Brasil Observer #005 English Version

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LONDON EDITION February 13th - 26th 2014

2014 WORLD CUP Discover Belo Horizonte, where England will play against Costa Rica at the groups stage >> Page 12 and 13

LEIA EM PORTUGUÊS

Photo: Divulgation

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IT’S A PENALTY Child protection charities have joined forces with the football world and law enforcement on a campaign to protect Brazilian children from sexual exploitation and abuse during the World Cup 2014 >> Pages 10 and 11

Photo: Divulgation

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IN FOCUS Brazilian cameraman dies during demonstration

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BRASILIANCE Media democratization is urgent

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BRAZIL NO UK Casa Brasil celebrates 25 years

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UK IN BRASIL

LONDON EDITION Feb 13th - 26th 2014 EXPEDIENT

David Bowie arrives in Sao Paulo

EDITOR IN CHIEF

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PROFILE Lúcia Fukuthi: the Lady of the Beauty

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FRONT PAGE REPORT Brazil-UK against child prostitution

WORLD CUP Host-cities special: Belo Horizonte

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CONECTANDO

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Ana Toledo ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

EDITORS

Guilherme Reis guilherme@brasilobserver.co.uk Kate Rintoul kate@brasilobserver.co.uk

PUBLIC RELATIONS Roberta Schwambach roberta@brasilobserver.co.uk

CONTRIBUTORS The gay kiss on TV and the real life

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BRASIL OBSERVER GUIDE Egberto Gismonti and much more...

Antonio Veiga, Gabriela Lobianco, Inner Space, Luciane Sorrino, Michael Lando, Nathália Braga, Renato Brandão, Ricardo Somera, Rômulo Seitenfus, Rosa Bittencourt Shaun Cumming , Wagner Aragão, Zazá Oliva

GRAPHIC DESIGN & LAYOUT

wake up colab

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E D I T O R I A L

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16 - 17 CAPA DO GUIA 18 GRINGO`S VIEW 19 NINETEEN EIGHTFOUR 20 - 21 TRAVEL 22 GOING OUT 23 COOL HUNTER 24 MIND & SOUL 25 FOOD

2014 GOES ON

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By Ana Toledo – ana@brasilobserver.co.uk

That 2014 would not be an easy year for Brazil, most of us already knew. But no one imagined what would really transpire. Indeed, we enter 2014 under a confusing climate with all the controversies circling the media and the social networks.

What is not new to anyone is that Brazil is still young and needs to mature in a lot of areas. However, we cannot stop for that to happen. The result is the exposure that our mistakes are submitted to by a poorly regulated media, often with little good sense. Read on pages 4 and 5 about this in an overview on the process of media democratization in Brazil.

A problematic period for Brazil, 2014 is a year in which concerns about social problems that are the reality of the country, are stressed, as is the case of sexual exploitation. That is what “It’s a Penalty” campaign aims to combat. Read pages 10 and 11.

Continuing our Special World Cup 2014, in this edition

digala@wakeupcolab.com.br

you can read about the preparation of Belo Horizonte.

Besides the tourist attractions that the region offers, there is also the special hospitality that only the “mineiros” can offer.

Also check out the cover story of Brasil Observer Guide around the presentation of multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti in London and understand why the erudite most popular in Brazil is back.

With another edition out in the streets of London, we hope you enjoy! And do not forget, keep in touch: ana@brasilobserver.co.uk.

BRASIL OBSERVER is a fortnightly publication of the ANAGU UK MARKETING E JORNAIS UN LIMITED (Company number: 08621487) and is not responsible for the concepts expressed in signed articles. People who do not appear in this expedient are not authorized to speak on behalf of Brasil Observer. The contents published in this newspaper may be reproduced if properly credited to the author and to Brasil Observer.

CONTACT

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SITE

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IN FOCUS Death of cameraman compounds rifts in Brazil’s Protest Movement Photo: Roberto Stuckert Filho

By Guilherme Reis

Photo: Reproduction

Photo: Agência Brasil

Right: Cameraman Santiago Ilídio Andrade, from TV Bandeirantes was hit and fatally injured Right: Peers pay tribute

The death of Santiago Ilídio Andrade, a cameraman from TV Bandeirantes on Monday 10 February, days after he was hit by a firework while covering a protest in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, has brought debates about the justification and role of protest in Brazil to the fore once more.

Divides exist both within the groups of demonstrators who have been taking to the streets in numbers of varying degree since June last year. There is also a divergence in debates as to whether protest is a basic civil right and whether it really does foster the solution to political problems.

Andrade, 49, was hit by a firework and fatally injured while filming a protest against the increase in bus fares in the city of Rio on 6 February, with the incident captured by other camera operators.

At the time of going to press, one suspect had been arrested, Fábio Raposo, 22, has been indicted for attempted murder as admitted that he gave the rocket to the man who lit

and threw the firework. The man responsible, identified by police as Caio Silva de Souza, 23, had not yet been found, despite an arrest warrant on the grounds of qualified murder by use of explosive being issued.

