Brazzil - Year 9 - Number 137 - May 1997

MUSIC: CLAUDINHO, SALGUEIRO'S GIFT TO THE UNITED STATES

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STORY: TEIRO LOBATO

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a thaliaproduction BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

It hasn't been the smoothest ride for the Brazilian fledgling democracy. While all eyes were turned to Brasilia, where somber congressmen interrogated bankers, bureaucrats and fronts in a countrywide scandal involving municipal bonds, a videotape very similar to the one that revealed the Los Angeles police brutality against Rodney King, showed up on prime-time Brazilian TV. Served with dinner there was the police

abusing, beating, extorting, and killing. Used to TV shows in which the cameras follow the police action, putting doors down and menacing suspects, the Brazilian people this time didn't buy the common argument that these people are outlaws and they deserve what they are getting. What they saw in the video from Diadema, Sao Paulo, and then a few days later in another one from Rio, was the barbaric action of police officers against people whose only crime was to live in a shantytown neighborhood. Are we next? That seems to be the question that made the country feel so outraged. We take an in-depth look at the

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CONTENTS

Cover

Police violence: the cops from hell

http:fiwww.brazzilcom subject and examine this military regime legacy, a police prepared to combat urban guerilla that have not adapted to the new Brazilian reality. Our editorial pages were ready for printing when came word that some well-to-do youngsters from Brasilia had put an Indian on fire while he slept on a bus stop. "We thought he was a beggar," they explained. The risk here is to spend too much time being outraged without time left to do something about it. R.M.

35 Travel

Brazil, a planet still unexplored

12 Law & Order

40

Police force with an Army mentality

20

Music

Claudinho brings north his cavaquinho

Cover by AyIan Mello

Behavior

Gays are buying respectability

23 Profile

Elton, a Mineiro who made it in Hollywood

28 Short story

Monteiro Lobato's "0 Colocador de Pronomes"

44 Book

A double review on Clarice Lispector's Cronicas

54 Special

Ghosts and spirits of the Amazon rainforest

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Publisher and Editor Rodney Mello / Entertainment Editors: Sam & Harriet Robbins / Book Review: Bondc Wyszpolski / Music Editor: Bruce Gilman / Representatives: MIAMI : Nosso Guia (305) 374-0096 - Valeria Mendes (Calendar) / BRAZIL: Celso Sawaia (011) 885-9288 E- mail: csawaiaŠbrhomeshopping.Com.br BRAZZIL (ISSN 1091-868X) is published monthly by Brazzil - 2039 N. Ave. 52, Los Angeles, CA, 90042-1024. Periodicals Postage rate paid at Los Angeles, CA. Single copy sold for $2. One year subscription for 12 issues is $3 (three dollars) in the U.S., $15 in Canada and Mexico, and $18 (surface mail) in all other countries. No back issues sold. Allow 5 to 7 weeks to receive your first issue. You may quote from or reprint any of the contents with proper copyright credit. Editorial submissions are welcome. Include a SASE (self addressed and stamped envelope) if you want your material mailed back. Brazzil assumes no responsibility for any claims made by its advertisers. POST MASTER : Please, send address changes to: BRAZZIL - P.O. Box 42536 - Los Angeles, CA - 90050-0536 BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

5

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The Man Who Invented Globo For 12 years, from 196 to 1977, Walter Clark was the emperor of Brazilian TV. Invited b Globo TV's owner Roberto Marinho to manage his fledgling television station, Clark would transform it into a virtual monopoly. In 1965, Globo had a mere 9 percent of the Brazilian audience pie. By 1977, when Clark was fired allegedly for alcohol and cocaine abuse, the share of the Rio TV station had skyrocketed to 80 percent. Far from power for so many years, Clark ended up dying alone at age 60 in his penthouse in Fonte da Saudade, a neighborhood on the southern side of Rio, the same apartment used for Arnaldo Jabor's movie Eu Te Amo (I Love You). Cause of death: a heart attack caused by a hypertension crisis. He was the creator of programs like Fantastic° and Globo Reporter, which are still very successful. It was also his idea to sandwich the prime-time news show Jornal Nacional between two novelas (soap operas). Not that good at programming, he invited Jose Bonifacio de Oliveira Sobrinho, the Boni, to help him. Together they formed the team known as Boni and Clark, an allusion to the Arthur Penn movie Bonnie and Clyde. Clark

6

Right to Bare All Some Brazilian women and gays alike have complained about the unfairness between sexes. While in Brazil there are plenty of women revealing it all for men to see, man as object is still a much rarer commodity in the country. Answering then: prayers, SG Editora is bringing out a new publication this month called Homem, whose main purpose is to show men in every conceivable state of undress. It is more than a little ironic that the same name was used for many years by Brazilian Playboy, since the generals that governed the country wouldn't allow the real name to show on the cover. "Homem is a magazine for all those who love naked males," says Marcelo Moraes, who acknowledges that their main public will be the gay community. Ever-popular macho man soccer player Renato Portaluppi, better known as Renato Gaficho, was contacted to be the premiere issue's coverboy. There was just a little detail delaying a final OK: $1 million. That's what Rio's Fluminense club player had asked for to bare himself in front of the camera. The fledgling publication was trying to get a sponsor to raise the amount. The rumors about the possible deal, however, worked as a publicity stunt, at least. In Brazil the appearance of naked men on prime-time soap operas has been frequent, although far from routine, as it is for naked women. In Rio, plays and shows exhibiting naked bodies are common. The Os Leopar os show, for example, in which one of the performers strode the stage with a full erection, was a gay and straight couple's tourist attraction for years. Edson Celulari, one of the country's most respected theater-movie-and-TV actors, has often been in the buff in novelas (soap operas) and on stage. He even stirred some controversy interpreting Emperor Caligula in the play cf same name. "Censorship against the naked body comes from Adam and Eve times," he says. "As an actor, I haVe to work the human nature, be it morally, psychologically or physically." Celulari is now shooting Jorge Amado's Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos (Madam Flor and Her Two Husbands) in which he plays the rascal Vadinho. The actor complains, "I am having trouble with the naked scenes. There are too many curious people around." The male nakedness has of late invaded movie theaters, which are exhibiting 0 Homem Nu (The Naked Man). Directed by Hugo Carvana and based on a short story by Fernando Sabino, 0 Homem Nu tells the adventures of a man who after a night of love with his lover goes out of his apartment to pick up the morning home-delivered bread and gets locked outside. Claudio Marzo, the film's protagonist, complains about all the fuss about the naked body: "We have a highly moralistic society elulan as Caligula that sees immorality in the genitalia. This is stupid Men are all born naked. They only die dressel."

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Promised Land Brazil's most-respected polling organizaIt was the biggest protest Brasilia has tion, shows the MST is riding wave of seen since President Fernando Henrique popularity. Eighty-eight perce t of BraCardoso's inauguration on January 1995. zilians believe that all unprodu tive land On March 17, after a two-month march in should be confiscated and gi en to the three distinct columns coming from landless. And 85 percent thin that land Governador Valadares (Minas Gerais), invasion, as long as there is no-v olence, is Rondonopolis (Mato Grosso), and Sao a valid way of pressuring the g vernment Paulo, a crowd of 2,000 landless peasants, into action. under torrential rains, waving red flags, and The landless, according tizi. political holding knifes and sickles, entered the capiobservers, have become the only effective tal in triumph. and organized opposition to thl e governThe marchers were received with flowment in Brazil these days. T ey know ers, food and applause, and soon another their power and intend to in rease the 30,000 people, mostly workers, joined in a rhythm of land invasions. parade that took over the Praca dos Tres There are 44,000 families c mping on Poderes (Three Powers Square). And unproductive lands right now. he MST, Cardoso, who had hoped and bet the protest which i celebratwouldn't come that ing its 156 annifar, opened the door versary this year, of his cabinet to reintend to raise ceive the leaders of this n mber to the MST (Movimen200,00 by year's to dos Trabalhadoend. res Rurais Sem-TerThe opposira — Landless Rution pa ies on the ral Workers Moveleft are hurriedly ment). trying ta jump on From the Presitheir b ndwagon. dent, the organizers PT (P rtido dos got a promise to do Trabal adores — his best to convince Workers Party) the legislators to leader and twiceapprove projects presidential canthat will accelerate didate Luiz Inacio the agrarian reform da Silva, better process. Less than known as Lula, rehappy after talking ceived the marchto Cardoso, Jodo *,.* I Quoin sio e o quo quorum os sem-torn! , ers with a cheerStedile, Pedro ing and opportunMST's intellectual ist speech: "This act is the o position's leader, told reporters what he said to the answer so the President will not. ce that we President, "We came here to tell you what exist." And he went on: "The 994 elecpeople think about your government and tions were held not to elect a onarch, a that your puxa-sacos (brown-noses, literdespot, a dictator." ally scrotum pullers) don't tell you." AlMST leader Jose Rainha &dor was ways the diplomat, sociologist Fernando even more incisive and much 1 ss forgivHenrique didn't miss a beat or a smile and ing when addressing Agrari n Reform cooed: "If I weren't sitting in this chair I Minister Raul Jungmann: " ook here, would be out there with you." Jungmann, you scoundrel. y u said we A poll by IBOPE (Instituto Brasileiro de would not make half of our arch, but Opinido PUblica e Estatistica — Brazilian here we are today." Institute of Public Opinion and Statistics),

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

never forgave Boni the man responsible for the so-called Globo standard of quality — for taking up his post when he left. A womanizer, Clark had affairs with dozens of women, among them actresses Dina Sfat and Sonia Braga. He also married four times and had children with all his wives, producing a total of five offspring. After leaving Globo, he tried several comebacks with other TV stations without success. Friends say he had gone back to drinking over the last few months.

No-Go for Brazil The recent premature return of the Columbia space shuttle due to an energy generator problem left many experiments incomplete, including the first one by Brazilian scientists. The researchers hoped to accelerate the study of the Chagas' disease caused by the parasite Trypanosoma cruzi, which afflicts 20 million people in Latin America. The work had been prepared by Sao Carlos USP (Silo Paulo University) Laboratorio de Cristalografia de Proteinas (Protein Crystallography Laboratory) in partnership with the Alabama University. The disappointment, however, was short lived. NASA has promised that the whole experiment will be reconducted when the next shuttle mission is launched on May 15, and then once again when Columbia goes back to space on June 15.

bituary

The Godfather Is Gone The latest figures from IBGE (Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia Estatistica -- Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics) show that Brazil's GNP (Gross National Product) grew 2.9% in 1996, raising it to $752 billion. This slow growth is disappointing and didn't even keep pace with 1995 (4.3%) and 1994 (6.0%), which were not considered so great either. The per capita income is now $4,764 a year, meaning that every Brazilian would have a monthly check of $397 if the money were shared equally among the population.

No More Toil Retiring from public service with full pension after just 11 years of work? Typical Brazilian perk you might think. That's what happened to Domitila and Dona Beja, two hard workers at Rio's Conlurb. But these two worked as mules. In reality they were mules, the last two that were being used to collect trash in Rio de Janeiro. A tractor will now take their places. In the Zoo, where they will spend their golden years, Beja and Domitila were received with cheers and a hay cake.

So Far from Brazil Coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, the man behind Brazil's victory in soccer's World Cup in Los Angeles in 1994, is feeling at home in New York, where he moved

It was a farewell worth of a Mafia novel or movie. Castor de Andrade, 71, Rio's once all-powerful jogo do bicho (animal numbers game) capo was still on deathwatch vigil at Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel samba school when word came that his private safe had been cracked. The culprit: Ana Cristina Bastos Moreira, 34, the mother of the bicheiro's two youngest sons and his lover for the past 17 years. The couple had recently reconciled but were not living together. A year ago Ana Cristina accused Castor of murders and police bribery. He responded by charging that she promoted sexual orgies with plenty of cocaine in front of her small children. Since 1993, after being condemned by Judge Denise Frossard for racketeering and creation of an armed gang, Castor's power had diminished considerably. Due to his ill health he was serving his prison sentence at home.

The Lowdown The jogo do bicho has become a national institution, but it is in Rio that the illegal activity thrives in conjunction with the traffic of drugs. The animal lottery has daily drawings and people can participate with as little as 25 cents. In the big cities, number runners come to the offices to get bets and pay the prizes, which range from $5,000 to $100,000. The informal system has as much credibility as the legal lottery. The jogo do bicho started as an innocent pastime for visitors to the Rio Zoo. In creating the lottery in 1888, Baron Joao Batista Viana Drummond wanted to raise funds to maintain the place. The tickets carried the image of 25 different animals. The prize was 20 times the price of the ticket. Soon the game would hit the streets. Even though it's been illegal since 1945, the game's popularity continues unabated 'til this day. Many Brazilians know by heart all the animals and the numbers connected to them. It is because of this alphabetical list, for example, that the number 24 (veaa'o = deer, but also homosexual) in Brazil is synonymous of queer. Here is the complete list: 1. Avestruz (ostrich) 01 2. Aguia (eagle) 05 3. Burro (donkey) 09 4. Borboleta (butterfly) 13 5. Cachorro (dog) 17 6. Cabra (she-goat) 21 7. Carneiro (sheep) 25 8. Camelo (camel) 29 9. Cobra (snake) 33 10. Coelho (rabbit) 37 11. Cavalo (horse) 41 12. Elefante (elephant) 45 13. Gab o (rooster) 49 14. Gato (cat) 53 IS. Jacare (cayman) 57 16. Ledo (lion) 61 17. Macaco (monkey) 65 18. Porco (pig) 69 19. Pavao (peacock) 73 20. Peru (turkey) 77 21. Touro (bull) 81 22. Tigre (tiger) 85 23. Urso (bear) 89 24. Veado (deer) 93 25. Vaca (cow) 97

02 06 10 14 18 22 "?6 30 34 38 42 46 50 54 58 6? 66 70 74 78 8? 86 90 94 98

03 07 11 15 19 23 27 31 35 39 43 47 51 55 59 63 67 71 75 79 83 87 91 95 99

04 08 1? 16 20 24 28 32 36 40 44 48 52 56 60 64 68 72 76 80 84 88 92 96 00

recently. He is the MetroStars soccer team's new coach and his mission is to make them the next national champion. d Accustomed to less wellbehaved fan crowds, Parreira is mostly impressed by the Yankee fans' civility and good manners. "These are educated and nonviolent people. It is a public who is looking to be entertained. They come to the games with their wives and children. This is not like Brazil."

Cities Inflation Since 1940 the number of municipalities in Brazil has more than tripled. From 1,574 in 1940, they increased to 4,189 by 1988. Since then, thanks to a new constitution that makes it much easier for cities to incorporate as townships, this process has accelerated. Brazil today has 5,508 municialities. But many of the new communities are already broke since they were counting on increased help from the federal government, something that never materialized.

Big, But Small Brazil comes in 10th place in the world among countries with the largest number of cellular phones, after the U.S., Japan, England, Italy, Germany, Australia, Canada, South Korea and Sweden. According to the Washington Post, with 2 million cellulars Brazilians are placed right after Sweden, which has 2.2 million. There is a small difference, however. While 24.4% of Swedes own cellular phones (the highest ratio in the world), in Brazil a mere 1.2% of the population have them. Good news for AT&T and its foes. BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Wife for Sale Are you a man looking for "a live and gorgeous woman who will make you a true man"? That is the question Colognebased, German matchmaking agency Brasil Exclusiv asked its clients who were in search of a companion. For those who said yes they offered a $100 videotape in which Brazilian women strut their goodies in revealing bikinis. The next step for those interested in one of the women profiled is to have her flown to his home in Germany for the amount of $5,000. Norbert Kellner, the German entrepreneur who created the service, is himself married to a Brazilian. The German police, however, suspects that what he is peddling is prostitution in disguise and started investigating his company. German women are also fuming at Kellner. On Brasil Exclusiv's pamphlets he describes German women as "gray and sad rats, tasteless and lifeless people."

On Top Census data from 1990 recently published by USA Today show that Portuguese is spoken by 429,860 people in the U.S., enough to make it the 10th most popular foreign language in the country. It loses only to Spanish (17,339,172), French (1,702,176), German (1,547,099) Italian (1,308,648), Chinese (1,249,213)0 Tagalog (843,251), Polish (723,483), Korean (626,478), and Vietnamese (507,069).

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Blue Hot Rhythm Even before releasing its first CD, the Paulista (from So Paulo) band known by the mean-nothing weird moniker Os Virguloides has become a sensation, rising to the top of the charts all over the country. This by the sheer strength of their contagious sound and without any help from marketing or payola. Originally from the poor neighborhood of Cidade Dutra, in the southern zone of So Paulo, the band (Paulo Jiraya, Beto DeMoreaux, and Henrique Lima) with irreverence and risque lyrics mixes samba and rock in a combination that is captivating the younger public. Virguloides, their first CD, is now out. The disc's hottest cut is Bagulho no Bumba (Joint in the Bus) that uses a public domain melody sung by soccer fans and lots of slang practiced in the suburbs. A sample: , Nessa bumba Eu ndo ando mais Acharam um bagulho No banco de tras 0 motorista se levantou Falou que o bagulho Era do cobrador E o cobrador Muito invocado ,Falou que o bagulho E de quem ta sentado E, e, e, Eu acho que o bagulho E de quem tá de pe!

In this bus I don't ride anymore They have found a join On the back seat The driver got up, Said that the joint Was from the fare collector The fare collector Mad as a hornet Said that the joint Is from those sitting down Yeah, yeah, yeah I think that the joint If from those standing up

Send the Brazilians Now An American from Saint Croix in the Virgin Islands and based in Los Angeles, Jasmin St Claire, 24, fell in love with Brazilian men. She went to Brazil in March to launch The World's Largest Gangbang II, the movie in which she stars, and is going back there this month to shoot another film. This time with Brazilian actors. Actors? Maybe we are stretching the term a little too much here. St Claire, you see, is a porno star. All the hoopla around her trip to Brazil has to do with the record the blue actress has established after taking in 300 volunteer men — 100 of them penetrated her, the other 200 were only offered oral release — in a little less than ten ours in the above-mentioned work, which in Brazil is being called 0 Major Filme do Mundo (The World's Greatest Film). The previous record holding, Anabel Chong, made it with a mere 250 men. Jasmin got $60,000 for her interpretation, a hefty $200 per john. Inquiring Brazilian reporters didn't disappoint porno fans worldwide. "During the record breaking action have you used any protection for your vagina?" one journalist candidly asked. "During break times I used ice bags over my vagina to alleviate the pain," was the answer. In an interview with CNT TV, Jasmin, who lists reading French existentialists as one of her hobbies, invited the show host as well as all the spectators to go to bed with her. In her upcoming Brazilian porno flick, St. Claire will not be breaking any records. Only 33 men will be having a close Getting her prize encounter with her. amnia

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Diadema, Sao Paulo

Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro

A secretly filmed videotape showing torture and death by police hands is provoking a loud national search of conscience in Brazil. Once again, violence has drawn the world's attention to the country. Police massacres of street children, landless peasants, and prisoners have stirred some passion before. But for many Brazilians, those victims were all outlaws and the prevailing feeling has been that "criminals should die," despite the fact that the country does not have capital punishment. The novelty in the latest scene of police barbarism is not only that people could see the violence with their own eyes but also the awareness now that "police are coming to take us honest citizens." ELMA LIA NASCIMENTO

10 BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

with him in the blitz from hell w could this —My prick, man. My prick, you are now jailed at the Roma() happen? To Gomes prison in Santana, in Otavio shithead. . —Shut up you asshole. the north zone of Sao Paulo. L ourenco —Who is the owner of the Brasilia (A blitz is an unannounced Gambra's roadblock—a tactic com(passenger car brand name)? Do you neighbors in monly used by urban police in quiet think I am a clown? You shithead, he H Brazil.)Gambra stand accused middle-class district of Vila Pauliceia shitty clown. of murdering Mario Jose in Sao Bernardo do Campo, in greater —No. Josino, the Xuxa. His brutal Sao Paulo, the handsome, tall, blue—No, doctor! alter ego was preserved on tape eyed 38-year-old policeman was a —Afterwards you are gonna stay naon three unforgettable nights dedicated father and devoted husked there. on March 3, 5, and 7. band. A man who would take time —Aren't you afraid of the police? The Besides Rambo, the tape off his busy schedule to take the police are serious stuff. Don't try to be shows Rogerio Neri Bonfim, children to the doctor or to spend a smart-ass, you clown. 26, who is seen slapping some leisure time with his wife and —Ouch, ouch... people; Mauricio Gomes Loutwo teenaged daughters. A father —What did I tell you? zada, 29, who has been acwho spared no sacrifice to maintain —(Crying). Ouch, ouch, don't hit me, cused of murder; Nelson those daughters in a private school. doctor. Ouch, doctor, ouch. No, docSoares da Silva J6nior, 26, How could this happen? To his who is very active with his tor, ouch, ouch. employers in several part-time jobs nightstick in the film; Paulo where he worked to supplement his Rogerio Garcia Barreto, 32, Transcript of the dialogue between the income, he was a model of respect who counts the money that is Diadema, Silo Paulo, police and the and self-denial. The owner of a occupants of a vehicle they stopped, as stolen from the victims; Adriabutcher shop where Gambra worked shown in a secretly taped video. The no Lima de Oliveira, 21, who as a security guard praised the fact policemen respectfully called "doctor" doesn't participate in the agthat he would always insist on payby the victim of abuse are almost gressions (it was his first blitz); ing for every piece of meat he took illiterate. Demontier Carolino de Figueihome from the place. redo, 28, who only watches How could this happen? During the violence; Joao Batista de 12 years working for the military Queiroz, 36, w o takes his name from his uniform; police, the member of an evangelical church received Ricardo Luiz Buzeto, 28, who has been indicted for 30 honorable mentions for good deeds and extreme violence; and einaldo Jose do Santos, 37, who has courage, such as when he saved the life of a 9-day-old been investigat d for five murders. baby whose crazed father was trying to strangle the All those ho know Gambra agree that he has child. In the Diadema Military Police 24th Battalion, changed a lot si ce he started to work as a policeman. 2nd Company, Gambra had the respect of superiors After working he day shift for many years, Gambra and colleagues alike. moved to the night shift on a schedule in which he How could this happen then? In a secretly-filmed worked 12 hours and then rested 36. Busy in the videotape, that via CNN, BBC and other channels has police force on y from 7 PM to 7 AM, he was able to been seen the world over, Gambra is shown leading a find alternate j ebs to supplement his meager income, beating session in a roadblock at the favela (shanty as most of his solleagues do. But according to Lieutown) Naval in Diadema and then shooting at a car tenant Edmilso Staff, who has known him for more and killing one of the passengers who he had just than six years this could have contributed to his tortured and robbed. The exemplary citizen—everyerratic behavio . Says Staff, "His new schedule might one in Brazil now knows—is a monster known as have had a big influence on his violent attitude." "Rambo" to the favela's residents. The $400 o so in extra income that Gambra was How could this happen? That's what Brazilians able to add to h s $550 a month salary as a policeman have been asking themselves since the Diadema inciapparently wa n't enough. At the Favela Naval he dent and another similar tape from Rio's Cidade de became famou for taking $50 or even less from his Deus (God's Town) have been shown repeatedly on terrified victi s. A resident from the shantytown TV. In the Cidade de Deus's incident taped the night revealed to th weekly magazine fieja: "He would of March 23, 11 people lined against a wall are shown come many ti es by himself, when he wasn't schedbeing beaten by six military police officers, who also uled to work, a d would lean against a pole, crossing insult and threaten the victims and steal their money. his arms and o serving people coming up and down Not that the population hasn't heard or even experithe street. The he would approach somebody and enced firsthand police brutality. But the gratuity and take money, a atch, or whatever the person had." A violence of it all being exposed on prime time was teenager reveal -d that Rambo once put out a cigarette enough to nauseate most people. on his head. In the aftermath of the national outrage, President A RELUCTANT WITNESS Fernando Henrique Cardoso sanctioned a bill that for For Jeffers n Sanches Caputi, 29, life has also the first time in Brazil makes torture a crime. Preschanged drama ically. He was the man driving the car sured by the popular uproar Cardoso has also signed in which Josin was killed. Since the murder he hasn't a decree creating the National Human Rights Secrehad a quiet nig t's sleep. At the employment agency tariat to be headed by Jose Gregori, the former Justice where he work in Sao Bernardo do Campo, he locks Ministry chief of staff. the door of the office, and at home, he is constantly FROM GAMBRA bickering with his wife. TO RAMBO Many friends turned their backs on him, blaming Rambo and the nine colleagues who participated BRAZZIL - MAY 1997.

