Brasil Observer #33 - EN by Brasil Observer

LONDON EDITION

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NOVEMBER/2015

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IN FOCUS Challenge of innovation in Brazil is debated in London

LONDON EDITION

GUEST COLUMNIST Marcio Pochman writes about the opportunities within the crisis Is a montlhy publication of ANAGU UK UM LIMITED funded by

PROFILE Ana Toledo interviews the Brazilian singer Nina Miranda GLOBAL BRAZIL Celso Amorim and the Brazilian leadership in the international board

ANA TOLEDO Operational Director ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

BR-UK CONNECTION At the World Travel Market, Brazil focuses on Rio 2016

GUILHERME REIS Editorial Director guilherme@brasilobserver.co.uk

BRASILIANCE What do the evangelical pastors of the National Congress want? CONECTANDO Brazilian feminist movement dominates the agenda

ROBERTA SCHWAMBACH Financial Director roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

NOW Meet the project that helps young pregnant women in Rio de Janeiro

ENGLISH EDITOR Shaun Cumming shaun@investwrite.co.uk

GUIDE Shaun Cumming reveals his experience in the Iguaçu Falls

LAYOUT AND GRAPHIC DESIGN Jean Peixe peixe@brasilobserver.co.uk

CULTURAL TIPS Music, film and art with Brazilian flavour in London COLUMNISTS Franko Figueiredo writes about the pursuit for equality Aquiles Reis writes about the singer Dolores Duran

CONTRIBUTORS Ana Beatriz Freccia Rosa, Aquiles Rique Reis, Franko Figueiredo, Gabriela Lobianco, Nadia Kerecuk, Ricardo Somera, Wagner de Alcântara Aragão PRINTER St Clements press (1988 ) Ltd, Stratford, London mohammed.faqir@stclementspress.com 10.000 copies COVER ART

Thiago Goms

DISTRIBUTION Emblem Group Ltd.

Thiago Goms was born in São Paulo in 1984. His earliest influences came from his childhood strolls through the city’s downtown area. During his adolescence, some of his friends who were already painting in the neighbourhoods of Grajau convinced him to move his canvas from the page to the walls. Little by little, he started transporting his works to other mediums, where he drew on his comic book and cartoon influences to create his characters. The marriage of these influences is what brings his anthropomorphic characters to life in São Paulo with a blend of animalistic qualities and human personality – a reflection and artistic extension of himself.

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brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015 E D I T O R I A L

TWO YEARS AND COUNTING

This edition marks two years since the launch of the Brasil Observer. Initially fortnightly and circulating monthly since a year ago, we arrive at issue number 33 confident of our relevance and assured to reaffirm what has been our goal from the first line written in this space: to produce and distribute quality content about Brazil to a global audience. For Brazilians who think globally. For everyone who loves Brazil. This is our motto. Every month, we circulate 10,000 copies through London for the Brazilians who live here and all those English readers interested in our country. Here, we deal and will continue doing so with Brazil we believe through culture, politics, economics and social relations. Always with a global perspective, interpreting Brazil’s position on the world. It’s not a simple task, but it is necessary. Globalization has paved a previously unimaginable way and, together with the technology changes every day the way we consume information. Monopolies, still present and persistent, now share space – if not financially, on readers attention – with alternative channels that communicate perceptions and experiences previously invisible to the vast majority. The Brasil Observer is part of this context of new media experiences, dialoguing with different audiences and building connections. And the fact that we exist on paper – in a time when the printed newspaper, as well as traditional journalism, is in check – adds an essential component to our history and trajectory: continuation of resistance. We continue believing in the wisdom and intelligence of the reader, writing on topics

SILVINO FERREIRA JUNIOR/CANAL LONDRES

relevant to society and treating them with honesty and critical spirit. We continue believing that print journalism is essential to generate an immersive and reflective experience. We continue believing in quality, breathless articles able to develop concepts and create values. We continue believing in Brazil, in our innovative capacity against the commonplace. We continue to believe in journalism, that it shares information in a fundamentally important way. By completing these two years, we have much to thank our readers, who have made our focus never to be lost with praise, criticism and suggestions. We also thank our team of contributors, always willing to brave a good story and suggest paths to be followed, as well as ideas to be developed and achievements to be celebrated. We also thank our clients for their confidence in our professionalism and ability to deliver results, and our service providers for quality above average. In the following pages of this edition, as it should be, we bring another round of extremely relevant content regarding Brazil today. We are glad to know that, in the month of our anniversary, one of the main topics on the agenda in the country is feminism. Yes, feminism, a word laden with meaning and that scares many people challenging the existing order, putting the finger on what society believes. It’s also clear that the country continues to move forward despite political irresponsibility. So we keep moving true to who we are, confident that our relevance and resistance will continue to lead Brasil Observer ahead.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

IN FOCUS

THE CHALLENGE OF INNOVATION

Armando Monteiro, Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade, during the seminar ‘Innovate in Brasil’

DIVULGATION

Attract multinational companies interested in introducing Research and Development centres (R&D) in Brazil. This was the key point of the seminar ‘Innovate in Brasil’, held in October in London, attended by Brazil’s Minister of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC, in Portuguese), Armando Monteiro. Promoted by MDIC in partnership with the Brazilian Trade and Investment Promotion Agency (Apex -Brazil), the event was organized by the Telegraph Business Events and brought together top executives of multinational companies, among them Richard Moore, from BG Group, whose Global Technology Centre is located in Rio de Janeiro. “All the key elements for innovation are in Brazil,” said Moore in one of the discussion groups on case studies in the country. He also said it is necessary to create more connections between start-ups, universities and industry sectors, for innovative projects to be monetized. “It’s important to find ways of collaboration, as there are many companies looking for the same solutions,” he added. Opening the event, the president of Apex-Brazil, David Barioni Neto, highlighted the Innovate in Brasil program, launched in March this year, which supports investors with interest in installing R&D centres in Brazil in four industrial sectors: renewable energy, technology information and communication, oil and gas and health. Then Armando Monteiro

spoke about the country’s efforts in the framework of the Innovation Law and the new Biodiversity Legal Marco, as well as programs such as Inova Empresa – with US$ 10 billion invested – and Start-Up Brazil. For Armando Monteiro, at a time when “Brazil faces a macroeconomic reformulation, the biggest challenge is to continue strengthening the innovation sector.” In this regard, the minister appreciated the fact that the country has significantly increased

the number of university students in recent years, in addition to the fact that today Brazil has 900 companies in 42 technology centres. The fiscal adjustment, according to Monteiro, intends to give predictability to market players and thus generate the necessary incentives for the return of economic growth. Good news at this moment is the accumulated surplus of the trade balance until October, up to US$ 12 billion dollars, as well as the forecast for 2016, US$ 16 billion,

JOAQUIM LEVY AND GEORGE OSBORNE DEEPEN ECONOMIC COOPERATION BETWEEN BRAZIL AND THE UK The UK’s Chancellor, George Osborne, and the Minister of Finance of Brazil, Joaquim Levy, met in London in late October and reached a series of agreements to strengthen economic relations between the two countries – focusing on infrastructure projects, financial services and the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. The joint statement, which can be accessed in full on the website of the Embassy of Brazil in London (www. brazil.org.uk), reports that were discussed “shared challenges to achieving long-term sustainable growth.” “We agreed on the importance of structural reforms, together with credible fiscal policies, in enhancing long-run productivity growth and improving

living standards,” added the official communiqué of the meeting, first edition of the UK-Brazil Economic and Financial Dialogue, which will happen again in 2016. The fiscal issue, moreover, was the central theme of the press conference given by Joaquim Levy in London. The finance minister said that Brazil will grow again only when the fiscal issue is resolved, but said he do not know in what time frame the adjustment will be implemented. “The fiscal problem was not treated with the energy it should: many in Congress know that,” he added. The government is awaiting the approval of the 2016 budget and tax measures that will allow the

reduction of public spending and increase tax collection in the country. After two days of meetings in London, Levy said that the scenario of uncertainty generates fear among investors. He said, however, that, while working to ensure a sound fiscal policy, the government is trying to attract investment in infrastructure to help “the country became more efficient, creating jobs and stimulating the economy.” Levy cited the area of ports among those that continue to receive massive private investments. He said the auction of 29 hydroelectric plants with expired leases, scheduled for 25 November, will allow the generation of resources without the need to increase taxes.

and foreign exchange reserves of US$ 370 billion. Monteiro said the stimulus should come primarily under the new phase of the logistics program, the new electricity program and the national export plan. Among other topics discussed at the event were the overcoming of fossil fuels, the need to create smart cities (with infrastructure for all) and the urgent need to develop innovative ways for joint work between governments and the private sector.

AGENDA g

BOOK LAUNCH - THE NEW WAR ON THE POOR: THE PRODUCTION OF INSECURITY IN LATIN AMERICA TOMORROW When: 18 November Info: www.ilas.sas.ac.uk

AN EVENING TO GET CLOSER & REIMAGINING PROSPERITY: FUTURES FROM THE GLOBAL SOUTH When: 19 November Info: www.kcl.ac.uk/brazilinstitute

ECONOMIC OUTLOOK FOR LATIN AMERICA AND BRAZIL IN 2016 When: 25 November Info: www.canninghouse.org

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

@ c e r e j a c o ff e e

f a c e b o o k . c o m / c e r e j a c o ff e e

BRAZILIAN FROM THE TREE TO THE CUP.