Since June last year, the legitimate demonstrations that have taken place across the country against the rising costs of public transport or unmediated spending on the World Cup have frequently been marred by violence, sometimes at the hands of the apparatus of the State - the military police and sometimes by protesters.

The police brutality and violent repression of the early demonstrations was the catalyst for even greater anger and protest. It seemed as though the police had failed to take into account the existing notorious dissatisfaction, harboured over a long history of brutality by the military police, especially in poor areas, going back to the country’s military dictatorship.

The response to state violence occurred most notably in the actions of

the Black Bloc, a group of hooded people and anarchist’s whose inspirations mixed peaceful demonstrations with acts of destruction, particularly metered out on symbols of capitalism, with banks and subway stations bearing the brunt of their actions.

At first, these tactics were considered legitimate and were defended by sectors of the population, it was widely argued that it could not be compared to the violence perpetrated by the State: after all, what is more violent, the rigging of the shipping price or a broken ratchet, police murders in slums or a burned mattress in the street?

Though the meaning of these protests, have lost value over time because such actions did not lead to an effective solution to the problems, and worse, caused the police, supported by public support, to pass an act which fives them even more power to respond to perceived threats from demonstrations. No doubt the Black Bloc group will be under even great scru-

tiny now as it has been reported that the two men two responsible killing Andrade, are members of the Black Bloc group.

Andrade’s death, therefore also highlights the social bankruptcy that exists within some anarchic protest movements that promote destruction without offering any meaningful solution.

The Black Blocs have divided Brazil’s protesters and diluted the strength of legitimate pressure that the movement could have exerted on politicians.

It is unacceptable that, even after nearly a year of protests across the country, the council of Rio de Janeiro decided to increase the price of public transportation, with little worry or thought of the wave of demonstrations sparked by such rises in Sao Paulo.

The protests across the country will certainly continue. The question is whether the movement on the streets will take the path of democratic construction or continue to generate the chaos.

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Media law, regulatory framework, democratization or “land reform” of the media. These are some of the terms for a theme always barred from the traditional hegemonic communication vehicles, resulting in this subject struggling to echo amongst public opinion.

However, more and more sectors of society are beginning to realize that in the area of social communication in Brazil, something does not work as it should or is supposed to work.

Events in recent weeks in Brazil have aroused this sentiment, which makes now an opportune moment to discuss the issue.

Recent events that led to reflections came from two of the most traditional TV channels.

Even those citizens less involved or not yet introduced to this topic demonstrated to note that the media are not acting as expected in a democratic society.

And, more than that, Brazilians need instruments to enforce these media outlets to act in service to society, and not only by their private interests. The conclusion is not always expressed in those words, but in summary, this was the point that was reached - from this point on, it is imperative that this debate remains on the agenda.

The most recent of these events occurred with the Brazilian Television System, known by the acronym SBT, from the entrepreneur and communicator Silvio Santos (who also applied for the presidency in 1989). In the edition of Feb. 4 of the Journal of SBT, broadcast in prime time, the presenter Rachel Sheherazade, giving her opinion on a particular news piece, made a clear apology to barbarism and crime. The news was about a minor, 16-year-old black male, who after being accused of committing thefts, was brutally tied naked to a pole in the Flamengo neighbourhood in Rio de Janeiro.

The presenter put aside her position as a neutral journalist and assumed the role of a judge. In her “review” of the news, in a little over a minute, she twice called the minor a “little punk” and defended what she called the “collective self-defence” and “counterattack to bandits” the actions of those who made “justice with their own hands” and had tied and exposed the teenager on the street.

Finally, she expressed her disdain of human rights defenders.

The opinions may have been deplorable, but it was her opinion and everyone has the right to express it, many said on social networks defending the journalist. But there is something to consider: the journalist clearly offered only one point of view from a television channel which should be ‘free’ and impartial - or, failing that, should adopt a neutral stance and give equal space to both sides.

In addition, a television channel is a public concession. The station, in this case the SBT, is private, the property of Silvio Santos.

However the space that SBT uses to make its

BRASILIANCE programming reach the audience is public, as public as the streets, avenues, roads and power lines. It is only granted to the private sector, in the same way that highways and light distribution are granted to private operators .

For this reason, federal prosecutors are being urged to act. Socialism and Freedom Party (Psol) issued notes that prepares representation to be entered into the Public Ministry. “The journalist and SBT were responsible for the incitement to murder, torture and lynching” argued Psol leader on the House of Representatives, Ivan Valente, from São Paulo. Two days after the review, the presenter responded to these accusations, again on the Journal of SBT. She neither apologized nor withdrew her comments. She justified her comments as misunderstood and that she was not the person people were negatively portraying. The channel, in turn, made it clear that the opinion issued by the presenter was her particular opinion and not the opinion of SBT. LUIZA X MAINARDI Audience leader and largest media conglomerate in the country, Globo is also present in the list of recent events that demonstrate the distortion in communications that historically afflicts Brazil.

