Letters

Bring in the Observers

As a Brazilian businessman in New York City and resident for over 20 years in the United States I do have my doubts about the 2000 election. Let's see... Florida too close to call... Gore wins popular vote... Bush brother runs Florida...Votes missing in predominantly democratic county… Where are the UN monitors to oversee the vote count? Obviously we're not as far removed from Third World corruption as Americans like to proclaim.

Why do the American government try to get other countries to have free elections where the people vote for President and the one with the most votes wins, but in the United States it doesn't matter how many votes you get? Maybe we should do what we tell others to do so the voters really count.

Historically, the country has not prospered economically under Republicans, as everyone believes. As the Estadão, a Brazilian newspaper, reported months ago, between 1928 and 1998, the stock market did 26 percent better under Democrats than Republicans. People who are voting for "W" are voting for his dad, Dick Cheney, and Colin Powell, but let's not forget that the buck stops with him, and he's a scary guy to have a finger on the red button.

Francisco Chagas
New York, New York

You Can Use Your Card

I have just found your Website for Brazzil. For us in the U.K. this is the most exciting find since the Jobim Website! So much interesting information and articles. We love Brazilian music and plan to visit next year to learn so much more about this fascinating country. It's a shame I cannot have a sample copy of the magazine. Is it possible to subscribe in £ GB, and if so, how much would that be? Meanwhile, I shall keep browsing the site to read more. Many thanks.

Liz Ashton
United Kingdom

Kid pro Quo

I am a graduate student at Columbia doing a research project on FEBEM. I am having trouble finding objective information on FEBEM. Basically my topic is this: How did FEBEM stray from its original goal as an institution to reform street children to an institution that creates harden criminals and how does this provide a lens for gender socialization in Brazil. I am also looking at Ruth Cardoso's program Comunidade Solidária and how it differs from FEBEM and how if so has this program been bastardized. I know you are very busy but it would be of great help to me if you were to shed some light on sources of info on these subjects.

Eric Ballinger
ballingereric@hotmail.com

Searching Old Relative

Hi, I am a Chinese boy who is so worried looking for one of my relatives in Brazil. We lost communication because he is too old to write back to me. Is there any possibility to find him, if I send the proper address and name to you? In fact, his life is a moving novel and the signal of Chinese history. I believe he is a wonderful material for you to interview, please, anybody, help me!

Jack
jade.duan@yeah.net

Give Us a Sample

Having just finished reading your article about the "Big-Butt Girls," I am fascinated by what you consider a big-butt. A photo as example might suffice in the future... don't you think?

Harold Schinman
Via Internet

All the Glitter

I found your article on Globo TV very interesting and factual. I am considering getting satellite Globo TV. Am particularly interested in seeing the Carnaval Parades in the Sambadrome. Do you know if the parades will be broadcast on the TV satellite programs for the US? If so, will the coverage be complete for all three days?

Robert Aldrich, MD
San Antonio, Texas

Let Our People Go

In reference to "Tear Down the Wall" (Brazzil, October 2000) I certainly agree with your article about eliminating the need for a visa. In fact, just the hassle of having to obtain one is keeping me from visiting your country, because it's so much easier just to go somewhere else where a visa isn't required. Thanks for the article. Hopefully, our governments can work something out.

David Turbeville
Dallas, Texas

Off with Visas

I agree completely with you regarding the need to do away with the required visas for Brazilians and US residents to visit each other's countries. Brazil offers tremendous tourist opportunities and the US certainly needs the experience and dollars Brazilians bring to the US.

Steve Stone
Via Internet

Miss You

I used to subscribe to Brazzil when I lived in New York City, and I loved every issue. In January I moved to Portugal, and though I love it here I've really missed Brazzil. Now that I have a computer and found your web site I'll be sending in my subscription check tomorrow!