80% of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s coffee is produced in Brazil. When one hears about italian, french or even portuguese or german coffee, it is probably brazilian. Most of Brazilâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s quality arabica coffee production is exported as raw material to be processed in destination countries. However, Cereja Coffee is grown, sorted and roasted in Mogiana Paulista where the tradition of producing excellent coffee dates back 200 years. In this region today there are many smallholders farming in mountainous terrain where much of the work has to be done by hand using age old methods as it is inaccessible for machinery. The passion of past generations is still alive and we never forget that it was coffee that brought us to this region in first place. It is with this same passion that our coffee now travels a different path, just to be with you and show how a brazilian coffee really should taste. Cereja Coffee beans and ground are available at: cerejacoffee.com

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

GUEST COLUMNIST

CRISIS PRESENTS OPPORTUNITY Three general orientation guidelines can lead Brazil to a new, more just and democratic route By Marcio Pochmann

Marcio Pochmann is a Professor at the Institute of Economy and Trade Union Studies Centre and Labour Economics at the State University of Campinas

The crisis is an excellent opportunity to change pace and past history. In this sense the following general guidelines of government policy orientation would set – in addition to the output of the current crisis – a new course for building a fair and democratic Brazil. The first guideline is committed to the stabilization of the Brazilian economy to be achieved through the necessary systemic convergence between the exchange rate, monetary and fiscal policies. For this, the inflation target should be extended to 24 months, so it would no longer be strictly linked to the period of twelve months (calendar year). Also the measure of inflation that is the goal to be pursued by the Central Bank should no longer be the official index IPCA (full) for the adoption of a core IPCA able to exclude the prices of goods and services which are outside the control of monetary authorities, like the administered ones. In the case of exchange rate regime, the correction of the relationship between the Real and other currencies should be accompanied by prudential regulatory measures in the foreign exchange derivatives market and taxation to curb their volatility. Thus, a strong action on modalities of foreign swaps exchange and taxation. For the fiscal target, the adoption of a band with upper and lower limits from the definition of its centre should be pursued. At the same time, the “full” primary result would exclude investments in infrastructure and profitable activities under the PPI (Multi-Year Investment Plan) as well as revenue changes arising from fluctuations in the level of economic activity and international prices such as oil. The second guideline refers to government planning guidance of medium and long terms, committed to the greater movement of the ecological transition within the productive and distributive processes currently underway in the country. For this, the redefinition of investments set funding pattern that seeks enhancement of business environment seated in the low carbon economy. This determination should rely on the reorientation of both the tax system and government incentives such as the setting up of public budget dealing with the shift to ecologically sustainable production and consumption activities. The productive development policy should set goals that should ensure this government commitment. Similarly, the establishment of the capital budget, immune to budget cuts in the federal government, should follow the establishment of a coordination of all investments in economic and social infrastructure so that they are actually implemented. The goal in reducing the population’s living costs, especially those with less purchasing power and living in large urban centres and the expansion of production and distribution activities would allow making more efficient and competitive economic system. This is because the infrastructure investments promote efficiency and lower production and distribution costs in the river and land transport by improving the well-being of people across the housing, sanitation, health and education. Brazil remains a country under construction. The third guideline reverses on the restoration of the spending capacity of the state that should take place through the progressivity of the tax system aiming simultaneously reducing the relative weight of indirect taxes and increasing direct (properties and great fortunes). Moreover, it would make the necessary review of exemptions and subsidies system currently adopted by the federal government. Faced with this, the entire population of working age and with income could move to declare their income as a contribution to the measure of income security system adopted by the federal government. At the same time, non-payment of taxes and tax contributions would be identified as a crime, as well as misappropriation of public money. Every year, estimated at 10% of GDP the amount of resources that are evaded taxes, fees and contributions in Brazil. Also public spending should be subject to new planning and monitoring system able to raise their quality and distributive efficiency. As a result, a second generation of actions in addressing inequality in Brazil would open the way to reduce taxes for the poor and rise to the rich without increasing the overall tax burden. Similarly, the simplification and transparency of governance imply raise efficiency and reduce costs with the functioning of the public sector, especially those related to medium activities. With the transition to digital government and matrix management will lead to the coordination and monitoring of all public spending.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

PROFILE Nina and her band

NINA MIRANDA WHEN I SING ABOUT BRAZIL, IT COMES BACK TO ME By Ana Toledo

QUEIJO PRATO WITH ENGLISH SAUCE We asked Nina Miranda for three of her favourite bands in each country. Check out the suggestions: UK The Beatles The Specials Joan Armatrading Brazil Carmen Miranda Nação Zumbi Novos Baianos

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

LÍVIA RANGEL

With the British-Brazilian connection intrinsic to her own history, daughter of a Brazilian father and English mother, the singer Nina Miranda had her early years in Brazil and at eight-year-old she moved to London. Among comings and goings, now Nina lives in the English capital, but Brazil is always present in her life through music. “Start singing was a way to kill the homesickness and to have Brazil closer. When I sing about Brazil, it comes to me,” she says. And so, singing to bring Brazil closer, Nina won the shyness and began unpretentiously her career. “I was very shy, but as no one understood what I was singing, as it was in Portuguese, I was free to invent the letter at the time and not worry about what people was thinking. This allowed me to do something very lucid until a song came out and did not have to change a lot,” she explains. “We draw, paint, and sing because we need to externalize something. And that was set to get out.” Nina continuously visits to her country of origin to further her relationship with Brazilian culture, which leads the singer to review her well-known statement that “travelling was the place I felt at home.” Today Nina is emphatic when she says she identifies more with Brazil than with the UK. “I feel more alive there, with more comprehensive happiness. It is with Brazil I identify myself more.” At the same time, the London environment played a key role both in her personal and professional life. Nina was strongly marked by her move from Brazil to London as a child. At that time, in 1989, Britain was ruled by a conservative government. “The society responded to the government and was much segmented. As my family always had this mixture, it was not an environment that favoured us,” she says. She adds that “it was when the band The Specials launched the song Ghost Town that began to appear a mixture of races in music. It was a way to say no to fascist violence that, at the time, was very present on the streets of London. After that other bands emerged and started looking to the world.” Just as the Brazil-UK connection is always very clear in her history, the experimentalism too, which is evident in her highly successful work with the band Smoke City (1997), which made trip-hop even before other English bands adopt the style. With reference to work with this group that gave Brazilian flavour to the English sound, Nina was called “trip-bossa mother”. Throughout her journey, Nina accounts that it created a kind of “chest of references” where her experience facilitates the understanding of how to relate her music between different public, besides enriching the creation and re-creation of her work. “Glad to see I have changed a lot in my life, and now I can understand that every place is different. Then we must forget the rules and we have to go back to the realities, the sharpest truths.” Today Nina works in her home studio, which besides being an environment in which she feels comfortable for the recordings and new experiences, facilitates coexistence and care for her two children Johan, 12, and Felix, 6. In addition, creativity wins with great movement made by many Brazilian musicians who are in London and visit the site. “I’m very open to people who are in the air between Brazil and the UK. I find it interesting this junction of worlds,” she reflects. “I like to sew between the people and I think music does that. Music is the seam between those spaces”, she says. Nina’s next material to be released is already being prepared and the release is expected for spring 2016, in March. She is preparing to broaden the perspective by capoeira, the surf, the cangaço and religions of African origin, among other Brazilian pinches.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

GLOBAL BRAZIL

BRAZILIAN T LEADERSHIP Ambassador Celso Amorim speaks to Brazil Observer on foreign policy and national defence strategies By Wagner de Alcântara Aragão

The position that Brazil has taken on the world stage in recent years is more and more solid and definitive – when it started to be considered as a giant not only in territory, population and economic market, but also in international politics. Even facing an environment of fierce political debate and suffering the effects of the global economic crisis, the country has captured its place among the protagonists of a multi-polar planet. The analysis is made by the Ambassador Celso Amorim, a former Foreign (2003-2013) and Defence (2011-2014) minister in Brazil. He was in London from 1 to 15 November, acting as a visiting professor at King’s College, where he attended lectures, round tables, public workshops and tutorials with graduate students. Days before leaving for England, Amorim spoke by telephone from Rio de Janeiro with the Brasil Observer.

RECOGNITION That same week, Celso Amorim had been in Port au Prince, Haiti, to monitor the elections (municipal and presidential) of 25 October (first round). Amorim was there as head of the observation mission of the Organization of American States (OAS). In the diplomatic opinion, this indication and other invitations, honours and awards he has received are fruit of the importance achieved by Brazil at international level. Also in October, on the 14th, Celso Amorim was in Ramallah, Cisjordan, receiving the Order of the Star of Jerusalem, the most important commendation offered by the Palestinian Authority. For the ambassador, is a case that illustrates how, even today, Brazil has been valued for the role they came to play since 2003. “It’s not a personal recognition; it is the recognition of a foreign policy created in Lula’s government and to some extent, continued with president Dilma Rousseff,” said Amorim. Defender of the two-state solution to the conflict between Israel and Palestine, the ambassador does not feed illusions. He considers such a possibility increasingly distant and regrets the fact that intolerance in the region is higher today than it has been in the recent past, while criticizing the increase in Israeli settlements even after starting the peace process.

MULTI-POLARITY Amorim pointed out that one of the great merits of this Brazilian foreign policy was to expand and diversify its relations with the rest of the planet. In the last 12 years Brazil has stopped to focus primarily on relations with the Northern Hemisphere’s developed countries and sought closer ties with other regions – with varying social and economic conditions. “Brazil stopped working with a ‘eurocentred’ vision or centred in the United States. We do relate to these countries, but we seek broader relations.” Thus, says Amorim, Brazil went on to increase its appearance just at this time

when the world experienced the establishment of a global multi-polarity. The former foreign minister cites the classic example of the approximation between Brazil and China. As well as increasing bilateral trade between the two countries, the intensification of this relationship was essential to create the BRICS with India, Russia and South Africa. In a multi-polar world, reiterated Amorim, “where there is a variety of power centres,” such centres will be constituted more by blocks and groups than by countries. That is, the issue of multi-polarity today is not only the balance of power between nation-states, but also groups and associations.