Luiza Trajano, who owns one of the largest chains of furniture and appliance stores in the country, the Magazina Luiza, unwittingly exposed the misleading role of the media in this case. In late January the businesswoman, who made her success in social networks, appeared on the Manahatan Connection, a programme broadcast in the United States by Globo News, a pay channel of Rede Globo.

The debate on the Manahatan Connection was about economics but Trajano, by refusing to toe the line, left the presenters ruffled, with the most disconcerted being the columnist Diogo Mainardi, popular among conservatives, and especially among the opponents of the governments of Lula and Dilma.

The background to this is throughout 2013, the Brazilian mass media, like Globo News, through the distortion of data and the presentation of analysis from the point of view of neoliberalism, has disseminated the idea that Brazil was heading towards a looming economic crisis. In discussion with Luiza Trajano, this was the only point of view launched by the presenters, who struggled to get the entrepreneur to confirm this thesis.

The episode was a success because she not only evaded their manipulation, she spontaneously uncovered for the viewer the misinformation or total bias of the presenters present there in the debate - and, by extension, portrayed the complete lack of impartiality of the media in general.

In a last attempt to corner the owner of Magazine Luiza, Mainardi was told by the

DEMOCRATIZTION OF THE MEDIA: MANDATORY TOPIC IN 2014 Recent episodes – which expose the lack of transparency of television station in Brazil and the disrespect for media constitutional premises – give impetus to the struggle for a new regulatory framework that democratizes social communication in the country

By Wagner Alcântara Aragão

businesswoman that he had incomplete, outdated information. Luiza went further: “I’ll give you the [correct and current] data by e-mail.”

Embarrassed, but trying to pretend not to feel defeated, Mainardi attempted to escape with a “save me of that”. Luiza spared him. But, days later, she sent the email to Mainardi, according to reports from Estadão, webportal of the newspaper O Estado de São Paulo.

CAMPAIGN Diante do cenário de oligopólio midiático, de Against the backdrop of media oligopoly, of programming that does not respect the constitutional principles - promotion of national culture, appreciation of diversity, the rejection of any kind of discrimination - and especially before a society increasingly aware that something is wrong and needs to be fixed, the National Forum for Democratization of Communication (FNDC) intends to intensify its activities. The campaign ‘Freedom To Express - A New Law for a New Time’ has its first gathering in February in order to plan more effective actions for the year.

“Throughout the year 2013 they organized to

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At Secom, changing expectations

Habits of Media in Brazil

Info: Perseu Abramo Foundation

disseminate and collect signatures for the project (Law of the Democratic Media) and bring the debate to the streets. Now they follow in the fight, this will be a year of intensifying battles. We must demand the democratization of communication, including, as part of the platforms of election campaigns”, says a text published on the official website of the initiative, the national coordinator of FNDC, Rosane Bertotti.

According to FNDC, the bill of popular initiative called ‘Law of the Democratic Media’ has achieved “tremendous support from various sectors of society and now has over 50,000 signatures.” The paper proposes a new regulatory framework for the sectors of Brazilian radio and television. The current milestone is from 1962. Needless to say, created 50 years ago, the milestone is extremely outdated.

“The campaign ‘Freedom To Express’ is the result of years of struggle by civil society organizations to regulate communication in Brazil. Born in 2012, resulting from proposals submitted to the National Conference of Communication (Confecom) held in 2009. In 2013, we received hundreds of new support from entities in various sectors”, notes FNDC. GOVERNMENTAL POSITION It was from Confecom, in 2009, that arose some of the federal government subsidies.

In 2010, still under the Lula government, a proposal for a new regulatory framework was prepared. Coordinated by the then Minister of the Secretariat for Social Communication (SECOM) of the presidency, Franklin Martins, the project was left to be enhanced by the Dilma government. However, unfortunately it has remained in the drawer for the past three years. Neither the successor

of Franklin Martins, Minister Helena Chagas (who resigned in February), nor the communications minister Paulo Bernardo, demonstrated commitment to take the project forward.

On the contrary. Bernardo gave several statements to the press denying any intention of taking the proposal left by Martins any further. Only days ago, in early February, the communications minister acknowledged that the broadcasting industry needs a new regulatory framework which could addresses the technological innovations of the last decades .

Statements of Bernardo, however, denote primary concern only to ensure the current market space for the same groups (especially advertising). Bernardo said in an interview with reporters after the ceremony of handing over duties from Helena Chagas to the new holder of SECOM, Thomas Traumann: “I think Google is becoming the major media monopoly. And so we see a dispute between TVs that probably, if it lasts a few more years, Google will swallow both”. About correcting aberrations such as oligopoly and the lack of public or community channels to give voice and turn to more segments of society, Paulo Bernardo has not spoken.

After just over three years in office, the holder of SECOM, which has ministerial status, journalist Helena Chagas, resigned and stepped down in February.