Jack Carroll
Lagos, Portugal

Welcome Hermeto

I just thought I'd look Hermeto Pascoal up on the Web and then found Bruce Gilman's article... Nice to see the maestro appreciated. He was live in Toronto here some years back in a double bill with Gismonti. Great of course. That old Airto double album with Sivuca as well is dynamite. Nice to see your LP list. Who knows where to get a hold of these? None up here.

Hunter Vaughan
Toronto, Canada

Accidental Internaut

I got into your site by accident and loved it. I was looking for information on Brazilian idols because I have a strong opinion about who you idolize, who you are. Unfortunately, our brothers are more and more lost in the sexuality that Globo makes everyone swallow. I'd love to participate in any way.

Haissam Safie
Kearny, New Jersey

The Macaw's Blues

I'm a Brazilian judge. I've been dedicating the latest years to the fight against the destruction of wildlife and the traffic of animals, especially the traffic of the blue macaw, which is a beautiful bird in advanced process of extinction. I have one CD in which I sing songs that talk about nature and I'm making shows in any place with the goal of giving funds to the Brazilian non governmental organization called Centro de Defesa das Nascentes do Rio Parnaíba, in Alto Parnaíba city, State of Maranhão, Brazil. Please, I want to make contact with people interested in helping me, taking to the United States my music and with it a message of conservation of the environment. If it's possible, I'd like to receive the addresses of radios and TVs that play Brazilian music.

Marlon Reis
marlonjreis@uol.com.br

We Publish One

Can you please tell me where I can find a listing of top selling books in Brazil? I am looking for a good Christmas gift for my brother in law who is from Brazil and now lives in Sweden. Can you help? I am going to send him your magazine and if he likes it, I will give him a subscription for Christmas as well.

Christina Severinghaus
Orange Park, Florida

The Happy Brazilian

First of all let me, in joy, congratulate all of you for the great job done so far for spreading Brazilian culture around the USA with your nice Brazzil magazine. Your magazine was introduced to me (almost at the same time) by two friends: One Canadian living in Seattle and a North American living in Dallas.

I was well impressed with the high quality level of articles, nice layout for both hard copy and on-line magazine. The activity in your site proves the emotional quality that Brazilian ways add with happiness to everything we do, no matter where in the world we shall be.

This letter, besides congratulating you for the good job, has also the intention to offer my "sincere" contribution. It would be my pleasure and honor to be able to help you in your task to develop your magazine, by sending some articles of mine.

I would like mainly to introduce my hometown Recife, writing about its history, culture, people, music, Carnaval and its many touristic possibilities, offering your readers another cultural option of learning about the real Brazil life style, since this country history all begun from cities in the Northeastern region, certainly not the economic biggest power in this country, but surely the deepest and the most rich cultural face of Brazil, the original one.

I know it would not be possible to be done in a single article, not in a way to provide accurate information in a pleasant and easy reading for your subscribers/visitors. So I would initially send you a one page article with pictures, basically introducing Recife in a general brief view, and in the next three or four publications (depending on your availability, of course) I would describe more properly parts like: History and Cultural Sites, Music/Food/Nightlife and Economic/Political environments.

I have read and completely agree to your conditions to publishing articles: no money involved. My main intention is to contribute helping people to learn more about the place where I live and love so, as well as getting connected to the world making my voice and writings heard overseas and at the same time exchanging experiences and exploring all possibilities to make this on-line world a perfect learning experience.

Paulo Cesar Smith Carvalho
Recife, Pernambuco, Brazil

Cartoon Connection

Please tell me, if I send an e-mail to this address - brazzil@brazzil.com - will it be forwarded to and read directly by Mr. Mauricio de Souza?

Rubens
Via Internet

Peering at the Poor

I am a student at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. I am currently doing a research project for the grad school (econometrics) on poverty level in Brazil and its determinants. I have been looking around for income distribution variables, notably the GINI coefficient and have been having some problems attaining the data for this along with Real minimum wage. It seems to me that you may have historical data for at least the GINI with regards to Brazil. I was wondering if it would be at all possible to send me any data either by e-mail or a hard copy (email would be better) so that I could use it for my research. My supervising professor is Dr. Farrokh Nourzad.