BRICS Amorim considers the BRICS a group of major force in this new multi-polar global scenario that is drawing. “Right now the BRICS are not as high as they have been recently, due to the current

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

ANTÔNIO ARAÚJO / CÂMARA DOS DEPUTADOS

of Brazil (which is not a signatory). For Amorim, it’s more United States against China than of a problem for South American. “It is a treaty that takes Asia, but leaves out the largest economy there, China. I also regret the fact that the United States has placed in this treaty, focusing on regional agreements, disregarding issues [covered under] WTO [World Trade Organization]. It is a weakening of the WTO.” Amorim believes that the best way to combat global is to finish the Doha Round, negotiations of the WTO aimed at reducing trade barriers around the world, focusing on free trade for developing countries.

PEACE MISSIONS

Ambassador Celso Amorim

economic situation. But it will pass. And there is no problem [of relationship] between them [the countries]. The BRICS continue and will be even stronger.” For Celso Amorim, recent decisions – such as the creation of a development bank and a reserve fund to help infrastructure projects in emerging countries, as opposed to institutions like the International Monetary Fund – are solid and signal the potential for growth, also from the geopolitical point view, of the BRICS. The existence of several technical cooperation projects between the members is another fact that exemplifies, according to Amorim, the institutional strength of the group.

SOUTH AMERICA In South America, Brazil stands out for having a decisive role in the regional integration process, says Amorim. In addition to the Mercosur, institutios such as the South American Nations Union

(UNASUR) there are demonstrations that the subcontinental integration process is irreversible, the ambassador believes. Even the imminent growth of the right-wing movements in the area should not result in significant setbacks in this process, he says. Amorim sees no risks to integration, for example, if Argentina’s conservative candidate, Mauricio Macri, wins the presidential elections in Argentina – the second round is scheduled for November 22. “Sometimes leaders [in countries of the region, on the right of the spectrum, more aligned to the United States and Europe] speak to revise [the integration process]. But the South American integration is now so embedded in the economies of countries in the region, there is no way back. I do not think there will be setbacks in this integration,” said the ambassador. For Amorim, Brazil needs South America to be more active on the global stage, as well as other South American

countries need Brazil to be heard. The fact that Brazil seeks partnerships in other regions of the world, in the ambassador’s opinion, doesn’t hinder the regional integration. About the supposed dichotomy between Mercosur (more protectionists) and Pacific Alliance (more liberal), Amorim rejects such a view. And remember that all of the second group countries, except Mexico, have trade agreements with the first block. For him, although the economic factor is important, one must also consider other issues in time to create new associations between countries, such as stage of development.

TRANS-PACIFIC Neither the Trans-Pacific Partnership – between countries in the Americas (including the United States) with countries in Asia and Oceania – poses a threat to South America, says the ambassador. Nor endangers international relations

Another demonstration of Brazil’s role on the international stage is Brazil’s participation in the peacekeeping missions of the United Nations (UN) or the Organization of American States (OAS). Of the recent ones, the most emblematic is the Haiti peacekeeping mission – led by Brazil itself. The work there has accredited the country to head the OAS mission accompanying the electoral process in that country. The ambassador also cited the Brazilian presence in the peacekeeping mission in Congo and the activities in the maritime task force in Lebanon as two cases that also show the significant contribution of Brazil to international humanitarian issues. Although the task force’s function is to prevent the entry of illegal weapons and other contraband, the Brazilian Navy team has also highlighted by the rescue of migrants from Africa and the Middle East trying to enter Europe by the Mediterranean Sea. “Not long ago our frigate rescued a ship in the region. Brazil is present in peacekeeping missions in various regions of the world.”

NATIONAL DEFENCE If Brazil’s foreign policy stands for acting in foreign territories protection missions, internally Brazil cannot give up national defence strategies, says Amorim. “Brazil’s national defence policy has been sustained on two pillars: cooperation and deterrence. Cooperation especially with regard to the South American neighbours and West Africa [that are ‘in front’ of Brazil]. And deterrence to protect our wealth.” There isn’t imminent conflict involving Brazil. However, “the memory of World War II” is still very present, and with the abundance of natural resources that the country has it cannot fail to invest in the sector. “We have the largest supply of fresh water on the planet. Sources of energy, mineral wealth. The oil reserves of the pre-salt. An incredible biodiversity. Brazil has made important acquisitions [of submarines, for example].”

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

BR-UK CONNECTION DIVULGATION

ECOTOURISM AND CULTURE

: Henrique Alves shows Brazil’s potential at WTM

OLYMPICS IS THE FOCUS OF BRAZIL’S TOURISM PUSH IN LONDON Ecotourism destinations were also highlights in Brazil’s 20th participation at the World Travel Market

The importance of an Olympic event to promote the country to the world was the subject of a conversation between the Minister of Tourism, Henrique Eduardo Alves, and the president of Visit Britain, the British promotion agency, Christopher Rodrigues, during the World Travel Market London, one of the world’s leading tourism fairs held in November. Christopher said that investments in the period before the games are as important as the marketing during and after the event. According to him, most funds (60%) were allocated for promotion of the country after the London 2012 Olympic Games, a strategy that increased the number of foreign visitors in the country. “We have to take advantage of successful examples and adapting them to the reality of Brazil and still get the most exposure to the biggest sporting event provides the country,” said Minister Henrique Eduardo Alves.

Alves cited the newly opened Brazilian Tourism Office in Russia and added that other countries like India can also receive specific initiatives. “We want to be increasingly open to the world. So we are working to exempt the tourists visas in what we call the Olympic Tourism Year”, he said. The bill has been already approved by the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. Now the text is to be sanctioned by President Dilma Rousseff. Last year, during the World Cup, about a thousand footballers from 32 countries were in the country. At the Olympics 2016 will be 15,000 athletes from 205 nations. FIFA’s projection is that an estimated 3.5 billion people saw the World Cup. The International Olympic Committee projected that 4.8 billion viewers around the world will be watching the Olympics. “I want the tourists to go to Rio, but also visit the Northeast, the capital Brasilia, the South and the North,” Alves said.

Speaking to the Brasil Observer, the president of Embratur (Brazilian Tourism Institute), Vinicius Lummertz, said: “the strategy for international tourism promotion of the country by mid-2016 focuses on the promotion of Brazil as an Olympic venue destination.” But “in order to diversify the tourism offer”, the promotion strategy during WTM 2015 also emphasized the ecotourism products and destinations in the country. “This segment is now the second most cited by tourists visiting Brazil. Globally, Brazil currently ranks first in natural resource potential, according to the World Economic Forum research,” said Lummertz. The destinations presented at WTM showed diverse range of Eco and Adventure products, including national parks situated in paradisiacal beaches such as Jericoacoara, and destinations that offer outdoor activities such as bird watching, like at Chapada Diamantina. The beaches of Santa Catarina, which has infrastructure capable of meeting demands of luxury tourists, and the Iguaçu Falls, an attraction already well known, elected as one of the seven modern wonders of the world, were among the destinations presented. Another important segment that received special interest during the WTM was Culture. “In addition to being intrinsically related to the promotion of all other segments, Brazilian cultural attractions are important tourism products alone, adding value to Brazil’s potential,” Lummertz commented. This year the Brazil Stand had 61 members, between destinations, operators, hotels and clubs of the Brazilian tourist trade. One of the main innovations was the partnership between Embratur and the Brazilian Agency for Export and Investment Promotion (Apex-Brazil), which conducted promotional activities of Brazilian cuisine at Bar Brazil.

Vinícius Lummertz, president of Embratur

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

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BRASILIANCE

THE SHEPHERDS OF THE CONGRESS M How do evangelical churches choose their politicians? What is the secret of the bench strength to stop social progress and ensuring privileges such as tax exemption and the granting of radio and TV concessions? By Andrea Dip, from Agência Pública www.apublica.org

Men in suits and women in skirts with the Bible in hand fill the Auditorium. Someone regulates the sound of guitar and microphones. The music that celebrates “rejoicing the Lord” burst on the speakers and the audience sings along. In a pulpit on the stage, the shepherds open worship with a fervent prayer accompanied by the faithful. A common description of an Evangelical cult wasn’t the pastors, Members of Parliament, speaking from a makeshift pulpit in plenary Nereu Ramos at the Chamber of Deputies of a secular country called Brazil. And if the (then) House’s president, Eduardo Cunha, announced from the pulpit when entering the premises by pastors João Campos and Sóstenes Cavalcante, he hadn’t left the official schedule to participate in the celebration and take selfies with people who crowded around him. It certainly would be a lot less weird if right behind me, in the back of the Auditorium, parliamentary advisers weren’t making homophobic jokes and laughing out loud for most of the event, which has become a show with the arrival of acclaimed gospel singer Aline Barros, winner of the Latin Grammy Awards 2014 and one of Brazil’s highest gospel caches. She had travelled from Rio to Brasilia with her husband, the former football player and today manager and pastor Gilmar Santos, especially to sing and pray that morning of Wednesday in Congress. At the end of the cult/event, everyone would receive Aline’s promotional album. Aline Barros sang some of her successes with the aid of a playback, before the preaching of her husband. The theme is the struggle of the Prophet Elijah against Jezebel, Phoenician princess who married the King of Israel and once Queen, chased and killed Israeli prophets. The image of the powerful woman of cruel soul is used by dozens of religious websites that compare Jezebel to President Dilma Rousseff, threatening her to end up like the Queen, eaten by dogs. “In James 5:17, it is written that Elijah was a man like us. He prayed for three and a half years and it didn’t rain. Then he prayed again and God send the rain,” says the pastor Gilmar, addressing the

parliamentarians. “Many times we have prayed ‘God shake this country, brings a revival, do something new’. God is doing. But the way that God is doing is not always the way we want, our way. Many times we wanted that God did it rain money from heaven. But God does not do it that way. Why did God hide Elijah? Why did God hide many of you and still aren’t in the papers as dream or had no recognition as always dreamed of? […] God’s hiding, dear. When the time is right it will happen, you will be exalted. God knows how to honour. […] Can be the hardest time of your mandate, but remains confident. Many people may be living a drought in this country. Our country may be living the driest time in history. But the sky will never be in crisis.”