The management of Helena Chagas ahead of the secretariat was heavily criticized by members of the government itself, leftists and the progressive camp protesters.

Under the argument of “technical criteria”, the management of Chagas benefited traditional broadcasters in the distribution of official advertising. Only Globo swallowed almost 44% (R$495.3 million, only in 2012) of all government advertising on television.

No wonder the output of Helena Chagas was deplored by traditional media outlets.

The successor, the journalist Thomas Traumann, was spokesman of president Dilma Rousseff since January 2012. The expectation is that the new secretary of SECOM will balance investments, returning the shares to digital journalism.

Internet Civil Mark remains stuck On countless occasions, since last October, the bill establishing the Civil Rights Framework for Internet in Brazil (PL 2126/2011) goes on the agenda for a vote in the House of Representatives - the expectation is that it might be voted in in February.

However, the essence of the project - a point that guarantees net neutrality (that prohibits charging for internet content to be accessed), there happens to be no consensus.

The executive author of the bill supports maintaining network neutrality. The bench of the PMDB, under the influence of their leader, congressman Eduardo Cunha (of Rio de Janeiro), does not accept this. Net neutrality disfavours the service providers, today made by telecom operators, according to Cunha.

At the request of the executive, the bill is being processed as an emergency matter.

When this is so, the agenda of the regular meetings of the plenary is locked, and only released when the project in question is appreciated. Until press time, the Agency Board realized that there was no consensus that could take the project to a vote.

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BRAZIL IN UK

Casa Brasil: Celebrating 25 years in London

By Brasil Observer

The area around London’s Queensway station has a particular Brazilian vibe.

While this might not come as a surprise to any Brazilians who have been living in the city for a long time as it is almost certain they have visited the area, or at least heard about it. If your new to London or other people looking to get a little bite of Brazilian life, make sure you visit.

At the heart of Queensway’s Brazilian scene there is a cosy place that homesick Brazilians can visit and feel at home - Casa Brasil, which celebrates its 25th anniversary in February.

Any time you visit the shop, where you can find a wide variety of Brazilian products, you will likely meet the owner Itamara Dall Alba, making sure things are running smoothly. “Creating a successful store is like creating a baby,” she tells the Brasil Observer in an interview to celebrate Casa Brazil’s birthday.

Interviewed here, Alba tells how the story of Casa Brasil began in 1989, when it opened as promoter and centre for Brazilian culture, what’s happened over the 25 years and takes the opportunity to thank the customers and partners who have been with the house along the way.

How did the story of Casa Brasil begin?

My husband started things in 1989 with the goal of importing products from Brazil, at that time there was no other place to buy Brazilian goods, though soon it was more than a shop, but a cultural promoter. Before we were married, my husband used to perform Brazilian literature at the shop around London and he would sell products to Brazilians he met. 15 years ago he came to Queen-

sway and set up the first physical store.

And how did you become part of Casa Brasil?

open. People enjoy coming here to take in the atmosphere.

Who are Casa Brasil’s customers?

I came into the company by chance. I met the owner, fell in love with him, got married and came to London to spend a time here. The idea was to be here for a set period and return to Brazil, but things did not go as we planned, my husband fell ill and died not long after, in 2005.

I decided to run the company for a while, to see how things went while I prepared for my return to Brazil. At first I decided to run the company in memory of my husband, it was done through emotion issue because creating a store is like raising a baby, and he had not had the time to see things grow in the first 15 years.

Most customers are Brazilian, though we also get Russian’s looking for particular cosmetics and also Portuguese people.

There are also lots of English, today they account for around 25-30% of our customer base. Most of the English shoppers are married to a Brazilian, have travelled to Brazil or who are just interested in our culture. The English tend to go for the best known Brazilain products and brands like ingredients make “feijoada”, Guarana, Havaianas, cachaça and açai too.

What is the secret to Casa Brasil’s longevity?

We are hosting raffles throughout the month. We have 30 prizes and each week we invite the people who have liked us on Facebook, bought something on the website and of course from the store to complete a quick form for the chance of winning a prize.

We have also created a special goodie bag and we’re giving a free bottle of wine for anyone who spends over £80 in store, plus 25% off a range of products.

One factor is the credibility and trust that we have built with our customers by being in the same place for 15 years. That’s why our motto is diversity, quality and tradition. We do not sell only what local distributors offer, but we also import varied things. We have distributed magazines published by Editora Abril, throughout Europe and Japan, for almost 20 years.

Another point is not to give up. When my husband died, I did not speak a word of English, spent six months trying to resolve my visa, I take a translator with me when I visited the bank manager, lawyer etc. It was a very difficult period, but I overcame things. We have to adapt according to what we need.

People also rave about the design of the store, which is large, clean and

Photo: Divulgation

What’s planned for the shop’s 25th birthday?

What would you like to say to your customers over the last 25 years?

I would like to, on behalf of the Casa Brasil, give my thanks to those customers who were part of our history. We’re here thanks to the support of our customer. So we have great appreciation of the customers and partners who have been with us in these 25 years.

