and tree crops are cultivated on the higher parts of the floodplain and in upland areas for both subsistence and cash income. Indian populations were especially dense along the margins of rivers. After contact many died out, while survivors fled into the forest or remained to participate in the emerging economic system. The new economic order was based mainly on plant and animal products collected in the wild and the growing of food for urban centers. De-tribalized Indians and mestizos soon fell under the control of traders who sold goods to customers at inflated prices in return for natural products. This arrangement, known as the aviamento system, prevails in the more isolated parts of the region to this day. Clients are practically locked into perpetual debt to their patron, known as patrdo in the Brazilian Amazon. Traders claim that substantial price markups on manufactured goods they carry are warranted because of high transportation costs. In former times, clients who attempted to flee an area before settling their accounts were persecuted and even killed. The trader operates either from a makeshift hut in upland areas or from a boat or a general store erected on a raft of logs. The raft is usually moored at the confluence of two water courses, or at the entrance to a lake, to take advantage of river traffic. A small warehouse on the raft is used to store rubber, hides, and dried fish as well as kerosene and diesel oil. Caboclos complain about the high prices charged for goods such as coffee, sugar, and powdered milk, but there is little point in moving to a different river where another patrao eagerly awaits new customers. The trader travels periodically to cities, such as Manaus, Santarem, or Belem, to negotiate deals with wholesalers interested in forest products. Pioneer highways that slice across Amazonia have opened up fresh opportunities for entrepreneurs. Although the grip of the aviamento system eases along the new roads because of the increased competition between merchants, the same cycle of indebtedness often takes root. Some store owners along pioneer highways do not wish to play the traditional role of a patrao and post a sign explaining: Fiado, so amanhd (credit, only tomorrow). Cooperatives, which promise to liberate peasants from the clutches of patrons, rarely work, because few small farmers or extractivists have managerial experience and most are too poor to join and maintain them. In areas where credit has been made available to small-scale farmers, such as along the Transamazon Highway, peasants frequently fall into arrears with banks. The aviamento system may seem harsh, but financial institutions are no less kind to defaulters than river barons.

Talk of foreclosure and letters from irate bankers that are illegible to the recipient are at least as threatening as an admonishment from a patrao weary of listening to excuses. Before proceeding to an examination of the regional lore, a few words are in order about the rural economy. On the floodplain, people plant crops as the waters recede, usually beginning in June along the Amazon and its southern tributaries. Fish catches are highest at low water because the fish are more concentrated in lakes and channels. The drier months are thus the season of plenty. When river levels rise, annual crops must be harvested promptly. At high water, which lasts roughly from February to May or June along the Amazon, catches are modest because the fish are dispersed across the broad floodplains. The diet of peasants on the floodplain is also relatively poor in fresh food, except for fruits harvested from home gardens and gathered in forests and vegetables grown in raised beds. Those small farmers who also raise cattle on the Amazon floodplain have three options when the waters rise: rent pasture on 'upland sites; build a floating corral (maromba); or, if they live along the border between uplands and floodplain, construct a small corral (caicara) for their livestock by the water's edge. The latter two options require the gathering of floating grasses twice a day for the restricted animals. Marombas and waterline corrals are the traditional approach to managing small cattle herds. Wealthier individuals on the Amazon floodplain generally concentrate on cattle production and typically own artificial pastures on uplands. The agricultural calendar for the uplands, or terra firme, differs from the farming cycle on floodplains. While people plant crops in alluvial soils of the Amazon and its southern tributaries in July and August, farmers on the uplands generally clear forest or second growth for burning. When caboclos gather their harvests on floodplains from December to March, peasants on the uplands are planting their crops in the ash-enriched soils of slash-and-burn fields. Whether on the floodplain or uplands, the settlement pattern is usually dispersed. Although some parts of the Amazon basin are experiencing rapid population growth, such as Rondonia and southeastern Para, the overall population density of the region is still low. Extensive stands of forest and endless lakes and side channels are a propitious setting for a rich collection of lore. Excerpted from The Enchanted Amazon Rain Forest â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Stories from a Vanishing World by Nigel J. H. Smith, University Press of Florida, 1996, 194 p

BRAZZIL - NOVEMBER 1996


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