NO CRISIS The number of Evangelicals in Parliament grew, following the increase of believers. According to the latest data from the IBGE, which are from 2010, the number of Evangelicals has increased 61% in the last decade (2000-2010). In turn, the Evangelical Parliamentary Front (FPE), headed by Congressman and Pastor João Campos, aggregates more than 90 parliamentarians, according to FPE’s data, which represents a growth of 30% in the last Parliament. The mixture of politics and religion is the hallmark of the work of the shepherds. Campos, for example, is president of the Evangelical Parliamentary Front, author of the law project dubbed as “gay curing” and advocates the reduction of criminal majority, like most of the so-called “bullet” bench – in 2014 he received 400 thousand reais of a security company for his campaign. Cavalcante, former events manager for Pastor Silas Malafaia, his godfather on faith and politics, is President in the Special Commission which deals with the Status of the Family. Encouraged by Eduardo Cunha, who assumed the Presidency of the House saying “abortion and regulation of the media will only be voted on over my dead body”, the evangelical front has managed to carry out extremely conservative projects, such as the Status

of the Family (Law Project 6.583/2013), which recognizes the family as the entity “formed from the union between a man and a woman through marriage or stable union, and the community formed by either parent and their children”, which must follow to the Senate soon. The Constitutional Amendment Proposal 171/1993, which uses biblical passages to justify the reduction of criminal majority, was also passed in the House and awaits Senate analysis, without voting forecast. Eduardo Cunha himself is the author of the Law Project 5.069/2013, which creates a series of setbacks for the constitutional right of women victims of sexual violence to perform abortion in public health. This is in the Committee on Constitution and Justice and Citizenship of the Chamber. It was also in this parliamentary term that the bench was able to ban the words that come from the teaching of gender ideology in schools under the National Education Plan. According to the data provided by FPE, most parliamentarians belong to Pentecostal churches: the Assembly of God has the biggest number of those believers, followed by the Universal Church Kingdom of God, which has the prominently figure of Senator Marcelo Crivella. Other churches also have representatives in Congress. As with the parties in politics, the members also change title. Eduardo Cunha recently moved to Assembly of God, where were the colleagues João Campos and Marco Feliciano. Among the members of the Historical Protestants are Jair Bolsonaro (Baptist) and Clarissa Garotinho (Presbyterian). The sociologist and writer Paul Freston, professor in religion and politics at Wilfrid Lauries University, in Canada, explains that the Pentecostal churches differentiate the Historical Protestants mainly by emphasizing their belief in the gifts of the Holy Spirit. “By being a more enthusiastic of religiosity, depends on less than a rational discourse, elaborated. You may not know how to read or write and can be someone who wouldn’t dare make a rational discourse in public, but under the influence of the spirit you speak. So you could say that the Pentecostal churches also have the

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

AGÊNCIA CÂMARA

power to reverse the social hierarchies”, explains the professor. And highlights: “for being closer to the culture of the spectacle and less liturgical the Pentecostal churches also do better with the media”.

IN OFFICE “The Evangelical Parliamentary Front [FPE] has played an important role in contributing to the legislative process because it has prioritized some flags that are relevant to Brazilian society, for example, the defence of the traditional family,” says João Campos, who received the Agência Pública in his office number 315 in annex IV of the House, after many days of negotiation. “Our flag is the defence of life from conception, the rights of the unborn, the prohibition of abortion and infanticide, and women’s rights too, but also rights of human entity that is being generated. We have a clear stance in favour of po-

litical reform, tax reform and about the violence that has haunted the society”, continues Campos. The secret of success? “We act from these themes, and this causes the front to be heard in Parliament. The front is not the one that brings together the largest number of parliamentarians, but is one of the most heard. Because it’s not the amount, it’s the work,” he says with pride. I ask about his political and religious path, the moment the two mixed. He tells me that at the age of 16 years old he was already leader of young people in his church (Assembly of God) and at 20 he was ordained pastor. He also made a career in the Civil Police of Goiania. Began as police clerk, became delegate, participated in strikes – “I’ve always been very active,” he says. He began to act in the class, became President of the Association of the Delegates of Brazil, until he “naturally” applied for Congress. “I always exercised leadership in the church and in public safety. The-

se two strands supported my candidacy and elected me,” sums up Campos, 53 years old, currently in his fourth term as Congressman. When asked if the church has been a fertile environment for the formation of political leaders, he makes jokes: “the church has occupied a space and has put more efforts in politics having itself as a reference”. His fellow Clarissa Garotinho is a young federal deputy who has politics and religion in her pedigree. The daughter of former State Governors Anthony and Rosinha Garotinho is from the Presbyterian Church, like the rest of his family. And, as did her mother, every time his father, Anthony Garotinho, changed his party, she accompanied him “even grudgingly,” confesses. Clarissa speaks of the game of politics with the naturalness of one who lived it home since she was little, but makes a point of saying that she never went

Eduardo Cunha meeting with the evangelical bench

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represent the Chamber and is not good for Brazil. I was one of the few evangelical members who didn’t vote for him. I don’t like his style of politics. He uses blackmail to get advantages. Eduardo Cunha is much feared here. They say he’s vindictive, that has a difficult temperament. And he still has a lot of support here in spite of scandals”.

THE BEGINNING

to gain vote in church. “I visited some churches when invited me, but was not the focus of my campaign.” She describes the beginning of her political career as a student leader who became Director of the National Students’ Union and was elected Councilwoman. “At that time, I had my degree in journalism and interned with Xuxa in her show at the invitation of Marlene Matos. Marlene asked me to go to a program on Radio Globo, I was Commercial Manager of the company of my parents, and he didn’t want me to enter into politics. He said that life of politicians was very exposed, which gave him a lot of headache. I started the campaign alone, with the Youth League. I thought: ‘my father was Governor, my mother was Governor, I can’t lose an election of councillor because if I lose, I’ll be committing their name,” she says. From councillor Clarissa went on to state deputy and in 2014 was elected federal deputy with the highest vote achieved among women. About her performance on the evangelical bench, she says that only participates in the activities when necessary. “When there have been some demonstrations in gay parade that skittered to the image of Christ. At this point, the bench brought together even the Catholics. When we have any question that we understand that need to come together, I participate in the meetings.” I ask her opinion on abortion, and her expression closes: “Some topics for us are not negotiable. I am against abortion”. Without my asking, she adds: “But do you want to know about Eduardo Cunha? I could not endorse Eduardo Cunha only because he is evangelical. It’s not enough and I do think his posture as a politician is not good to

The Pentecostal Church began to get involved in Brazilian politics in the 1960 through Brazil for Christ, which elected a federal deputy in 1961 and a state deputy in 1966. After that, however, the church would only elect candidates again in early 1980s, as explained by Paul Freston: “the greatest participation comes in 1986, at the end of the military regime, with the Constituent Assembly. The Assembly of God leads the movement initially, and is organized to have an official candidate in each state, a Member of Parliament. They organize and try to present the candidates in churches, asking to the people vote for them. This is what gives rise to the evangelical bench, it is the first time we mention it. And the big news is that the majority is Pentecostal”. The Pentecostals powered ahead in politics with the Universal Church Kingdom of God, who created a political plan more structured within the institution, according to the author of the thesis “Religion and politics: ideology and action of ‘Evangelical Bench’ in the Federal Chamber”, Bruna Suruagy. “In the early 1990s, the Universal Church began acting with a structured political plan,” she explains. In her research, she reached the following political plan: “the dome of the church, formed by a council of bishops of the confidence of Edir Macedo, indicates candidates in a procedure absolutely vertical without the participation of the community. The criteria for the choice of those candidates usually are based on a certain census that makes the number of voters in each church or in each district. And each temple, each region has only two candidates would be the federal and state candidate. It develops an electoral rationality from a geographical distribution of candidates and from a partisan distribution of candidates. This has changed a bit now because there is a party that is of Universal, the PRB, which becomes increasingly strong in Congress”, she explains, highlighting the importance of religious media as an interface between the church and politics. The Agência Pública made contact with the Press Office of the Universal Church and got an answer that the institution would not comment “because it does not get involved with politics”. By insisting to get the interview, they asked us to send questions to Bishop Edir Macedo by e-mail and didn’t respond further. Even PRB’s website, which has a large number of affiliates linked to Universal, including the party president, Marcos Pereira, leaves

no clear connection between the party and the church. But, interviewed by Congressman Celso Russomanno on 25 August, in front of the audience in the Auditorium Nereu Ramos, Pereira revealed that his career and the PRB walked arm in arm with Edir Macedo. He said he’s bishop of the church since 1999, was vice president of Rede Record (TV) in 2003, the year he also became a partner at LM Consultoria Empresarial – a holding company that controls all the affairs of the Universal Church Kingdom of God – and then became president of the PRB in 2011.