Itamara Dall Alba, owner of Casa Brasil

Casa Brasil Queensway Market | Queensway 23 - 25t | W2 4QJ +44 (0) 20 7792 2931 www.casabrasillondres.co.uk www.facebook.com/casabrasillondres

UK IN BRAZIL

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Bowie Exhibition arrives in Sao Paulo Brazil is the first country in Latin America to receive the exhibition organized by the V&A Museum, in another partnership that demonstrates that times are promising for creative and artistic exchanges between the UK and Brazil

By Brasil Observertt

Known as the “chameleon of rock” and widely held as one of the most recognisable British artists around the world, the music and creativity of David Bowie is finding even more fans in Brazil. The Museum of Image and Sound (MIS) in São Paulo is currently displaying over 300 items related to the artist for the Brazilian edition of the sell-out ‘David Bowie is’ exhibition, after its successful debut at the Victoria & Albert Museum in London.

The V&A is one of the most important museums in the world in the field of design and curators Victoria Broackes and Geoffrey Marsh had unprecedented access to The David Bowie Archive to create this exhibition. From ephemeral material like set lists, lyrics, manuscripts, instruments and drawings, the exhibition also includes 47 costumes, along with excerpts from films and live shows and lots of photographs.

The show is organised thematically, taking visitors on a journey with the numerous Bowie characters and legendary performances, highlighting his varied artistic influences and experiences with surrealism, German expressionism, mime and Kabuki theatre.

Among the costumes are pieces from the 1973 album and tour “Aladdin Sane” – an asymmetric jumpsuit made of vinyl (Tokyo Pop) created and signed by Kansai Yamamoto along with red platform boots, of course. Also featured are the iconic clear blue suit Bowie wore when recording the video for “Life on Mars?” and the set of multicoloured pants and jackets worn on the Ziggy Stardust tour.

A great selection of photography also brings you close to rarely scene material like the promotional photos taken for the band The Kon-rads, taken when Bowie was only 16. The show also gives insight into Bowie’s creative vision from the collage of images he created as inspiration for the video of The Man Who Fell to Earth. There also wonderful photographs

of Bowie taken by and with friends like the writer William Burroughs, photographed by Terry O’Neill, and later hand coloured by the singer.

The exhibition puts lets you step inside Bowie’s creative process and shows how his work has influenced countless artistic movements. It presents Bowie as an astute observer of our society, an artist who has always made significant interventions in culture and creating a powerful legacy.

At the press opening event to the “David Bowie is” exhibition Alex Ellis, British Ambassador to Brazil, began his speech by saying that Bowie is “international, global and yet ‘very British’”.

After the event, Beatriz Correa, a Public Relations student at the University of São Paulo (USP), wrote in an article for the Speaker’s Corner blog of the British Embassy in Brazil that these words made her think about how Bowie perfectly translates how and why British culture as a whole has a worldwide appeal: “Bowie is a tool of British soft power and a spokesman for unique music, culture, creativity and innovation in the country. These are areas where the UK stands out and has expertise to collaborate and share experiences with Brazil.

“The famous lightning bolt painted on Bowie’s face, on the cover of the album Aladdin Sane, is a symbol of strength similar to the British flag. He reflects the UK in the sense that they both have a very strong and unique image, but one that is simultaneously difficult to define. Eccentricity and the breaking of rules are always associated with Bowie, at the same time that tolerance regarding the ‘different’ is always exalted as a characteristic of Britain. The multicultural nature of Bowie speaks of a UK that lives diversity in its daily life.”

Photo: divulgation The iconic jumpsuit Bowie wore on the Aladdin Sanetour in 1973 is just one of the many exhibits

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PROFILE

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Lúcia Fukuthi: the Lady of beauty A challenging job that involves making the dreams come true of Brazilians who come to London to study and understand the boldness that comes from the catwalk to the streets of the British capital.

Interview and Photo: Rômulo Seitenfus

Lúcia Fukuthi organizes courses for hairdressers, make-up artists and fashion and beauty professionals in London. Her company, LF Cursos - in partnership with academies of fashion and beauty such as Toni & Guy, Vidal Sassoon, Saco Hair, London College of Fashion and Make Up Atelier – exposes professionals to renowned professionals that make up the looks presented on the catwalk of London Fashion week, the fashion week in Europe.

Fukuthi talks about the challenges and pleasure she gets from fulfilling the dream of Brazilians in the land of the Queen. She also explains the policy of admission to the fashion and beauty academies where she works, and highlights the bold style of Europe as a reflection of modern and evolved culture.

How was it to drop the teaching career in Brazil, 14 years ago, and open a company dedicated to education and teaching abroad?

I arrived in London in late 2000. In São Paulo, I worked at a school in Lapa, which was called the College Marcel Proust for ten years, and while I was there I decided to open a free-courses school, located next to the college. There we gave English and Spanish lessons using a modern language laboratory, classes of customer care with placement in the market, and tutoring for students of Marcel Proust. In 2000, my husband passed away. I sold the school and decided to come with my daughter to London. I had visited London before, and I had two friends from college who were already established here. Actually, I tried to escape the memories and wished that the time passed very quickly.