11

Caputi for the death of Josino. According to them and the police version, Josino would be alive if Caputi had stopped his car. After seeing the videotape, however, these friends came back, when they discovered that Caputi was telling the truth. Caputi's Diadema house is closed. He has moved with his wife and two children to his parents' home in Sao Bernardo. But he would love to move still farther away if he could. He doesn't like to talk about the night of the killing. "It was around 11 PM," he recollects. "I was coming back home in my black Gol (car) together with Xuxa (Mario Jose Josino) and Antonio Carlos Dias when we were stopped by officer Otavio Gambra, the Rambo, and his men. They started hitting us the moment we stepped outside the car. I was hit 34 times with a club by soldier Junior. He even hit my soles with a nightstick. That was for me not to go there again, he told me. After being beaten and let go, I heard the sound of the shots and noticed that my car's rear window had been shattered. Soon after that, Xuxa's mouth started to bleed. I didn't stop till we arrived at the hospital where he died from a gunshot in his neck." Caputi had to take his dying friend inside the hospital himself with the help ofDias. Police officers on duty and nurses refused to help, apparently worried that they would stain their uniforms with all that blood. From the hospital, Caputi went to the police, only arriving home at 7:30 AM. He and his friend spent hours at the police station giving statements and identifying his aggressors. The police didn't do any anything to hide their identities and so avoid a possible retaliation from the policemen being accused. Caputi was less interested in denouncing anybody than in exculpating himself for the murder. As expected, the officers denied any wrongdoing and insisted that no shot was fired. An inquiry was opened, the six weapons used by the policemen were confiscated for ballistic tests and the victims--only they—were asked to undergo a toxicological test. When they refused to take the test, this was used against them. But that was all. There was no effort to go back to the favela for witnesses or to search the officers' homes.

CHAOTIC FORCES The Sao Paulo Military Police currently has a force of 78,000 officers. According to the state constitution, this number should be 92,000. In Rio, the current MP force of 28,000 is considered 1/3 smaller than it should be. Estimates by the federal Secretaria Nacional de Assuntos de Seguranca Publica (National Secretariat for Public Security Affairs) indicate that Brazil would need to increase its police force by 10% to reach the world average of one policeman for every 500 citizens. The ratio now is one officer for 550 people. Even with this shortage, however, the Paulista MP has earned the title of the most violent police in the country. Last year, they killed 183 people and injured another 229. The average death rate of 15 people a month in 1996, has increased to 19 per month in the first three months of this year. As bad as these numbers appear, they are a dramatic improvement compared to years past, according to official statistics. Benedito Domingos Mariano, the auditor of Sao Paulo state police, a new post that only exists in Sao Paulo, reports that in 1992 there were 1,470 people killed in Sao Paulo by the military police. Mariano says that part of the problem with violence has to do with the low regard the population has for the police profession. Some human rights activists, however, don't think the recent police statistics should be trusted. They believe that the official number of deaths decreased only because the police have been more careful in hiding the bodies of the people they kill. One of these activists, member of the House of Representatives Heti° Bicudo, accuses the police of deception: "The military police violence, which was centered before in the so-called death in service, commonly registered the killings as the result of resistance on the part criminals to police action. Now these same deaths are being more and more attributed to extermination groups. The most common artifice now is to blame these deaths on battles between drug traffickers." In a recent officers' profile made by order of the military police force itself it was revealed that 46% of the officers have only completed elementary school or studied a couple of years in high school. Sixty-two percent are married, 35% moonlight outside the force, and 61% don't own a house. Fortyone percent wear their uniforms off-duty so they can take the bus for free. While 36% said they chose the MP because they love the job, 50% complain that there is too much punishment for the officers. Other studies made by the military police show that 14% of officers 35 years of age or older are cut from the force because of one of several forms of psychological disturbances. Another 9% have to leave because of alcoholism. In the last five years, there were 199 cases of suicide among the officers, a disturbingly high number. The starting salary for a Sao Paulo MP officer is $357 per month. In other states like Bahia, the salary can be as low as $100 a month. With such a miserable salary, the police cannot ask a lot from the candidates who want to join them. And they don't. All a candidate needs is an elementary school diploma, which in many cases means they barely know how to sign their own names. The low salary also forces the policemen to find other jobs. Since the secondary job often pays an average $700 a month, it is common that it becomes the main source of revenue for the officer while the police work turns into a moonlighting job. Recent studies already presented to Sao Paulo governor Mario Covas—in theory the supreme chief of the Paulista MP— show that an officer would need a minimum monthly salary of $1050 to attend to basic needs. Nationally, the average salary for someone just starting in the police force is $300 a month. The average salary for an officer from Sao Paulo, the richest state in the federation, is only $500 a month, a little more than $6,000 a year since Brazilians receive a 13th monthly salary at year's end. Compare this to the starting salary of $36,959 a year for a policeman in Los Angeles. Consider also that food, housing, and gas, among other necessities are more expensive in Sao Paulo than in L.A.. There are 15,000 officers, i. e. 19% of the police force, who live in shacks and favelas as miserable as the ones terrorized by them. In many cases, these officers, terrified themselves, hide from their neighbors the fact that they are policemen. In some shantytowns being a drug trafficker and a criminal is more honorable and less dangerous than wearing a police uniform.

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

According to corporal Wilson de Oliveira Morals, president of the Associacao dos Cabos e Soldados da Policia Militar do Estado de Sao Paulo (S5o Paulo State Military Police Association of Corporals and Privates), police work is the second most stressful job in the country, losing only to the work in mines. "The stress and the low wages contribute to worsen the quality of the service," he says. "There is no use in investing in cars and equipment and forgetting the men." LEAD YEARS' LEGACY The military police as it exists today in Brazil, was an invention of the military dictatorship and was created by the Lei de Seguranca Nacional (National Security Law) in 1969. According to Universidade de Sao Paulo (USP) sociologist Heloisa Rodrigues Fernandes, the MP was created to combat the "internal enemy", that is, leftist activists. "The Public Force was a little army controlled by the governors," says Fernandes. "Taking it from the state jurisdiction, the military regime weakened the governors' power. With the defeat of the urban resistance movement, the enemy wasn't the communist anymore but the criminal." Human rights groups are insisting again that police should be demilitarized and that their crimes should be tried in civilian courts and not in military tribunals as is the case right now. "We don't want the end of police, but of the militarism that exists today," says Jairo Fonseca, the OAB (Ordem dos Advogados do Brasil—Brazil Bar Association) president for human rights. "The police we have now are trained to kill and conditioned to obey orders without thinking." Fonseca sees in this authoritarianism the main source of police violence. Antonio Carlos Mariz, former security secretary in the state of Sao Paulo, accuses the MP of being a state inside the state that has become uncontrollable. The military has its own secret service, called P-2, and the information it gathers is being used as political power, he claims. In an interview with Jornal do Brasil, jurist and federal deputy (member of the House of Representatives) Hello Bicudo, who for years has championed a more compassionate and disciplined police force, declared that President Fernando Henrique could end the lawlessness in the military police force if he only wanted to. Bicudo blames the military dictatorship for starting in 1969 the present system in which the military police is investigated and punished by the military justice system instead of the civil courts. He's been trying to reverse this situation since that time without any success. The politician blames the difficulty in making any changes on a powerful lobby maintained by the 500,000 officers across the country. "In the senate there are more than 20 or 30 senators who were once governors and who want to be a governor. All of them want to live well with the MP. Without political will from governors and the president, legislators, and even the judiciary, we will never solve the problem of police violence," says Bicudo. According to the just-released Edge of the Knife—Police Violence in the Americas by American author Paul Chevigny, a law professor at New York University, Brazil's record of police violence is the worst in the Americas. Chevigny, an expert in police violence, compared the work of police forces in New York, Los Angeles, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, Jamaica and Sao Paulo. His conclusion: in two years alone (1991 and 1992), the Pazilista police killed eight times more people than the Brazilian military dictatorship during its 20 years in power. While 240 political activists were killed and 140 others disappeared during the period from 1964 to 1984, the S'ao Paulo police force killed 2,554 civilians in '91 and '92. During the same period, 51 people were killed by the New York police and 48 lost their lives at the hands of the Los Angeles police. In order to compare populations in these three cities we can use the World Almanac that projects a population of 25.354 million people in the greater metropolitan Sao Paulo by the year 2000 compared to 14.648 million in New York and 10.714 million in Los Angeles. Jose Gregori, who will be heading the National Human Rights Secretariat, intends to open a national debate about police violence and change the way police are prepared. He cites Interamerican Development Bank figures that show Brazil as the third most violent country in the world behind only Colombia and El Salvador. "The problem of violence in Brazil is very grave," he says. "But you cannot change this routine with government policies only. If there is no collective commitment, no one can have a clear conscience. You have to stop the violence. But the government can only do this with the help of society."

The 24th Battalion commander, Lieutenant-colonel Pedro Pereira Matheus, who has since been demoted from his post, didn't think the case was serious enough to deserve even a day of suspension for the accused officers. Only 20 days after the fact, when he was called for a new deposition, Caputi saw the videotape of the incident. Still fearing a possible retaliation from the police gang, he told reporters, "I would like Rambo and Janior to know that I wasn't the one who told on them. It is not my fault that I had a body in my car. The ones who informed on them were those who filmed them beating, extorting, and then shooting at Josino." Caputi fears for his life: "Rambo's brother has been spreading the rumor that we are drug traffickers and that we were there that night to pick up drugs. I am afraid that they will kill me, throw my body in the favela with some drug that they will put in my pocket, saying that I was shot in a battle between drug traffickers." Josino, 29, father of a nine-year old boy, a man who loved to dance and win dance prizes with his wife Joselia, was buried March 8. His assassination seemed destined to become just another statistic in the fight of police against crime, or at least that's what the police thought. Nobody knew then that there was a tape that would rally the people behind a demand for posthumous justice for Josino. THE ANATOMY OF A TAPE The story of how the contents of the three-hour tape were !:lisclosed wrote an entirely new chapter in the book of the Sao Paulo's Military Police chaos. The first person to see the tape was Edson Pimenta Bueno, lieutenant colonel of the 8th Military Police Battalion, on March 25, six days before the tape was made public on network TV. Instead of telling his superiors about the finding he . decided to call the commander of the ABCD military police, Colonel Luis Antonio Rodrigues. Rodrigues was appalled by what he saw and took the tape to Matheus, the Diadema police chief. "The first thing I thought," revealed Matheus later, "was that it was like the book 1984, with Big Brother filming everything." It was 13

BRAZZIL MAY 1997

GOD_ TOWN Diademenses have tough luck. Diadema is the "D" in the greater Sao Paulo industrial park known as ABCD that includes also Santo Andre, Sao Bernardo do Campo and Sao Caetano. An industrial town between the megalopolis of Sao Paulo and the rich municipality of Sao Bernardo, Diadema has grown too fast for its own good. In the last two decades it became the favorite place for people without the resources to own a decent home and who wanted a place to settle down. Of its 323,000 residents, 80% live in favelas (shantytowns). Diadema residents deny there are so many people living in substandard conditions, even though these were the numbers published by the media after the airing of the infamous Naval tape. The official number puts close to 20% of the population living in shantytowns. Life seems to be too cheap here. Last year, there were 296 murders, a rate of 92 murders per 100,000 people. This is more than double the Sao Paulo rate, which is 40 murders per 100,000 and much worse than Rio's statistics where there are 66 murders per 100,000 people. This is even worse than the 69 murders per 100,000 of New Orleans or the 80 murders per 100,000 in Washington, DC. Diadema loses also to infamous Cali, in Colombia, where there are 87 assassinations for each 100,000 residents. The place has made some international headlines before, in August 1987, after police chased and killed Fernando Ramos da Silva, a teenager who in 1981 at the age of 11 starred in Pixote, director Hector Babenco's tale of the criminal life of a band of minors in the streets of Rio and Sao Paulo. Ramos da Silva was raised and then killed in a Diadema favela after having been accused of robbery. He was hiding under his bed when hit by the police bullets. In this most inhospitable town, the favela Naval, in a neighborhood called Vila Sao Jose, is probably the worst place to live. Spread across eight streets and 500 brick and wood shacks, 2500 people live there. Most work at factories in the area. On the brighter side, all streets are paved with asphalt, there are two public telephones, and there is public sewer service even though it empties into a nearby brook. The place is rich only in hole-in-the-wall bars: 15 of them. The shantytown has two evangelical churches,

the Assembly of. God and Igreja Universal do Reino de Deus (God's Kir gdorn Universal Church) and the Catholic Santa Rita. The. commerce of cocaine and crack is conducted in the main street, also called Naval. A preliminary study by the Legislative Assembly Inquiry committee wh_ch is investigating Diadema's violence, revealed tha: 12'31c of the 414 officers working at the 24th Battalion have been accused of crimes from beatings to murders. But., now at least, Diadema favelados are breathing easier. They seem more willing to go out at night without the fear of being stopped and beaten by police. Many als 3 have finally found the courage to reveal past violence. In a show of open hostility against the police, patrol cars have been hit by stones on the city's streets. For a time the situation became so flammable that the 24' Military Police Battalion decided to take the patrol cars out of the streets at night. Complaining to Rio's daily Globo, a soldier identified only as Santos, his last name, talked about his own fears: "People are humiliating us in the streets. They curse at us, they jeer at us. Even our families are being offended. Corporal Goes's wife was verbally threatened when taking her daughter to school. We have here 414 -nen who are not responsible for what a gang of 20 crazy people did." April 2nd, when the soldiers caught on the infamous tape were taken from prison to a hearing at Diadema's 2"d Police District, close to1,000 disgruntled residents waited for them outside the police station. They screamed, "Murderers", asked for the death sentence for them (something that does not exist in the Brazilian legislation), and threatened to lynch the officers. They stopped short of any lynching, however, because of the sheer power of dissuasion posed by dozens of vigilant policemen armed with machine auras. This didn't stop them, however, from throwing stones at the bus that transported the policemen. Lieutenant-cdlonel Rubens Casado, the new 24th Battalion commander, as an urgent challenge to respond to: to repair the badly damaged image of his institution in Diadema. "I am dcinn to start by visiting associations, churches, and favetas ," he declared. I want to show that the military police have their good side. If the officers are spurned, the people are going to suffer the consequences because the banchts are going to take over the streets. We are going to show the population that we are here to punish the bad professionals. The problem is that the favelas' residents have imposed a law of silence on themselves and they dcn't reveal what they know. Anyone who wants to tell us what the officers have done can trust us and be certain that their anonymity will be preserved."

14 BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

adopted and supported the prevailing attitude of "criminals Rodrigues that called Matheus' attention to the fact that this have to die," th t, according to some experts has been partly was not an appropriate time to think about literature and that responsible foil the public apathy after previous massacres the film might end up on TV. He convinced the Diadema like the one in he Sao Paulo's Carandiru prison when 111 commander that something should be done immediately. prisoners where slaughtered. The soldiers involved were then called in and interroBesides, so e of the most popular programs currently gated. The next day, prosecutor Jose Carlos Guillem Blat being shown o TV seem tailor-made to please the police and saw the tape and asked for the detention of all ten officers. justify the vio ence. They have names like "Na Rota do "Each one of the officers has a unique profile and this is very Crime" (In Cri e's Way) from Manchete TV, "Cidade Alerta" clear," Blat commented later. "Gambra is always holding his (Alert City) on Record Television, and "190 Urgente" (911 gun, he seems to have a real admiration for his weapon. Urgent) on 'CN /Gazeta TV. They all have that how-braveJanior is always using his nightstick. And Bonfim is always our-officers-are aftertaste. slapping people while the corpoCONQUERING FEAR rals do the backing up." Soon after, In the aftermath of the Naval all hell would break loose when scandal, many people have sumGlobo TV, the largest and most moned the courage and seized the powerful Brazilian network, opportunity to tell their own horshowed three crucial minutes of ror stories. The daily 0 Estado de the torture and death session on Sao Paulo bore witness to some prime time television. By Agamenon, the alter ego youngsters who talked about an Francisco Romeu, better known of comedian Bussunda encounter with police. There were as Pica-Pau (Wood Pecker), is the Similar to the samba, the lundu, the maxixe, the seven of then playing soccer when man behind the camera that filmed bumba-meu-boi (a folkloric celebration), feijoada a patrol car arrived. Two policethe favela Naval incident. He had (the black-bean national dish), cachava (sugar cane men ordered the children against worked as a cameraman for Bandeiliquor), and the funk balls, police violence is part of the wall, smelled their fingers for rantes TV in the past, but he was the Brazilian cultural tradition. The thrashing started traces of marijuana, opened walunemployed and doing free-lance in the slave ships, where the black slaves from lets, and distributed several slaps work for more than one year when Africa were beaten on their way here so they would and insults. he made the video at the Diadema start getting used to it. Eduardo, who is black, recalled The military police violence is no Paulista (from fare/a. During a party, he heard one of the dialogs: Sao Paulo) monopoly. Thanks to the Real (the new about,the atrocities that were being currency) Plan, Brazilians are eating more chicken —Where do you live? committed there and decided to film and raising galos (roosters, but also lumps) on their — Just across the street. the scene. Pica-Pau was able to heads. In reality, the MP is only following a —In the fare/a? find a house in which to place the neoliberalizing worldwide trend when it globalizes — Yes. camera, a mere 33 feet from the the citizens' beatings. —I knew it. You know somestreet. The problem is that the police only hit the poor. thing? That's why Brazil doesn't For his tape he received $10,000 But I can understand that. The poor, like the round, advance, because of people like from Globo TV. He got another the shank, and the rump, is cheap meat, which you you. $15,000 for an exclusive interview have to beat well in order to make softer. The poor Unable to find anything wrong with Bandeirantes TV. Even though are a kind of punching bag for the Brazilian society. with the youngsters, the officers They get beat by police because they are not carryjust a few minutes of the tape were forced them to do the "piiio" (top) ing their documents, they get beat because they are shown, Romeu has made three also known as the fura-asfalto carrying their documents, they get beat because hours of most revealing cinema they are on the streets, and they end up being beat by (pierce-the-asphalt), an exercise in verite. On the first night of taping. their wives when they get home for staying out so which the person touches the paveMarch 3, three men taken from a late getting beat. ment with the tip of the fingers car are beaten repeatedly, despite I understand perfectly well the lack of concern and then starts spinning the body the fact that they do not offer any of SA° Paulo and Rio's governors. After all, which around that place without lifting resistance. A little later, a man, is the politician who isn't scared to death of the the fingers. When the boys were after being punched, is taken bepolice? sufficiently dizzy, an officer hind a wall by three policemen An excerpt from Agamenon's column screamed, -Now, scram. In two who continue beating him until published on Sunday, April 13, by Rio's daily minutes we are going to start shootGlobo 0 Otavio Lourenco Gambra, the ing. To kill!" Two of the children Rambo, shoots him, slightly injurfell down when fleeing. The poing the man. On March 5, a policelicemen laughLI and shot into the air. man is seen taking the wallet of a victim and confiscating its In Santa Madalena, a Sao Paulo favela that is home to contents. some drug traffickers, residents were asked to name the But the worst atrocities would occur March 7. A driver, people they fear the most. They cited the police first. In the who the world would later know was called Jefferson Sanches favela Jardim Planalto, people don't forget the night police Caputi, is stopped by the officers. He is slapped in the face cut the electricity and entered the neighborhood shooting as soon as he gets out of his car. Two policemen then beat him and knocking doors down. Besides the gratuitous police with a nightstick, one hitting his torso and the other the soles violence, they are revolted by the fact that officers normally of his feet. Released, just before running away in his car, do not go after criminals to arrest them, but rather to extort Caputi screams, "I wrote down the number of your police

Used to a Thrashing

car." Incensed with the comment, Rambo shoots twice at the car while another officer shoots into the air. Pica-Pau, however, slept that night without knowing his camera had captured the images of a murder.

DISREGARD FOR LIFE Even though TV was fundamental in revealing the Diadema violence, television and the media in general have BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

money. A poll taken by 0 E:stado soon after the favela Naval display of violence was presented on TV, revealed that 64% of people making less than $500 a month were afraid of police. For th se making $2,000 or more, the fear rate was 52%. Despite the action being taken to punish the guilty policemen sh wn in the Diadema videotape, 59% ofPaulistas 15

d-timer resident of Diadema his side of the story. HELIO SHIMADA Living in Diadema since 1952, I feel comfortable writing these comments on the recent worldwide-reported events involving the Military Police. First of all, I would like to tell you a little about Diadema's history. By 1700, the Jesuits built a posada. It was the first known structure in the area. Merchants going from Santos in the littoral to Embu or Santo Amaro used the place as a resting stop. After the Jesuits were expelled from Portugal and Brazil in 1759 by order of Marquis of Pombal, the religious order's properties were taken by the monarchy. It was Pedroso de Oliveira, known as AntOnio Piranga—his name is on the city's main avenue today—who started a settlement by building in 1830 the Born Jesus da Pedra Fria (Cold Stone Good Jesus) chapel. In 1922, the Empresa Urbanistica Vila Conceicao acquired the lands that belonged to Piranga, dividing it in lots. It was created the Vila Conceicao, an homage to Our Lady of Conception, the place's saint patroness till this date. It was to this Vila Conceicao that I moved in 1952. We had then a little village with rural properties that was a district of Sao Bernardo do Campo. There was no electricity, running water, sewage service or telephone. Since the roads that connected the village to Sao Paulo or Sao Bernardo were not paved, there were serious problems of transportation every time it rained. On December 25, 1958, the place was incorporated as municipality with the name of Diadema. The main leaders of the emancipation movement were Evandro Caiaffa Esquivel, a teacher who would become Diadema's first mayor, and renowned jurist Miguel Reale, among others. In its first years as a municipality Diadema encured serious difficulties because there was no source of tributes to fund municipal investments. It was then that the city started a policy of fiscal incentives to bring industries here_ In exchange for installing their factories, entrepreneurs had a few years of tax exemption. Industries, for the most part small and medium, came in droves, mainly during the so-called "Brazilian miracle" in the '60s and the beginning of the '70s. Many of these industries involved auto-parts, something very convenient due to a developing car industry installed in the so-called ABC, embracing the municipalities of Santo Andre, Sao Bernardo, and Sao Caetano. The presence of the industries changed Diadema's profile. Migrants mainly from the Northeast started to flow to the city in search of jobs. Many of them, without professional qualification, couldn't find good jobs and went to live in favelas (shantytowns). The economic crisis that started at the end of the '70s and continued throughout the '80s, exacerbated the situation, causing a drastic rise in poverty not only in Diadema, but all over Brazil. With the most economically disadvantaged without a job, the favelas grew rapidly during this period. Starting in 1970 the population grew in a disorganized and explosive way, as the table below shows: Year Population 1960 12,308 1970 78,914 1980 228,660 1991 305,287 1995 314,742 Due to the national economic crisis, collection of taxes from the industries went down. To worsen the situation the municipal administration didn't know how to apply the scarce resources. During this time, it appeared in the area union leader Luiz Inacio "Lula" da Silva. The population, mainly the workers, saw in

him a leader and an inspiration to fight against poverty and oppression. From the ABCD (now including Diadema) union movement resulted the creation of the PT (Partido dos Trabalhadores— Workers' Party). Lula, who was the party's first president, would twice become a candidate to the presidency of the country. In 1982, Diadema elected the first Brazilian PT mayor, worker Gilson Menezes. Inaugurated in 1983, he would start a radical transformation in Diadema, where 80% of the population didn't have running water, sanitation services and asphalt. Using wisely the municipal resources, which by now were substantial, he invested in health, education, transportation and urbanization. His successor, dr. Jose Augusto Ramos, also from the PT, followed on his steps after taking over the city in 1987. In 1992 once again the PT, with candidate engineer Jose Di Fillipi Junior, won Diadema's election. In 1996, Menezes came back as mayor, even though, due to political bickering, he left the PT and was _elected by the PSB (Partido Socialista Rrasileiro—Brazilian Socialist Party). Today 100% of the streets have water, sewer and asphalt. Child mortality, which was 82.93 per 1,000 born children, has decreased to 25.26 per 1,000, a number lower than the average of Sao Paulo, the richest state in the country. Diadema has around 300,000 residents spread throughout its 30 km2, resulting in one of the biggest demographic densities in the country. The city's budget was $170 million in 1996. Before you read the rest of this article I would like you to know that I am not an activist for the PT or any other political party. This is only a summary of my personal observations: Thanks to three PT administrations, there was a huge improvement in Diadema's life quality. Municipal schools are better than the ones from the state; our municipal medical service is much better than that from the state or from the union. Many cultural and sports centers were built. The favelas were urbanized, with paved streets, public light and sanitation services. Today, what we can see are not shantytowns with precarious wood shacks, but poor neighborhoods with mostly workers living in modest brick houses. The poorest people today are offered a model program of popular housing that is praised all over the world. Today, Diadema's quality of living is better than in many Sao Paulo neighborhoods. Naturally, as any other large and medium-size city in the country, Diadema faces the problems associated with poverty such as criminal-