Daniel Spanier
Milwaukee, Wisconsin

First News

I love to read all news from Brazil first hand and you have it! Thanks for the great work.

Vania Patriota
San Mateo, California

Tune Searching

I'm from Munich in Germany. I am looking for the lyrics to the song "Mas Que Nada" by Sérgio Mendes and Jorge Ben. Do you have that? Can you help me? Many thanks, mille grazie.

Rocky
Munich, Germany

Waiting for Brazzil

I am an American who lived in Brazil just five short months back in 1995, but I am moving back next summer to teach at an international school. I am excited to find out about your magazine, and can't wait for my sample! Thank you!

Leslie Hamel
Wilmete, Illinois

TV Grill

I'm a Brazilian journalist taking a Master's degree on International Journalism, here in London. I liked your analysis about Globo's control over Brazilian media and would like to get some comments from you to help me writing a feature for academic purposes.

My personal questions are: Do you think it's possible to separate television and audience in order to create a more educative media? In what way do you see the audience's influence on superior decisions? Who are the ones jeopardized? Do you really think media concessions or TV business has something to do to the public? I mean, is it a public service, and if it still is, what happens in countries like Brazil? Can you have good quality papers/TV without audience's/money/advertising support? Please send your comments as soon as possible, if you can help me.

Gustavo Arnizaut
London, Great Britain

Soap Dreams

Hi, congratulation for the wonderful article about Brazilian novelas. I love so much all the Brazilian novelas that I saw and I enjoy very much when the Miami TV airs any Brazilian novela. I am searching for the 20 last episodes of the wonderful novela Roque Santeiro because I saw this novela a long time ago and a friend gave me the 103 first episodes but I need to see the 20 last again... Can you help me? Or do you know anybody that can help me? My first language is Spanish but I can understand Portuguese.

Via Internet
piscis20@aol.com

The Four of Us

I feel the moral obligation to inform you that Francisco Julião's widow, who happens to be my mother, has only 4 children, not 10 as your article says.

Pablo Gerber
Via Internet

Brazil Bound

I have just discovered your magazine on-line and am very excited about it! I am planning to move to Brazil in the near future and this was just what I needed.

Mark Kenney
Zurich, Switzerland

Going Back

I spent a lot of time in Brazil in the late '60s and '70s and was lucky enough to meet many of the great MPB players of the time. Many of them are now gone. One who stood out was pianist Luis Eça of the Tamba Trio. I still have a strong interest in Brazilian music and culture. I hope to find your magazine very rewarding. I'm 61 years old now, but I'm going to make it back to Brazil next year I hope. Haven't been there since 1981.

Rick Boetel, Musician
Seattle, Washington

Victory Pic

Would the editors of Brazzil be interested in a story about a man from California who goes to Carnaval in Rio, takes a picture of Leila Shuster (Mangueira), submits the picture to a photo contest held by the best photo magazine (American Photo) in the United States and wins over 50,000 other entries and is published in the current edition of that magazine?

Ken Bradley
Fremont, California

Any Amazon.com Will Do

I was wondering if you could help me. I'm looking for an English translation of Dona Flor e Seus Dois Maridos for a thesis I am writing concerning the metaphor of food in new literature. Do you know where I could obtain an English copy? Thank you.

Camille Tabosa Vaz
Via Internet

Where's Pitangui?

I'm a medical producer at WSVN—a Fox affiliate in Miami, Florida. I am trying to locate plastic surgeon, Dr. Ivo Pitangui. I came across his name mentioned in an article of yours I found on the Web. I was hoping you could help me locate him—perhaps tell me what the name of his clinic is and/or provide a phone number where he can be reached.

Carol Thompson
Miami, Florida

Where's Sergio?

