Adventures of a Gringa

Brazil-U.S. Exchange: Empowering Underserved Youth through Social Media

This month, the U.S. consulate in Rio launched a brand new pilot program that brought two young New York journalists to Rio and will later send two young Carioca journalists to New York. The program, called Empowering Underserved Youth through Social Media: A Community Journalism Exchange, was inspired by a visit from young Brazilian journalist Rene Silva and his colleagues to the U.S. consulate in Rio last year. In an email, Press Attaché Sara Mercado explained how she created the program, appealing to an innovation fund from the State Department and also winning funding from the U.S. embassy's public diplomacy resources. 

Mercado said that the United States is looking to expand people-to-people diplomacy in Brazil, and the program was a perfect opportunity. "Our ambassador, Thomas Shannon, has said that diplomacy in the 21st century is increasingly done people-to-people, and less between national governments," she explained. "The goal for the program is to support those critically important exchanges of people between the U.S. and Brazil that lead to real mutual understanding among our people and institutional linkages between groups." For the partner city, the consulate decided to pick New York. "We looked for big, urban cities which had grappled with some of the same challenges currently being confronted in Rio," Mercado said.

The consulate chose to partner with Harlem organization Brotherhood-SisterSol, and later picked two young people from New York, Nicholas Peart and Marsha Jean-Charles, to participate in the one-week program in Rio in early January. "In speaking to the Harlem-based team, we discovered that the communities shared many of the same challenges, and had each found different solutions to some of those issues," explained Mercado. The consulate also partnered with Bridge Language School, which offered free Portuguese and English classes to the participants. Two youth from Rio were also chosen--Silva and Daiene Mendes--to travel to New York in the coming months.

In the Rio exchange, the consulate designed a program to expose participants to underserved communities in Rio, as well as non-profits, government, the arts, public security, and other key issues. The two Brazilians who will travel to New York accompanied the Americans throughout the visit; Mercado says the consular staff was happy to see they formed a "cohesive bond." The program even garnered media attention, including Globo's Bom Dia Brasil. The two New York participants chronicled the visit in blog posts, which were also shared on Facebook and Twitter; highlights from the trip were also featured on the U.S. embassy's social media pages.

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I met Peart in New York after he returned from the exchange. A mentor at Brotherhood-SisterSol who graduated from Borough of Manhattan Community College in liberal arts last year, Peart is easygoing and well-spoken. He described the exchange as "life-changing" and "magical," and already wants to go back to Brazil.

In 2011, Peart wrote a powerful opinion piece for The New York Times on stop-and-frisk and police brutality in New York, and continues to speak out about this civil rights issue to the press. So for Peart, seeing police engagement in favelas to improve the relationship between communities and the government made an impression. In visiting the UPP in Complexo do Alemão, he saw a lot of potential in improving police-resident ties, even though problems persist. Meanwhile, he said, New York has a long way to go. "The relationship between the police and the [Harlem] community is so hostile," he told me. "It would take an entire generation for it to change." He was also unfazed by the violence in Rio. "Violence happens here, too," he said.

That said, Peart was struck by the poverty and divisions between rich and poor in Rio. "What about the people on the hills?" he wondered out loud. "These are the forgotten people left to govern themselves." But he was also impressed by the resilience of communities. "There's hope," he noted. Though he really liked Ipanema, he noticed the high gates that dominate the neighborhood.

It was Peart's first visit outside the U.S. other than Jamaica (he is of Jamaican descent). He loved Rio culture, from the music to the beach to the food. He was happy to discover the gastronomical similarities between Brazil and the West Indies, especially rice and beans. Peart's favorite stop during the trip was Afroreggae, where he said they "use art as their weapon for change." He's still learning Portuguese, and hopes more high school students from New York have a chance to participate in exchanges so they're inspired to learn a language. Peart studied Spanish in high school and college, but wasn't too interested. "You have to give things meaning," he said.