BRAZILIAN MODEL According to researcher Bruna Suruagy, Universal has become a model for other Brazilian churches precisely because each new mandate had a significant increase of parliamentarians. She explains that this does not mean that the institutional functioning of the Assembly of God, for example, is the same. “The Assembly is a church with a lot of dissent and many internal divisions, so it is not possible to establish hierarchically the official candidates. The churches have strong regional leaders and fragility from the national point of view. The headquarters does not have such force and therefore they create previous election. People present themselves voluntarily or are taken by the church itself, and there is still the idea that some are indicated by God because mobilized large crowds. So you have a list after a pre-selection that passes by a council of pastors. It is interesting that those who intend to apply sign a document committing to support the official candidate if he’s not chosen to avoid independent candidacies and to maintain the loyalty you have at Universal.” The system of choosing candidates is confirmed by the pastor Caio Fabio, as we speak in the beautiful garden of his home in Brasilia. “Most politicians we have today were produced in the Pentecostal cradle. Therefore, they are born of the only power that inhabits this environment which is of personal charisma. And that charisma has absolutely nothing to do with intelligence, education or culture. By charisma means the ability to communicate, the more popular the less scrupulous is powerful. Pastors, bishops and apostles. The Universal is a special case, as well as the neo-Pentecostal churches, which are post-Edir Macedo churches, because the political project there is totalitarian, comes from Macedo the determination of who is and who is not,” he criticizes. “The reformed churches [also known as Historical Protestant] are democratic representative. Every five years, there is an election of pastors. The Episcopalians [Pentecostal] are more for succession, indication. And, if others accept, they are vindicated. In the Pentecostals, the shepherds will put their children in the line of succession in the church and in politics. It happened with Malafaia,

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

WHAT DO THEY WANT? More than moral issues such as abortion, violence, drugs and sexuality, the institutional interests unite the evangelical bench according to the researchers. “The conquest of dividends for the churches like tax exempt maintenance, the maintenance of broadcasting laws, obtaining spaces for the construction of temples and the transformation of Evangelicals in cultural events to obtain public funds are in this race,” says Bruna Suruagy. Paul Freston offers an example: “at the time of the Constituent Assembly, had the question of the mandate of Sarney, of the fifth year. To get that fifth year, he bought a lot of people in Congress. The bargaining chip for many Pentecostals was a radio, media -related things.” A study conducted by the Institute of Religious Studies in 2009 showed that 20 television networks that broadcast religious content, 11 were Evangelical and 9 Catholic. Only the Universal controls more than 20 television stations, 40 of radio, in addition to record labels, publishers, and the second largest

television network in the country – the Rede Record. Larissa Preuss, author of the doctoral thesis “Victory in Christ program and the strategy of merging evangelization and preparation policy”, highlights the storm of pastors in Brazilian television in the 1980 and 1990. “The RR Soares is the oldest, is in the air since the end of the 1970s, and Silas Malafaia enters in 1982. He’s the one who talks more explicitly about politics on television, despite the biggest political articulation is made by Universal,” she recalls. The researcher says she studied programs of Malafaia from 2014 to understand the relationship of his speeches with the elections. “He assumes there is a political fight, and makes it clear that he wants to influence and so don’t be a candidate. He speaks directly to the public, but also speaks a lot to the religious leaders, so much so that Malafaia gives training courses of pastors and is building an empire. Malafaia puts himself in place of the Prophet, that authority who anoints the king and denounces the priest, and it is very strong. He encourages leaders to influence their faithful so that God can act in politics.” The hypothesis of Larissa is that the shepherds migrate from the media to policy to ensure broadcasting concessions. “Because the grants are ratified or can be abolished by Congress. So it’s a feedback loop: they are on TV, influencing the election of certain candidates who will ensure they stay on television. Today information is power. The image is a valuable currency. And evangelicals are in politics like never before. Suffice to say that the topic of last March for Jesus was ‘ethical cleaning’”.

MUNICIPALITY And it’s not just on the federal bench has strengthened evangelical. The number of projects of thematic laws has also grown among the cities and state evangelical deputies, who recently also barred discussion of gender in municipal education plans in several cities, including São Paulo. And that’s not all. The pastor and s t a t e deputy Liziane Bayer, from Rio Grande do Sul, filed in April the Law Project 124/2015, which provides for the teaching of creationism in public and private schools in the State. Liziane, whose campaign slogan was “committed to faith, family and life”, began to be interested in politics and talk about it in the group of women in her church. She says she knows that the project is controversial, but defends the teaching of creationism to give an option to students. “I think Communism is bad, but it is taught in schools. Creationism can be seen the same way, but what you say is not correct, you have to know”. In Cuiaba, the Councilman Marcrean dos Santos created a project that became law creating an evangelical holiday in town; in Itapema (Santa Catarina), Councilman Mouzatt Barreto also created a law project to make Bible reading

MÍDIA NINJA

for example. His father was a pastor and his son is too. Protestants are quieter, but that doesn’t mean we are not homophobic, for example. Bolsonaro attends a Baptist Church and he is... Bolsonaro”. Freston, in turn, does not see the influence of the American model, as the so-called biblical belts, in Brazilian politics. To him, the growth of evangelical bench has more to do with our political model. “When the press and academics began to notice the presence of Pentecostals in politics, there have been some interpretations about be copy of the United States, which already had the Christian right-wing politicians, and that it was raising in Brazil, encouraged by this model. But I always thought that corresponded more to the peculiarities of the Brazilian electoral system. Because we have the Pentecostal growth in many countries in Latin America, in many places in Africa, and in some parts of Asia. But only in Brazil we have these phenomena of countertops in Congresses. That approach with the right is newer and has to do with this new right, which is not afraid to call themselves right-wing”, says the sociologist. Another feature of our electoral system, the proportional representation with open lists, favours the charismatic candidates, the “voting knobs”, who are coveted by the parties. “They say ‘let’s put the pastor candidate that he brings 2 or 3 thousand votes for us’. But this guy brings 60 thousand votes and is elected alone! This system favours the election of those Pentecostals. And many countries don’t have that Pentecostal growth. In Chile, for example, where Pentecostalism has grown too much, you had almost no evangelical politicians because it is another electoral system. Here the Pentecostal leaders knew how to maximize their possibilities within that system.”

compulsory in the History classes of public and private schools; in São Paulo, the Councilman Carlos Apolinário, who in 2011 got the Chamber to approve the “Heterosexual Pride Day”, vetoed by then-Mayor Gilberto Kassab, introduced a bill to create public restrooms in restaurants, malls, cinemas and nightclubs for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and declared that “my mother cannot go into a bathroom and find a man dressed as a woman”. In Manaus, the Councilwoman Pastora Luciana is the author of three thematic projects: the Law Project 125/15, which aims to allow by law religious manifestations such as lectures and sermons in the capital’s bus terminal with the use of speakers; the 075/15, which proposes the establishment of a Chaplaincy in the Civil Guard, and the bill of Cristfobia, which provides for fines for those who have “discriminatory attitudes in the face of the Christian religion, words and aggressive practices against the figure of Jesus Christ, threats, derogatory stereotypes, induce or incite discrimination against the Holy Bible”. But the Bill more bizarre is the Councillor of Santa Barbara do Oeste Carlos Fuentes. The Law Project 29/2015 prohibits the implantation of microchips in humans, comparing them to the mark of the beast referred to in the book of Revelation. “If the presence of an evangelical in politics made it better, more human, the churches would be havens of human kindness, altruism, inclusion, tolerance, mercy, love, fairness, solidarity. But, while the hell continues to exist for them the way it exists, they can keep stealing because the devil will pay the bill. In the name of God, the villainy is blessed,” Caio Fabio concludes.

In Sao Paulo (page 18) and Rio de Janeiro, women took to the streets against Eduardo Cunha and the Law Project 5069/2013, which makes it more difficult to care for rape victims

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

CONECTANDO

BRAZILIAN FEMINISM RESISTANCE SPREADS By Bia Cardoso, from Blogueiras Feministas blogueirasfeministas.com

In 2015, the Blogueiras Feministas (Feminist Bloggers) completed five years of existence. Earlier this year, to resume the blog’s activities, we chose “resistance” as our keyword. It was a difficult year but also a year in which we saw more and more people talking about feminism, especially young women and adolescent girls. Feminism has become pop, has been chewed by capitalism, spat upon by misguided people, has been attacked and also embraced. I’m glad it is being a subject because more people can hear about feminism, and may think and feel urged to seek more information. Being a social and political movement, feminism is a collective construction that cannot sit still, need to rotate constantly. So I welcome those last days when the Brazilian feminism has been so evident with the First Harassment Campaign, the Enem (National High School Exam) and marches against Congressman Eduardo Cunha. We resist!

FIRST HARASSMENT The first question I asked myself when I learned of the sexual comments to a participant of a Masterchef Junior

program was: how did we get to a point where men sexualize and publicly express their attraction to a girl of 12, in a program where the objective is to evaluate cooking skills? I do not think the rape culture explains everything. There are more. There are our relations in social networks; there are the boundaries between public and private on the internet. There are social rules imposed on men and women from childhood. It is a great set of features and actions that lead men often have harassment and violence as the only way to answer. In many feminist events I have seen men feel totally at ease to go up on stage, pick up the microphone and defend the right to beat women. There is no fear in them to do so, despite being in front of a large group of women, because society allows him to occupy that space. In response to abusive comments to the 12 year old girl, the Think Olga website suggested that women report their cases of harassment in childhood or adolescence, using the hashtag #PrimeiroAssedio (or First Harassment). The campaign has taken gigantic proportions and produced more than 100,000 tweets. Most of the men saw their timelines

becoming large murals with reports and demonstrated not know the problem was so severe and so close, which just shows how much we talk little publicly about the subject, as we are taught to be ashamed of being raped. Of course, this kind of action in social networks has limitations. As recalled Djamila Ribeiro: for many girls a hashtag is not enough. There were also those who could not report anything on social networks because their abusers are part of their family and friends’ circles. Harassment and violence are accompanied by issues of race, ethnicity, body, age, class. There is no perfect political action and fatally we will be forgetting or giving less attention to serious problems faced by peripheral women. However, I believe that for feminism, it is an inspiration. A spontaneous and collective reaction of women who do not want to remain silent, an opening for different women share their different experiences marked by the violence of sexual harassment. Even classified as marketing action, women seize the hashtag and build upon it. We also need to remember that not all women have a horror story to tell. There are women who enjoy jokes and

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

MÍDIA NINJA

Women against Cunha in São Paulo

strange whistles, feel desired by men’s gaze. However, it is important to rethink such practices to ask ourselves: how do we treat women in society? And think of a more inclusive world and safe for all. I believe rethink the ways I feel desired by the look on the other contributes to greater community.

