Zumbi dos Palmares - Antonio Carlos Jobim - Rio de Janeiro
Mario Cravo Neto - photographer - Body and Colour
Jobim by Verinha Ottoni©
It was my last
trip of the year 2000,
and I must say that
I completed nearly
all the programme
that I set myself
at the beginning of
the year 2000. It
was hard and expensive
and I ended the year
badly as far as economics
were concerned, but
my life is getting
back into shape again.
I went to Rio to try
and sort out my documents
and view the situation
of where I will spend
my "elderly time"!!!???

To my amusement -
I only went for one
week - they were having
four days of holidays???
I arrived Tuesday
afternoon so went
directly to check
on my debits in the
offices and try to
find out how I could
pay??? I did not understand.
I have been living
most of my life outside
Brazil so I do not
understand their priorities
of life there???
I was invited to have
dinner with Lea Millon,
the music producer
and her very charming
son. I nearly had
an attack of raging
hormones when he gave
me a special hug!!!
We had salmon in mango
sauce, all well displayed
and served by the
wonderful DENAIR -
really very nice.
Next day, 15 November,
I felt very ashamed
but I could not remember
that it was the Republic
day, so Bank Holiday.
Heliton and Therezinha
Aranha, friends from
childhood, made a
special feijoada (black
beans) the famous
Brazilian dish made
mainly in Rio de Janeiro.
But in other areas
they have different
types of beans, served
with rice, and a green
Brazilian vegetable.
The husband made the
canapés and
sausage with onions
- SIMPLY DELICIOUS.
They have a beautiful
house in the very
expensive area of
Rio, Recreio dos Bandeirantes
- with a marvellous
swimming-pool, a lot
of tropical plants,
Baroque sculptures
and I drank guarana!!!
Again I felt very
loved!!!They cooked
specially for me!!!
So Thursday and Friday
no food - just offices.
Saturday morning I
had appointments with
officials dealing
with my mother's flat
and then to the best
hairdresser for my
hair, feet and Brazilian
waxing - I went out
a new woman!!! I felt
wonderful.
I was supposed to
see my beautiful uncle,
an airline pilot and
his children and grandchildren
in connection with
my grandmother's business
affairs, but I was
told it was not necessary
so I decided to stay
quiet and read my
documents when I received
a telephone call from
friend Ernani who
said they wanted to
see me badly, so although
I was very tired I
got a taxi and went
to them for a kiss
and a hug!!! I didn't
realise I was so late
in leaving the flat
which overlooks the
Copacabana sea.I arrived
at the friends' house
at 10 o'clock at night
- my lovely friends
that will celebrate
their 50th wedding
anniversary in December
with a mass at the
Outeiro da Gloria
with their sons, daughter
and grandchildren.
They were very charming
and sweet to me and
I was very pleased
that I had managed
to get there in order
to have their affection
which I really needed.
The wife Maria Enila,
made empadinhas of
cheeses, mango juice
and cake, all for
me. Of course, I really
felt very loved.Then
her son, my very best
friend dentist Marcello,
came and introduced
me to his daughter
Cleo, five years old
and already quite
a singer, who sang
specially for me;
a very beautiful girl.
So Marcello got his
guitar and sang with
his daughter - very
grown-up songs - I
was very touched and
tearful. He took me
home. I really did
have a wonderful evening.
On Sunday I went to
Barra again to see
my beautiful nephew
Marquinhos. He hugged
me and said "don't
go" which made
me cry - such a sweet
little boy. Their
flat overlooks the
Barra area.
I was disgusting late
for lunch with Simone,
Yvonne - childhood
friends - and their
mother D. Hilda -
did another most delicious
Brazilian lunch FOR
ME - Cozido vegetable
with meat and two
Brazilian sweets;
very nice indeed.
I arrived too late
and they started the
meal as they had got
fed up with waiting
for me. Anyway I met
the new arrivals in
the family - babies
grandchildren of D.
Hilda. I ate everything
and was very pleased
with all the attention
and loved the hugs
and all the family
news including reminiscing
about our childhood.
I left at nearly midnight!!!
Monday - my last half-day
- was a Bank Holiday
again??? They were
celebrating Zumbi
dos Palmares, also
know Quilombo dos
Palmares from Serra
da Alagoas, North-West
of Brazil, a black
leader who inspired
films and music and
the Brazilian legends
who - for the first
time - was getting
a celebration only
in Rio de Janeiro.