Peart and his American colleague spent a lot of time with their Brazilian counterparts, even spending time with them after the official activities had ended. Meeting Silva and Mendes, Peart was struck by their maturity and self-awareness. But he also found they had a lot in common, even as they communicated through a translator. "We're not so different," he said. "It's just where the boat left us at."

First photo: Peart, Mendes, Jean-Charles, and Silva, by Rene Silva.
Second photo: Nicholas Peart in Rio, by Bruna Basilio.

Q&A with Quenia Ribeiro

There are plenty of places in New York where you'll find gringos swapping stories of trips to Brazil and their latest Portuguese class, but one place you may not expect is in the halls of the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, one of the top dance schools in the country. Through the Ailey Extension, which offers open classes to absolute beginners and seasoned dancers alike, students can learn samba from the indefatigable carioca Quenia Ribeiro. To the beat of five excellent percussionists (which is quite a thrill for an open dance class), students learn samba no pé and Bahian-style samba to the rhythms of samba carioca and samba-reggae as well as maculelê, afoxé, maracatu, xaxado, and frevo.

Not only is Quenia's class incredibly fun and suitable for a variety of levels, but like other classes at the Ailey Extension, it's really judgement-free, unlike other big dance schools that offer open classes in New York. Quenia's something of a samba ambassador; she runs her own samba group in New York, and has performed in Brazil, China, Greece, and throughout the United States.

I spoke to Quenia about her experience teaching samba in New York and her perspectives on Americans' interest in Brazilian culture.

Where did you study ballet, and why is it important for learning samba?

I studied classical ballet for 18 years in Rio de Janeiro. I started dancing when I was six. Some of the schools I attended were Teresinha Goulart Escola De Ballet in Tijuca and later at the Escola Estadual de Danca Maria Olenewa. I also received a scholarship at Dalal Achcar.

In response to your question, you don't need to have a ballet background to dance samba. For me it helped and I feel a firm background in ballet is helpful for dancers in general. I always tell students of all ages that they need to keep their minds open to all forms of dance; just because you dance one thing it does'nt mean you shouldn't try and learn from other genres of dance as well.

When did you move to New York? Why did you decide to move?

I moved from Rio de Janeiro to New York City in 1995. My mother and brother were already living here and I was always very close with them. I think I inherited my mother's adventurous spirit and I wanted to be in a new place that had a lot different cultures and people of different interests and backgrounds.

When did you begin giving classes at Ailey, and why did they decide to start offering samba?

I have been teaching at the Ailey Extension for about seven years. At the time, the Ailey Extension was interested in expanding to include more ethnic dance forms and I had been teaching at various studios in New York since 1997. I was approached by the director of the extension to teach samba and Afro-Brazilian and I have been there ever since.

What brings students to your class: interest in dance, in Brazil, or both? After taking your class, do students consider going to Brazil?

My students attend classes for a variety of reasons. Some of them have a great passion for various forms of dance and a solid dance background, whereas others are looking for a fun upbeat way to exercise that has some history and substance attached to it. As a student, you don't necessarily have to have direct roots to the culture to appreciate, learn, and participate; just a real interest. 

Some of my students are getting ready to take a trip or have just returned and are intrigued by Brazil's culture, music, and dance. Others are interested through their own cultures; maybe they have some roots in Africa, or through the diaspora in the Caribbean or South America. Brazil also has a real appeal to people the world over. I think movies and media has shaped many people's ideas about Brazil in both negative and positive ways and the truth is that Brazil is not one thing: it is really diverse culturally and geographically, and has many faces.

During your time living in the United States, have you noticed any changes in Americans' perspectives on Brazil?

In my environment in the United States, people were always really interested in Brazil. When I moved here, I started taking capoeira classes, so there were a lot of people from the U.S. and from Europe, Japan, etc. who were already very interested in the culture of Brazil. Now, I think in general people are really more clued in to Brazil as an economic and global player through the media and that has expanded people's ideas and consciousness as well.

Many foreigners tend to think of samba and soccer when they think of Brazil. What's your take on that?