What are the biggest challenges when you organize courses and help Brazilians in London? And what is the greatest pleasure in this context?

I think the biggest challenge is not in the organization of the courses, but the cultural differences, starting with the payment. In Brazil there is the possibility to parcel your payment, you purchase with a credit card and pay in instalments.

This kind of payment does not exist in London and hinders my work, since the courses, hotels and other services are paid in cash. What I try to do is advise the person who really wants to come to take a course, to program themselves.

The policy of my company is paying by term, but settling within one month before the course starts; without pending. I feel great pleasure when people can plan and arrive here, it requires discipline and willpower.

What are the requirements to study at Toni&Guy, Vidal Sassoon, Saco Hair, London College of Fashion and Make Up Atelier?

Generally in Toni&Guy, Sassoon Academy, Saco Hair, Andrew Jose - to do a short course - the professional must have at least three years of experience. At the London College of Fashion, as it is part of the University of the Arts London, there’s short courses for beginners as well as for professionals. Even the LCF offers free courses in make-up and beauty for young beginners with permanent residence, or that are part of the European community. We have over 200 courses ranging from jewellery, photography, fashion, beauty and make-up, till courses for making shoes.

Who are the type of people that choose to study in one of the London Academies?

They are already trained professionals who want to learn new techniques, or those who aspire to do a refresher. As in any profession, professionals seeking enhancement abroad stand out in the job market, gain prestige and recognition, and present international experience for its customers. They also take advantage of having experienced a different culture that influences the value of their services. Our company provides translators in most courses, so if you do not speak English it is not a barrier.

What are the differences in education and the labour market in fashion and aesthetics, between England and Brazil?

Brazil is the third largest consumer of beauty products in the world, behind only the United States and Japan. The country is also a reference in the field of cosmetic and plastic surgery, although the Brazilian fashion still inspires in the European releases. In Brazil there are colleges that offer superior technology courses in the areas of aesthetics and cosmetics, some with emphasis on professional make-up.

The visagism is also highly valued and many skilled professionals are making their names with the combined use of psychology to this topic. Here in England we are so used to seeing so many fashion styles that this is nothing new.

The Brazilians are not so bold as here in Europe. I often hear from my Brazilians students, when they come to London to study at one of the colleges I mentioned, is “if I make a cut or colour hair like this in one of my clients she kills me” ... But during the course, they realize they can adapt the European techniques and may gradually change the thinking of their customers. In England the courses cover the collections that academies launch every year, starting at London Fashion Week that happens twice a year and ending at the International Exhibition. The academies I mentioned are responsible for brightening these events and, therefore, these professional-educators have necessary knowledge to transmit the current fashion. The job market is as vast as there are not so much conservatism, people tend to experience the new..

What was the situation that most impressed you on this task of realizing dreams of Brazilians in the land of the Queen?

A professional came to study at the Academy Toni&Guy and in the last day of the course during a haircut, with the model still in the chair, she began to cry. The teacher asked the interpreter what had happened and if she was fine. The student replied that she was thrilled to have had the opportunity to be there and that it was a dream that had come true. I looked at the teacher and noticed that he too was moved and went to take a drink of water, disguising his eyes filled with tears.

ID The most memorable moment of your life: The birth of my daughter.

A fear: Heights.

Your biggest flaw: I think I don’t have any!

Greatest quality: Generosity.

A big minus: I took three ice cream Magno with nuts hidden (laughs).

Something you love: Food from Minas Gerais Something you hate: Anxious people, that speaks loudly and show themselves in a hurry.

Favourite thing to do: Making sure of a job well done.

An unforgettable moment: The first time I saw the father of my daughter.

Who would you choose to give a hug: My doctor.

A surprisingly cultural product: An Canadian movie, Incendies, of director Denis Villeneuve... really surprisingly!

The most marvellous place your eyes ever saw: Florence, Italy.

A place you want to visit: Japan.

A personality: The German ex-football player Michael Ballack.

A book: Zorba, the Greek.

A piece of music: How Can I go on, with Freddie Mercury and Montserrat Caballe.

One restaurant: Terraço Italia, in São Paulo.

What you wish for today?

To be able to relax.

What attracts you in someone interesting: The delicacy and consideration form an interesting set.

What is the easier defect to forgive?

When people make mistakes trying to make something right.

To know more about the work of Lúcia Fukuthi, go to www.lfcursos.com

10 brasilobserver.co.uk

Earlier this month child protection charities launched a new campaign to combat the sexual exploitation of minors during the World Cup

By Brasil Observer

FRONT PAGE Data from the Map of Violence in Brazil, prepared by the Brazilian Centre for Latin American Studies, pointed out that, in 2011, a total of 10,425 children and adolescents were victims of sexual violence in the country.