16 BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

s veryone and drug traff 4 114'n ows this is no "privilege" of poor coun. es. Drug traffic presents itself as a parallel power to the official one. Mirroring what happens in Rio de Janeiro in a graver and more ostensive way, drug traffickers ert a strong influence over the poor eighborhoods in the city's periphery. It as in one of these peripheries that the lamentable case ocmilitary police yiolence occurred. gpilitarypofte that,tiogether wi vilian police belonacto the state adniinistration, are responsiblitor fighting crime. These officers, however, are ill-paid and ill-prepared. A MP soldier earns the equivalent to $570, not enough for a decent living. Many of these officers are forced to live in favelas the selves because they cannot pay rent a much less buy a house. In a shantytown ruled by drug tra 'eking, they cannot show their uniforms ithout risking their own lives and that f their relatives. They have to hide them. majority ofthe*men need to supplettheir salaries by moonlighting. They night drive a taxi or work as a security guard. This situation of poverty and stress leads, frequently, a minority of officeti! into corruption and crime. Crime repression almost always in olves violence and the constant contact ith it together with a lack of psychopgical preparation cause in some policeen a kind of "mental anesthesia". For hem violence becomes something banal. eside$, crimes practiced by the MP are ied by4he Military Justice, what most of he tin* means guarantee of impunity. Such crimes are not exclusive from iadema as Rio's events have proved. Rcor.Diadema, the episodes's impact was tremendous because of the airing of the tape by powerful Globo Network, which according to rumors is Brazil's real ruler. Globo, as well as all the media that covered the case, was terribly unjust to Diadema, portraying the city as a 00,000 strong hugefavela (shantytown), mentioning even one of „the city's 7 r positive aspects. Yidently, Globo Network -lhas-40:, mpathy for the PT and no interest in &. divulging their accomplishments, as worthy as they might be. Cases of violence robably occur more frequently in the extremes of the east and south zones of sao Paulo where misery and lack of infra'structure are even worse than in Diadema. ust look at the statistics about massacres inked to drug trafficking. Police violence is a structure problem, essentially linked to the country's socio-economic system, in which there ia a moronic elite, which obstinate1• rates wealth, but is forced to es :at seem more like prisons an in some; well m Wn!ctel7,11elstisupe ;rich move to Miami dr Paris because they are afraid of the situation they created. Meanwhile $15 billionare spent to help some bankrupt banki BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

do not believe that the officers will b punished in the end. And they have plenty of reason to think this way. In one classical example, the massacre of 111 inmates at the Carandiru penitentiary in sao Paulo on October 2, 1992 by the military polic hasn't resulted in any punishment for the perpetrators. Colonel Ubiratan Guim raes, the man who led the invasion of the prison after the inmates rebelled a ainst mistreatment, has become a state legislator. Today he is a member o the inquiry committee that investigates Diadema's police abuses. Another infamous massacre by th police occurred in April of last year in the northern state of Para, where 19 landl ss peasants were summarily executed. Rio de Janeiro's infamous Vigario Geral ass slaughter is another massacre carried out by the MP. The August 30, 1993 police raid into the Vigario Geral favela resulted in 21 deaths, including worn n and children. The case is still dragging its way through the justice system. W dows and orphans ultimately may receive a meager $28,000 from the state in co pensation for their anguish. But no money will be paid before the policemen whi have been indicted are deemed guilty by the court. Thirty-three officers have seen formally accused of having participated in the raid, but only 17 cases ar ready to be heard by the courts. Fourteen of these policeman are free and say t ey did nothing wrong. Favela dwellers have known for oo long the dangers of encountering the police. "I am 38 years old and since I as 10, I have seen police beat up and kill my neighbors and friends," said on of the victims of the Cidade de Deus videotape to the weekly magazine, Is o E. He is only identified as G. Like most people who denounce policemen, he i ears for his life and hides his identity. A BET ER POLICE? The Diadema showdown couple with the encouragement given by the authorities and the creation of special elephone lines for people to anonymously report police violence has given rise o a series of denunciations against police violence across the country; not only in Rio and Sao Paulo. People too afraid or just convinced of the uselessness of a y revelation against police brutality have been emboldened and are revealing some painful secrets about their dreaded executioners. Journalists have been poring over the imprecise police statistics to discover, for example, that from January 1993 to June 1996, the 1403 special police blitzes in Rio resulted in at least one death per operation. This number, compiled by the Legislative Assembly Public Security Committee, does not include clandestine operations by members of death squa s and other extermination groups linked to the police. In Parana state, in the south, a pas or accused of drunk driving was beaten to death. In an effort to clear the air, 1 0 officers were expelled from the force in 1996. Another 256 were also indicte and ended up receiving light sentences or mere reprimands. In the northeastern state of Pernambuco, an effort to clean the military police ranks of torturers and xtortionists has resulted in 280 expulsions in three years. A blitz by a colonel in a small Al goas town, in the northeast, ended with a group of people, including the local nest, lying face down on the main square pavement while the police frisked t em. Last year, 121 police officers from Alagoas were accused of using viole ce and torture. Not coincidentally, it is also in Alagoas that police officers have ot being paid since November of last year. The state of Minas Gerais has als made an effort to improve the image of its police force. Since 1993, the state as been experimenting with the so-called Policia Comunitaria (Community Police) inspired by police work developed in Canada, Japan and the United States. The efforts seem to be paying off. In the poor neighborhoods, police officers have earned goodwill credits by doing good deeds such as serving food to the poor. As a result, polls have shown that 84% of the Mineiro population trust their men in uniform. In the northeastern state of Serg pe, the cleaning up promoted by Security Secretary Wellington Mangueira, wh as a member ofthe PCB (Partido Comunista Brasileiro—Brazilian Communist P rty) was often tortured during the military dictatorship, has transformed that s ate into a model. Amnesty International points to the state's achievements as n example for all of Latin America. There, 236 officers have been expelled or s spended from the police force and police officers get lessons in human rights, citizenship, and psychology. On the darker side of the equati n, the NGO (non-governmental organization) Human Rights Watch/Americ s just released a report entitled "Urban Police Brutality in Brazil" listing p ople killed by the military police of Belo Horizonte, Recife, Salvador, Natal, Sao Paulo, and Rio in the last two years. "There are strong indications that these were all summary executions," says m James Louis Cavallaro Junior, the group's coordinator in Brazil. 17

be the same as seeing Carla Perez reinvent sambistas, Martinho da Vila ("Too Tasty once more our understanding ofthe "garrafa." Martinho, 'March). There were numerous Much admiration and thanks. Your magathings I did not know about him and it was zine continues to amaze me! great to read about someone I like a lot. Elizabeth Mainzer Glad to hear from folks who like the "real Boston, Massachusetts sambistas-. I've often wished I could someFIRST-WORLD VICE how let my favorite artists know how on t e e ieve t ere is a sirect re ation- much I appreciate their efforts, since their music continues to give me so much pleaship between education and corruption. ("The Art of Stealing,- March). The United States sure. TIME TO LISTEN . Toninho is an "educated- nation, but corruption i n ig to t e puzz ing contra iction ' San Francisco, California rampant in several levels of govcrnment that Brazzil is—offering on one hand some Let s just take a look at President Clinton an WE HAD A COVER excellent articles about Brazilian culture, several cases of Senators and Representa am oo ing or in ormation concernlife, and politics and on the other hand tives whose stories have been reported by th ing the situation of the street children in some distasteful, cheap notes and photos press. Brazil. I am a student at the University of of Brazilian women—may I suggest you Ten years ago I saw a politician killin Washington and I am writing my thesis on do a survey of your readership to know himself ori live TV so he wouldn't live wit the street children of Brazil andhow this who your readers are? the shame of being considered a corrupt. Th situation is portrayed in the Brazilian verI think you should do this survey as big difference between the US and Brazil i sus the international media. If your magasoon as. possible to learn what your readers that here in the States corruption has bee zine has published any articles on the appreciate or not reading and seeing in our perfected to an art. subject please let me know. magazine. I believe you'd find out that Luis Rodrigues Nicoll Quinn many or most of your readers would like to Via Internet , Kirkland, Washington see, for instance, an elimination of arBRAZZIL PAGE ticles/photos in your "Rapidinhas" colarn preparing a reader or use inc ass umn which only reinforce stereotypes Congratulations to the publishers o about Brazilian women (you know, those rooms teaching Brazilian studies. May I ex Brazzil for outputting quality articles. The about Brazilian women toeing a legion of cerpt andre_print a selection of no more than information given in your March issue's "gostosas, care free and air headcrea- five pages from your article on Education i "Simply Brazil" article can be confirmed Brazil. tures). by everything I learned in the Luso-Bra• Dr. R. Levine I ve noticed that several readers have zilian history class that lam taking at C. S. University of Miami written complaining about this—men and U. Fullerton. I am now convinced that Coral Gables, Florida women alike—but you don't seem to be your articles may provide correct informalistening. If you do your survey—which HIGHLY REGARDED tion. Thus_, I am able to read them with is appropriate for any publication commitA ter mont s o negligence am ma y more confidence. ted to serve its audience—I bet you'd learn P.S.: If it hadn't been for the naked renewing my subscription to Brazzil. I also that your readership is comprised of welluse the opportunity to send the magazine as pictures on page six, I would have shown educated Brazilians or foreigners who love a gift to some friends and to congratulateyou the magazine to my professor. Brazil—not a bunch of adults with the for the quality of Brazzil. I will continue Ademar Nunes Jr. minds of acne-ridden teenagers salivating Fullerton, California recommending it to fr,iends and people who for a -rapidinha- in the bathroom while show interest in Brazil. Via Internet looking at the photos of your conveniently Beto Borges CHEERS FROM BRITAIN named (?) column. Rainforest Action Network Congratulations! I thought_you might If you don't do a survey, at least start San Francisco, California like to know that your WEB site was answering your letters; even a short note STOP THE LETTERS judged one of the world's important finanwill do if space is a problem. But please cialWEB sites in the new book Investing an you please remove my person ad pay. attention to what your readers are from Brazztl?I now have a relationship thanks Online just published by Financial Times saying; otherwise you risk loosing a lot of to your magazine [Happy face.) PitmarfPublishing of London. Only 1,000 readers or potential ones—readers who Peter Eliason sites were selected for inclusion in the would gladly pay more for a subscription La Mesa, California book. The same information can also be in order to get better service and coverage. found at http://www.global-investor.corn BACK FOR MORE As a final suggestion, how about a shortStephen Eckett 0o.ps! I forgot to renew my avorite story contest open to Brazilians living in London, England magazine. Please find enclosed my check for the USA and Americans who have lived in .Via Internet Brazil? another two years. Keep up the good work. Jima Heaven Thanks for your attention (I hope!). Washington, New Jerse Rozemary Sabino Can't you find Brazzil at your San Francisco, Cali ornia PLEASING SOUND Brazilian consulate? THANKS GOD FOR BRAZZIL I just want to say thanks to Bruce man Don't ask us why, • gain am giving su ascriptions o for the excellent article on one ofmy favOrite ask the consulate. 4 your great magazine to my Portuguese students. This time I am giving the gift to Joe, Bonnie. and Carla. my students from For info: (213) 255-4953 University College—University of Denver. Its wonderful that we can have this E-Mail: brazzil@brazzil.com publication available. Besides the lanSORRY, guage. I teach my students about culture, NO CREDIT history, and everything that will help them CARD FOR absorb all the knowledge about Brazil. Allow 5 to 7 weeks to ceive your first issue. SUBSCRIPTIONS Your magazine is an important tool to do Make check to Br il and mail it to: this. BRAZZIL - P.O. Box 42536 - os Angeles, CA 90050-0536 Adelaide Bouchardet Davis Lakewood, Colorado I'll take 1 year (12 issues) El NEW Ej RENEWAL Just want to go on record as someone WHY NOT SEND A GIFT TO 10, 100, EVERYONE YOU KNOW? who loves the risque pictures you print of Brazilian wild-women! If everyone in BraNO COUPON NEEDED zil is talking about these things. I want to see them toq! Just hearing about it wouldn't

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Gay Brazil Bars, movie theaters, hotels and other commerce catering exclusively to gays are doing brisk business in Brazil. A marketing research concluded that 10% of Rio's population is gay. This new economic power is also forcing the doors of prejudice in the country. DIVYA SHUKLA Is there room for pink and purple among the green, yellow, white and blue colors of the Brazilian flag? Maybe. Brazil is a country of contrasts: a religious carpet danced-on by sexual liberation. How does this environment treat its homosexual population? Brazilian businesses, covered by a veil of dollar signs, have set aside prejudices by supplying a record number of services aimed to cater to those with homosexual preferences. On the other hand, Congress, the Church and the population, at large, haven't been as inviting. There are many barriers to be broken, even in a country as seemingly accepting of everything (and everyone) as Brazil. Brazilian anthropologist Luiz Mott concluded that Zumbi, lea-der of runaway slave colonies referred to as Quilombos, that lived 300 years ago, was a homosexual. This theory didn't please Luiz Mott's neighbors who responded by defacing the frontwall of his house with graffiti and breaking the windshield of his car. Mott, resides in Salvador, the capital of Bahia, a Brazilian state mostly populated by descendants of African slaves. Mott is the President and founder of Grupo Gay da Bahia (a congregation for Bahia's gay population). The association was conceived in 1979 after an episode of physical assault involving Mott, a male friend and a homophobic individual who

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20 BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

inferred that Mott and his friend might have been gay lovers engaged on a romantic walk along the beach. Luiz Mott's credentials are impressive. He obtained a doctorate at Unicamp, in the city of Campinas, in Anthropology and has a master' s degree in Ethnic Studies from Sorbonne, in France. He authored eight books based on studies about homosexuality, feminism and racism. Even though he is openly gay, he had a heterosexual phase from which he has two daughters. He remarried in 1994 to another male in a ceremony performed in Salvador (The priest that performed the ceremony returned to a house that had been set on fire). In a May of 1995 interview with Veja magazine, Mott said that the reaction to his controversial conclusion about Zumbi doesn't come as a surprise. There are those that see a contradiction between Zumbi's courage (viewed as a masculine trait) and his alleged homosexuality (viewed as a softened masculinity). Mott believes that these sort of studies are imperative to dispel notions that homosexuality is a trend, a phase or that it is a trait of the weaker segments of the population. It is a matter of finding heroes, or role models for the homosexual population. GAY GREEN Homosexuality is lucrative in Brazil. This is evidenced by the number of bars, movie theaters, hotels and other businesses that cater exclusively to the homosexual segment of the population. The homosexual population is considered to be "big spenders" perhaps due to the fact that most are professionals who don't have children and tend to display a taste for expensive things. Rio has already discovered this source of money, and in its lust for Reais, Copacabana is erecting The Ball Club Tower, an entertainment complex dedicated exclusively to pleasures suited for homosexuals, at an estimated cost of $1.5 million. Paulo Magno, owner of Maxima, sells T-shirts that celebrate homosexual pride sporting phrases such as "I'm gay, if you don't believe me, kiss me" and "I'm not gay, but my boyfriend is". Paulo Magno says that his business has no political objectives (he is heterosexual). Another businessman Alex Halter, homosexual, is the mastermind behind the Ball Club & Tower. This project will encompass a variety of options for gays such as hotel rooms, bars, clubs, restaurants, saunas, gym, stores, drugstores and a tourism agency. He believes that he'll recover his investment in one year. Alex Halter isn't a novice in this field, he owned a disco and a gay magazine during his stay in Switzerland and then he owned the Ball, a gay Copacabana nightclub. Alex Halter enlisted the services of a marketing firm prior to commencing the Ball Club & Tower project. The marketing research concluded that 10% of Rio's population is BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

gay and that their consumption preferences are, in descending order, clothing, bars, sound equipment, personal beauty products and restaurants. American credit agencies also recognize the purchasing power of the gay community. The Rainbow Card is a eredit card aimed at gay customers. The Gay consOmer is known to be a big spender. According to ilvaro Bezerra de Mello, president of Hotel and Tourism Association, gays spend on average $160 (1611ars for a daily tour of Rio, whereas an American tourist might spend $130. Fantastic Tours, a tourism agency based in Rio, designs most of its tour packages to please the gay traveler becau e most of its clients happen to be homosexual. ne such package is the Gay Paris. The Gay Paris our introduces foreigners to the best that Paris has t offer to its homosexual visitor. At a cost of $1,32 3 (excluding air fare) and a duration of eight days nd six nights, one will dine at the most famous g y restaurant in Paris, the Amazianiol, then stay at t e Hotel Latitudes Saint Germain, among other p easures. Lack of de endents (children) provides the gay person with al ssened financial burden and greater time availabili y for frequent travel. Schedule restrictions, suc as travel only during school vacations, become non-existent. This is evidenced by the occupancy rate of hotels on islands along the coast of Rio, such as Angra dos Reis and Buzios. Hotels on these islands are occupied, on weekends, by mostly homosexual clientele. Nelson Feitosa recognized this new phenomenon in Brazil 4nd created the magazine SuiGeneris after relinquis ing his job in a printing shop. The magazine was started as a partnership between Feitosa and his lover, Jose Vitor, and in one year's time it experie iced an increase in circulation from 1,500 readers o 30,000 readers which is the circulation level of Vogue in Brazil. Brazilian business is not an innovator in catering its services to homosexuals. American businesses have earned, on average, $17 billion from services that cater to homosexual customers. Recently, advertisement has became bolder by exhibiting gay ads such as an Ikea (a furniture store) ad in which a couple (two males) are buying a dining table, and other similar ads by American Express, albeit most of these ads are in magazines with a gay circulation. In May of 1995, Miami held a city-tour offered to representatives of 17 European gay magazines. And in September, the tour was offered to 18 representatives of American magazines. Jose Lima, spokesperson of the Convention & Tourism of Miami, says that this isn't based on political or ideological positions, it is basically based on the acquisition power of the gay community. Other states in the United States are in accord. New York's West Village offers a variety of bars 21

and nightclubs aimed at the gay clientele. tunately, the organization Dignidade intervened by offering These businesses prefer the homosexual Harrad both, a job and a visa. customer evidenced by the placement of The National Association of Bishops has voiced strong rainbow-colored flags, the international opposition against any recognition of gay unions. Archicon for homosexuality, outside of these bishop of Fortaleza, Aloisio Lorscheider, in an interview establishments. with daily newspaper 0 Estado de Sao Paulo, said that Cinema is following the bandwagon homosexual unions are against the laws of nature. Archas well. TopCine Cobacabana, in Rio, bishop Lorscheider is one of the leaders of the National shows films with gay themes every ThursConference of Brazilian Bishops (CNBB). The CNBB has day, such as Priscilla Queen ofthe Desert been outspoken in its criticism against the request in congress and Fried Green Tomatoes. to legalize gay unions. Luciana Villas-Boas, editor-in-chief Brazil, similar to the United States and many other naof the publishing company Record has tions in the world, is having difficulties suppressing its created a department dedicated excluhomosexual population. Political correctness, lucrative sales sively to publications with gay themes, from products to gays and tolerance are clashing with relicalled Contraluz. gion, intolerance and closed-mindedness! Which side will The Safe Bar is not just another trendy prevail? This remains to be seen. • bar in Rio. Safe Bar's manager Paulo Henrique Longo is also the president ofNoss (Nude° de Orientacao em Sailde Social — Nucleus of Orientation in Social Health), which serves to promote safe sex practices AIR - IATA 01-1-9279-012 and the prevention of AIDS in Brazil. Longo decorated OCEAN - FMC 3853 each of Safe Bar's interior walls with posters with antiAIDS propaganda in order to educate the bar's clien_ TO ANY AIRPORT IN BRAZIL tele. The Safe Bar's customers also have access to an unlimited supply of condoms strategically placed on each table. GAY & GAY FULL CONTAINER OR LESS What about marriage? Is TO ANY PORT IN BRAZIL the government as open(EXCELLENT CONTAINER RATES) minded as Brazilian businessmen are? There is a request pending in congressional bureaucracy which aims to legalize homosexual SHIPPER'S DOOR PICK-UP mm* AIR/OCEAN FREIGHT mo unions, albeit legalized marriage among same-sex CUSTOMS CLEARANCE (INCL. ALL DUTIES) Fimio partners might not be a reality in Brazil any time soon DOOR DELIVERY TO BUYER IN BRAZIL — this is a universal problem. J For instance, Toni Reis and David Harrad faced permanent separation when 12533 CRENSHAW BLVD - HAWTHORNE, CA 90250 Harrad's visa expired. Harrad, a citizen of England. and Reis had lived together for six years. The couple FAX: (310) 973-7113 became so desperate that E-mail:tfi@touchdownco.com Reis' mother, a widow, offered to marry Harrad. For-

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Vital Attraction Drawn to movies since childhood it seemed inevitable that Mineiro Elton Eloin would end up in Hollywood doing what he always loved most: videos and movies. When the opportunity came to leave Brazil not even the offer of a profitable three-year contract on an ad campaign in Sap Paulo could change his mind. NALIA VILAGE

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

or some people, leaving their native land in search of new horizons could be traumatic and, afterwards, there are moments of intense introspection about their journey and accomplishments. Reminiscences and regret. But some people are travelers and quiet observers; they take their inner mystery with them: "There were very few people where I lived," remembers Minas Gerais native, director Elton Eloin, "so I learned to observe everything, especially nature." As characteristic of those born in this region, Eloin has that essential quality of being alone, watching everything that goes on around him. This sustains him; he is always quietly thinking and visualizing his next project as he, the youngest of three brothers, did during a boyhood full of dreams populated by Disney characters, American movies, theater and television. Now, not having a lot of friends in his transplanted surroundings is not a thing of concern to him. He is who he was, and he is still dreaming. Before trading the laidback atmosphere of Belo Horizonte for the frenetic pace of Rio de Janeiro (when Elton was eight years old), the family had at first decided to establish roots in a small ranch near Sepetiba, state of Rio de Janeiro. But they eventually moved on to legendary Rio, and life in the Big City had a great impact on his imagination. Enthralled by childhood memories, Elton decided to immigrate to America to fulfill his life-long passion to work in motion pictures. Of Steven Spielberg's Duel, intones Elton, at the time a thirteen-year-old: "I had finally made up my mind 23

to make movies when I was watching this classic on the building manager's projector in our condominium's ballroom. I'll never forget that moment." This was the pivotal point in his life. Mesmerized by the flow of images from the screen, he started to make his first videos. He listened to Top 40 radio and, inspired by Diana Ross's "It's My Turn" and encouraged by his father to overcome his shyness, Elton decided to submit his ideas to his brother Eid Walesko, who at the time was a director at Globo TV. His brother liked his ideas but thought them imaginative but childish. However, at sixteen, his brother finally relented and decided to introduce him to influential people at Globo. Elton became the assistant to Mario Ludo Vaz, who at the time was the network's Creative Director for Soap Opera Planning, and he used to boast of having been the mentor of the talented teenager who worked long hours to realize his ambitions and was a fixture among the crews, trying to soak up as much technical knowledge as possible. Eventually, it was a new opening concept that Elton developed for the Sunday prime-time extravaganza Fantastic°, conceptualized and produced by Hans Donner, that caught the attention ofthe all-powerful Boni of Globo who was impressed with Elton's creative abilities. Word spread and his brother Walesko, who had become one of the directors of Fantastic° at the time, decided to put sibling rivalry aside and give his younger brother a break. This led to his first music video that combined three tracks of different styles of a song by Lionel Ritchie that became a critical success, influencing music videos of that period. Under the leadership of Eid Walesko, with Lia Renha as set designer, Edmundo Tiburcio as the director of photography and the young Elton Eloin as creative director, there was a new energy and vitality at Globo, and Elton added to his résumé, doing commercials for Fiat, Firestone and Santa Rosa Textiles and other commercial giants. Fate smiled on Elton in an offer from CBS do videos for Julio Iglesias that took him to Los Angeles. Iglesias and Elton became friends and they still keep in touch. He returned to Brazil but decided to return to work in the movies, which was a childhood dream. His brother tried to talk him out of it. But, not even the offer of a profitable threeyear contract on an adverti§ing campaign for the opening of the Mixson advertising agency in Sao Paulo and other inducements, such as being called 24

the new Washington Olivetto who is president and creative director of W/Brasil, the country's third largest ad agency, could dissuade the determined Elton. He immigrated to New York, where he lived for a while with composer Sergio Sá, who also became a good friend. Then he moved to The Promised Land, Hollywood. One day, on seeing his boyhood idol Steven Spielberg in the middle of Beverly Center he approached him, asking him for advice about local film schools. Excited by his meeting of Spielberg and being referred to his assistant to follow up on suggestions about schools, Elton continued to work as a music video director, doing videos for luminaries such as Vicki Carr. He met Dee Dee Jackson, the sister-in-law of Michael Jackson who drowned in 1994 in a swimming pool. He had showed Dee Dee a short treatment of a script that he had developed for Michael's Heal the World Foundation; but the unfortunate turn of events precluded his meeting the world's most famous Jackson. At this time, Elton decided to revisit his Brazilian roots, go to college and dedicate his spare time to metaphysical studies. He met the internationally famous Brazilian medium Fatima Castro and had a reunion with Ricardo Movits, his longtime associate and friend with whom he works on film projects. This partnership propelled him in a new direction and work on a film where fantasy and reality merge, in which the issues of ecological proteetion, violence in the media and lack of love for children are treated—the motivation of the film being to raise spiritual awareness of all peoples using Brazilian, American, European and other kinds of folklore. This film project has taken them to the Amazon Rain Forest, Hawaii, Arizona, New Mexico, Egypt and Spain. And Elton is also involved in an experiment using interactive technology to cure chronic diseases, especially in children. Elton Eloin is a healer using the medium of sight and sound. This writer can still hear the soundtrack of his new film and, whenever I am in need of inspiration, I find myself humming it. I hope Holly wood is also listening. Ed ited by DaNsii Tyler BRAZZIL - MAY 199-