Brazil is really famous for samba and soccer so they're always going to be associated with Brazil in many people's minds. That is not say that Brazil does not have a lot of other things to offer as well. I think in general people don't really understand the cultural power or significance of samba to many Brazilians. It's a social phenomenon: it's something that came from simple people that transcended color and monetary and social barriers. The thing is that samba and soccer are a combination of a lot of different elements and that is why they are so recognizeable to non-Brazilians. They are both living art with many colors and variations, highly developed and evolving, but firmly connected to the roots and history of Brazil.

Visit Quenia's website and see her teaching schedule at the Ailey Extension.

Photo: Antoine Tempe, courtesy of Alvin Ailey Dance Theater.

Interview with Chef Thiago Silva

At first blush, Thiago Silva seems like just another Brazilian immigrant in New York: a kind, soft-spoken, self-professed momma's boy from Goiânia who moved to the U.S. at age 8 and grew up in Astoria. But in reality, Thiago is a rising star in the New York culinary scene, and at just 28 is executive pastry chef at Catch, one of New York's hottest restaurants. Along with creating delicious desserts for the rich and famous, he also makes amazing cakes. He's made the most incredible creations, from a guitar cake to a Harley cake to a plane cake to a spinning globe cake. He's made cakes for numerous celebrities, from Sofia Vergara to Brooke Shields to New York Knicks player Carmelo Anthony.

Thiago also represents the bridge between cultures, of living between Brazil and the United States, an American football fan who loves churrasco. Growing up, he found people had a hard time pronouncing his name, calling him things like Thee-ah-go and Chicago. So he began writing his name T-ago, which he now uses for his website. He confessed he hasn't been back to Brazil since he left as a kid, since much of his family now lives stateside. But it's his dream to go back for the World Cup.

He's also fiercely proud of being Brazilian. I noticed that in many of his interviews with the press, Thiago made a point to identify himself as such. "You always take with you where you came from," he said. He also attributes his work ethic to his Brazilian background. "I grew up with very hard-working parents, who are both Brazilian," he says. "That's what I always got from them." He also attributes the extravagance in his work to being Brazilian. Clients are suprised by the huge size of the cakes he makes. Thiago also tries to incorporate Brazilian elements into his desserts, sometimes using sweetened condensed milk. Of all Brazilian dishes, he especially enjoys churrasco and sorvete de milho verde.

While he loves Brazil, Thiago notes that coming to the U.S. put him on the path to becoming a chef. In Brazil, his mom was a single mother and decided to move to the States in search of a better life. In Goiânia, she worked at a supermarket, doing a little bit of everything, from unloading trucks to stocking shelves to dressing up as Wonder Woman to promote the store. She left Thiago and his sister with their grandparents for two years before bringing them to New York. Once in the U.S., she worked at restaurants and then started her own cleaning business, which she has to this day. She also remarried a Brazilian chef. Thiago's mom is incredibly proud of his accomplishments, and called crying the first time he appeared in the media.

Thiago credits part of his success to his mother. She didn't know how to cook and it was her dream to learn. At one point, she ordered a cake for his younger sister's birthday, but was disappointed with how it came out. She thought she could do better, and signed up for a cake-decorating course. Thiago, then age 13, tagged along to help translate for his mom. He soon discovered that he was a natural, and his mom signed him up for the class. Ever since then, he's been making cakes.

 

Becoming a chef was his destiny, Thiago believes. "I think it's kind of how God planned it," he said. Along with making cakes at home, he studied culinary arts in high school. He also got into the Careers through Culinary Arts Program (C-CAP), which teaches culinary arts to underserved high school students. This year, Thiago returned to serve as a judge at C-CAP's annual competition, which he himself participated in as a student, and to attend the annual scholarship ceremony.