According to the same study, the great majority - 83.2%, were female: In total that year there were 16.4 medical consultations for every 100,000 children and adolescents with the highest incidence of visits recorded in the range of 10 to 14 years, with a rate of 23.8 reports per 100,000 adolescents.

Even more alarming are the figures from the National Forum for the Prevention and Eradication of Child Labour, a non-governmental network of organisations whose studies indicate that the number of child workers in the sex industry totalled 500,000 in 2012 - the number indicates a large growth since 2001, when 100,000 children were working in the sex industry, according to UNICEF initiatives linked to the UN. These figures have led child protection charities to join forces with leading figures from the world of football to launch the campaign ‘It’s a Penalty’ with the goal of protecting children and adolescents from sexual exploitation and abuse during the World Cup this year, which takes place in Brazil throughout June and July.

Launched by Happy Child International, Jubilee Campaign and A21 Campaign, the initiative has the support of England’s coach, Roy Hodgson, and players like Frank Lampard, David Luiz and Ramires, in addition to the endorsement of the Brazilian and British governments, as well as the participation of the Metropolitan Police Service and the Federal Police of Brazil.

The campaign includes a video that will be broadcast on British Airways flights to Brazil during the World Cup, highlighting the issue of sexual exploitation of minors. The Football Association expects that 5,000 English fans who will travel to the World Cup will be alerted about the campaign.

“Having worked with street children in Brazil since 1991, I am so grateful for all the support we have managed to raise for this important campaign. If we stand together against this horrible crime, hundreds of children’s lives will be saved from the catastrophic effect of sexual exploitation,” Sarah de Carvalho, CEO

of Happy Child International said in a statement.

Happy Child International has been rescuing, rehabilitating and reintegrating street and at-risk children in Brazil for 20 years. Beginning with a 24-hour shelter in the city of Belo Horizonte in the southeast of the country, the charity has grown to 14 children’s homes and emergency centres for street and at-risk children in Brazil and Angola, Africa.

In total, the charity has helped more than 10,000 children in Brazil who have come into its care by rehabilitating them back into their families, communities and society.

THE WORLD CUP RISK Last year the National Crime Agency’s Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Command warned in its annual threat assessment that an influx of visitors to Brazil for the World Cup is likely to expand the country’s child sex market.

Johnny Gwynne, Director of the CEOP Command said: “The majority of fans travelling to Brazil for the World Cup would be horrified at the thought of causing harm to the nation’s children. However, we know there are significant risks to children before, during and after major sporting events and some people will sexually exploit children for profit.

“Brazilian children suffer abuse in the commercial sex trade and may have their appearance manipulated to look older. Do not make the mistake of thinking that because they approach you this must mean they are consenting and that you are not responsible. They are children, and they are being threatened and intimidated by unscrupulous people to make money.

“The law will not care whether you knew the person you had sex with was underage. You risk arrest and imprisonment in Brazil or on your return to the UK. If you are in any doubt - don’t do it.”

Researchers made the same warning in 2012, after the release of a study that mapped the relationship between leisure tourism and the sexual exploitation of minors in Brazil.

The researcher Miguel Fontes, who in addition to acting in the area of​​ strategic research at SESI (Industry Social Service) is also connected to John Hopkins University, looked at the relationship between the number of arrivals of foreign tourists in São Paulo and Bahia between 2008 and 2010 and total reports of child sex-

BRAZIL AN FORCES TO F PROSTI

Child prostitution is more common areas of

brasilobserver.co.uk 11

Photos: Divulgation

D UK JOIN FIGHT CHILD TUTION

Photos: Divulgation

in northeastern Brazil, in peripheral large cities where drug is prevalent

ual exploitation in these two states in the period.

“In Bahia, where tourism is leisure, the results show that for every 372 international tourists, there was an increase in the reported cases of sexual exploitation of children. In São Paulo, where the tourism business is larger, only with the 2.5 thousand tourists is there a marked increase of complaints of child sexual exploitation,” he said in an interview for BBC Brasil.

“The sexual exploitation of children and adolescents is linked to tourism and leisure activities. Therefore, we can project the realisation of major global sporting events, that will promote an increased flow of people (for Brazil), may lead to an increase the number of such cases,” concluded Fontes.

According to sources, the majority of children are sexually exploited when they are 11 years old and girls represent four out of five cases. And the Northeast region concentrated 37% of the complaints.

IN THE MEDIA Earlier this month, SKY News aired a 5-minute news package reporting that adolescents as young as 12 are selling sex for the equivalent of 80p in Recife, one of the host cities for the World Cup in Brazil.

The report showed how cases of child prostitution are more common in outlying areas of the city, where there isn’t as much assistance to mothers who are addicted to drugs and go on to sell their own daughters to earn money to support their habits. It has also been found that many of the young women caught up in sexual exploitation are battling their own additions to solvents.

The Secretariat for Human Rights of the Presidency of the Republic has allocated 8 million reais for the host cities of the World Cup to develop projects to fight child prostitution - a rather low value compared given that more than 30 billion reais was spent in stadiums, transportation and other infrastructure projects for the tournament.