ENEM AND FEMINISTTEENAGERS Long time we see the movement of feminist teenagers through social networks. Social network profiles, Facebook pages, discussion groups, blogs, tumblrs. They are everywhere. Often discussing everyday issues, questioning the macho culture in families and schools. It is also common to see critics to them saying they are little politicized, that are very concerned about details such as enamel advertisements. But when you were a teen you worried about what? The construction of feminism also gives the questioning and sharing of experiences, establishing friendships with other women and not only in the struggle for rights within institutions. Who does not come out to fight against

reactionary laws may be on other fronts of feminism. On the first day of the Enem, a question based on a quote from philosopher and French feminist Simone de Beauvoir. On the second day, the theme of writing test: “the persistence of violence against women in Brazilian society”. The evaluation soon gained the nickname Feminist Enem. For me, Enem is fully on top of what’s going on among the youth. I’m 34; I am from a generation that was still taught that the harassment against women is commonplace, part of our lives. I was not taught to react, just ignore, to run, to ask for help. What I see in young people today is that they want to react and do not want to keep quiet and they know they will not find answers for their concerns in police stations. So maybe this time, the conversation is not specifically about what you or I think best for feminism. Perhaps the actions put into practice by certain groups than those that consider more strategic, but it sure has a purpose for who promotes. I do not believe in the maxim “it burns the film of the feminist movement” because the feminist movement already

has its film burnt daily by the status quo, for years and years of backlash. A movement that questions social relations, which wants to promote changes will never be viewed favourably, they do not cede spaces, even that today the word “feminism” is present in morning shows. We should always seek to include more and more women, fighting the invisibility and silencing. There is no manual. My desire is to let the women free to hack it, deconstruct it, remix it. What will come of it, I do not know, but follow optimistic believing it will be something positive.

WOMEN AGAINST CUNHA In late October, the Committee on Constitution and Justice (CCJ) of the House of Representatives approved, the PL 5069/2013, authored by Deputy Eduardo Cunha, which makes it difficult to care for victims of sexual violence, and provides stiffer penalties for those who induce or assist a pregnant woman to have an abortion. The next step is to go to the vote in plenary. This project represents a major setback for women’s rights. Currently, it is

not necessary to make a police report in cases of sexual violence and health care is an obligation. This measure did not increase the number of legal abortions in Brazil, but increasingly have less specialized reference centres this type of care and less information. First there was a mobilization on social networks, then organized marches with thousands of women in the streets of some of the major cities in the country shouting: Women Against Cunha! Images are powerful and show how much we are willing to fight for our rights. When women come together are threatening, so that police violence was present in the protests of Belo Horizonte. We are still far from having effective representation at the top of the political institutions and the media, but actions arise every day. Yes, I am optimistic, perhaps naive. I believe that at such a dark moment, with reduction of criminal age being approved, disarming status being modified, demarcations of threatened indigenous lands under treat, public schools being closed or privatized and setbacks in women’s rights swarming every day, there is minimal to cheer. We must resist!

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

DISCOVERING

AFFECTIONS AND OPPORTUNITIES Meet Raquel Spinelli, creator of a project that proposes a new perspective on teenage pregnancy in Rio de Janeiro

By Juliana Sá, from Youth Agency Networks

DIVULGATION

Affection for the place transformed into action. This is how Raquel Spinelli, 30 years old, has reinvented the idea of community leadership and social ways of acting in Rio de Janeiro. Working in the Providencia community, central area of the city, Raquel develops the project Providenciando a Favor da Vida (Providing in Favour of Life, translating to English), an initiative that serves pregnant young people and teenagers. Raquel grew up in Morro do Pinto, a neighbouring community to the Morro da Providencia. During childhood and adolescence, she attended private schools and churches in the southern area of Rio under parental guidance, who wanted to keep her away from the local reality, at the time with little presence of public policies. Even obeying, the young woman had a strong attraction and curiosity for the neighbourhood where she was born. This desire gained strength when she was 18, when she decided to enter the community. This attitude led to meeting 11-13 years girls through her new church. With close emotional bonds with the girls, she became a life confidant to issues such as the discovery of sexuality, conflicting relationships, sexual exploits and early pregnancy. In one of the stories shared, she received the challenge of monitoring and to support one of these teenagers in her first pregnancy. It was this experience that gave rise to the idea of Providenciando. “When she told me she was pregnant, she came to me wanting an answer I was not ready to give. But I took a position to do what was needed. I began to act due the demand,” says Raquel. Leading to prenatal care, fostering self -esteem, working family relationships and getting the layette for the baby were some of the steps for the adolescent feel encouraged with motherhood. The results of these actions were so positive that Raquel had the idea to extend this assistance to

Photo shoots with one of the project groups

encourage other young people in the same situation. In 2011, with mentoring of Youth Agency Networks, she managed to turn this personal experience in a methodology that now reaches the entire Providencia community and gains repercussion in Rio de Janeiro. The project has been operating for four years and has attended 13 classes, more than 150 girls. Performing two weekly meetings, it works with topics as the physical changes on the mother and the embryo, emotional changes, family structures, parental involvement in maternity and income generation. One of the major objectives of the project and what increases significantly its impact is to address family planning not only from the perspective of contraception, but also in the professional life and studies. “What touched me most was the lecture on family planning. I felt more motivated to go back to school to finish my studies,” says Daniele Silva, 22. She entered PATROCÍNIO

PARCERIA

the first class of the project in 2011 and today is one of the collaborators in income-generating workshops, giving cutting and sewing classes. Along with Rachel, she leads Pedacinho de Mim (or Little Piece of Me), a brand of children’s clothes and accessories developed by young women enrolled on the project. The initiative, in addition to enabling mothers to create the baby’s outfit for free, is also a form of income that can be further developed formally or informally by them. Enlarging aspects on the topic of family planning was a choice made by Raquel from the identification of the needs of the territory. The goal is to show that pregnancy is not the “end of life” and that young people can build new plans. The starting point is to expand the repertoire and information. “In family planning, women go on to have a better knowledge of the body and awareness of the importance of it. It is this change that empowers the search for rights, whether in health or in so-

ciety,” explains Leticia Gadelha, Sanitarian Nurse, specialist in Public Health from the National School of Public Health and head of the Family Planning of the Basic Health Unit in the community of Jorge Tucano. The project has also expanded the plans of its own director. Currently, Raquel, who has a degree in Physiotherapy, is doing a specialization in Prenatal at the National Association for Prenatal Education. The dedication aims to increase her knowledge to strengthen the methodology that is already being replicated with young and teenagers at Ayrton Senna Institution and already took the first place in the National Award Young Agent of Culture, of the Ministry of Culture. The project emerged as a response to the local reality and has shown the power of young people to reinvent ways to act in their territory, in their city and their country. * Collaborated Mayara Ximenes. Edition by Marina Moreira.

REALIZAÇÃO

APOIO INSTITUCIONAL

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

B R A S I L O B S E R V E R PERSONAL ARCHIVE

A GRINGO AT

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brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

GUIDE

TRIP OF A LIFETIME TO FOZ DO IGUAÇU Foz do Iguaçu. What can I say? I’ll skip to the point. It was one of the most amazing travel adventures I’ve ever been on. Por Shaun Alexander Cumming

You’ve probably seen photos of the famous Iguaçu Falls. Trust me when I say, they do not do justice to the awesome force of nature that presents itself before your real eyes. If you’re thinking about making a trip to Foz do Iguaçu in future, allow me to share a few things that may help persuade you further. As I’ve learned, the area around the city of Foz do Iguaçu offers a lot of different things. Of course, the waterfalls – which are the second largest in the world after Africa’s Victoria Falls – are the main attraction, but there is a lot more to see.

ITAIPU Landing on the plane gave the first spectacular view of the area. Marielle (my wife) and I were met at our Hostel by Cyntia Braga, a local journalist and tour guide, who also happens to own the Hostel we were staying at, which is called Concept Design Hostel, located close to Foz do Iguaçu’s city centre. We jumped in the car and drove off to learn about the dam, its construction and what it means in terms of energy production. The dam wall is an engineering marvel: frighteningly big; powerful; and ingenious. Completed in 1982, the dam produces 90% of Paraguay’s electricity, and 25% of Brazil’s. What struck me was how green everything was and how full the reservoir seemed to be. Where I live in Brazil (Espírito Santo) and, not forgetting São Paulo, there is a serious water crisis. With the national drought affecting so much about life in Brazil, one statistic about the Itaipu dam seemed incredible: it holds 4,000 litres of water for every single person in the world. Think about that for a second. This surely means that Brazil’s water crisis is not without solution. In the evening, Cyntia took us on a ride of the Kattamaram, which is a double-hulled floating restaurant that goes out into the middle of the dam. I didn’t eat anything aboard as I was there to watch the famous sunset over the dam. It was probably one of the most spectacular sunsets I’ve ever seen. We arrived back later that night where Cynthia showed us around the amazing hostel. We took some time to relax and enjoy the pool and bar before returning to our suites.