In high school, Thiago's grades weren't the greatest, so he had some difficulty getting a full scholarship to college. But C-CAP helped him get his first job at Olives at age 19, as well as an apprenticeship with a cake decorator. Opting to work in the field instead of going back to school, Thiago spent three years at Olives and then got a job at EMM Group's Abe & Arthur. Less than ten years after starting his first professional chef job, he's now an executive pastry chef at Catch, which opened a year ago. He created all of the desserts on Catch's menu and works at two of EMM Group's restaurants. Thiago has 8 employees working for him but with more restaurants opening this year, he'll be working at 4 restaurants with around 20 employees. Thiago attributes his success to hard work, good timing, and taking risks. He explains to do his job, passion is a requirement, especially given some of the rough hours--sometimes up to 20 hours a day.

Thiago's cakes for the stars began at Abe & Arthur's. There, he offered to make a cake for the owner's father's birthday, creating a gift box cake. The owners then asked if they could start selling his cakes, deciding to invest in his talent. "Next thing I know they're asking me if I want to make Sofia Vergara cake. I said, 'Ok, sure.'" He's made cakes for rappers and rock stars, and NFL and NBA players. He admits he was a bit starstruck when he made a cake for the New York Giants after they won the Superbowl and got to meet some of the players. He told me he also made a cake for Scott Machado, a 22 year-old Brazilian-American who plays for the Houston Rockets. "He's my cousin!" he proudly explained. But regardless of the client, he puts hours and hours into each cake to "try to make the person's day."

Given the intricacy of the cakes he creates, Thiago's not afraid of a challenge. One of his hardest projects was a sweet 16 cake that had two spinning elements that were four feet tall, a fog machine and a confetti cannon inside the cake, and spotlights around the base. He did everything on his own, from baking to electrical work to woodwork, and then had to transport the cake to Long Island and finish putting it together. (You can see the final outcome here.)

While he's gone far in his career, he hasn't gone far from his roots. Thiago still lives in Queens, now in Jackson Heights, with his wife, who's a gaúcha who came to the States as an infant. They met at a Brazilian church and were high school sweethearts. They have a baby on the way, and Thiago hopes his first child will inspire him even more. In the future, Thiago imagines opening his own cake shop or bakery, having his own business to support his family. He also wants to make sure that his child will feel Brazilian, and plans to teach him or her Portuguese. "I'm Brazilian first, and I want my kid and his kid to be the same way," he told me.

Toward the end of our conversation, Thiago let me sample some his spectacular desserts, including a spin on the all-American apple pie with bourbon merengue and strawberry shortcake. This dessert, he explained, was inspired by his mother's três leites recipe and is one of his most Brazilian dishes. At the bottom of the delicious pastry is the três leites part, followed by a layer of strawberries and cream and crowned with an American shortbread biscuit. "So it's literally a Brazilian and American sandwich?" I asked. "Exactly," he said.

You can find Thiago on Facebook, Youtube, and Twitter, as well as his website. You can also taste his amazing creations at Catch in New York.

Brazil: Hot in the U.S.

Brazilian culture is enjoying growing popularity in the United States, with everything from music to video games, from Neymar to cachaça. In some cases, they aren't positive or accurate visions of Brazilian culture, so it's something of a mixed blessing to see Brazil becoming increasingly visible stateside.

Beginning in May, Max Payne 3 brought gritty visions of São Paulo to gamers in the U.S. and all over the world. While it glorifies the violence often featured in other forms of entertainment about Brazil, it also had a surprising attention to detail, ranging from loads of Portuguese with native speakers to real Brazilian designer furniture in a penthouse scene.

 

The same month, Macy's began a huge Brazil campaign nationwide, featuring both Brazilian products and designers as well as Brazil-inspired products from international brands. Apex, Brazil's export promotion agency, partnered with Macy's on the project. The flagship store in New York designed parts of the store to "look like" Brazil, including a Rio-style calcadão. Stores sold everything from cashews and Guaraná to Natura hand creams and fitas do Bomfim. Lots of products and clothes featured bright colors with "tropical" themes, and language around the campaign used words like "sensual" and "exotic." Nevertheless, the campaign put Brazil in the spotlight in one of the biggest retail chains in the country, and for the past few months, Brazil-themed Macy's shopping bags were ubiquitous throughout New York.