I'm a fan of Sergio Mendes' music. I feel he arranges and composes fantastic sounds. However I have not heard of any new albums from him since `Oceano' in 1996. I would like to know more about him and his music. Is there any way I can contact him through e-mail ?

Lukas Cheah
corcovado48@hotmail.com
Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Brazil = Hell

"However, if he was so unhappy, why didn't he just pick up and leave instead of investing in such a "terrible" country for such a long time?" After reading your comments about Mr. Twegen adventures in Brazil. I must tell you that maybe he was not willing to stay there for that long, but got no choice. Or, for some reason he may have made a wrong decision when he needed to find a place to go. I had to stay there for over four years, liking it or not. Most of the places in Brazil are like hell especially for those poor Brazilians/citizens. These are the words from the bottom of my heart.

Herman
Via Internet

All Aboard

Thank you so much for the touching farewell to Baden-Powell. My heart is so full of the depth and joy of his body of music and so saddened that we will have it no more. It is encouraging to know he has sons to continue and (naturaleza) surpass their father's many gifts.

The discography provided at the end of the obituary was very helpful, but also illustrative of the dearth of great European discs/CD's available in this country. Perhaps your music editor, Bruce Gilman, has some cache within the recording industry, and might convince the "powers that be" just how important (read lucrative) it would be to release a retrospective of all Baden-Powell's works.

I would like to say, additionally, each new issue of Brazzil is like a brief visit to that incredible Eden. Thank you for the opportunity to travel.

Gabrielle Martin-Neff
San Diego, California

License to Name

Ms. Anonymous, in response to your vitriolic letter to Brazzil magazine, I'll have you know (and I suspect knowledge is not your strong suit) that the publisher of this wonderful magazine is Brazilian. Calling the magazine Brazzil is what we would call "poetic license," perhaps making a little fun of us who spell it with a z and not with an s. And speaking of spelling, could it be that you were thinking of "eroticism" when you wrote "erotism?" And finally... only cowards write anonymous letters... in any language.

Kirsten Weinoldt
Via Internet

Rio Stories

Hello, I'm wondering whether you might be able to help me. I am producing a television series for the UK all about life in and around Rio, featuring people who live in the city as well as those traveling to Rio from abroad. The series will consist of 8 x 30 minute programs, filmed as observational documentary.

We will be filming from January until April and we go out to Rio on Monday 27th November for 4 weeks to do our research. I was wondering whether you have any good contacts out in Rio? If you are able to help in any way, or if you have any good stories or leads that you think could spin out into something worth filming, then I'd love to hear from you. Also, if you have any good ideas about getting in touch with people traveling to Rio between January and April please let me know. Would you like to write a piece for the magazine about our program? Or can we advertise anywhere online?

Richard Evans, Associate Producer, Red Hot Rio
United Kingdom

The Black Voice

Dear Philip Blazdell, I enjoyed reading your article about slavery in Brazil. I found your page in Brazzil courtesy of Yahoo! I'm living in Betim, Minas Gerais (famous as the home of Fiat, Brasil). I've been here about two and half years. I'm married to a Mineira from this town.

By profession, I'm a barrister (Middle Temple) and a solicitor admitted in various jurisdictions, but Brazil—no; really not much point. You know that Brazil is over populated with lawyers. Most of the OAB members that I know here are employed in other activities (I know one who is a dealer in precious stones, another who runs a travel agency and a third who runs a record shop).

I'm interested in learning more about the history of slavery in Brazil. My interest isn't totally academic, but is an outshoot of the U.S. Holocaust cases I'm involved with. If you visit www.vaticanbankclaims.com you'll learn about Alperin v. IOR (Vatican Bank) and Naumovic v. Swiss National Bank.

The U.S. has taken on the mission of the world's policeman and the Federal Courts have eagerly stepped up to the line in support. Under the Alien Torts Act and similar legislation, individuals living in Russia are suing Swiss Banks through the Federal Courts. Suffice to say that it's not a universally well received development worldwide. The French government has recently been particularly vociferous in protest.