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The iaronoun 61afizman One month later, solemnly, the youngster was married to the leftover sister. Eleven months I afterwards, there he was sT.talling in the midwife's hands the future professor Aldrovando, the conspicuous language connoisseur who for 50 long years would scratch on the grammar his incurable philological scabies. MONTEIRO LOBATO Aldrovando Cantagalo veio ao mundo em virtude dum erro de gramatica. Durante sessenta anos de vida terrena pererecou como urn peru ern cima da gramatica. E morreu, afinal, vitima dum novo erro de gramatica. Martir da gramatica, fique este documento da sua vida como pedra angular para uma futura e bem merecida canonizacdo. Havia em Itaoca urn pobre moco que definhava de tedio no fundo de urn cartorio. Escrevente. Vinte e tres anos. Magro. Ar urn tanto palerma. Ledor de versos lacrimogeneos e pai duns acr6sticos dado A luz no "Itaoquense", corn bastante sucesso. Vivia em paz corn as suas certidOes quando o frechou venenosa seta de Cupido. Objeto amado: a filha mais moca do coronel Triburtino, o qual tinha duas, essa Laurinha, do escrevente, entdo nos dezessete, e a do Carmo, encalhe da familia, vesgk madurota, histerica, manca da perna esquerda e urn tanto aluada. Triburtino ndo era homem de brincadeiras. BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

29

•

Esgoelara urn vereador oposicionista em plena sessao da Camara e desde ai, se transformou no tutu da terra. Toda a gente the tinha urn vago medo; mas o amor, que é mais forte que a morte, nao receia sobrecenhos enfarruscados, nem tufos de cabelos no nariz.

—A familia Triburtino de Mendonca é a mais honrada desta terra, e eu, seu chefe natural, n5o perm itirei nunca—nunca, ouviu? que contra eta se cometa omenor deslize. Parou. Abriu uma gaveta. Tirou de dentro o bilhetinho cor de rosa, desdobrou-o.

Ousou o escrevente namorar-lhe a filha, apesar da distancia hierarquica que os separava. Namoro a moda velha, jã se ye, que nesse tempo nao existia a gostosura dos cinemas. Encontros na igreja, a missa, troca de olhares, dialogos de flores—o que havia de inocente e puro. Depois, roupa nova, ponta de lenco de seda a entremostrar-se no bolsinho de cima e medic5o de passos na Rua D'Elba, nos dias de folga. Depois, a serenata fatal a esquina,

—E sua esta peca de flagrante delito?

COM 0

Olt Acorda, donzela. sapecado a medo nutn velho pinho de emprestimo. Depois, bilhetinho perfumado. Aqui se estrepou... Escrevera nesse bilhetinho, entretanto, apenas quatro palavras, afora pontos exclamativos e reticencias: Anjo adorado! Amo-lhe!

—Sei onde trago o nariz, moco. Vassunce mandou este bilhete a Laurinha dizendo que ama-"Ihe". Se amasse a eta deveria dizer amo-"te". Dizendo "amo-lhe" declara que ama a uma terceira pessoa, a qual nao pode ser sena() a Maria do Carmo. Salvo se declara amor a minha mulher!... —Oh, coronel...

.0 escrevente, a tremer, balbuciou medrosa confirmacao

—...ou a preta Luzia, cozinheira. Escolha!

—Muito bem! continuou o coronel em torn mais sereno. Ama, ent5o, minha filha e tern a audacia de o Pois agora...

0 escrevente, vencido, derrubou a cabeca, corn uma lagrima a escorrer rumo a asa do nariz. Silenciaram ambos, em pausa de tragedia. Por fim o coronel, batendo-lhe no ombro paternalmente, repetiu a boa licao da sua gramatica matrimonial.

0 escrevente, por instinto, ergueu o braco para defender a cabeca e relanceou os olhOs para a rua, sondando uma retirada estrategica. —... é casar! concluiu de improviso o vingativo pai. 0 escrevente ressuscitou. Abriu os olhos ea boca, num pasmo. Depois, tornando a si, comoveu-se e, corn lagrimas nos olhos, disse, gaguejante: —Beijo-lhe as maos, coronel! Nunca imaginei tanta generosidade em peito humano! Agora vejo corn que injustica o julgam ai foral...

—Os pronomes, como sabe, sac) tres: da primeira pessoa—quern fala, e neste caso vassunce; da segunda pessoa—a quern se fala, e neste caso Laurinha; da terceira pessoa—de quem se fala, e neste caso Maria do Carmo, minha mulher ou a preta. Escolha! Nao havia fuga possivel. 0 escrevente ergueu os olhos e viu do Carmo que entrava, muito lampeira da vida, torcendo acanhada a ponta do avental novo ao alcance do maquiavelico pai. Submeteu-se e abracou a urucaca, enquanto o velho, estendendo as maos, dizia teatralmente:

Pap abrir o jogo, bastava esse movimento de pe5o.

yelhacamente o velho cortm-lhe o fio das expansaes.

Ora, aconteceu que o pai do anjo apanhou o bilhetinho celestial e, depois de tres dias de sobrecenho carregado, mandou chama-lo a sua presenca, corn disfarce de pretexto—para umas certidaezinhas, explicou.

No mes seguinte, solenemente, o moco casava-se corn o encalhe, e onze meses depois vagia nas in d- os da parteira o futuro professor Aldrovando, o conspicuo sabedor da lingua que durante cinqiienta anos a fio, cocaria na E voltando-se para gramatica a sua incuravel sarna dentro, gritou: filolOgica.

Apesar disso o moco veio urn tanto rqssabiado, corn a pulga atras da orelha.

—Do Carmo! Venha abracar o teu noivo!

Nao the erravam os pressentimentos. Mal o pilhou portas aquem, o coronel trancou o escritorio. fechou a carranca e disse: 30

--Deus vos abencoe, meus filhos!

--Nada de frases moco, vamos ao que serve: declaro-o solenemente noivo de minha filha!

0 escrevente piscou se's vezes enchendo-se ,de coragem, corrigiu o erro. Laurinha quer o coronet dizer...

Ate aos dez anos tido revelou Aldrovando pinta nenhuma. Menino vulgar, tossiu a coqueluche ern tempo prOprio, teve o sarampo da praxe, mais a cachumba e a catapora. Mais tarde, no colegio. enquanto os outros enchiam as horas de estudo corn invencOes de matar o tempo—empapelamento de BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

moscas e moidelas das respectivas cabecinhas entre duas folhas de papel, coisa de ver o desenho que sai— Aldrovando apalpava corn erotica emocao a gramatica de Augusto Freire da Silva. Era o latejar do furunculo filolOgico, que o determinaria na vida, para mata-lo, afinal... Deixemo-lo, porem, evoluir e tomemo-lo quando nos serve, aos 40 anos, já a descer o morro, arcado ao peso da ciencia e combalido de rins. La esta ele em seu gabinete de trabalho, fossando, a luz dum lampiao, os pronomes de Filinto Elisio. Corcovado, magro, seco, Oculos de lad° no nariz, carecac celibatario impenitente, dez horas de aulas por dia, duzentos mil reis por mes e o rim, volta e meia, a fazer-se lembrado. Já leu tudo. Sua vida foi sempre o mesmo poento idilio corn as veneraveis costaneiras onde cabeceiam os classicos lusitanos. Versou-os um por urn corn mao diurna e noturna. Sabe-os de cor, conhece-os pela morrinha, distingue pelo faro uma seca de Lucena duma esfalfa de Rodrigues Lobo. Digeriu todas as patranhas de Fernao Mendes Pinto. Obstruiu-se da broa encruada de Fr. Pantaleno do Aveiro. Na idade em que os rapazes correm atras das raparie_as, Aldrovando escabichava belchiores na pista dos mais esquecidos mestres da boa arte de macar. Nunca dorm iu entre bracos de mulher. A mulher e o amor—mundo, diabo, came, eram para ele os alfarrabios freiraticos do quinhentismo, em cuja soporosa verborreia espapacava os instintos lerdos, como porco em lameiro. Em certa epoca viveu tres anos, acampado em Vieira. Depois vagamundeou, como urn Robinson, pelas florestas de Bernardes. Aldrovando nada sabia do mundo atual. Desprezava a natureza, negava o presente. Passarinho, conhecia urn so: o rouxinol de Bernardim Ribeiro. E se acaso o sabia de Goncalves Dias vinha bicar -pomos de Hesperides" na laranjeira do seu quintal, Aldrovando esfogueteava-se corn apOstrofes: Salta fora, regionalismo de ma BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

sonancia! A lingua lusa era-lhe urn tabu sagrado que atingira a perfeicao coM Fr. Luis de Sousa, e dal para cá, salvo lucilacOes esporadicas, vinha chafuidando no ingranzeu barbaresco. — A inglesia de hoje, declamava ele, esta para a Lingua, como o cadaver em putrefacao esta para o corpo vivo. E suspirava, condoido dos nossos destinos: — Povo sem lingual...Nao me sorri o futuro de VeraCruz... E nao lhe objetassem que a lingua é organismo vivo e que a temos a evoluir na boca do povo. — Lingua? Chama voce lingua a garabulha bordalenga que estampam peri6dicos? Ca esta urn desses galicigrafos. Deletreemo-lo ao acaso. — Teve lugar ontem!...t lingua esa espurcicia negral? 0 meu serafico Frei Luis, como te conspurcam o divin idioma, estes sarrafacais da moxin fada! — ...no Trianon... Por que, Trianon? Por que este perene barbarizar corn alienigenos arrevezos! Tao bertn ficava—a Benfica, ou, se querettn neologismo de born cunho—o Logratorio... Tarelos é que sdo, tarelos! E suspirava, deveras compungido. prosseguir. A folha inteita cacografa-se por este teor. Ai! Onde param as boas letras de antanho? Fez-Se peru o niveo cisne. Ninguem atende a lei suma:—Horacio! lmpera o desprimor, e o mau gosto vige como suprema regra. A galica intrujice é mare sem vazante. Quando penetro num livreiro o coracao se me confrange ante o pelaolo de operas barbarescas que nos verte ca mercadores de ma mote. E é notar, outrossim, que a elas se vao 4s

preferencias do vulgacho. Muito ndo faz que vi corn estes olhos um gentil mancebo preferir uma sordicia de Oitavo Mirbelo—Canhenho duma dama de servir, creio, a... adivinhe ao que, amigo? A Carta de Guia do meu divino Francisco Manoel!... —Mas a evolucao... —Basta. Conheco as sobejas a escolastica da epoca, a "evolucao" darwinica, os vocabulos macacos—pitecofonemas que "evolveram", perderam o Oslo e se vestem hoje a moda da Franca, corn vidro no olho. Por amor a Frei Luis, que au i daquela costaneira escandalizado nos ouve, nao remanche o amigo na esqu ipatica sesquipedalice. Urn biografo ao molde classic° separaria a vida de Aldrovando em duas fases distintas: a estatica, em que apenas acumulou ciencia, e a dindmica, em que, transferido ern apostolo, veio a cam po corn todas as armas para contrabater o monstro da corrupcdo. Abriu campanha corn urn memoravel oficio ao congresso, pedindo leis repressivas contra os acaros do idioma. Leis, senhores, leis de Dracao, que diques sejam, e fossados, e alcacares de granito prepostos defensdo do idioma. Mister sendo; a forca se restaure, que mais o baraco merece quem conspurca o sacro patrimonio da sã vernaculidade, que quern ao semelhante a vida tira. Vede, senhores, os pronomes, em que lazeira jazem... Os pronomes, ai! eram a tortura permanente do professor Aldrovando. Doia-lhe como punhalada, ve-los por ai pre ou pospostos contra regras elementares do dizer castico. E sua representacao, alargou-se nesse pormenor, flagelante, concitando os pais da 31

patria a criacao dum Santo Oficio gramatical.

Tentou em seguida acao mais direta, abrindo consultOrio gramatical.

—E traduzi em latim o tat ingranzeu?

Os ignaros congressistas, porem, riram-se da mem6ria, e grandemente piaram sobre Aldrovando as mais crudis chalacas.

—Tem-nos os fisicos (queria dizer medicos), os doutores em leis, os charlataes de toda a especie. Abra-se urn para a medicacao da grande enferma, a lingua. Gratuito, já se ve, que me nao move amor de bens terrenos.

—Em latim ou grego, pois que o nao consigo entender...

—Quer que instituamos patibulo para os maus colocadores de pronomes! Isto seria auto-condenar-nos morte! Tinha graca! Tambem the foi a pele a imprensa, corn pilherias soezes. E depois, o public°. Ninguem alcancara a nobreza do seu gesto e Aldrovando, corn a mortificacao na alma, teve que mudar de rumo. Planeou recorrer ao pulpit() dos jornais. Para isso mister foi, antes de nada, vencer o seu velho engulho pelos "gal icifragos de papel e graxa". Transigiu e, breve, desses "pulm'Oes da poblica opiniao", apostrofou o pals com o verbo tonante de Ezequiel. Encheu colunas e colunas de objurgatorias ultraviolentas, escritas no mais estreme vernaculo. Mas nao foi entendido. Raro leitor metia os dentes naqueles interminaveis periodos engrenados a moda de Lucena; e, ao cabo da asperrima campanha, viu que pregara em pleno deserto. Leramno apenas a meia dozia de Aldrovandos que vegetam sempre em toda a parte, como notas rezingUentas da sinfonia universal. A massa dos leitores, entretanto, essa permaneceu alheia aos flamivomos pelouros da sua colubrina sem raia. E por fim os "periOdicos" fecharam-lhe a porta no nariz, alegando falta de espaco e coisas. —Espaco nao ha para as sas ideias, objurgou o enxotado, mas sobeja, e pressuroso, para quanto recomende a podriqueiral...Gomorra! Sodoma! Fogos do ceu virao um dia limpar-vos a gafal... exclamou, profetico, sacudindo a soleira da redacao o pel das cambaias botinas de elastic°. 32

Falhou a nova tentativa. Apenas as moscas vagabundas vinham esvoejar em tomb da ciencia que se oferecia na salinha modesta do apOstolo. Criatura humana, uma sO, sequer, all nao veio remendar-se filologicamente. Ele, todavia, nao esmoreceu.

Aldrovando impertigou-se. —Pois, amigo, errou de porta. Seu caso é au i corn o alveitar da esquina. Pouco durou a Agencia, morta mingua de clientes. Teimava o povo em permanecer empapado no chafurdeiro da corrupcao... 0 rosario de insucessos, entretanto, em vez de desalentar, exasperou o apOstolo. —Hei de influir na minha epoca. Aos tarelos hei de vencer. Fogem-me a ferula, os maraus de pau e corda? Ir-lhes-ei empOs, fila-los-ei pela gorja... Salta rumor!

—Experimentemos processo outro, mais suasOrio.

E foi-lhes "empos". Andou pelas ruas examinando disticos e tabuletas corn vicios de lingua. Descoberta a E anunciou a montagem da "Agen-• "asnidade", ia ter corn o proprietario, cia de Colocacao de Pronomes e contra ele desfechando os melhores Reparos Estilisticos". argumentos catequistas. Quem tivesse um autOgrafo a rever, urn memorial a expungir de cincas, urn calhamaco a compor-se corn os "afeites" do lidimo vernaculo, fosse la, que, sem remuneracao nenhuma, nele se faria obra limpa e escorreita. Era boa a ideia, e logo vieram os primeiros originals necessitados de ortopedia, sonetos a consertar pes de versos, oficios ao governo pedindo concessOes, cartas de amor. Tais, porem, eram as reformas que nos doentes operava Aldrovando, que os autores nao mais reconheciam suas prOprias obras. Urn dos clientes chegou a reclamar: Professor, V. Sa. enganou-se. Pedi limpa de enxada nos pronomesi mas nao que me traduzisse a men-Lai- la; em latim...

Foi assim corn o ferreiro da esquina, em cujo porta° de tenda uma tabuleta— "Ferra-se cavalos"—escoicinhava a santa gramatica. —Amigo, disse-lhe pachorrentamente Aldrovando, natural a mim que parece que erres, alarve que es. Se erram paredros, nesta epoca de ouro da corrupcao... 0 ferreiro pos de lado o malho e entreabriu a boca. —Mas da boa sombra do teu focinho espero, continuou o apOstolo, que ouvidos me daras. Naquela tabua urn dislate existe que seriamente a lingua lusa ofende. Venho pedir-lhe, em nome do asseio gramatical, que o expunjas.

—Que reformes a tabuleta, digo. Aldrovando ergueu os Oculos para a testa:

--Reformar a tabuleta ? Uma BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

tabuleta nova, corn a licenca paga? Esta acaso rachada? —Fisicamente, no. A racha é na sintaxe. Fogem, au, os dizeres a sä aramaticalidade. 0 honesto ferreiro nao entendia nada de nada. —Macacos me lambam se estou entendendo o que V. Sa. diz... —Digo que esta a forma verbal corn eiva grave. 0 "ferra-se" tern que cair no plural, pois que a forma é passiva e o sujeito é "cavalos". 0 ferreiro abriu o resto da boca. —0 sujeito sendo "cavalos", continuou o mestre, a forma verbal é "ferram-se"—"ferram-se cavalos!" —Ah! respondeu o ferreiro, comeco agora a compreender. Diz V. Sa. que... — ...que "ferra-se cavalos" é urn solecismo horrendo e o certo é "ferram-se cavalos". —V. Sa. me perdoe, mas o sujeito que ferra os cavalos sou eu, e eu nao sou plural. Aquele "se" da tabuleta refere-se cá a este seu criado. E como quem diz: Serafim ferra cavalos—Ferra Serafim cavalos. Para economizar tinta e tabua abreviaram o meu nome, e ficou como esta: Ferra Se(rafim) cavalos. 1st° me explicou o pintor, e entendi-o muito bem. Aldrovando ergueu os olhos para o ceu e suspirou. —Ferras cavalos e bem merecias que te fizessem eles o mesmo!... Mas nao discutamos. Ofereco-te dez mil reis pela admissao dum "m" —Se V. Sa. paga... Bern empregado dinheiro! A tabuleta surgiu no dia seguinte dessolecismada, perfeitamente de acordo corn as boas regras da gramatica. Era a primeira vitoria obtida e todas as tardes Aldrovando passava por Ia para gozar-se dela. BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Por mal, porem, não durou muito o regalo. Coincidindo a entronizacdo db "m" corn maus negocios na oficina, o supersticioso ferreiro atribuiu a macaba alteracao dos dizeres, e la raspou o "m" do professor. A cara que Aldrovando fez quandb, no passeio desse dia, deu corn a sua vitOria borrada! Entrou furioso pe a oficina a dentro, e mascava uma apOstrofe de fulminar, quando o ferreiro, as brutas, the barrou o passo: —Chega de caraminholas, O barata tonta! Quem manda aqui, no servico e na lingua, sou eu. E e ir andando, antes que eu o ferre corn urn born par de ferros ingleses! 0 martir da lingua meteu a gramatica entre as pernas e moscou-se. —"Sancta simplicitas!" ouviram-nO murmurar na rua, de rumo a casa, ern busca das consolacOes seraficas de Fr. Heitor Pinto. Chegado que foi ao gabinete de trabalho, caiu de borco sobre as costaneiras venerandas e não mais conteve as lagrimas, chorou... 0 mundo estava perdido e os homens, sobre maus, eram impenitentes.Nao havia desvia-los do ruim cam inho, e ele, já velho, corn o rim a rezingar, nao se sentia corn forcas para a continuacdo da guerra. —Ndo hei de acabar, porem, antes de dar a prelo urn grande livro, onde compendie a muita ciencia que hei acumulado. E Aldrovando empreendeu a realizacdo de urn vastissimo programa de estudos filologicos. Encabecaria a serie urn tratado sobre a colocacdo dos pronomes, ponto onde mais claudicava a gente de Gomorra. Fe-lo, e foi feliz nesse periodo de vida em que, alheio ao mundo, todo se entregou, d a e noite, a obra magnifica. Saiu trabuco

volumoso, que daria tres tomos de 500 paginas cada um, corpo rniüdo. Que proventos nao adviriam dali para a lusitanidade! Todos os casos resolvidos para sempre, todos os homens de boa vontade salvos da gafaria! 0 ponto fraco do brasileiro falar resolvido de vez! Maravilhosa coisa... Pronto o primeiro tomo—Do pronome Se—anunciou a obra pelos jornais, ficando a espera da chusma de editores que viriam disputa-la a sua porta. E por uns dias o apostolo sonhou as delicias da estrondosa vitoria literaria, acresCida de gordos proventos pecuniarios. Calculava em oitenta contos o valor dos direitos autorais, que, generoso que era, cederia por cinquenta. E cinqiienta contos para urn velho celibatario como ele, sem familia nem vicios, tinha a significacao duma grande fortuna. Empatados em emprestimos hipotecarios, sempre eram seus quinhentos mil reis por mes de renda, a pingarem pelo resto da vida, na gavetinha onde, ate entao, nunca entrara pelega major de duzentos. Servia, servial... E Aldrovando, contente, esfregava as maos, de ouvido alerta, preparando frases para receber o editor que vinha vindo... Que vinha vindo mas nao veio, ai!... As semanas se passaram sem que nenhum representante dessa miseravel fauna de judeus surgisse a chatinar o maravilhoso livro. —No me vem a mim? disse ele. Salta rumor! Pois me you a eles! E saiu em via sacra, a correr todos os editores da cidade. Ma gente! Nenhum lhe quis o livro sob condicdes nenhumas. Torciam o nariz, dizendo: "Ndo é yendavel"; ou: "Por que nao faz antes uma cartilha infantil aprovada pelo governo?" Aldrovando, corn a morte nalma e o 33

rim dia a dia mais derrancado, retesou-se nas filtimas resistencias. imprimir a minha custa! Ah, amigos! Aceito o cartel. Sei pelejar com todas as armas e irei ate ao fim. Bofe!... Para lutar era mister dinheiro e bem pouco do vilissimo metal possuia na arca o alquebrado Aldrovando. NA° importa! Faria dinheiro, venderia moveis, imitaria Bernardo de Pallissy, e ndo morreria sem ter o gosto de acacapar Gomorra sob o peso de sua ciencia impressa. Editaria, ele mesmo, urn por urn, todos os volumes da obra sa I v a dora. Passou esse periodo de vida alternando revisdo de provas corn padecimentos renais. Venceu. 0 livro compos-se, magnificamente revisto, primoroso na linguagem como rido existia igual. Dedicou-o a Fr. Luis de Sousa:

ira04.4AVO

A mem6ria daquele que me sabe as dores—O autor. Mas ndo quis o destino que o já tremulo Aldrovando colhesse os frutos de sua obra. Filho dum pronome improprio, a ma colocacdo de outro pronome Ihe cortaria o fio da vida. Muito corretamente havia escrito na dedicatoria :...daquele que me sabe... e nem poderia escrever de outro modo urn tdo conspicuo colocador de pronomes. Maus fados intervieram, porem— ate os fados conspiram contra a lingua!—e, por artimanha do diabo que os rege, empastelou-se na oficina esta frase. Val o tipOgrafo e recomp6e-na a seu modo... daquele que sabe-me as dores... E assim saiu nos milheiros de cOpias da avultada edicdo. Mas ndo antecipemos. Pronta a obra e paga, ia Aldrovando recebe-la, enfim. Que glOria! Construira, finalmente, o pedestal da sua prOpria imortalidade, ao lado direito dos sumos cultores da lingua. A grande iddia do livro, exposta no capitulo IV— Do metodo automatic° de bem colocar os pronomes— enge-

nhosa aplicacao duma regra mirifica, por meio da qual ate os burros de carroca poderiam zurrar corn gramatica operdria como o "914" da sintaxe, limpando-a da avariose produzida pelo espiroqueta dos pronomococus. A excelencia dessa regra estava em possuir equivalentes quimicos de uso na farmacopeia alopata, de modo que a um born laboratOrio facil Ihe seria reduzi-la a ampolas para injecOes hipodermicas, ou a pilulas, pós ou pocOes para uso interno. E quem se injetasse ou engolisse uma pilula do futuro PRONOMINOL CANTAGALO curar-se-ia para sempre do vicio, colocando os pronomes instintivamente bem, tanto no falar como no escrever. Para algum caso de pronomorreia aguda, evidentemente incuravel, haveria o recurso do PRONOMINOL N.° 2, onde entrava a estriquinina em dose suficiente para libertar o mundo do infame sujeito. Que gloria! Aldrovando prelibava essas delicias todas quando the entrou pela escada a dentro a primeira carrocada de livros. Dois brutamontes de mangas arregacadas empilharamnos pelos cantos, em rumas que la se lam; e concluso o servico urn deles pediu:

abancou-se àvelha mesinha de trabalho e deu comeco d tarefa de lancar dedicatorias num certo numero de exemplares destinados a critica. Abriu o primeiro, e estava já a escrever o nome de Rui Barbosa, quando seus olhos deram corn a horrenda cinca: "daquele QUE SABE-ME as dores". —Deus do ceu! Sera possivel? Era possivel. Era fato. Naquele, como em todos os exemplares da edicao, Ia estava, no hediondo relevo da dedicatOria a Fr. Luis de Sousa, o horripilantissimo— QUE SABE-ME... Aldrovando ride, murmurou palavra. De olhos muito abertos, no rosto uma estranha marca de dor—dor gramatical inda ndo descrita nos livros de pato logia—permaneceu imOvel uns momentos. Depois, empalideceu. Levou as mdos ao abdomen e estorceu-se nas garras de repentina e violentissima ansia. Ergueu os olhos para Frei Luis de Sousa e murmurou. —Luis! Luis! Lamma Sabachtani! E morreu.