 

Indeed, Brazil is especially big in New York this summer. The Brazilian national soccer team played Argentina at the Metlife Stadium in June to a nearly sold-out crowd. In a single week in July, the New York Times featured two separate stories on Brazilian culture: a profile on soccer star Neymar and a feature on cachaça. In July, there was even a Broadway musical about Rio featured at a local festival, as well as a Nelson Rodrigues play for a short run. Everywhere you look, Brazilian keratin and blowout treatments are popping up around the city.

Brazilian music in particular has had a good run this summer. This month, an annual music festival at Lincoln Center dedicated a night to two forró bands, which were also featured in the New York Times. The event brought Brazilians, Brazilophiles, and curious New Yorkers alike to dance to the Northeastern beats. Brasil Summerfest returned for a second year, with a week of Brazilian shows including a big performance by Criolo in Central Park. And Michel Teló is now in the top 10 of the top 25 Latin songs in the U.S., with "Ai se eu te pego" continuing to spread among all audiences.

Criolo at Summerstage 2012

This year's Brasil Summerfest brought Criolo, one of Brazil's biggest new music stars, to New York. Ending a tour in Europe and two U.S. cities, the paulistano singer gave an electrifying performance, upstaging the other performers at Central Park on Saturday. The incredibly versatile performer sang a number of songs from his award-winning record Nó na Orelha, ranging from rap and hip hop to samba, reggae, bolero, soul, and pop. 

Raised in a São Paulo favela, Criolo focuses on issues from his upbringing and life in Brazil's biggest city. Among his best known songs, Não Existe Amor em SP, captures a somewhat dark view of São Paulo:

Não existe amor em SP/
Um labirinto místico
/Onde os grafites gritam
/Não dá pra descrever
/Numa linda frase
/De um postal tão doce/
Cuidado com doce
/São Paulo é um buquê/
Buquês são flores mortas
/Num lindo arranjo/
Arranjo lindo feito pra você

Não existe amor em SP
/Os bares estão cheios de almas tão vazias
/A ganância vibra, a vaidade excita/
Devolva minha vida e morra afogada em seu próprio mar de fel/
Aqui ninguém vai pro céu

Another song, Sucrilhos, focuses on favela identity, racism, and how favela residents are perceived:

Calçada pra favela, avenida pra carro,
céu pra avião, e pro morro descaso.
Cientista social, Casas Bahia e tragédia,
Gostam de favelado mais que Nutella
Quanto mais ópio você vai querer?
Uns preferem morrer ao ver o preto vencer

Though he was born Kleber Gomes, the singer adopted the stage name Criolo, an adapted version of the Portuguese word crioulo. In Brazil, this word can be used to describe a person of African descent, but can also be used as a racist epithet. Criolo told a Brazilian publication that he chose the name to honor his father, who is black. In Sucrilhos, Criolo talks about how he's proud of his heritage and his ethnicity. "This is how I am, and I'm happy...I'm Brazilian!" the song goes.

DJ Dandan performed with Criolo.

In addition to Criolo, mineiro rapper Flávio Renegado performed, as did singer Bebel Gilberto.

There was also a graffiti artist who created a new piece on the sidelines of the concert.

Read more about the show from The Wall Street Journal. See more photos of the show by Eliseu Cavalcante.

Brazil Summerfest

This Sunday, a special Summerstage show kicked off the first annual Brazil Summerfest, a celebration of Brazilian music in New York. Marcelo D2, Pitty, and DJ Nuts started off a week of performances by Brazilian artists, including Forró in the Dark, Brothers of Brazil, Davi Vieira, and Percussivo Mundo Novo, amongst others. The festival also happened to come right after Tom Zé's first New York performance in 12 years. The Central Park show had a huge turnout on one of the hottest weekends of the year.