The November issue of Harper's featured a very interesting discussion over reparations for slavery in the USA. Although there are very considerable hurdles to overcome, it seems more and more likely that a tort class action will be filed within the next year or two. Congress will almost certainly step in to provide a suitable Act to facilitate the political and judicial solution to this smoldering cause.

Once the floodgate is open in the US, Brazilian descendents of slaves may very well be able to claim for the wrong of slavery and compensation in the US courts against those families, corporations and organizations in Brazil, US, Britain, Portugal and elsewhere which owe their present strength to the use of slaves in Brazil.

Via Internet
Minas Gerais, Brazil

Let Me Help

Recebi a revista e vi anúncio pedindo voluntários. Estou há um ano por aqui e pretendo ficar um pouco mais. Tenho alguma disponibilidade de tempo e gostaria de ajudar de alguma forma. Meu inglês ainda não está muito legal, não sei o que poderia fazer exatamente. Aguardo contato. Abraços.

Maria Isabel Martins
Fountain Valley, California

Literary Boom

Sou brasileiro, mas moro na Itália. Tomei conhecimento da existência de Brazzil, através de um escritor brasileiro, Júlio César Monteiro Martins, de quem vocês publicaram um conto. Gostaria de colaborar, enviando material. Sou jornalista e poeta. No Brasil, está tendo um boom de revistas literárias, inclusive fizeram um encontro nacional, em São Paulo, parece-me organizado por Cláudio Willer. Só para citar algumas, temos as revistas Medusa (Curitiba), Inimigo Rumor, Babel, A Cigarra, Monturo, Tanto, e por aí em diante. Coloco-me à disposição de vocês. E cumprimentos pela Brazzil. Abraços.

Tuti Maioli
Italy

Magalhães, My Friend

Gostaria de saber quem escreveu essa materia sobre o meu amigo Antônio Carlos Magalhães especialmente porque foi escrito em inglês. Que público almeja, o que é brazzil.com, um jornal, apenas um site? Sou amiga pessoal do senador e vivo em Nova York há seis anos. As raras vezes que navego na Internet é para uma lida rápida no Correio da Bahia e A Tarde.

Emperor and king talvez não sejam os sinônimos mais adequados ao ACM. Acho que líder é bastante apropriado, porque não existe liderança sem a participação voluntária do grupo. E o ACM lidera tanto os intelectuais como os mais simples, na Bahia e em outros estados do Brasil.

Eu tenho 38 anos e venho acompanhando sua carreira desde criança e o conheço de muito perto. Me lembro do Caetano Veloso, sem lenço sem documento, fazer campanha contra ele e hoje se rende de amizade ao nosso político. Me lembro de uma entrevista com o Bóris, outra com o Jô, ambos se tornaram pequenos diante das suas respostas.

E há os repórteres que esquecem os textos, que tentam intimidá-lo. Inútil, ele é poderoso, ele faz voce esquecer, tremer. Abaixo de Deus só um médico e ele também o é. Acho de muita utilidade para o Brasil respeitar suas opiniões, abrir espaço para suas idéias, deixar a vaidade de lado dos que se consideram intelectuais, e no mínimo aceitar a tamanha vergonha em que se encontra o nosso país, a hipocrisia em que vivem os nossos ricos trancados em jaula ou cercados de seguranças. Eu tenho paz para criar o meu filho, minhas portas ficam abertas quando vou às compras.

Maria
New York, New York

Music Chaser

Meu nome e Rosana, sou brasileira mas moro nos Estados Unidos. Me sinto muito só sem ter o meu maravilhoso país e minha cultura. Quero comprar CDs brasileiros mas é muito difícil encontrar. Se vocês puderem me ajudar a entrar em contato com algumas empresas de música brasileira vou ficar muito feliz. Ah, também estou procurando CD-G, é para tocar em video-K machines.

Rosana
Via Internet

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