—Me dá urn mata-bicho, patrao!... Aldrovando severizou o semblante ao ouvir aquele "Me" tao fora dos mancais, e tomando urn exemplar da obra ofertou-o ao "doente": —Toma Ia. 0 mau bicho que tens no sangue morrerd asinha as maos deste vermifugo. Recomendo-te a leitura do capitulo sexto.

De que, nao sabemos— nem importa ao caso. 0 que importa e proclamarmos aos quatro ventos que corn Aldrovando morreu o primeiro santo da gramatica, o martir numero urn da Colocacdo dos Pronomes.

CIE;

Paz a sua alma. The original title of this short story is

0 carroceiro lido se fez rogar; saiu corn o livro, dizendo ao companheiro:

"0 Colocador de Pronomes."

—Isto no "sebo" sempre rendera cinco tostOes. JA serve...

Livraria Cultura Ltda

We printed the version published by on Antologia

de Contos,

Vol. II, organized

Mal se sumiram, Aldrovando

by 0. Pimentel.

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Vargas o ndo m r i qG ue eit11Cardoso been i, * ying tOlaisP1 r d ° S 7.9 , ,Ph $l'h razil is r°ve th 4 ro'a :Wilt always thefhtl et,,, the Brazil I ' zit' trilri,f,ano,4ighe ij i utr after R.s;_iar China,, 4, ct t USA. It -tiotia!- -thkn't , ft.h‘e lsize as r ,,,,e, 13,ft' s ' u as '-excluql liid a, an larger oan) raz + far ild scarcely Russia' 11 % v torrit is fate Oa ri theAmazon,aSi ... • h the e otip 41 r , S ftI t!! , I" iine4it large has ' .soutit; sit Ulati°111, s a : 1;: .' 7° n

BRAZZIL -MAY 1997

offee was king until the global eco nomic crisis of 1929 put a big hole in the bottom of the coffee market and badly damaged the Brazilian econo y. The coffee growers of Sao Paulo, who controlled the government, were badly weakened. In opposition to the pro-coffee policies of the govern ent, a liberal alliance formed around the elites o Minas Gerais and Rio Grande do Sul and nation list military officers. When their presidential can idate, Gann() Vargas, lost the 1930 elections, t e military took power by force, handing over th reins to Vargas. Var as proved to,be a gifted political maneuverer a d was to dominate the political scene for the ne t 20 years. He skillfully played off one sector f the ruling elite against another, but was careful not to alienate the military. His popular support came from the odd bit of social reform combined with large slabs of demagoguery and nationalism. In 1937, on the eve of a new election, Vargas sent in he military to shut down congress and took comple e control of the country. His regime was inspire by Mussolini's and Salazar's fascist states. Vargas banned political parties, imprisoned political opponents and censored the press. Wh n WW II struck, Vargas sided with the Allies, ut when the war ended, the contradiction betwee fighting for democracy in Europe while operati g a quasi-fascist state at home was too glaring Vargas was forced to step down by the milita authorities but he remained popular. In ' 951 he was legitimately erected to the preside cy and, with the economic opportunities affordeu by the war in Europe, Brazil began its fitful march towards industrialization and urbanization. A large network of state corporations, includi g national petroleum and steel companies, was est blished, the first minimum wage was set and pe ants flocked to the cities for a better life. But Vargas' administration was plagued by corruption The press, especially a young journalist named arlos Lacerda, attacked him viciously and the mili ary withdrew their support. In August of the sa e year, Vargas' bodyguards made an attempttu murder Lacerda, but instead killed an air force ajor who was with him. In the resulting scandal the military demanded Vargas' resignation He responded melodramatically by shooting himself in the heart. Popular reaction proved extremel sympathetic to the dead president. Anti-go ernment newspapers were burned and the US Em assy was attacked. Lacerda was forced into exi e, but later returned to become a dynamic govern r of Rio. Late 20th Century Jusc lino Kubitschek, popularly known as JK, was ele ted president in 1956. His motto was '50 years' p ogress in five.' His critics responded with '40 yea s' inflation in four.' The critics were closer to the ark, although industrial production did increas by 80% during Kubitschek's five years. The dynamic Kubitschek was the first of Brazil's big spenders. Deficit spending and large loans f nded roads and hydroelectric projects. Foreign capital was encouraged to invest and Brazil' automotive industry was started. Kubitsc ek built Brasilia, a new capital which was suppos d to be the catalyst for development of 35

Brazil's vast interior. In the 1961 elections, former Sao Paulo governor z Janio Quadros took over the presidency on a wave of public euphoria. He gained 48% of the vote, the highest majority ever. Quadros had huge plans for political reform, but a moralistic streak saw him trying to prohibit the wearing of bathing costumes at beauty contests, bikinis on the beaches and the use of amyl nitrate at Carnaval—an uphill battle indeed. He then decorated Che Guevara in a public ceremony in Brasilia, a move which upset the rightwing military, wfto started' to plot. A few days later Quadros resigned after only six months in office, claiming that "occult forces" were at work. Joao "Jango" Goulart, his vice-president and the labor minister under Vargas, took over the presidency. Opposition to Goulart's leftist policies and the fact that he hadn't been elected led to his overthrow by the military in 1964. Within hours of the coup, President Johnson cabled his warmest good wishes. The USA immediately extended diplomatic relations ; to the military regime and suspicions ran deep that the USA had masterminded the coup. Much of the middle class welcomed the military and the Revolution of 1964, as it was called at first. Brazil's military regime was not as brutal as those of Chile or Argentina; the repression tended to come and go in cycles. But at its worst, around 1968 and 1969, the use of torture and the murder of political opponents were widespread. For almost 20 years political parties were outlawed and freedom of speech was curtailed. Borrowing heavily from international banks, the generals benefited from the Brazilian economic, miracle; year after year in the late '60s and early '70s' Brazil's economy grew by over 10%. The transformation to an urban and semi-industrialized country accelerated. Spurred on by the lack of any effective rural land' reform, millions came to the cities, and favelas,, (shantytowns) filled the open spaces. The middle' class grew, as did the bureaucracy and military. More mega projects were undertaken to exploit Brazil's natural resources, to provide quick fixes to underdevelopment and to divert attention from much " needed social reforms. The greatest of these was the:. opening of the Amazon, which has brought great,. wealth to a few but little to most Brazilians, While:)'-: helping to turn attention away from the issue of land); reform. e, The military's honeymoon didn't last. Oppositiom•grew in 1968 as stOdents, and then many in theChurch-.---which had been generally supportive of the;' coup—began to protest against the regime. Inspiredi, by liberation theology, the Church had begun to examine Brazilian misery. Church leaders establishedt base communities among the poor to fight for socialk justice. They were appalled by the military's flagrant, abuse of human rights, which broke all religious and# moral tenets. In 1980 a militant working-class movement, cc 36

tered around the Sao Paulo automotive industry, exploded onto the scene with a series of strikes under the charismatic leadership of Lula, the workers' champion. With the economic miracle petering out and popular opposition picking up steam, the military announced the so-called abertura (opening): a slow and cautious process of returning the government to civilian rule. A presidential election was held in 1985, under an electoral college system designed to ensure 'the victory of the military's candidate. Surprisingly, the opposition candidate, Tancredo Neves, was elected. Millions of Brazilians took to the streets in a spontaneous outburst ofjoy at the end of mi I itary rule. Tragically, Tancredo died of heart failure the day before assuming the presidency and was succeeded by the vice-president, Jose Sarney, a relative unknown who had supported the military until 1984. During Sarney's term the economy was hampered by severe inflation, and by 1990 Brazil had run up a $25 billion domestic deficit and a $115 billion foreign debt. However, the congress did, during this period, manage to hammer out a new, more liberal constitution that guaranteed human rights. The first democratic presidential election since the military takeover was held in 1989. In a hard-fought campaign, Fernando Collor de Mello, ex-Brazilian karate .champion and former governor of the small state of Alagoas, narrowly gained victory over the Workers' Party candidate, Lula. Lula' s campaign was not helped by the fact that a few days before the election his ex-lover revealed on national TV that Lula had offered her money for an abortion 16 years before. Collor gained office promising to reduce inflation and fight corruption, but by the end of 1992, the man who once reminded George Bush of Indiana Jones had been removed from office and was being indicted by Federal Police on charges of corruption—accused of being the leader of a gang which used extortion and - bribery to suck more than $1 billion from the economy. Collor joined the long list (11 out of 25) of Brazilian presidents who have left office before the end of their presidential term. • 'Collorgatelhad a positive side. It proved to the Brazilian peoplf that the constitution of their fragile democracy is capable of removing a corrupt president from office without military interference. Many were disappointed that Collor escaped prison: he was found "not guilty" ofpassive corruption" in a 4 to 3 vote by the judges of th Supreme Court in December 1994. Pictures of him joying his "retirement" while shop ping in New Yo}k or skiing in Colorado, still appear in the Brazilian , ewspapers. Vice Presid t Itamar Franco became president in December 199 after Collor's resignation. Considered provincial nd unprepared to take office, Itamar surprised his c tics with an honest and competent administration. is greatest achievement was to begin the long-awaited stabilization of the economy with the introduction of the Plano Real, the most successful economic plan in a decade. The year 1994 was an emotional one for Brazilians. Grief gripped the country on the 1st of May with BRAZZIL-MAY1N7

the death of Formula One hero Ayrton Senna, beginning a process that turned him from living legend into a Brazilian sporting god. Two months later, sorrow turned to joy as the Brazilian football team became tetracampao. Brazil became the first country to win the World Cup four times. Another hero was created in the process: Romario de Souza Faria. Known simply as Romario, the champion Brazilian striker scored six of the 14 goals that took his team to victory. It was also an election year in Brazil. Early favorite was Lula, back for a second attempt after losing to Collor in 1991. His downfall was the Plano Real, which he criticized early. The architect of the plan, Itamar's finance minister Fernando Henrique Cardoso, became known as "Father of the Real" and rode its success all the way to a landslide victory in the presidential elections in October. An ex-sociology professor from Sao Paulo, FHC (as he's known in the press—the people call him Fernando Henrique) is a social democrat, committed to economic progress and growth, as well as tackling Brazil's social problems. But social justice and economic growth don't always coincide, especially in a country as volatile as Brazil. With the approach of the 21st century, many lingering problems remain—corruption, violence, urban overcrowding, lack of essential health and education facilities, environmental abuse and dramatic extremes of wealth and poverty. Brazil has long been known as a land of the future. But the future never seems to arrive. GEOGRAPHY Brazil is the world's fifth largest country after Russia, Canada, China and the USA. It borders every country in South America, except Chile and Ecuador, and its 8.5 million sq. km occupy almost half the continent. Gigantic Brazil is larger than the USA excluding Alaska, 2/2 times the size of India, and larger than Europe excluding Russia, spans three time zones and is closer to Africa than it is to Europe or the USA. As amazing as the size of this enormous expanse, is its inaccessibility and inhospitality to humans. Much of Brazil is scarcely populated; 36% of the nation's territory is in the Amazon Basin which, along with the enormous Mato Grosso to its south, has large regions with population densities of less than one person per sq. km . Most of this land was not thoroughly explored by Europeans until this century. New mountains, new rivers and new Indian tribes are still being discovered. The Amazon is being rapidly settled, lumbered and depleted. Brazil's geography can be reduced to four primary regions: the long, narrow Atlantic coastal band that stretches from the Uruguayan border to the state of Maranhao; the large highlands—called the Planalto Brasileiro or Central Plateau—which extend over most of Brazil's interior south of the Amazon Basin; and two great depressions— the Amazon Basin and the Paraguay Basin in the Southeast. The coastal band, stretching for 7408 km, is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the coastal mountain ranges that lie between it and the Central Plateau. From Rio Grande do Sul all the way up to Bahia the mountains are right on the coast. Sheer mountainsides, called the Great EscarpBRAZZIL - MAY 1997

ment, make rivers impossible to navigate. Especially in Rio and Espirito Santo, the littoral is rocky and irregular, with many islands, bays and sudden granite peaks, like Pao de Act:war in Rio. North of Bahia, the coastal lands are flatter and the transition to die highlands more gradual. Rounded hills signal the eginning of the central plateau. There are navigable ri ers and the coast is smooth and calm, well protected y offshore reefs. The Planalto Brasileiro is an enormous plateau that covers a pa t of almost every Brazilian state. It is punctuated by several small mountain ranges that reach no more t an 3000 meters—the highest of these are centered in inas Gerais—and is sliced by several large rivers. Th average elevation of the Planalto is only 500 meter.. From Mina Gerais the Planalto descends slowly to the north. T e great Rio Sao Francisco, called the River of Natio al Unity or more informally Velho Chico, which begins in the mountains of Minas, follows this northerly descent. There are several other rivers slicing through the Planalto. The large tablelands or plains between these river basins are called

chapad5es. From the Planalto Brasileiro to the south, the Andes to the west and the Guyana shield to the north, the waters descend to the great depression of the Amazon Basin. In the far west the basin is 1300 km wide, to the eas between the Guyana massif and the Planalto Brasil iro, it narrows to less than 100 km wide. There are a estimated 1100 tributaries flowing into the Amazo River, 10 of which carry more water than the Missis ippi River. The 6275-km-long Amazon is the world's largest river. With its tributaries it carries an estim ted 20% of the world's fresh water. The Amazon f rest contains 30% of the remaining forest in the wo Id. In the south, there's the Parand-Paranagua Basin. This depressio , which is not as low-lying as the Amazon, inclu es the Pantanal and runs into the neighboring co ntries of Paraguay and Argentina. It is characterized by open forest, low woods and scrubland. Its two p incipal rivers, the Rio Paraguai and the Rio Parana run south through Paraguay and Argentina. For political and administrative purposes, Brazil is generally divided into five regions: the North, the Northeast, the Central West, the Southeast and the South. The North is the Amazon forest. It encompasses 42% of Brazil's land and includes the states of Amazonas, Para, Rondonia, Acre, Tocantins, Amapa and Roraima. This is Brazil's least populated region and contains most of the country's Indian people. The two major cities are Manaus and Belem, the former on the Rio Negro, and the latter on the Amazon River. The Northeast, Brazil's poorest region, has retained much of 4: razil's colonial past. It's also the region where the African influence is most evident. It 37

contains 18% of Brazil's area and includes, moving up the coast, the states of Bahia, Sergipe, Alagoas, Pernambuco, Paraiba, Rio Grande do Norte, Ceara, Piaui and Maranhao. These states are divided into a littoral, the Iona da mata, and the sertdo (the dry interior). In the old days the Central West was called the mato grosso (thick forest). It includes the states of Goias, Mato Grosso, Mato Grosso do Sul and the federal district of Brasilia: 22% of the national territory. Only recently opened to road transport, this is Brazil's fastest growing region. The Southeast is developed, urban Brazil. The states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais and Espirito Santo make up 10% of the national territory but have 43% of the population and contribute 63% of all industrial production. In the South, Brazil feels more European, and it comprises the prosperous states of Parana (the location of the magnificent Iguacu Falls), Santa Catarina with its very visible German presence, and Rio Grande do Sul. FLORA & FAUNA The richness and diversity of Brazilian flora and fauna are astounding, and the country ranks first in the world for its variety of primate, amphibian and plant species; third for bird species; and fourth for butterfly and reptile species. The following is a rough overview of this extraordinary diversity which, for ease of reference, is divided into general vegetation zones with a few examples of the flora and fauna. The Pantanal A vast wetlands area in the center of South America, the Pantanal is about halfthe size ofFranceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; some 230,000 sq. km spread across Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay. Something less than 100,000 sq. km is in Bolivia and Paraguay; the rest is in Brazil, split between the states of Mato Grosso and Mato Grosso do Sul. The Pantanal-2000 km from the Atlantic Ocean yet only 100 to 200 meters above sea levelâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;is bounded by higher lands: the mountains ofthe Serra de Maracaju to the east; the Serra da Bodoquena to the south; the Paraguayan and Bolivian Chaco to the west; and the Serra dos Parecis and the Serra do Roncador to the north. From these highlands the rains flow into the Pantanal to form the Rio Paraguai and its tributaries, which flow south and then east, draining into the Atlantic Ocean between Argentina and Uruguay. During the rainy season, from October to March, the rivers flood their banksâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;inundating much of the low-lying Pantanal for half the year and creating cordilheiras, patches of dry land where the animals cluster together. The waters reach their high mark, as much as three meters, in January or February, then start to recede in March, and don't stop until the rainy season returns six months later. This seasonal flooding has made systematic farming impossible and severely limited human incursions into the area. It has also provided an enormously rich feeding ground for wildlife. 38

The floodwaters replenish the soil's nutrients, which would otherwise be very poor due to the excessive drainage. The waters teem with fish, and the ponds provide excellent ecological niches for many animals and plants. Enormous flocks of wading birds gather in rookeries several sq. km in size. Later in the dry season, the water recedes, the lagoons and marshes dry out, and fresh grasses emerge on the savanna (Pantanal vegetation includes savanna, forest and meadows which blend together, often with no clear divisions). The hawks and jacare (caimans) compete for fish in the remaining ponds. The ponds shrink and dry up and the jacare crawl around for water, sweating it out until the rains return. The food economy of the extremely diverse and abundant marshland birdlife is based on snails, insects and fish. All three abound in the Pantanal and support around 270 bird species including kites and hawks, limpkins, cardinals, herons and egrets, woodpeckers, ibises and storks, woodrails, kingfishers, cuckoos, hummingbirds, parakeets, thornbirds, shrikes, wrens, jays, blackbirds, finches, toucans and macaws. A mere list doesn't do justice to the color of a flock of parakeets in flight or the clumsiness of the tuhrilt (jabiru stork), the meter-high, black-hooded, scarlet-collared symbol of the Pantanal, nor can it suggest the beauty of ninha birds settling like snow in the trees or the speed of a sprinting herd of emas (rheas). Keep an ear open for the call of the Southern Lapwing, named quero-qztero (I want, I want) in Brazil for its sound to Brazilian ears. Birds are the most frequently seen wildlife, but the Pantanal is also a sanctuary for giant river otters, anacondas and iguanas, jaguars, ocelots, cougars, thousands upon thousands of jacare, pampas and swamp deer, giant and lesser anteaters, black howler monkeys, zebu bulls and capybaras, the world's largest rodents. The capybara is the most visible mammal in the Pantanal. These rodents have guinea pig faces and bear-like coats. They grow up 63 kg and can be seen waddling in the swampy half of the Transpantaneira, where they feed on aquatic plants. They are equally at home on land or in water and are often seen in family groups of two adults and four or five young, or in large herds. The two species of anteater in the Pantanal are endangered and not easily seen. The hairy giant anteater roams the dry savanna ground in search of the hard termite mounds which it'll excavate for 10 to 15 minutes at a time. The lesser anteater, smaller and lighter colored than the giant, spends most of its time in trees eating ants, termites and larvae. Both are slow footed, with poor vision, but an excellent sense of smell. The anteater's strong arms and claws which keep even the jaguars at bay, offer no protection from the local Pantaneiros, who prize their meat. The killing of anteaters has led to an increase in ants and termites in the last decade, and many Pantaneiros now use deadly pesticides to try to destroy the mounds, ignoring the fact that the pesticides are absorbed by cattle and BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

wildlife feeding in the area. With thousands of jacare sunning themselves on the edge of each and every body of water, it's hard to believe that they are endangered by poachers, who slaughter an estimated one to two million each year. The jacare feed mainly on fish, and are the primary check on the growth of the piranha population, which has been growing rapidly due to the jacare slaughter. The size of an adult jacare is determined by the abundance of food, and varies noticeably: jacare on the river's edge are often considerably larger than those that feed in small ponds. Although they eat young or injured animals, jacare rarely attack people or capybara, and many birds mingle amongst thejacare in complete peace and harmony. Visitors to the Pantanal are always fascinated by the passivity ofthe jacare.I've seen Pantaneiros swimming in rivers lined withjacare, but there are times to be on guard. It's not safe to enter the water where there is only onejacare. It could be a female guarding her eggs or her young. She can attack and, for short distances, run faster than a horse. During the rainy season you must be careful walking in the water. The jacares are not aggressive and will usually swim away before you get close. But if stepped on, the jacare will grab a leg and roll. This has probably never happened to a tourist, and only once in a blue moon does a Pantaneiro suffer this unpleasant end, but the rare jacare attack is used nonetheless to justify their slaughter. Thejacare, not known for its voice, makes one of the strangest sounds in the Pantanal. Every now

and then ajacare will curl its body, with head and tail stretching to the sky, open its mouth and let out a weird, deep rattle-roar. Then, suddenly, thin lines of water shoot up from the jacare's back, and soon after it returns to its normal state of inactivity. The cattle that live side by side with all this wildlife graze during the dry season and gather on the lime islets that form during the wet season. Amazingly, the cattle live in harmony with the wildlife, as have humans t4ntil recently. Jaguars only attack sick or injured cattle, and some eat only heir natural prey, capybara and tapir. Nevertheless, iiany cattle ranchers kill jaguars to protect their cattle. Jaguars are also killed for their skins. They are a highly endangered species and are threatened with extinction, as are the swamp deer and the giant river otter (the 'jag ar of the waters'). The Panta eiros believe that eating jag ar meat boosts Excerpts from Brazil masculine qualities like A Travel Survival Kit strength and virility, quali3rd edition, ties the traditional hunter of the jaguar, the zagaeiro, has by Andrew Draffen, in abundance. Chris McAsey, Using only a zagara, a Leonardo Pinheiro, wooden spear with a metal and Robyn Jones. tip, the zagaelro chases the For more information jaguar up a tree and then taunts call Lonely Planet: the cat until it is ready-to leap (800) 275-8555. and attack. At the last moCopyright 1992 Lonely ment the zagaeiro plants the Planet Publications. spear in the ground and when Used by permission. the jaguar jumPs on the man it impales itself, ying instantly.