Despite the scorching temperatures and a brief rainstorm, there was an impressive turnout on Sunday. Though the crowd appeared to be largely Brazilian, there were plenty of gringos there interested in Brazil. Quite appropriately, Marcelo D2 sang "A Maldição do Samba," or the Samba Curse, which includes the refrain:

A maldição do samba
O gringo subiu no morro e bebeu cachaça, fumou maconha e obteve
a graça. Depois do samba sua vida nunca mais foi a mesma

The samba curse
The gringo went up to the favela and drank cachaça, smoked weed and had a good time
After the samba, his life was never the same.

It was a great way to start a new summer tradition in New York, showing off the fusion of different Brazilian styles. Pitty, an acclaimed rock star, could have easily been confused for a tourist going to brunch; she was dressed in a cute pink dress with a pink headband and ballet flats, a very different look from her usual black and denim rocker style.

She gave an impressive show, keeping the crowd excited despite the oppressive heat. At the end of her set, she sang a song in English, "You Know I'm No Good," in honor of Amy Winehouse.

Marcelo D2, who was profiled in The New York Times on Thursday, showed off his fusion of musical styles: hip hop, rap, samba, reggae, and African-influenced percussion, and as he sang in "Gueto," "um pouco de europeu, um pouco de africano" (a little European, a little African). He even had the security guards dancing.

Later in the afternoon, he surprised the crowd by singing with Bebel Gilberto, a sneak peak for their show on August 3rd at City Winery. At the end, despite confessing he was about to faint from the heat, he invited around 20 women on stage to samba with him in his closing song.

There's a tremendous opportunity for Brazilian cultural events in the US, with an increased interest in everything Brazil. Plus, there's also plenty of opportunity to attract and engage the Brazilian community in major metropolitan areas for events other than Brazil Day. Though Summerfest only features music events, it has already been able to accomplish both by appealing to Brazilian and American audiences. Aside from film festivals, there's a lot of focus on Brazil Day in New York, but there's obviously room for more comprehensive events with a focus on Brazil. Clearly, the Brazil Summerfest organizers are on to something, and there's even more room to grow.

For more concert photos, click here. For a full line up of this week's events, click here.

Photos by Eliseu

Brazilian Summer in New York

Every summer in New York, there are plenty of places to discover Brazilian culture. If you're planning to visit, or live here and want to mark your calendars, here are just a few events going on.

Brazil Foundation's Festa Junina
June 5th, 4PM - Metropolitan Pavilion
Tickets for sale online but currently sold out; contact the Brazil Foundation

TeatroStageFest Conference
June 13th, 6:30PM - Americas Society
Free entry with reservation; Conference to launch cultural partnership and panel featuring Susana Tubert, Danilo Santos de Miranda, Margaret Ayers, and Larry Rohter

Feijoada & Capoeira
June 18th, 6PM - Lower East Side
Feijoada, capirinhas, and capoeira sponsored by Grupo Ginga Capoeira

Petrobras Cine Fest Brasil
June 12th - 19th  - Tribeca Cinemas
Annual film festival, featuring 14 feature films and 14 short films

Mart'nalia Performance and Petrobras Cine Fest Closing Night
June 19th, 7PM - Central Park's SummerStage
Free entry to watch "Elza," a documentary about Elza Soares and a performance by Mart'nália

Performance: Milton Nascimento
June 24th, 7PM - Jazz at Lincoln Center
Tickets $30 - $120

Performance: Diogo Nogueira
July 1st, 6PM - Midsummer Night Swing
Tickets: $17; samba lessons at 6:30 and live music at 7PM

MoMA's Premiere Brazil Festival
July 14 - 27 - Museum of Modern Art
Annual film festival featuring feature films and short films. This years highlights: Craft, VIPs, and Santo Dumont's Mutoscope

Performance: Tom Zé
July 19th, 8PM - Lincoln Center Festival
Tickets $45 - $60

Brazilian Music at SummerStage
July 24th, 3PM - Central Park's SummerStage
Free entry; performances by Marcelo D2, Pitty, and DJ Nuts

Cisne Negro Dance Company
August 15 - 20th - Joyce Theater
Tickets available online (coming soon)

You can find even more events at BrazilNYC and the Brazilian Consulate website.