JUNGLE HIKE We woke up early the next day ready for an adventure. Rogerio, our driver and tour guide who knows a lot about the area and its wildlife, drove us into the Iguaçu National Park for the first time. He knows a lot about the local wildlife and had recently seen a jaguar crossing the very road we were driving on. Nature is something I am particularly interested in, so was delighted when Cyntia told us we would be hiking through the park. The Atlantic Rainforest is a mere pinprick of what it once was, but at Foz do Iguacu some 6,000 hectares are protected and have been restored. We joined a hiking trail with one of the park’s guides, who took us on foot through 10km of the densest part of the forest. We were given the choice of foot, bike or electric car. We preferred to stay on foot, thinking it would probably mean we’d see more. The trail was immediately hot and sweaty. The sound of the forest was how I always imagined the Amazon must be. Millions of bugs of all different colours, shapes and sizes were swarming. Our guide, Renan, was explaining everything about our surroundings, from the species of trees and the fruits they produce to the animals that live on them. All the while I had my mind on one thing: the amazing animal species that also live in the forest, including three kinds of poisonous snakes, giant spiders and big cats. “There are 18 onças-pintadas (jaguars) with electronic tags here, and they have cubs. There are between 18 and 30 of them living here,” Renan said. It would have been a dream – albeit, a scary one – to see one. Alas, it was not to be. However, a big cat called a jaguatirica did cross right in front of us. Unfortunately I wasn’t quick enough with the camera. The trip ended with a boat tour of the islands on the Parana River, where we also saw a very large caiman crocodile that must have been about 5 or 6ft in length. We were offered a trip on the same river by kayak, but after seeing the large carnivore on the bank I was less enthusiastic. The fast boat whizzed around the islands. It was tremendous fun. It was also the first glimpse I got of Argentina, which was on the opposite side of the river.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

PERSONAL ARCHIVE

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

CATARATAS The jungle hike was something of a dream come true for me, but it was only part of the day’s story, because next on the agenda following lunch was the waterfalls. They have different names depending on what language you speak, from Cataratas do Iguaçu in Portuguese, Iguassu Falls in English or Cataratas del Iguazu in Spanish. However you call them, these are some of the most impressive falls in the world. The Cataratas do Iguaçu are an icon and, indeed, are the second most popular tourist attraction in Brazil. We drove to the tourist centre and went for one of the most breathtaking walks I’ve ever done. From the top vantage point, we could see most of the falls in all their glory. But there were layers of viewing points, each with a different view. We decided to climb down to the bottom platform, where a bridge leads you way out into the falls. Looking back towards Brazil at this location reveals the huge main curtain of water, which constantly threw a fine rain mist in our direction. Everyone on the bridge became drenched with water, which was quite enjoyable in the searing heat. Walking along the bridge as far as we could go takes you to the edge. Looking down was a mass of white water towards Argentina. It was spectacular and, one of those moments in life when, as a man, I’ve been absolutely humbled by nature. We walked away from the falls flabbergasted at the incredible sound and

sight of the falls, but the experience wasn’t over. We drove a couple of miles downstream, where an electric train was waiting to take us through the jungle and onto a high-powered motorboat. From here, it was time to go underneath the falls. Just as well the boat had power - it needed it to blast up the immense flow of water. We were in a group of about 20 people on the boat, admiring the views, when the boat’s driver asked us if we fancied a quick shower. He motored directly under the falls. The air was immediately sucked from my lungs as we entered the falls. The power of water rushing down on top of us was an exhilarating, frightening and thrilling experience. The water felt icy cold as it thundered down our faces and into our shorts, soaking every last inch of our bodies – quite a contrast from the weather away from the falls, where the temperature was hitting 35. It was an amazing sensation and one that I’ll not soon forget.

The question over which side of the falls is best is hard to answer. In my opinion, the Argentinean side is more ferocious, but the views on the Brazilian side are far more beautiful. It’s worth experiencing both. What really marked my experience in Argentina was the food. We ate incredible food during our stay on both sides of the border, marked mostly by meat. The churrasco in Brazil were incredible, especially considering the huge offering of other classic dishes such as feijoada. One place stuck in my mind as the culinary champion. Cyntia took us to a restaurant in Argentina called El Quincho Del Tio Querido. I skipped everything here and ate only a slab of beef that the waiter recommended called bife de chorizo. It was literally an enormous chunk of cow, grilled and served medium rare in the way that Argentina is famous for. It was amazing. I ate this meat on its own, having no room for anything else. Honestly, it was the best meat I’ve ever had in my life.

ARGENTINA

AVES

The next day, we decided to see the falls from the Argentina side of border. The crossing to Puerto del Iguazu is quick and easy, with the drive to the falls equally short. The Argentina side is different. You walk over long footbridges that cross the river until you get to the very top of the falls at a spot called Devil’s Throat. It’s the most ferocious part of the falls by far, with masses of water sucked into a relatively small space.

The final day of the trip involved a trip to Parque das Aves – a huge park that is home to thousands of mostly native birds. It would be a huge injustice to call Parque das Aves a zoo, because it’s so much more than that. Carmel and Oli, the two directors of the park who moved to Brazil from England to take over the family business a few years ago, explained that one of the main functions is to act as a bird

hospital. Sick or injured birds are brought to the park – mainly following raids by police on animal traffickers – by authorities. Birds are mended and, those that can be reintroduced into the wild are. Those that are unable to go back into the wild are released into the enormous aviaries. The park also helps with breeding programs for rare and endangered species. For example, they bred the first ever mutum-do-alagoas chick in October. We got a sneak peak of the baby bird, which is growing well. Since there are only 300 of these birds left and, none in the wild, it’s hoped that this breeding program could eventually lead to species reintroduction. Parque das Aves was another amazing experience. We stood with swooping macaws and, my favourite experience was receiving a hug from a toucan. If you love toucans like I do, you’ll be glad to know the park has the largest number of them in the world and they’re very friendly. I have huge respect for what they’ve achieved at Parque das Aves. I’m not keen on zoos, but this is anything but a zoo – more of a sanctuary for birds, run by people who treat the animals with the same love and respect as if they were their children. Fitting all of my experiences at Foz do Iguaçu into one report is hard. What I’ve tried to do here is give you a flavour, but what I’ll also do is cover each of the things I did during the trip in detailed individual blogs and video blogs, which you’ll be able to see on the Brasil Observer website.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

ARQUIVO PESSOAL

Furthermore, while only a handful of photos can possibly fit on these pages, you can see many more on my Instagram account at @shaunalex

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

CULTURAL TIPS

MUSIC

CINEMA UTOPIA CELEBRATES PORTUGAL’S CINEMA Utopia, the 6th UK Portuguese Film Festival displays this year a surprising mixture of great cinema: a homage to Manoel de Oliveira (photo), Portugal’s most internationally renowned and awarded filmmaker and, as a counterpoint, a spotlight on the work of Portuguese women filmmakers. The program’s core theme is “Women and Film”, with the aim of bringing to international attention recent strong work by female filmmakers such as Margarida Cardoso, Catarina Ruivo and Marta Pessoa. This year’s festival will also host two free events at Birkbeck College: a documentary and a debate on the invisibility of women in film and in history. When: 17-22 November Where: Various venues Info: www.utopiafestival.org.uk

FRINGE! SCREENS BRAZILIAN PRODUCTIONS Fringe! is a film and arts festival rooted in London’s gay creative scene and welcoming everyone. Fringe! Fest 2015 will be hosting a multitude of events, including a thematic session named Brazil in Focus. In Favela Gay (photo), directed by Rodrigo Felha, the favelas of Rio de Janeiro are the setting for the life stories of a variety of gay people who are living in an environment of homophobia and prejudice. In Nova Dubai, directed by Gustavo Vinagre, four gay friends navigate the rapidly changing environment of their neighbourhood by trying to reclaim their communal spaces. There will also be some Brazilian short films to be screened. When: 24-29 November Where: Various venues Info: www.fringefilmfest.com

DOM LA NENA - AN ENCHANTING VOICE Brazilian singer-songwriter Dom La Nena has broken international ground with her exciting multi-lingual new album Soyo, released in the UK on 23 October shortly before her showcase at St. Pancras Old Church. At just 25, Dom has proved herself a versatile musician with the ethereal melodies on Soyo centred on folk rhythms with melancholic undertones, while dipping into indie rock and Latin dance forms. The album sees Dom singing in four languages: Portuguese, Spanish, French and English. Co-produced by Brazilian songwriter/guitarist Marcelo Camelo (of the band Los Hermanos), Soyo builds upon the vocabulary of her luminary debut album Ela, with every instrument played by one of the pair. For the Brasil Observer, Dom said that “in comparison to the first album, Soyo is much more festive”. “I had a very strong desire to work the rhythm, the feeling of the songs. It’s a more assertive album, more defined. The first one was almost experimental”, the singer added. On Marcelo Camelo’s role, Dom said “it was a luxury to have the help of Marcelo Camelo, who really knew how to show me a more rhythmic way”. “Without him the album wouldn’t have been the same” she completed. Ornamented by cellos, pianos, and other chamber folk elements, Dom has drawn inspiration from the many musicians she has toured and collaborated with, such as Jeanne Moreau, Etienne Daho and Camille. Recorded in Mexico City, Paris and Lisbon, mixed in Sao Paolo and mastered in Miami, the album is international to its core.