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"Those who bring sunshine to the lives of others cannot keep it from themselves." Sir James Matthew Barrie About two years ago, Mocidade Independente Los Angeles (MILA), the premier escola de samba of North America, was floundering. A rift between the director of the bateria and the escola' s president, as well as the cavaquinho player's move to Miami, had created a vacuum. The bateria was like a jumbo jet that could still fly, but was having serious problems taking off and landing. Morale was plummeting. Rehearsals were sloppy. MILA had become the proverbial rudderless ship in a storm; and the ship was

Everybody Goes vvvvvv! 2

Not without a gripe, Rio's traditional escola de samba (samba club) Salgueiro has lost cavaquinho (four-string ukelelelike instrument)_player Claudinho to the United States. The musician, who is a chorinho lover, since coming here has learned also to love rock, jazz an gypsy music, with a vengeance. BRUCE GILMAN

Claudmho and Bruce Gilman BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

taking water fast. To top things off, MILA's president, Luizinho Ferreira, left for Rio and was gone for a month. When he returned; however, he brought with him the energy and performance know-how of escola de samba Salgueiro in the concentrated form of a twenty-six year old puxador named Luis Claudio. I have never met a musician who is funnier on the surface and more serious underneath than Claudinho. Listening to him between sets at CafĂŠ Danssa jamming to songs played over the sound system never fails to conjure knowing smiles. He not only picks out the right chords, but the right chord inversions. As a further confirmation of his finely developed ear, Claudinho, having spoken solely Portuguese for twenty-seven years, today converses easily in English. Our interview took place in English at his home in Los Angeles. Claudinho, how did you become interested in samba? My father loved to play the cavaquinho and the acoustic bass. He was an amateur musician, and his friends were always over at our house playing. I acquired a love for samba listening to them and watching the fun they had. When I was 10 I started teaching myself how to play his cavaquinho. What was the first group you played with? I started playing with the Aprendizes de Lucas. This was before Salgueiro. Salgueiro was very close to my house. It was my samba school, so later I started going there. Did you play choro? I love chorinhos, but I couldn't survive in Rio playing choro when I was growing up. Everyone wanted samba, so that is where I concentrated. I really love choro, but it is a style that was felt by many to be the music for old people. Choro is getting more popular again. But then, it was almost extinct. Which cavaquinho players have influenced you the most? Alceu Maia is the best in Brazil. He was my teacher. This is funny because he was also my idol. One night I had a gig with my old band, SO Vodka (Only Vodka) playing the Copacabana Palace. And when I walked in for the gig, I saw him. I told my friends, "Hey look. It's Alceu." I went over and said, "Hey mestre (master), will you teach me?" He said, "I'm not mestre. We can be friends." We exchanged phone numbers. Fundo de Quintal was on the same gig, and Arlindo Cruz, who had just written a tune with my uncle, told me that Alceu had an instrument for sale. After the gig, Arlindo went over to Alceu and said, "Hey, this guy goes to every pagode (samba

party). Mayb he can take a look at your instrument." Alceu start d joking, "What, my cavaquinho? I don't have it Iere. It's back at Rocinha." Alceu's instrument waS my first professional cavaquinho. Sounds like a musician's dream. Yeah, I was not playing very well before Alceu. My life now, ls B.A. and A.A. (before and after Alceu). He's a great guy. When ! went back to Brazil last year, I bumped into him at the airport. When I saw him I said, "Alceu, mother fucker!" "What happened, my friend?" "I went to L.A." "Why did you go to L.A.?" "I'm playirlg there right now." He gave me a hug and said, " What a pity." He's thirty-eight or thirty-nine now, a young boy, with gray hair. You were very active in Rio. In Rio I played with many groups. I played with Elza Soares, Beth Carvalho, Leci Brandao, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, A 1m ir Guineto, Joao Nogueira, and with my band S6 Vodka. I also recorded my first CD Verdadeiro Cristal with the group Malicia Brasileira for the Imagem label. Tell me about Salgueiro? I was born n Tijuca where Salgueiro is. When I started playing, when I was conscious that I could play, I wanted to play with Salgueiro. At first, I was a little intimidated because I thought it would be difficult to get into Salgueiro. But it finally happened. Salguei o opened the door to the world for me. Salgueiro helped me to realize what was possible for me as a performer and as a musician. I've heard a story that the president of Salgueiro asked you once to stop playing. Yes, but th s is not what it sounds like. You know mestre L ro? His real name is Lorival. He's the mestre of t e bateria in Salgueiro. Lorival, my fucking good fiend Fumaca, and I started playing a kind of pagode under this small structure right on the street where the members of Salgueiro passed on their way to rehearsal. Lorival played guitar, I played cavaquinho, Fumaca played drums. But the people wouldn't go to rehearsal. They would stop and listen. Our pagode really caught on, and we were starting to draw large crowds. People were really getting into it. After we had done this a few times, Mangano (Paulo Cesar Mangano, president of escola de sam a Salgueiro) came over to us and said, "Hey man you have got to stop this! We can't have a rehears I. No one is getting inside!" What proj cts have you been involved with â&#x20AC;˘

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

play with more technology. Samba groups are playing with electric bass, keyboards, a drummer, and really making music. The public needs this now. It's better for the samba. You need to have keyboards to make more harmony and better arrangements. I come from this period, this modern time, the transition between the old school and the new school. When I came here, I wanted to do my best. I told Luizinho, "We need to take care of this." But he likes this earlier time, the traditional samba, and he's my boss. The band needs more power, real musicians. Fumaca and I have played a lot with professional musicians in Brazil. We see that the line is breaking right now. But we still Sambrasil is an amazing band. I was really need to talk with other people like ourselves and agree on impressed with their performance at the Hollysome important points and start making better wood Palladium. music. So, I'm working my goals around my How did you get Claudinho's job. This hurts me because I believe you can be involved with better. But Luizinho, I don't know why... The Josias Santos Discography concept of samba has changed. and Sambrasil? I arrived in 1996—Bahia Legend—Lula & AfroConstelacao has been together for many Brasil (available from Brazil CD's) Los Angeles on a years. Will the band release a CD? Feet and The Sun—Katia 1996—Ten Tuesday, and the Moraes—SugarCane Records we can do this. We could make a I think next Sunday LuiBraVerdadeiro Cristal—Malicia 1995— great CD because we can bring in the 'bass zinho and I went sileira lmagem player from Sambrasil and Marcelo from Lula's to San Diego so I band to play guitar. But when a band with a CD could meet the goes to play live, they have to, at least, be able in guys to present the same arrangements, musicians, and instruSambrasil. They knew about my band Malicia ments. When you play live, you have to sound better than Brasileira. It was a group of young players who the CD. If you can't sound better, at a minimum, you have played really, really hard, man. Every time we to sound as good as the CD. Never less. played, people stopped what they were doing, and It is difficult right now with Constelacao. In the past, just stared at the players. Malicia Brasileira was a Luizinho wasn't thinking about this. He only wanted to hot group. Josias Santos remembered this and insurvive. But now, he is thinking about it. He asked me, vited me to join Sambrasil, "Can you write some songs for a CD?" I told him, "Man, we need to think very seriously about this and not joke. Do you go to the band rehearsals in San We'll spend money, spend time." I don't know. SomeDiego? times we disagree about this. He wants to make one, but I haven't so far. The guys rehearse all the time; I don't think the band is prepared right now. We need to the band is very tight. Fumaca, Josias, and I are make the band tighter. When we can say proudly, "Yeah, going to rehearse together when I come back from this is my band," then we'll go to the studio and play with Brazil. But so far, I just go and play, carefully, step a drummer, a bass player, guitar, back up vocalists. One, by step right now. Josias has given me the opportutwo... One, two, three... Go! In Brazil, we always played nity. He is a great mind. this way, me and Fumaca. Do you have any special method of practicWhat was the worst gig you've had in Los Angeles? ing? Can I talk, no problem?... The worst was at The Los Right now I don't practice cavaquinho everyAndes Dance Club in Pico Rivera. Neila was releasing her day because I am really interested in learning CD, and MILA played with her. The sound system was guitar. I play cavaquinho three days a week, two horrible. My cavaquinho was cutting in and out. At times, hours each day. And three days a week I work out it lost my singing. I stopped and just let the bateria play. progressions on the on the guitar. Then the woman who called us to play the gig came over and screamed, "What are you doing? I don't want this!" What about Banda Constelacao? I told her, "I'm a professional. I am always concerned Constelacao... I need to talk about this carethat the music is perfect. I love music. But how can I do fully. In Brazil you no longer see bands like Conmy job? You don't have a decent sound system." After the stellation. Although samba is very rich in rhythm, gig she called me and apologized. some musicians felt that samba needed more harmony. In the past, it could be played with one drum Women who watch you perform are mesmerized by and 7 strings (7-string guitar). But today, people

since your arrival in Los Angeles a year and a half ago? I'm gigging every week in Los Angeles with Banda Constelacao and escola de samba MILA. In San Diego I play with Sambrasil. I have recorded with Lula and Afro-Brasil and with Katia Moraes, and I've played the Brazilian Carnavals in Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, also some club dates in the Bay Area. A couple ofmonths ago, I went to Canada to play a Brazilian-style Carnaval with Lula, Reni Flores, and Josias Santos.

42

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

your stage presence, your playing, the lewd antics, and your high energy. Have you ever encountered aggressive women after a show? You know, when I'm playing, I become a different person. I get caught up. The music just takes me. It's like a narcotic. I've watched videos of the band, and I say to myself, "Who is that person making those ugly faces?" I have a lot of passion when I play, but I am devoted to my girlfriend. She is my real love. Claudinho, you could be breaking the mold for Brazilian men. Yes. But in my heart, this is how I feel. Has living in the United States significantly changed your music? When I was in Brazil, I cared only about my samba and my religious music. I am from candomble. My father is Ogum and my mother is Yansan.* I played only these two kinds of music. But when I came here, I saw that a lot of people had other ideas and mixed them in their music. I started thinking about this and realized that I could do the same thing. Now I'm listening to rock, jazz, folk, gypsy music. I feel my perspective is expanding right now in this way. What is the future of Brazilian music in the United States? I think there is an excellent future for it because most Brazilian music hasn't come yet. American people know only about samba and bossa nova, but we have many kinds of music in Brazil that haven't got into the United States yet. I believe that xaxado, afoxe will have a great audience here. Do you think that Brazilian musicians are compromising their work by singing lyrics that have been translated into English? I don't think so. Music is universal. It's from God. It doesn't have doors and is without borders. As long as a translation is carefully done and preserves the musical sound and true intent of the words, there is no harm. Can musicians from tire United States play Brazilian music, authentic Brazilian grooves without a North American accent? You're right, this is like language. Once I didn't think Brazilians could speak English without an , accent. But I do know Americans who can play Brazilian music. You, Piazza, the guy who directed the bateria before Flavio. He played very well. There are two American guys in Sambrasil who play very well. It is possible. It all depends on your heart, how you feel the music. Music is like a medicine that enters through your ears and goes to the heart. Why do people in Brazil seem to be more interested in North American pop music trends BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

than in sa ba, choro, forro, and axe music? I think e need other kinds of music. It's not bad, Amen i an music. You need to listen, think, and try. An Brazilian music is something natural. The Br zilian people are born playing music. You do 't have to go to school. Brazil is a treasure of music. On every street corner you find guys laying cavaquinho, guitar, drums. You know eia Noite? He never studied music. But he pla s very well.** I don't s e problems with American music in Brazil. Bef re, you may have had a point. There was too m ch. But a huge controversy developed about this. People went on television and talked a lot about why Brazilian radio was not playing Bra ilian music. And these people made their argu ent. Today you can listen to axe music and ou can listen to forro on the FM stations in Rio. Up until that point you only heard Ame ican music. But now there is a balance. What g oups, artists, or styles of music do you like to listen to? Gypsy ings, Boyz H Men, So Pra Contrariar, Molejo, G lo Preto's chorinhos, Carlinhos Brown. Thi guy is really, really good. He said, "My music is not from Bahia, not from Brazil, not from th world. My music comes from the universe." il, Caetano, Djavan, Leny Andrade... What a e your plans for the future? I want t study more harmony, composition, arranging. need to study. I have my visa, but right now I don't have the money. M.I. (Musicians' Insti e) is very expensive. And my second choice, .S.C. (University of Southern California) is v ry expensive too. So I study on my own. I go t Kleber Jorge's house and ask him about thing . ** I read my books. When I hear other peopl play, I ask them, "Hey, how can I do that? Ho did you do it?" I realize a lot this way. I als want to build a studio and start producing. y idea is to mix horizons. I want to be produci g one day in my life. * ()gum with iron, c spirit associ ** Meia the Sergio

is the candomble deity associated urage, and security. Yansan is the ted with wind, thunder, and storm. Noite and Kleber Jorge play with endes band.

Br ce Gilman, music editor for Brazzil, received his Masters degree in music from California Institute of the Arts. He leads the Br zilian Jazz Ensemble Axe and plays cuica for escola de samba MILA. Yo can reach him through his E-mail: cuica@interworld.net 43

A Double Look Two reviewers examine the journalistic prose of Clarice Lispector, one of the most creative minds of Brazilian literature. Selected Cronicas, by Clarke Lispector, translated by Giovanni Pontiero (New Directions, 212 pp.. $12.95 paper)

Enough Riches JB KENNEDY

Excerpts Only an Insect It took me some time to make out what I was seeing, it was so unexpected and subtle. I was seeing a pale green insect with long legs, which was resting. It was a grasshopper, which people were always assuring me is an omen of good fortune. Then the grasshopper began to move very gently across the counterpane. It was a transparent green, with legs supporting its body on a higher and freer plane, a plane as fragile as the grasshopper's own legs, which seemed to consist only of the color of their outer shell. There was nothing inside those threadlike legs: the inside layer was so thin that it was indistinguishable from the outer layer. The grasshopper looked like a transparency which had come off the paper and was crawling about in green. But however somnambulant, it moved with determination. Somnambulant: the tiniest leaf of a tree which had achieved the solitary independence ofthose who pursue the blurred traces of a destiny. And it crawled with the determination of someone tracing a line which was simply invisible to the naked eye. It crawled without a tremor. Its inner mechanism was not tremulous, but it had the regular oscillation ofthe most delicate clock. What could love be like between two grasshoppers? Green and green, and then the same green, which, suddenly, because of a vibration of greens, turns green. Love predestined by its own semi-aerial mechanism. But where were the glands of its destiny and the adrenal ines of its parched, green entrails? For it was a hollow creature, a splin44

From 1967 to 1973 the Jornal do Brasil, Rio's leading newspaper, offered Clarice Lispector, an accomplished novelist and short story writer, flexible space for a weekly column of any content and any length. This collection is a harvest of some of the Cr6nicas or chronicles she produced. There is no uniform level of excellence here. It has never been a secret that sometimes deadlines summon dead lines. But there are sufficient riches in this collection to merit close attention because Lispector had a vigorously active mind; a mind coursing with both curiosity and compassion; a contemplative mind, kept open, and continuously energized by close observation of her world. (see "Keening An Eye On The World" â&#x20AC;&#x201D; p. 132) It is evident (and this reader is grateful) that Lispector was an exceptionally attentive reader, and listener. The sentences she chose to quote, whether by Thoreau or Bernanos or Berenson or Henry James or Simenon or Neruda are, in every instance, valuable and eloquent. There are pages here that immediately bring to mind other writers. For example, "The Party" (p. 131) reminds one of Gertrude Stein. But it is not a cheap or weak imitation. Stein herself could have written "The Party" and been proud of it. Surely, "One of the Chosen" (p. 182) began to germinate, however unconsciously, during her translation of The Picture of Dorian Gray. Some of the pieces, such as "Ritual" (p.36) are novelistic. And I would cite "Spain" (p. 165) as an intense and sensuous prose-poem. Throughout the collection there appear sentences that cause the reader to halt, and ruminate: "Our soul uses our body in order to avoid being contaminated by life." "Birth was the death of one being dividing into two solitary beings." And, there are some pieces that I know I will return to with some frequency â&#x20AC;&#x201D; most notably "The Advantages of Being Foolish" (p. 154). JB Kennedy reviews new books, but sells used books. BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Not for the Fidgety BONDO VVYSZPOLSKI

In his preface, the translator doesn't mince words: "Clarice Lispector is widely recognized as the most original and innovative Brazilian woman writer of this century." Right away, that puts us on the defensive, doesn't it? At her death in 1977, Lispector left behind nine novels, eight collections of short stories, children's tales, and a translation of Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Gray. New Directions began publishing her work around five or six years ago, and Selectet Cronicas is the fifth volume to date. Cronicas, or chronicles, are journal-like entries, and they embrace several genres—from simple aphorisms to travel observations, introspective musings, and brief essays. Those gathered in the present volume were written between 1967 and 1973 and published in the Jornal do Brasil. Apparently, this kind of newspaper writing is more or less a Brazilian phenomenon; we don't seem to have anything quite like it in this country. In length, these creonicas run from a few lines to four or five pages, which means that they rarely stretch out their legs beyond giving us a glimpse, an anecdote or reminiscence, except for those few occasions when Lispector continues her thread of thought over three or four weeks. Here's one called "Rebellion!": "When love is too great it becomes futile; it can no longer be put to use and not even the person loved has the capacity for so much love. I became as bemused as any child when I realized that even in love we must be sensible and show restraint. Our emotional life, alas, is extremely bourgeois." And another called "Yes": "I said to a friend: —Life has always asked too much of me. She replied: —But don't forget that you also ask too much of life. That is true." Those who hope for a specific Brazilian flavor will be disappointed, but it is there between the lines. Those who enjoyed the novels Near to the Wild Heart and The Hour of the Star also available from New Directions may turn away unsatisfied as well, because Selected Cronicas isn't a ball of yarn that accumulates our interests, but a series of fragments that may be riveting if one likes to read about baby chicks, for example, and perhaps a waste of time if one does not. For this reader, roughly one cronica in five did the trick; and while those that resonated were often worth stopping to reflect upon, far too often the pages were turned with increasing disinterest and an equal amount of impatience. • BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

tered grafting, a simple attraction of green lines. Like me? Me. Us? Us. In that slender grasshopper with its tall legs, which are capable of crawling over a woman's bosom without arousing the rest of her body; in that grasshopper which cannot be hollow because a hollow line does not exist: in that grasshopper, atomic energy is conducted in silence without any drama

Taking WhaTh..n can recall that spring. Itknow rate the pear and threw away half of it. I never feel compassion in the spring. Later we drank water at the fountain and I did not dry my lips. We walked defiantly in silence. As for the swimming-pool, I know that I stayed in the pool for hours. Look at the pool! That was how I saw the pool, contemplating it with tranquil eyes. Calmly taking withut compassion what was mine.

One Final Clarification From time to time I receive letters asking me if I am Russian or Brazilian and people invent all sorts of myths about me. Let me clarify this matter once and for all: I am sorry to have to tell you that there are no mysteries and these myths are untrue. My story is as follows: I was born in the Ukraine, the homeland of my parents. I was born in a village called Tchechelnik, which is too small and insignificant to appear on any map. When my mother was expecting me, my parents were already planning to emigrate either to the United States or to Brazil. They waited on in Tchechelnik until I was born and then set out on their long journey. I was two months old when I arrived in Brazil. I am a naturalized Brazilian and, had my parents set out a few months earlier, I should have been born in Brazil. It was the Portuguese language which influenced my spiritual life and innermost thoughts, and this was the language I used to utter words of love. I began to write short stories as soon as I could read and write and, needless to say, I wrote them in Portuguese. I spent my childhood in Recife and I firmly believe that living in the Northern or Northeastern provinces of Brazil brings one into closer contact with Brazilian life at its most authentic because there the country is remote from outside influences. My beliefs were nurtured in Pernambuco, the food I enjoy most is from Pernambuco. And from our housemaids I absorbed the rich folklore of those regions. I was already in my teens when we moved to Rio. this vast inetropolIs I soon began to think of as Brazilian carioc4. ;Aga As for the way in which I roll my r's, as if! were speaking French or some other foreign language, this is simply because of a speech defect. A defect which I have never succeeded 'n correcting. A defect which my good friend Dr Pedro Bloch tells me can be overcome. He has offered to help me but I am lazy and I know perfectly well I would never do the exercises once I was on my own. And besides my rolled r's are not doing anyone any harm. So that should clear up yet another mystery.] Much more difficult to explain, however, is the path my life has taken. If my family had emigrated to the United States, would I still have become a novelist, that is to say, a novelist writing in English? In all probability I would have married an American and had American children. And my life would have been completely different. I wonder what I might have written about? Which political party I would have supported? What sort of friends I would have cultivated? There is a real mystery.

Movies American films just released: Donnie Brasco (Donnie Brasco), The Crucible (As Bruxas de Salem), Turbulence (Turbulencia), And nima (Anonymous) - A Rio Metro (0 Negociador), Portrait of a Lady taxi driver takes stock of his life the (Retrato de uma Mu/her), Fierce Creatures same say diplomat, poet, composer (Ferocidade Maxima), Girl 6 (Garota 6), Vinicius de Moraes dies. Written Citizen Ruth (Ruth em Questclo), The Devil's by Wilson Sayao, directed by Own (Inimigo Intimo, James and the Giant Aclerbal Freire-Filho, with Pedro Peach (James e o Pessego Gigante) Paulo Rangel and Gracindo Jr. An Instant of Innocence (Urn Instante de 0 Carteiro e o Poeta (The Mailman Inocencia) - Iran - 1996 - Former poand the Poet) - Written by Anto- liceman go looking for a moviemaker benio Skarmeta and directed by Aderbal Freire-Filho. With Rogerio cause he wants him to fulfill promise. DiFr6es and Marcos Winter. The story rected by Mohsen Makhmalbat with Mirhadi about the imaginary friendship be- Tayebi, Ali Bakhshi, and Ammar Tafti. tween Chilean poet Pablo Neruda Beautiful Thing (Delicada Atraccio) - EnA couple of adolescents and the mailman who delivered his gland - 1996 mail when Neruda was in exile in (both are 16) fall in love and decide to face the music and fight their families for their Spain. Don Juan - Moliere's classical right to live together. By Hetti MacDonald take on the legendary 14th century with Linda Henry and Scott Neal. lover. and libertine., Directed by 0 Cego que Gritava Luz (The Blindman Moacir Chaves with Edson Celulari Who Cried Light) -Brazil- 1996 -Dimas, and Caca Carvalho. a Brasilia story teller, creates a lot of sus(Master Class) By Master Class pense by withholding the ending of tale inTerrence McNally with Marilia Pera volving a crime. But then he is forced to tell and Caio Ferraz. Maria Callas's what he knows. Directed by Joao Batista de adventures during the time she spent Andrade with Tonico Pereira, Roberto at the Julliard School of Music in Bomtempo e Murilo Grossi. New York. Corisco e Dada (Corisco and Dada) - Brazil - 1996 - The story happens in Bahia in 1927. Cangaceiro (backlands outlaw) Bar Doce Bar (Bar Sweet Bar) - Corisco kidnaps Dada who is still a child. Musical comedy. A group of friends She will grow up to love him and to be a real discuss and sing their Fives under cangaceira herself. Directed by Rosemberg the watchful eye of a caring waiter. Cariry with Chico Diaz, Dira Paes, Antonio Written by Luis Alberto de Abreu, Leite and Regina Dourado. directed by Ednaldo Freire. Aldo Homem Nu (The Naked Man) -Brazil Avilez, Fernando Petelinkar and 0 1996- Man is taken for sexual pervert and Tico d'Godoy star. even terrorist after being locked outside his Ensaio para Danton (Essay for apartment naked. Remake of movie inspired Danton) - Based on German dra- by a Fernando Sabino short story. With Claumatist Georg Btichner's Danton's dio Marzo, Lucia Verissimo, and Daniel Death from 1835. It deals with relationships, power, revolution and Dantas. Directed by Hugo Carvana. (Little Love death. Sergio de Carvalho directs Pequeno Diciondrio Amoroso Brazil 1996 A chance Dictionary) Amazyles de Almeida, Nelly meeting between two youngsters develops Sampaio, and Gustavo Machado. No Olho da Rua (Thrown on the into a torrid love story. Directed by Sandra Street) - The little daily adven- Werneck with Andrea Beltrao, Daniel Dantas, tures in the bi& city. Twenty stories and Tony Ramos. of passion, friendship and misun- Ponette (Ponette, a Espera de urn Anjo) derstandings. Written by Luiz France - 1996- The drama of a four-yearCabral and Ricardo Soares. Directed old girl after her mother dies in a car acciby Beth Lopes. With Amadeo dent. Directed by Jacques Doillon. With Lamounier, Bel Kowarick, Luiz V ictoire Trivisol, Marie Trintignant and Carlos Rossi, and Rosanna Selig- Xavier Beauvois. Shine (Shine: Brilhante) - England/Ausmann. Vacalhau & Bin/to - Sketches tralia - 1996 - The story of pianist David based on Ze Flans, an old-guard Helfgott, whose career is interrupted by disradio comedian. Carlos Alberto ease. He then returns to the concert circuit. Soffredini wrote, adapted and di- Directed by Scott Hicks. With Geoffrey Rush and Armin Mueller. rected.