He was against slavery
and that ended during
his time 112 years
ago. Brazil is the
country with most
black people outside
of Africa, also the
country with more
Italians outside Rome
and the country with
more Catholics outside
Italy??? Whilst the
Italians do not allow
the church to decide
for them the Brazilians
let the church interfere
in their political
decisions.
However, the ONU is
organising in South
Africa in August 2001
a meeting against
racial discrimination,xenophobia
and all forms of intolerance.
(For example, black
people in Brazil get
paid 50% less than
the white.) The black
people in Brazil are
celebrating with books;
they are becoming
more visual in theatre,
TV and, of course,
in the music world.
The focal point of
the Afro-Brazilian
celebration is the
exhibition by the
photographer Mario
Cravo Neto "Body
and Colour" including
a book of the photographs.
The title of the exhibition
is "O Negro de
Corpo e Alma"
celebrating the 500th
anniversary of the
discovering of Brazil,
now showing in Sao
Paulo. The exhibition
features the saints
of the African religion
and the people of
Bahia. The photographer
is the son of the
famous Brazilian sculptor
Mario Cravo Junior.
The black Brazilian
is now becoming powerful
as in the USA.Really???
They are also celebrating
in Brazil now the
10th anniversary of
the death of Antonio
Carlos Jobim, after
whom the most important
Brazilian airport
in Rio de Janeiro
is named; a celebration
of his music. They
are recording a CD
and a DVD of his music
including other singers
and this will feature
music not heard previously;
they are also producing
printed music (songbooks)
of his work.
In 1999 Gal Costa
released the double
album "Gal Costa
Canta Jobim"
a tribute to the fifth
anniversary of his
death. He died on
8 December 1994. The
album was recorded
live in Sao Paulo
with 24 tracks of
music by Jobim; a
really magnificent
album with love songs,
Bossa Nova. Gal, with
her crystal-clear
voice sang half in
English "The
Girl from Ipanema".
I read that Jobim's
dream was to do a
piano concert together
with Gal in a very
intimate setting.
Now, with the computer's
help and Gal's voice
Jobim's dream could
be realised. Gal also
said that she would
like to do with Jobim
what Ella Fitzgerald
did with Cole Porter
"sing it over
and over again".I
think this album celebrated
the great Jobim and
'sister' Gracinha
very well. That is
how I call her because
of the love which
united us to D. Mariah
her mother. I do think
she sings beautifully.
Sister, you are great!!!
In New York Sotheby's
and Christie's are
dedicating an auction-sale
to Latin-American
art. The Brazilian
artworks are valued
at one million dollars
including the works
of Candido Portinari
and Di Cavalcanti.
It is all thanks to
Helena Rubinstein
of cosmetic fame as
she started to collect
Brazilian art in America
and her collection
is going to be auctioned
by Christie's.
Another feature about
Brazil is that the
young teenagers of
middle/upper classes
get excited about
mixing with the lower
classes. They think
it is fashionable
to "slum it"
as it were. They like
to go "downtown"
into the street and,
in some cases, drugdealing
clubs etc. They find
exciting but don't
realise the danger.
My last goodbye lunch
was one of my favourite
Brazilian dishes.
Again, at the home
of my childhood friends.
They prepared a beautiful
table FOR ME - salad
well-presented with
gorgeous prawns, black
beans, angu and chicken
and my favourite vegetable
- green but bitter
- jilo. All this accompanied
by guarana and pineapple
juice. This involved
two cooks. They also
prepared a lovely
sweet but Mara forgot
to offer me any!!!
However, they were
very sweet, hugging
me asking when I would
return to live there,
so much affection
and love. When I saw
the photographs I
had taken it almost
made me want to return
- I intend to return
next year for the
coconut sweet that
they forgot to give
me. I hope they keep
it in the frig!!!
I know I only talked
about food, but in
Brazil people are
so hospitable, the
food so wonderful
that I have to mention
it, and to make sure
I get invited back,
I have to mention
EVERYBODY who has
entertained me!!!
I did see the man
with the very bushy
eyebrows at a party
in London recently
but - apart from saying
"good evening"
- he ignored me. I
love impossible things!!!!!!!!!!
Verinha Ottoni.
Bikini - www.bumbum.com.br
www.varig.co.uk
Hotel - www.copacabanapalace.orient-express.com
Tourist - www.brazil.org.uk.