EXHIBITION A TOKEN OF CONCRETE AFFECTION By Bronaċ Ferran, curator of the exhibition

The title of this exhibition was inspired by a letter written to Stephen Bann by poet Pedro Xisto almost fifty years ago. In this document, preserved by Bann, within its small original envelope, Xisto uses the centre, borders and edges of the page to communicate in word and sign: he forces us to look closely at the liminal spaces where language unfolds. Xisto’s letter is a microcosm of the intensive correspondence which prevailed among leading figures in the international concrete and visual poetry movement a half century ago. As Augusto de Campos relates in a previously unpublished interview, his work and that of Edgard Braga Haroldo de Campos, Decio Pignatari and Pedro Xisto – who are featured in this show, was singularly under-appreciated by the literary establishment in Brazil. Reciprocal international connections and links including those forged with poets and critics in the UK were extremely important to the work of experimental and vanguard poets in Brazil. They in return influenced and inspired writers across the world with works of extraordinary vision, linguistic adeptness and imaginative achievement that received strong recognition then and deserve renewed attention now. It has been my great pleasure to initially conceive this show for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the First International Exhibition of Concrete, Kinetic and Phonetic Poetry in Cambridge late in 2014. It gives joy to think that in coming now to the Brazilian Embassy in London, the works are returning, poetically at least, a little closer to home. When: 20 November – 18 December Where: Embassy of Brazil in London Info: www.culturalbrazil.org

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

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COLUMNISTS

FRANKO FIGUEIREDO

CREATING EQUALITY TAKES WORK

Franko Figueiredo is artistic director and associate producer of StoneCrabs Theatre Company (www.stonecrabs.co.uk)

Throughout 2015, we’ve heard and read a lot about the current lack of opportunities in Theatre and Arts for those of working class and BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) backgrounds, an acronym used to refer to members of non-white communities in the UK. Early, in January, Julie Walters hit the pages of the main broadsheets warning that “acting would soon become the preserve of ‘posh’ students because working class people will not be able to afford to pursue it as a career”. In February, The Baftas were heavily criticized for the lack of ethnic minorities and working-class people in the awards. Soon after, the Acting and Social Inequality Project published the depressing results of their survey, which showed that only 10% of artists were from a working-class background. Theatre and Arts were “worse than any other comparable occupation” for diversity. The results are pretty damning. In fact, all one needs to do is to observe what is on at the theatre and on TV and you can get a clear picture of the current theatre and arts demographics. More often than not, I feel quite lonely when I go to see theatre: I look around and I am one of the few, if not the only person of colour in the audience. Seeing my reflection on the stage is even rarer. It is rather worryingly that the stories told on stage and screen are coming primarily from a narrow set of voices. Last September, Viola Davis stated in her acceptance speech as she becomes the first black woman to win an Emmy for Best Actress in a Drama: “the only thing that separates women of colour from anyone else is opportunity”. And it is as simple as that: opportunity, a time or set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something; a chance for employment or promotion. Why are these so restricted to a small number of individuals from a certain class and cultural background? Lack of opportunity equals inequality. And inequality has obvious historical roots, both in the UK and Brazil. It is one of the bitter tasting after-effects of colonialism and slavery. It is complicated, but it needs to be addressed. The Arts Council of England has announced a creative case for change, and one of its directives is putting more emphasis on changing leaderships and making employers accoun-

table for this change, even if it means instigating diversity quotas. The BBC is working hard to address the issue and produce work that is reflective of the country’s population. The US is making wider strides in this area, with larger number of TV programs aimed at BAME audiences and with inclusive casting policies. So much so, that the majority of the TV programs in Brazil featuring BAME artists come from the US. Lack of opportunities for working class and BAME artists is not just rampant in the UK, but also in Brazil. In Brazil, however, race and social class goes hand in hand, more so than in the UK. In a recently published article, The Guardian newspaper stated that Brazil is starting “to slowly confront the countries deeply entrenched race issues” as it discusses small changes happening on Brazil’s TV programs who seem to be airing more diverse work. We don’t have to look just at the arts in Brazil: I was surprised when I read that all 39 ministers of President Dilma Rousseff ’s cabinet are white, except one: the head of the Special Secretariat for the Promotion of Racial Equality. Widespread prejudices were made more visible by the reaction to the results of the last presidential election where a very working-class northeast were publicly put down by a middle/upper-class southeast. And yes, I know I am generalizing, but why is that, though? Why is it that out of 100,000 university students in Brazil only 10,000 are of BAME origins and working class? And how can we address this inequality and create more accessibility? Almost three years ago, the introduction of a new policy of positive discrimination means that Brazilian universities are now required to devote a percentage of their admission capacity to poor students enrolled in public schools and to increase the number of university students of African descent. There has been a lot of criticism. One of the biggest Brazilian newspapers has taken a firm editorial stance against racial quotas in universities, holding that a system encouraging socioeconomic diversity would be enough. Critics have regarded quotas as reverse discrimination, or worry that they might incite racial hatred in our imagined ‘racial democracy’, where blacks and whites play side by side in the streets without being shot in the chest. There is this myth that Brazil is a ‘racial democracy’ and everyone has

equal opportunities, but in the past few decades, more and more Brazilians are discovering the truth, sharing their experiences and speaking out on how much race factors into the lives of Brazilians who are not white. Affirmative actions has its origins in the US in 1961 when the term was first used by Kennedy who introduced a policy whereby government contractors ought to ‘take affirmative action’ to ensure that applicants are employed without regard to their race, creed, colour or national origin. In the UK, throughout the 80s and 90s positive discrimination was widely used by employers in order to create opportunities to those of BAME backgrounds, and, although it has had immense benefits, there is still a lot more ground to be covered, particularly in the arts. Brazil has had anti-discrimination policies since the 1950s, but only in 1988 the constitution made racial abuse and racism crimes. And, despite all these policies, the country still struggles to change attitudes. Nigerian writer, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie was astonished to learn, during a visit a few years ago, that Brazilians don’t talk much about the subject, as if racism were not an issue. “I couldn’t help but notice that race and class are connected in Brazil. I would go to nice restaurants and not see a single black person. Brazil is in denial about the racial issue.” And sadly, I see what she sees too. Namibia, Não, a new play written by Audri Anunciação, deals with such denial in a very intelligent and direct manner; Anunciação presents two black men very well placed in society until the government declares that all citizens of black descent are to be deported back to their country of origin in the African continent. In this setting, the audience is taken through the journey of the two protagonists in a comical but thought-provoking manner, exposing Brazils’ attitudes and inner prejudices. If prejudices created the mess we’re in, do anti-prejudice actions fix it? More opportunities are needed and unless commissioning and financing are socially and ethnically diverse, nothing will happen. We urgently need to take responsibility for a more equal society. The Parable of the Polygons (http:// ncase.me/polygons/) puts it all in a clear and simple way: “creating equality takes work. And it’s always work in progress… Reach out, beyond your immediate neighbours”.

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

AQUILES RIQUE REIS

ROSES FOR DOLORES DURAN g

Aquiles Rique Reis is musician, vocalist of MPB4

£10 Standard £8 Students

There is a pearl, the double DVD (also on CD) dedicated to the music and memory of Adiléia da Silva Rocha, the unforgettable Dolores Duran (1930/1959): ‘Duas Noites para Dolores Duran – Ao Vivo’, launching of Canal Brasil in partnership with Rodrigo Faour, general director, presenter, producer of shows and biographer of the artist. Even with the large number of interpreters taking turns at the microphones, the DVD has good sound quality. The repertoire ranges of the great successes of Dolores and even some foreign songs, and many stories about her, revealed by Faour her old friends. Musically elegant, it has a precious script. The DVD 2 was recorded at the Eva Hertz Theatre, in São Paulo. But here I write on the DVD 1, a registration of a concert at Miranda, in Rio de Janeiro, in March 2013. On it, Rodrigo Faour gathered an eclectic group of performers, from veterans João Donato, Leny Andrade, Doris Monteiro and Elba Ramalho to beginners or rather, the still little known Marcia Castro, Simone Mazzer and Marcio Gomes. With musical direction of guitarist Paulo Serau, the band accompanying still has Tibor Fittel (acoustic piano), Davi Martin (acoustic bass), Alê Cortina (drums) and José Arimatéa (trumpet), and special guest pianist Ricardo Junior. Right away, through the host, we learn that the pianist and composer João Donato was boyfriend of Dolores. Called to the stage, he plays the only instrumental number of two DVDs: “Too Young” (Sid Lippman and Sylvia Dee). Incredible.

TRAVESSIAS

28th NOVEMBER 7pm The Forge

3-7 Delancey Street,

Camden NW1 7NL

The show follows. Leny Andrade sings “Estrada do Sol” (Tom Jobim and Dolores Duran) with Donato. The vocal improvisations of her and the piano intermezzo are worth hearing. And in conversation with Faour, Leny speaks of the good mood of Dolores. Doris Monteiro sings “Se É Por Falta de Adeus”. Her whispered interpretation thrills. Then she sings “Conversa de Botequim” (Noel Rosa), and Faour justifies the inclusion of the samba, also recorded by Dolores: she had been delighted with Aracy de Almeida singing Noel in a show at the Vogue nightclub in Copacabana. Simone Mazzer destroys singing ““Solidão” (Dolores Duran) and “Canção da Volta” (Ismael Neto and Antonio Maria). But the best of her comes later: “My Funny Valentaine”, lovingly over, is opulent. Called by Faour, Lana Bittencourt sings two boleros with Márcio Gomes, “Pecado”, interpreted with emotional and touching voice and a beautiful intermezzo piano, and “Sabra Dios”, visceral interpretation of the pair. Such beauty is duplicated in “Leva-me Contigo (Dolores Duran). Invited by Lana, Leny back on stage and together they sing “O Que É Que Eu Faço” (José Ribamar and Dolores Duran). Again alone, Lana brings excitement back to “Castigo” (Dolores Duran). Finally, the entire cast back on stage. Together - happy and grateful to Rodrigo Faour, who brought them together - they sing loudly: Hoje eu quero a rosa mais linda que houver... (Today I want the most beautiful rose that exists...).

brasilobserver.co.uk | November 2015

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