Rio

Sao Paulo

46

Books

best-sellers Fiction 1. 0 Paciente Ingles Michael Ondaatje 2. 0 Mundo de Sofia Jostein Gaarder 3. Armadilha Aerea Michael Crichton 4. 0 Ultimo Cheflio Mario Puzo 5. 0 Homem que Calcu lava Malba Tahan 6. Novas Comedias da Vida Privada Luis Fernando Verissimo 7. 0 Xango de Baker Street Jo Soares 8. Ponto de Fuga - Morris West 9. Legitima Defesa Jonathan Kellerman 10. Mas Sera o Benedito? Mario Prata

Nonfiction 1. Chic- Um Gobi, Basico de Moda e Estilo - Gloria Kalil 2. Terra - Sebastiao Salgado 3. 0 Povo Brasileiro, a Forma coo e o Sentido do Brasil - Darcy Ribeiro 4. 0 Principio Dilbert - Scott Adams 5. Manual de Redaclio do Estado de S. Paulo - Eduardo Martins 6. Vislumbres da India - Octavio Paz 7. 0 Rio do Meio - Lya Luft 8. 0 Mundo Assombrado pelos Demonios - Carl Sagan 9. Cronicas de Reporter - Pedro Bial 10.A Arte da Guerra: Os Documentos Perdidos - Sun Tzu

Self-Help/New Age 1. Inteligencia Emocional Daniel Goleman 2.A Inteligencia Emocional e a A rte de Educar Nossos Filhos John Gottman e Joan DeClaire 3. Meu Anjo - Fausto Oliveira 4. As Sete Leis Espirituais do Sucesso Deepak Chopra 5. A Profecia Celestina James Redfield 6. Violetas na Janela Vera Lucia Marinzeck Carvalho 7. A Decima Profecia - James Redfield 8. Muitas Vidas, Muitos Mestres Brian L. Weiss 9. Homens Sao de Marte, Mulheres Soo de Venus - John Gray 10.A CuraAtraves da Terapia de Vidas Passadas - Brian I. Weiss According to weekly newsmagazine Veja BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

SOUND TREAT WITH THE PEOPLE As part of a campaign to show that the consulate cares for more than just promoting parties for their Yankee hosts and charging high fees for documents, the Brazilian General Consulate in New York is offering group health insurance to Brazilians. The benefit that cost around $120 a month is offered to every Brazilian independently of his or her legal status in the country. Even though the New York office has jurisdiction over some 200,000 Brazilians in the states of New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Delaware and Pennsylvania, only 100 people have taken up the offer. Carioca (from Rio) Marcus Camacho de Vincenzi, 50, the consul, has created the concept of "itinerant consulate." In the past 18 months, he has exchanged his comfortable offices at Manhattan's 5th Ave. 22 times fora small room in cities with a large concentration of Brazilians.

HOLLYWOOD BOUND To celebrate his 50'h anniversary as an entertainer, veteran TV comedian Chico Anisio is giving up Globo TV for Hollywood. When everybody was betting on his retirement, Chico Anisio, who is very mad at most Brazilian TV reviewers, decided to leave the country "to prove to myself that our critics are wrong when they say that Jam all washed up." And this is no wishful thinking. According to the comedian himself, he already has prepared 20 film scripts and seven TV comedy shows. Four of the scripts are already being examined by Roberto de Niro's TriBeCa Production. Chico moves to New York with his family in September "But I am sure that in one year I will be in Los Angeles," he says. "The studios are all there." In the US, Chico Anisio will also try to revert a face paralysis after an operation at Ivo Pitanguy's clinic. According to dr. Edgar Alves Costa, the doctor who recently operated on him, the comedian had "a severe respiratory problem during surgery" and spent two days in an ICU (Intensive Care Unit).

THE NO VELA SIREN

Offering American listeners a rarely heard perspective on contemporary Brazilian music, Blue Jackel Entertainment has just released Babel by Pau Brasil, a five-member jazzy ensemble known for their originality and improvisational skills. The disc won past year's Sharp Award (the Brazilian Grammy) as best instrumental group. Led by bassist Rodolfo Stroeter, the group counts also on keyboardist Lelo Nazario, saxophonist Teco Cardoso, drummer Eduardo Nazario, and singerguitarist Marlui Miranda. New York-based Blue Jack, which recently released the fourCD boxed set Brasil: A Century of Song, is also bringing north to those who appreciate Brazilian-flavored jazz the sound of Banda Mantiqueira. Mantiqueira's album is called Aldeia and it includes Tom Jobim's "Insensatez", Pixinguinha's "Carinhoso", and Joao Bosco 's "Linha e Passe."

Brazil Update Weekly, the New York company that for years has allowed people in the US to follow the novelas (soap operas) and everything else that is being shown on Brazilian Globo TV via videotape has a new muse. Patricia Hernandes is the stunning beauty who from now on will grace TV and printed ads, as well as all kind of publicity and every box containing the Brazil Update programs The 18-year old model, who is also a ballerina and dance teacher, is just finishing high school. Daughter of a Brazilian mother and a Cuban father, Patricia was discovered by Brazil Update's President, Carlos Wattimo, when eating at a New Jersey coffee shop with her parents.

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BUDICI.PCIRIJ111 Audio-Forum, Suite P707, THE LAhIGUAEIE souwee

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BRAZZIL - MAY 1997 47

EN . TAB/ ne47;1•111 11; .10 -:1%1111: -11 : 11M 11 : I .....C..1111.e11% 4 A. A A NM Ell al

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Registration always open Study Portuguese in Rio, June 20 - July 18, 1997

Portuguese, Spanish, English (ESL), French, Italian InstructionAanslation/Interpretotion Small groups and individual- tutoring Lredentialed instructors

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LARGE INTERNATIONAL DEBT FREE PERSONAL CARE CO. EXPANDING TO BRAZIL. THAILAND, JAPAN, TAIWAN AND KOREA HAVE BEEN MASSIVE FOR THE CO. BRAZIL IS NEXT. THOSE WHO HELPED ORGANIZE DISTRIBUTION EARLY ON HAVE MADE FORTUNES. IF YOU HAVE CONTACTS IN BRAZIL, SPEAK THE LANGUAGE OR HAVE LIVED THERE, CALL

1-800-777-3029

PORTUGUESE

LANGUAGE SERVICES (415) 587-4990 CERTIFIED TRANSLATIONS (TRADUcA0 JURAMENTADA) Legal, Medical, Scientific, Business Documents and School Transcrtpts Certified by the California Judicial Council and filed with the Brazilian Consulate

Since 1991

SUMMER FESTIVAL '97

We bring you infectious energy, a driving rhythm, and the most innovative Brazilian instrumental music

LOOKING FOR PEOPLE INTERESTED IN EXPOSING OR SELLING BRAZILIAN RELATED ITEMS. INFORMATION AND MAILING LIST FOR BROCHURE:

(310) 839-3788

(818) 566.1111

935azili045,`)arvz,c&i.sem4te.

WANTED PORTUGUESE-ENGLISH SPEAKING COMMUNICABLE PEOPLE $$ 2000-4000 PIT $$ 4000-8000 FIT CALL

(310) 470-2506

N1111111, ATTORNEY AT LAW/ABO9A00/A0VOGADO MEMBER, STATE BAR OF CALIFORNIA

(818) 897.3661 IMMIGRATION MATTERS DEPORTATION DEFENSE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY CALIFORNIA

CENTRO BRASILEIRO PARAO TRATAMENTO DE VIOLENCIA DOMESTICA, DROGAS, ALCOOLISMO, DEPRESSAO, SAUDE MENTAL EM GEFtAL 7635 FALLBROOK AVE. WEST HILL, CA 91304

(818) 592-0402 Ihnibek America larintua 1.11.11115 A.aouttue

• GREEN CARDS THROUGH MARRIAGE IL FAMILY • EMPLOYMENT VISAS BRAZILIAN FLAG PATCH Embroidered, 2 1/4" by 3 1/2", finest materials, american made, $ 4.00 ea. s/h included Caps and T-shirts available soon AGDEX, Box 262087,Houston,Tx.,77207 E-mail: louis555@flash.net

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FREE INITIAL CONSULTATION MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN AVAILABLE

ALSO HANDLING AUTOMOBILE ACCIDE \ITS I 1316 3rd Street - Suite 311 Santa Monica, CA 90401

Telt (310) 395-2828

1311-A.ZIL CCININMICTIONS WANT= HUGE INCOME POTENTIAL FOR THOSE WHO KNOW ANYONE IN BRAZIL. LARGE SUCCESSFUL INTERNATIONAL COMPANY OPENING SOON. DEMAND ALREADY BUILDING. GRAB LARGE MARKET SHARE BY ACTING NOW.

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RETURN THIS FORM TO

BRAZZIL - P.O. BOX 42536 LOS ANGELES, CA 90050 Call (213)255-8062 or E-mail: brazzil@brazzil.com

For Ad, call (213) 255-8062 or E-mail: brazzil@brazzil.com 48

BRA7_Z1 - MAY 1097

FEIRA LIVIRE OPEN MARKET BUSINESS OPPORTUNITY

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) 994-6238 for information. [137] Secretary needed to work in the Palos Verdes area. Some computer background. Possible living quarters available for those wishing to relocate to the Beaches area. (310) 541-9512 [136] SOUTH AMERICA/EUROPE EXPANSION - Billion $ Corporate expansion looking for individuals with contacts in Brazil and Europe. High income potential. 1(800) 337-0264 [141]

dimension of pleasure to your travel and take the guesswork out of exotic, unfamiliar foods. EAT SMART IN BRAZIL: HOW TO DECIPHER THE MENU, KNOW THE MARKET FOODS & EMBARK ON A TASTING ADVENTURE. Ginkgo Press, Inc., PO Box 5346M, Madison, WI 53705. $14.95 postpaid. Tel: 608-233-5488. Fax: 608-233-0053 [134] INTERNATIONAL TELEPHONE

Prepaid International Callback Telephone Cards - Low rates between any countries. Brazil to USA for 730 per minute! (619) 738-7005 or (619) 4329709 [135] JOB OFFERED

CATERING

ATENcA0 BRASILEIROS Fornecemos MARMITAS. (310) 438-3415 [136] CLASSES

Aprenda Ingles -$20 cada hora - Individual (310)398-9228 Professor: Christopher Rudolph [137] Conversational Brasilian Portuguese Method - "I tried several methods to learn BRASILIAN PORTUGUESE, but when I started lessons with NILSON, I knew immediately that I'd found the best one. And in just a few months, I was able to communicate on a one-on-one basis." Individual, Total Immersion, Corporate Group and Semi-Private. Phone (310) 379-0738 [136] Looking for a very fast, efficient, and pleasant way to learn Brazilian Portuguese? (415) 9913476 [141] 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] GOURMET TRAVEL

Visiting Brazil—and planning to eat there? A great pleasure of travel is experiencing cuisines of faraway lands. The authoritative -Eat Smart- guidebooks cover foreign cuisines fortravelers who enjoy learning about a culture by exploring its culinary delights. You'll find they add an extra BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

Precisa-se de um padeiro coin muita pratica; principalmeme parafabricacao industrial de PAO DE QUEIJO E SALGADOS. Boa oportunidade,. Telefone (213) 266-0899 - Area de Los Angeles. Chamar pela Dra. Cynthia Cho. [135] Precisamos de sambistas para shows. (213) 812-7393 [140] Procuro pessoas sexo feminino para ajudar limpar casas. Pago bem. (818) 786-6742 [135] Urgente! Wanted PortugueseEnglish speaking communicable people. $$ 2000-4000 p/t, $$ 4000-8000 f/t. Call (818) 8120256 [141] MISCELLANEOUS

Agradecendo Graca Recebida - Orar o Salmo 38 tre's vezes ao dia tres dias consecutivos. Pub 1 icar agradecendo graca recebida. B.A.R. [137] BIKINIS - The most beautiful from Rio, Bilzios, and Sao Paulo. Different styles to fit your taste. (For Brazilians and Americans). Great designs and colors. Prices starting at $35 (310) 246-0827 [136]

Music Brazilian Music in its totality. Samba, bossa nova, chorinho, baiao, axe, and more. Merchant Express (800) 589-5884 Music for all occasions. Live, D.J. or Elvis impersonator. Affordable (213)469-2204 - Gerry [138] Norma Blase - soft Brazilian jazz, bossa, samba. Vocal/guitar

FE1RA LIVRE RATES: 500 a word. Phone is one word. DISCOUNTS: For 3 times deduct 5%, for 6 times deduct 10%, for 12 times deduct 15%. POLICY: All ads to be prepaid. Ads are accepted at our discretion. Your canceled check is your receipt. Please, include address and phone number, which will be kept confidential. DEADLINE: The 25th of the month. Late material will be held for the following month if appropriate. TO PLACE AD: Send ad with check, money order or your Credit Card number (plus your name and expiration date) to: BRAZZIL P.O. Box 42536 Los Angeles, CA 90050-0536. duo to larger ensem I le. Oakland (510) 451-3639 [135] NEWSPAPERS & MAGAZINES

Jornais e revistas do Brasil. Recebemos jomais d'arios etodas as principals revist s, incluindo masculinas e fern ninas. Tel. (800) 589-5884 PERSONAL WOMAN SEEKS MAN

Americana coin coracao brasileiro, bem educada, que adora a mosica, o samba, 4 cultura, a linguae° povo brasileiros, queria conhecer um brasil iro solteiro de 40 anos ou ma's, e boa forma, morando em New ork City ou pertinho. E-mail: s lvia2125@ aol.com [130] PERSONAL MAN SEEKS WOMAN

American, male, white, 45 years old, would like to meet a Brazilian or Portuguese lady. I speak English only. Age open. Call (415) 757-1946 (Eves) [142] Americano, 28, entrepreneur seeks Brazilian lady 18-36, open mind and attractive. Send letter/ photo. Chris - 109 Minna St. #338 - San Francisco, CA 941053728 [136] Americano, 36, atraente, romantic° e sincero. Procura brasileira 18-45. Enviar foto para: 2440- 16th St. #179 San Francisco, CA 94103 [148] Americano, 38 anos, olhos azuis, fala portugues, queria conhecer brasileira de 18 a 30 anos. Chamar Williant (310) 2047913 [139] Sort-of-American, corporate jaguar, very succesful, 33, needing some serious str ss relief... looking for a very s xy, furry Brazilian kitten to play with. If you are 22-32, in Bra.il or USA,

no problem... I'll fly you. Letter with photos to GS, 342 S. Highland Ave. #14A, Pittsburgh, PA, 15206, USA [138] PERSONAL FRIENDSHIP AND CHATTING

Male, 30, wants to meet Brazilians to practice Portuguese. I studied for a year but need to practice. Call (818) 548-5935 [137] PRODUCTS

1äo de Queijo —30 por $10 — Angela (310) 398-9228 [137] 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. [146] TAX

A TTT Services - Tax & Translation & Travel and Notary (909) 627-2171 [146] TOURISM

Excursao Las Vegas - Saida todo sabado: (LA) 8:00 AM - Chegada: (Vegas) 2:00 PM - Saida: (Vegas) 10:00 PM - Chegada: (LA) Domingo/manha 4:00 AM - $69/pessoa Tel. (310) 815-8717 [137] TRANSLATION & INTERP.

English to Portuguese, technical translation. Precise, fast turnaround - Ricardo Paoletti (716) 839-5310. Fax: (716) 839-5410. E-mail: paolett@ibm.net 49

calendar - may 97 - us.a. TV & RADIO COAST TO COAST

Samba Café - (954) 920-4426

COCONUT GROVE, FL. i :oo PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553

LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Banda Terraquia at Zabumba

PASADENA 8 PM - Axe the Brazilian Jazz Ensemble at Cal Tech

NEW YORK 8 & 10 - Astrud Gilberto at SOB HOLLYWOOD, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Clauduarte SA at Brazil Samba

10:00 PM - MILA Samba School at

Café - (954) 920-4426

SHORT WAVE RADIO Radio Nacional da Amaz6nia - Daily, especially on evenings and early morning -6,180 & 11,780 Khz Radiobras - All universal time - From 12 noon to 1-20 PM, in English and from 1:30 PM to 2:50 PM, in Spanish 15,445 Khz BOSTON Coragao Brasileiro - Every 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 Cala°

Café Danssa

COCONUT GROVE, FLOR. 11:00 PM - Live Brazilian music at Grove

CHICAGO The Sounds of Brazil - Every Saturday, 10.00 pm Midnight, 95.5 FM, WNUA with Scott Adams Show Brazil - Every Friday, 8.00 am - 11.00 am, 91.5 FM, WMFO with Edna Moreno DENVER Brazilian Fantasy - Every Sunday, 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm, 89.3 FM, KUVO LOS ANGELES TV Brazil TV - Continental, Channel 38 (call cable); Buena Vision, Channels 6 & 56 (Mon. - 8.30 pm); CVILBCTV, Channel 65 (Wed 6.30 pm), CVI, Channel 27 (Tue. - 8:30 pm)

7:00 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brazil

RADIO Sounds of Brazil - Every Saturday, 1.00 PM - 3.00 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

50

HOLLYWOOD, FLOR. 9:00 PM - Clauduarte SA at Brazil

9:00 PM - Lisa Silva and Voz do Brasil at El Rio (415) 282-3325

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brasil

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Ana Gazzola & Brazil Sound at Cava (213) 658-6600 9:30 PM - ULA Samba Band at

Place - (305) 448-2553

LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Banda Terraquia at Zabumba 10:00 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

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

Zabumba

1.111MUUMBLYIRAIIMIN

Café Danssa

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM - Raizes do Brasil and

10:00 PM - Constellation Band at FORT LAUDERDALE, FLOR. 8:30 PM & 10:30 PM - Rafzes do Brasil and show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil - (954) 561-8200

ANAHEIM, CAL. SAN CARLOS, CAL. 8:00 PM - Damien Intercambio at Uptown Café, 769 Laurel St.

POMPANO BEACH, FL. 9:00 PM - Ricardo Falai° & Show de Mulatas at Brazilian Tropicana

Restaurant - (954) 781-1113

SAN FRANCISCO 3:00 PM - Brazilian Theater Group at Brady Studio (415) 334-0106 5:00 PM - Pre San Francisco Carnaval Ball with Birds of Paradise at Bahia Cabana

SAN FRANCISCO 9:00 PM - Landscapes of Memory

film at San Francisco Film Festival (Kabuki House)

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM -Marcia Brito at Zabumba NNW el 4 Ii I1 NEW YORK 8 & 10 - Astrud Gilberto at SOB BERKELEY, CAL. 4:00 PM - Claudia Vilela & Ricardo Peixoto at University of Berkeley,

BY:vire=

Morrison Room

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Niter6i & LA Jam at Zabumba

11:111allYNI141111111

NEW YORK 8 & 10 PM - Astrud Gilberto at SOB SAN FRANCISCO

show de mulatas at Brazil Brazil- (954) 5618200

SAN FRANCISCO 10:00 PM - Entre N6s at Bahia Cabana ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Lois & Zeta° at Ginga Brazil LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba 10:00 PM - Constellation Band at Café Danssa

SAN FRANCISCO 8:00 PM - Carnaval Preparation with Fogo na Roupa & Samba do Coragao at Bahia Cabana 11.111MIWI

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Marcia Brito at Zabumba

=mu III i! I 41 B1.1VM

LOS ANGELES 9:00 PM - Niter6i LA Jam at Zabumba SAN FRANCISCO 9:00 PM - Lisa Silva and Voz do Brasil at El Rio (415) 282-3325

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

LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Banda Terraquia at Zabumba 9:00 PM - Ana Gazzola & Brazil Sound Band at Cava (213) 658-6600 10:00 PM - MILA Samba School at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brasil NEW YORK 8, 10 & 12 MIDNIGHT - Juliana Aquino at SOB BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

calendar - may 97 - u.s.a. SAN FRANCISCO 10:00 PM - Entre N6s at Bahia Cabana ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga Brazil LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba 10:00 PM - Constellation Band at Café

Danssa

immwakzaatimm. LOS ANGELES 3:00 PM - Cheremoya Escola de Samba

at Hollywood/Los FelizJCC (213)465-4762

SAN FRANCISCO 9:00 PM - Lisa Silva and Voz do Brasil at

El Rio (415) 282-3325 immolialivavfAmm.

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 8:00 PM - Dance Brazil at Carver Cultural

Center (210) 224-9600

LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Banda Terrequia at Zabumba 10:00 PM - MILA Samba School at Cafe

Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Lois Sings Brazil at Ginga Brasil

MIIIIMIUAWJ:WZxk. tmm

NEW YORK 8, 10 & 12 MIDNIGHT - Samba Novo at SOB

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 8:00 PM - Dance Brazil at Carver Cultural

Center (210) 224-9600

SAN FRANCISCO 2:00 PM -11:00 PM -San Francisco Street Carnaval Fair at Harrison and 24th St. ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Lois & Zelao at Ginga Brazil LOS ANGELES 9:30 PM - ULA Samba Band at Zabumba 10:00 PM - Constellation Band at Café

Danssa

mmumizrstawkiimmi SAN FRANCISCO 11:00AM- San Francisco Street Carnaval Parade on Mission St.

MIMI 4 0 I 4, 972UNOMI

LOS ANGELES 10:00 PM - Katia Moraes at Lu a

Park (310) 652-0611

9:00 PM - Niteroi LA Jam Bt

Zabumba

: aziBLV1144101111 REDLANDS, CAL. 9:00 PM - Ana Gazzola & Bra il Sound Band at University f

Redlands (909) 307-7263

LOS ANGELES 8:30 PM - Banda Terrequia

Zabumba

10:00 PM - MILA Samba Scho

at Café Danssa

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:30 PM - Sergio 2000 at Gin a

Brasil

IMILY:11 0111 IJj NEW YORK 8,10 & 12 MIDNIGHT - Katende at

SOB

TV & RADIO TV BTN (Brazilian TV Network) -

11:00 pm - 1.00 am, DCI ch.

40, S. South ch. 51, Adelphia ch. 52, Gold Coast ch 99 Luqui Corporation - Jornal Bandeirantes - 11:00 pm 1.00 am, Dynamic ch 20, S South ch. 41, Gold Coast ch 44, DCI ch 45 NEW YORK RADIO Brasil com S - Every Saturday, 9.00 PM with Judith King,

ANAHEIM, CAL. 7:00 PM - Sergio 2000 at Ginga

Canta Brasil - Every Saturd-

LOS ANGELES 10:00 PM -World Music Party at

day, 8.00 AM - 93.1 FM -WPAT Radio Amaz6nia - Every day, 6:30 PM on shortwave- 6.185 MHZ

9:30 PM - ULA Samba Band

Brazil News - Every Wednes-

10:00 PM - Constellation Band

Café Danssa

day, 8:30 PM - Channel 34 Brazil Update - Every Saturday, 3:30 PM - Channel 69

4)

Brazilians in America-TV -

Brazil

Bakari Art Studio, 1276 Windsor Blvd (213) 938-0523

Zabumba

IIMETI1 0 1 4.1 'YAW BEVERLY HILLS 11:00PM -Katia Moraes at Bokaos

(310) 659-1200 1.1.1.111 1MMIIIM

COCONUT GROVE, FL. 11:00 PM. Live Brazilian music

at Grove Place - (305) 448-2553

1.1114111tUi;i'1x LOS ANGELES, CAL. 9:30 PM & 11:30 - Katia Moraes at La Ve Lee

88.3 FM - WBGO

TV

Every Sunday, 5:30 PM - Channel 16 Media Flux: Brasil - Every Saturday, 4:00 PM - Ch 16 S. FRANCISCO Brasileirinho - Every Wednesday, 9:30 PM, KZSC, 88.1 FM with Renato Frota Brasil Musical - Every Sunday, 1.00 PM - 5:00 PM, Radio Bilingue, 91. 5 FM via satellite, with Ricardo and Amarina Pugh - Fresno Canta, Brasil - Every Sunday,

6.00 PM - 8:00 PM - KKUP, 91.5 FM, with Xuxu, Maria Jose and David Heyman Programa de Domingo - Ev-

ery Sunday, 1:00 PM - 2:00

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

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

LOS ANGELES

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

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

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

OAKLAND, CAL.

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, 800 PM - 9. 00 PM, KUSF, 90.3 with Jorge Lima & Simone Odom

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

WASHINGTON, DC Waves of Patropi - Every Sat-

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

urday, 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM, WDCU, 90 FM with Andre Lace rda

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997 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 Jerry's Cachaca (617) 666-5410

Instruction Approach Student Ctr (617) 787-5401 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 lpanema (508) 460-6144 Tropics)lia (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 yang (800) GO VARIG Vasp (310) 364-0160

Arts & Crafts Bakari Art Studio (213) 938-0523 Folk Creations (310) 693-2844 Culture Planet (310) 441-9808 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 Ministerios Renascer (888) RENACER 52

Clothes Samba (310) 628-9789 Summer Brazil (310) 455-1772

Clubs & Associations Brazil-Cal. Chbr of Com. (310) 665-0166 Centro Cultural Gaucho (213) 256-6548 M1LA - Samba School (310) 391-6098 SambaLi -Esc. de Samba (310) 628-9789

Consulate Brazilian Consulate (213) 651-2664

Dentists Gilberto Henriques (213) 464-0524

Events Promotion 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 Dr. Jefferson Si (818) 592-0402

Publications Brazzil (213) 255-8062 Real Estate Cent. 21 - Solon Pereira (310) 633-0787 Cold. Banker-i. Freitas (818) 304-9562

Restaurants & Cafés 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 Yolie's Brazilian Steak (714) 251-0722 Zabumba (310) 841-6525

TranslationlInterp. Brazilian Int. Affairs

(310) 854-5881 Tocantins Communic. (818) 248-3667

Travel/Tours Around the World Tn. (800) 471-6333 Brazil Air (800) 441-8515 Brazil Tours (818) 767-1200 Cheviot Hills Travel (310) 202-6264 Traveland (800) 321-6336

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

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Amazon G hosts One can hardly expect to teach folkloric beliefs as truths in an effort to resuscitate cultural checks to overexploitation of resources in the Amazon. But many of the stories told by caboclos contain themes that dwell on respect for nature and the importance of not being greedy when harvesting fish, game animals, and plants in the wild. NIGEL J. H. SMITH

array of supernatural permeates the world of rural folk in Amazonia. Every conceivable habitat, from village a squares and alleyways to placid lakes and the gloomy in interior of the forest, is a tential haunt for a spirit, ghost, or monster. Fear of the other world clearly molds the behavior of caboclos. Precautions are taken, such as not fishing on sacred days, and certain procedures are followed, such as the proper disposal of discarded game parts, in order to avoid stirring the wrath of creatures from beyond. This perception of a double-faceted reality in which people inhabit a physical world but are subject to the whims of the supernatural on a daily basis is quite alien to the inhabitants of modern, metropolitan cities. A middle-class American or Brazilian may profess a religious faith, such as Christianity, but usually conducts his or her daily affairs will little thought to the supernatural. The existence of an afterlife and spirits is often acknowledged, but that is a possibility or certainty that is faced at death. A well-educated North American or European may believe in the concept of the soul but usually does not worry about ghosts or spirits. The roar of jet aircraft, the clatter of

train wheels, and the honking of impatient automobile drivers all tend to drown out thoughts of another world. Office buildings, schools, buses, and air-conditioned homes isolate urban dwellers from a feeling of connectedness with the earth. For the most part, urban dwellers rarely enjoy opportunities to appreciate nature and ponder some of its mysteries. City folk do not have to worry as much about the weather as do fishermen and farmers. Television, films, plays, and concerts entertain and replace the need for storytelling over campfires in forests or along lakeshores. It is mainly around the coals of dying fires, or the erratic flame of an open kerosene lamp, that people steeped in tradition habitually discuss unusual events and speculate on their possible supernatural causes. Although cities are shut off from the awe of nature, they are not hermetically sealed from ideas concerning the impact of the supernatural. In the poorer suburbs of Belem and other large towns and cities in the Amazon, African Brazilian cults hold sessions presided over by mediums. Matitapereras, enormous pigs, and headless priests have haunted residents of Belem for a long time. In New York and London, seances are held regularly in some fashionable homes. And some shamans have reportedly set up shop in trendy New York. Millions of Americans and Europeans scan their horoscopes in daily newspapers searching for clues as to the best tack to pursue in business or romantic affairs. The notion that celestial bodies control the destiny of humans is held by many people, including sophisticated Parisians and the well-to-do in the eternal city, Rio de Janeiro. Visitors to Amazonia may feel that the lore of rural people is fantastic, even ridiculous, but would probably be reluctant to admit that they skirt around a ladder propped up against a wall, or that they flinch if a black cat scurries in front of them. Superstition and belief in the supernatural survive in megalopolis, with their shopping malls and glass-encased office buildings, but such notions pale when compared to the extraordinary variety of Amazonian lore. The gulf between urban and rural life in Amazonia is widening rapidly as cities expand and the ranks of the

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

middle class grow. At the turn of th century, no Amazonian city had mo than 100,000 inhabitants. Toda Belem has close to 1.5 million inha itants and is still growing. The population of Manaus stood at 50,000 i 1900; by 1982, it had leaped t 600,000, and a decade later ha reached 1 million. The third larges city in the Amazon, Santarem, ha about 300,000 inhabitants in 1995; i the mid-1850s, it was an overgrow village of 2,000 souls. The character of regional societ is thus changing rapidly. More peopl are living in towns and cities tha before. As recently as 1940, 80 pert cent of the population of the Braziliari Amazon lived in isolated houses or in villages with less than two thousand inhabitants. In 1970, 41 percent of the regional population lived in urban areas, and a decade later the proportion had reached 52 percent. As cities continue to burgeon, cultural links with the countryside weaken. Inhabitants of Belem and Manaus, for example, increasingly purchase foodstuffs and other supplies in air-conditioned supermarkets instead of open-air markets where gossip and other information is exchanged. While high-rise apartments and office buildings create an everchanging urban skyline, a plethora of monsters, goblins, and ghosts haunts the minds of rural folk, some of whom live within earshot of aircraft bringing tourists to Belem, Manaus and Santarem. The superstitious beliefs of city dwellers do not match the complexity or color of caboclo lore, with its more than two dozen supernatural entities. Many of the spirits of the "interior" play multiple roles. The mother of rubber trees occasionally persecutes hunters, and the father of game sometimes harasses rubber tappers. Some supernatural apparitions are confined to specific habitats, whereas others roam widely from deep forest to shadowy side streets. Diminutive caboclinha, for example, alarms hunters while they track game in the jungle and frightens children playing in the community square. Matin buzzes people as they walk along forest trails, paddle across lakes, or try to sleep at home. Four main factors account for the richness of rural lore in the Amazon.

First, the stock of aboriginal cultures was diverse and numerous. Although the number of indigenous groups has diminished considerably since contact and the cultural integrity of many surviving groups has suffered, aboriginal notions about the supernatural have threaded into the colorful mantle of caboclo lore. A map of the tribes that share supernatural concepts with the mestizo population of today reveals a strong pattern of indigenous groups in headwater regions. But this pattern is a reflection of the dying out or complete integration of indigenous groups along the main river courses. Second, an overlay of European notions about the other world, particularly Christianity, has added highlights to the regional tales. Third, African ideas on the spirit world have contributed ethereal figures to the already extensive cast of supernatural characters inhabiting the peasant's world. And finally, the immense wilderness, cut off from the mainstream currents of economic development for so long, has provided a fertile setting for the sprouting and flourishing of unusual interpretations and perceptions about land and life. Remarkably little caboclo lore deals with fields and crops. This barren patch in the otherwise rich folk narratives indicates that rural people, including many indigenous groups, are not particularly concerned with agricultural productivity. Rural folk in other tropical regions hold festivals for gods or saints at planting time in order to promote the germination of seeds and to give thanks for bountiful yields. Maize, for example, figures prominently in the religious life of the Mayans of Central America. In Amazonia, fewer rituals appear to be associated with crops among indigenous people when compared to myths and legends that involve hunting, fishing, and gathering. Although most Amazonian tribes ascribe supernatural causes for the origin of crops, few creatures have been assigned to protect cultivated plants. The Jivaro, who live in the Ecuadorian Amazon, believe in a chubby and squat earth mother, nunui, who looks after growing crops. Three guardian spirits look after manioc according to the Kamayura of the upper Xingu. Compared to supernatural concerns related to hunting, fishing, and health, how-

kilometers. Although precontact abever, fewer legends and myths appear that cause the most concern or tenoriginal populations were dense, they to surround field crops in the Amazon sion. Numerous stories, for example, did not trigger massive destruction of reflect an absorbing interest in sex. basin. natural resources. Cultural checks were Cultivated plants are also poorly Aboriginal groups generally have a evidently in play to prevent abuse of much more liberal attitude toward exrepresented in the regional lore of fish, game, and other natural resources. tramarital affairs than rural society peasants. Vegetables are the only culIn precontact times, a constellation tivated plants that figure in tales of today. of reserves overseen by supernatural Other stories reflect disapproval rural people in the Brazilian Amazon. forces was complemented along cerIndividual families in both rural and of excessive drinking, dishonesty, tain stretches of rivers by buffer zones urban areas sometimes surround their greed, laziness, and an uncooperative between hostile tribes. Such areas were attitude. Several tales express resentpatches of tomatoes and spring onrarely exploited and were probably as ions with egg shells supported by ment toward those who hoard wealth large in some cases as zones considrather than help others. Even accounts stakes to protect the tender plants ered off limits because of ghosts or against the glare of the evil eye. Field monsters. The Orellana expedition crops are not the focus of rituals deThe superstitious down the Amazon in 1542 reported signed to placate spirits or to encourbeliefs of city dwellers some "gaps" of essentially empty landage rewarding harvests. Water surdo not match the scape between belligerent groups. The rounding manioc tubers placed in complexity or color of number and location of such buffer streams is, however, considered an cabocio lore, with its zones would vary over time, as in the more than two dozen effective treatment for panema. Mancase of supernatural parks. supernatural entities. ioc presses also expel the ill fortune. Some stretches of the Amazon apAnd although peasant lore seemingly parently devoid of people could have ignores rice fields, mortars used to been deceptive. Several floodplain ispound the grains must not be used to that deal with hunting and gathering lands may have been deserted, but vilcut up game meat. The major reason that so little lore often contain moral lessons that per- lages may have been abundant farther has germinated around cultivated tain to people. The mother of balata back from the main river channel along the interface between the uplands and plants in Amazonia is that the basic trees, for example, rewards the tapper staples are root crops, particularly who is kind and patient. A desire to the alluvial soils of the Amazon. Neumanioc and sweet potato. Tuber crops avoid panema helps motivate good tral war zones and no-man's-lands beproduce higher yields than cereals neighborly relationships. The fewer cause of the threat of supernatural beings would have provided safe havens and are much more reliable because enemies one has accumulated, the less for wildlife and valuable recruiting likely you are to be the target of a spell they are less vulnerable to pests, disgrounds to restock surrounding areas eases, dry spells, and storms. Manioc arresting your hunting or fishing skills. and sweet potato were domesticated Rural folk are usually up at dawn, and with fish and game. Within a hundred years of contact, in the tropical lowlands of South their impatience for late risers is remany tribes along the Amazon and other vealed in stories about giant pigs and America and have been cultivated in major rivers had vanished or were conin the assertion that lazy women cause Amazonia for thousands of years. siderably reduced in numbers. Apart Amazonians have thus had less to particularly stubborn cases ofpanema. from a few select species, such as the worry about when it comes to their And the unscrupulous woodsman who South American river turtle, much of removes a gold chain from an image crops than those who rely on cereals the wildlife and plant resources in the of Saint John is only able to find his for their main food supply. The fact region received a respite from human way out of the forest after he replaces that only vegetables are vulnerable to interference. Although buffer zones the evil eye stems from the fact that the offering in the forest shrine. disappeared, so did millions of people. Most of the regional lore deals with they are more susceptible to diseases and pests than root crops. In general, natural resources, particularly the pro- In the twentieth century, and particufarming is a more reliable source of ductivity of game, fish, and commer- larly in the last fifty years, pressure has food than hunting and gathering. cially valuable trees. People have begun to build on the natural-resource Much of Amazonia's myth-legends hunted, fished, and gathered a lot base again. The human population of the Amathus focus on "chancier" subsistence longer than they have farmed, one of zon floodplain and tributary rivers is the reasons for the lopsided number of and commercial activities, such as currently less dense than before the tales related to experiences in the forfishing, hunting, and gathering of forarrival of Europeans, but much forest est and on rivers and lakes. Many est products. But the fabric of the region's lore is enriched consider- supernatural beliefs help to conserve has been destroyed, particularly to raise ably by stories that relate to social natural resources. More than two dozen cattle and water buffalo. Echoes of past supernatural entities either watch over cultural checks to overexploitation of behavior. Some of the lore dealing with be- plants and animals or patrol sections natural resources can still be found, but havior has been stimulated by Chris- of the forest, lakes, or rivers. At one they are probably not as effective as in tian ethics and is thus relatively re- time, the Amazon floodplain was the past. When powerful chiefdoms cent to the region. Such lore usually densely settled, with some chiefdoms held sway over extensive stretches of focuses on aspects of people's lives extending for more than one hundred the Amazon River, cultural checks to

BRAZZIL - MAY 1997

overexploitation were likely enforced pouring into the region. Many rural or respected more rigorously than to- folk may not be able to read well, but department stores, or busy airports, but they have glimpsed such technoday. they glance at magazine pictures and logical achievements on television. On Some portions of the floodplains are curious about events in the region of all the region's major rivers are still and in the outside world. Even the visits to town to buy supplies, it is not unusual for rural folk to linger at shop off limits to fishermen because ghosts poorest family usually owns radio fronts or at the windows of homes to or supernatural beasts are rumored to During the day, the household may stare at images of faraway places flicklurk there. The locations of such spots listen to popular music coming from a ering on television screens. The shift with time. Some no-fishing zones nearby town or catch the national news ever-deeper reach of this communicaare eventually discredited when no on Radiobras beaming from Brasilia tion medium into the lives of peasants more unusual sightings or sounds are One reason why so many people have reported. But others spring up to take acquired radios is because they are is breaking down their cultural isolatheir place. In the jungle, enchanted relatively cheap and because telephone tion and in some cases takes the place of storytelling time. springs and the imagined territories of service is sporadic or nonexistent in As the region's cities continue to curupira and mapinguary are given the interior. Radio stations serve as grow and external markets for Amawide birth. But overall, the influence clearing houses for messages. Urgent, of folkloric beliefs in mediating rela- requests are often relayed over the air zonian products increase, so will the tions between people and their envi- for someone to send money or to visit pressure on fisheries and other reronment is probably not as strong as it a sick relative. At night, Portugue- sources. The size of fishing fleets operating from towns and cities along was in the past. se-language programs of the British the Amazon grows every year, and Herein lies the dilemma. As the Broadcasting Corporation, the Canahuman population again increases and dian Broadcasting Corporation, the they probe ever farther afield as local fisheries are depleted. When strangers more destructive land use systems ex- Voice of America, Radio Havana, and fish in areas thought to be dangerous pand, such as cattle ranching, few Radio Moscow compete for the attenfor supernatural reasons and get away mechanisms are in place to help con- tion of caboclos. with it, local beliefs are shaken. Fewer serve the region's extraordinary In recent years, television has furbiodiversity. In the past, human popu- ther expanded the horizons of rural no-fishing zones are thus left intact. While traditional conservation is lation densities probably waxed and and urban folk. Most towns in the being undermined, modern concepts waned along the major rivers in re- Brazilian Amazon are now served by of protecting the environment are only sponse to a variety of factors, such as at least one television station that just penetrating the region. Efforts to migration. Some civilizations arose in broadcasts national and foreign proimplement parks and biological resitu and then declined. But when popu- grams. Westerns and often-racy soap serves in Amazonia are still in their lation densities increased, cultural operas depicting opulent life-stylesin infancy. By the early 1990s, approxichecks were surely in place to help Rio and Sao Paulo are especially popumately 37 million hectares had been balance demands on resources. I do lar. Extravagant variety shows featurset aside in the Brazilian Amazon for not wish to imply that indigenous ing pop singers and scantily clad samba people are always in harmony with dancers also draw appreciative audi- parks and reserves, up from 24 million hectares in 1981. The governments of nature. Such romantic notions are not ences. In rural areas surrounding towns Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, and congruent with the archaeological and cities, many modest homes emVenezuela have also been busy desigrecord of severe soil erosion in some ploy car batteries to operate their teleareas of the American tropics. But the vision sets. A symphony of crickets nating indigenous territories and setting aside parks and reserves. Colomfact remains: the Amazon River was bia has been particularly sensitive to densely settled in the early 1500s, and the importance of conservation of rain wildlife was abundant. Little caboclo lore deals forests and recognizing the rights of As the impetus for development with crops. This barren indigenous people, although developratchets up, buffer zones no longer patch in folk narratives ment pressures in the Colombian indicates that rural exist and supernatural constraints to Amazon are not as severe as in some people are not runaway harvesting of resources are other parts of the basin. concerned with weakening. The loosening grip of ruAs impressive as these gains have productivity. ral customs and belief in legendary been, the region is still in somewhat of figures has been noted in the Amazon a conservation limbo. Parks and rebasin and central Brazil. Settlers from serves only cover a small percentage other parts of Brazil are bringing new and the cascading calls of camouflaged of the basin; many of them are not values to the Amazon, and they some- potoos now compete with the fastrespected by loggers, miners, and settimes ridicule the traditional beliefs of paced music of variety shows. Many tlers, and their boundaries are often cab oclos. families will forego the purchase of ignored by fishermen, hunters, and The conservation role of folklore either an electric or kerosene-powered gatherers. Few reserves are found in is being diluted by the homogenizing refrigerator in order to secure a televifloodplain environments, so crucial effect of development. In addition to sion. for the productivity of many of the settlers, the media have been at the Many peasants have not ventured region's fisheries. Efforts to safeguard vanguard of the wave of new values into large cities to see skyscrapers, existing reserves and create more

BRAZ_ZIL - MAY 1997

should be redoubled. Another approach to conservation involves local communities and the private sector. A number of different projects throughout the Amazon basin are encouraging local communities to manage their resources on a more sustainable basis. Although such an approach has merit, reliance on communities alone to maintain the productivity of resources is fraught with difficulties. Not all communities are particularly cohesive, due in part to different religious and cultural backgrounds. As yet, few communities are armed with the technical skills and knowledge to carry out such a task, nor can they coordinate their activities with far-flung villages. Many fish and game animals migrate over large distances, so protection in one area may not work if habitat is being destroyed, or resources overexploited, in another part of the basin. The large scale of the Mamiraud project is particularly interesting in this respect because many communities are involved in participatory research over large stretches of the Amazon floodplain near Tefe. The community approach to resource management is one of several complementary approaches to conservation and sustainable resource management in the Amazon. Much of the land in the Brazilian Amazon is in the hands of individually owned plots, both large and small. How to involve small farmers, ranchers, plantation owners, and mining operations in conservation efforts is a major task. Some of the larger mining corporations and plantation operations have environmental safeguards in place. It is with the small farmers on their own lots, ranchers, and itinerant miners that the main challenges lie ahead. Little work has been attempted with them to agree on adjacent forest patches for set asides and protection of watersheds. It should be possible for growers' associations to work closely with nongovernmental organizations, government agencies, and other groups to foster the better use of natural resources in the region by employing a nonpolitical approach that incorporates incentives for conservation rather than the threat of punishment. So where does this leave folklore? One can hardly expect to teach folk-

loric beliefs as truths in an effort to resuscitate cultural checks to overexploitation of resources. But many of the stories told by caboclos contain themes that dwell on respect for nature and the importance of not being greedy when harvesting fish, game animals, and plants in the wild. Tales of curupira, the mother of fish, and the mother of rubber trees, for example, could be incorporated in the region's textbooks for schoolchildren. Such stories would bring alive texts dealing with the importance of maintaining forest cover and of conserving fish stocks. They would be used to illustrate the traditional concern for the wise management of resources. A bold effort in this vein was instigated by Warwick Kerr, a Brazilian geneticist and the former director of the National Institute of Amazonian Research (INPA) based in Manaus. INPA's mandate is to pursue scientific research on the biology, ecology, and some of the diseases of the region, but under the leadership of Kerr, an attempt was made to reach primary schoolchildren with the results of scientific research. In collaboration with the then-governor of Amazonas, Henoch da Silva Reis, professors and students from the University of Amazonas, and a professor from the University of Sao Paulo, INPA published a workbook for young school children. Called Cartilha da Amazonia, this innovative workbook was full of regional flavor and contained several legends about spirit protectors of natural resources as examples ofthe importance of conservation. Approximately 300,000 copies were distributed between 1977 and 1983, but unfortunately, the workbook is no longer used. Such efforts should be revived. Education is a major key to development of the Amazon region and for a more equitable life-style for all. Instead of textbooks portraying temperate-zone living standards, such as blond children eating strawberries while father drives home in a car, teaching materials should reflect regional realities. All that is lacking is political will. Mayors might cornmission youngsters to paint murals depicting folklore motifs on some public buildings, thereby possibly discouraging the spray painting of walls by youth gangs that is penetrating e-ven

small towns in the Brazilian Amazon. Youngsters would enjoy trying out their budding artistic talents painting becoming yaras, pink dolphins transforming into people, or giant snakes scaring fishermen away from a lake. Other ways to promote the conservation message ofthe region's lore would be through posters and airline menus. yang, one of Brazil's airlines, depicts some of the region's colorful birds on its menus for international flights. An important point to remember with regard to the region's lore and its role in conservation efforts is that we are not simply dealing with some quaint anachronism. Although the influence of lore on the daily life of people in Amazonia is surely diminishing, it is by no means dead. Even youngsters in once-small towns now on their way to becoming larger metropolitan areas express an interest in folklore and often recount supernatural tales related to life in the interior. Tales are reinvented with new twists, incorporating more recent perspectives. In pioneer areas of the Amazon, ghosts and goblins soon make their appearance and are kept alive by storytellers, both old and young. Along the Transamazon, for example, we have seen that poltergeists, pugnacious black sows, and tiny but fearsome caboclinha have all made appearances within a few years of settlement. The current gold rush in AmazOnia is sure to generate a fresh crop of tales about strange lights hovering over virgin fields and giant snakes patrolling new finds. Huge expanses of Amazonia have been bypassed by development, particularly in the northwest, and are likely to remain in a relatively undisturbed state for the foreseeable future. Pockets of tradition will persist in little-explored headwaters, thereby helping to maintain the distinctive cultural flavor of the region. The embers of caboclo folklore still ignite the curiosity and engender awe among the region's inhabitants. Let us hope that its conservation message is spread widely for the benefit of people and nature for generations to come. Excerpted from The Enchanted Amazon Rain Forest â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Stories from a Vanishing World, by Nigel J. H. Smith, Univ. Press of Florida, 1996, 194 pp.

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