Photo: Divulgation

itsapenalty.com facebook.com/itsapenaltycampaign happychild.org jubileecampaign.co.uk thea21campaign.org nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk

12 brasilobserver.co.uk

WORLD CUP 2014

2014 WORLD CUP The capital of the Minas Gerais State will host six matches in the World Cup; England will play in the city, which does not bring sweet memories, in the first round of the tournament

Belo Horizonte, the capital of the ‘mineiros’

By Nathália Braga

Capital of the state of Minas Gerais (whose people are known as “mineiros”), Belo Horizonte (which literally means “beautiful horizon”) was chosen as one of the host cities for the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The city will stage six matches, including a semi-final, hosting the same amount of games as São Paulo and Salvador, and more games than Recife or Natal, major tourist centres of the country.

Deserved recognition, as the criteria used by FIFA for choosing host cities are excellent hotel, leisure and public security facilities. Thus, the sixth largest city in Brazil and its nearly 2.5 million people could not be left out.

Belo Horizonte is also the fifth richest city in the country with 1.37% of national GDP, behind São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia and Curitiba, according to 2010 data from the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE, in Portuguese). The capital of Minas Gerais was also noted by the UN Population Crisis Committee as the city with the best quality of life in Latin America.

Now hosting matches of the 2014

HISTORY

Photos: Portal da Copa

World Cup, the expectation is that the city develops more and more. “By hosting the 2014 World Cup, the GDP of the micro region of Belo Horizonte grows about 1.1% higher than would occur without the investment of the 2014 World Cup during the works,” says a study by the Centre for Development and Regional Planning, from the Faculty of Economics of the Federal University of Minas Gerais.

The big bet is in the tourism sector.

About 600,000 tourists are expected in the region, which will receive tourists of ‘high rank’, such as England and Argentina (read more about tourism in the region on pages 20 and 21).

Belo Horizonte was one of the first planned cities of Brazil. The city was built to replace the capital Ouro Preto – known for the abundance of gold during the colonial period – in the eighteenth century, and was only consolidated after the Proclamation of the Republic in 1889.

At that time, the city was just the village of Curral Del Rei, subsequently appointed as Cidade de Minas, and officially inaugurated in 1897. In 1906, the name was changed to the current one.

The city’s project did not cater for such massive growth as the neighbourhoods expanded rapidly, among them one of the symbols of the city, Pampulha, featuring the work of Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

FOOTBALL Like the rest of the country, the ‘mineiros’ are passionate about football and the population is usually divided between two teams of great tradition in Brazil and South America; Atlético Mineiro and Cruzeiro - being the sec-

BELO HORI

Region: South

Population: 2 Area: 330.95

Climate: Trop

average of 21

Vegetation: A

Elevation: 88

MINEIRÃO

Amount inves

Capacity: 62,0

Field dimensi

USEFUL LINKS

belohorizonte visitbrasil.com http://pt.fifa.c

WORLD CUP 2014

brasilobserver.co.uk 13

POSITIVE: TRANSPARENCY Capital of the transparency. That’s how Belo Horizonte can be labelled after being appointed by the Ethos Institute, in December last year as one of the three host cities for the 2014 World Cup that has a level of transparency in its projects and actions above average. Porto Alegre and Brasilia are also highlights.

The appointment assesses different aspects of portals to access information created by various governmental bodies, which provide data on public investment for holding the tournament. Criteria of availability of information and popular information are assessed and assigned a score. Thereafter indicators of transparency are elaborated.

In 2012, the institute had published the same study in which the capital had 49.86 points. In December 2013, the “mineiros” moved 20 points higher, achieving 70.33.

BH City Hall launched the portal “Transparência Copa 2014” in March 2012. “The World Cup is one of the subjects of great interest to the population, so we decided to create a specific channel on the preparation of the city. We achieved a high level of transparency thanks to the continuous improvement of our information facilities,” said Cristiana Fortini, general controller of the city.

The Controller General of the Municipality and the Special Secretariat for Corruption Prevention and Strategic Information work together to fulfil the responsibility to periodically disclose data about the projects of the World Cup.

Photos: Portal da Copa Mineirão Stadium has been completely renovated inside and gained a roof, but the marquee was maintained

IZONTE – MINAS GERAIS STATE

heast

2,479,175 inhabitants km ²

pical with dry season, annual

1º C

Atlantic Forest and Cerrado

84.1 meters

O STADIUM

sted: R$677 million

000 people

ions: 105 x 68 meters

e.mg.gov.br/copa2014 m com

ond team responsible for the rise of the player Ronaldo, who is now part of the World Cup organising committee.

The Mineirão Stadium, which has been graced by major encounters between the two teams, and other national teams, played host to three matches of the 2013 Confederations Cup. After a renovation that cost more than R$677 million (around £170 million), according to official information, the stadium was expanded up to 62,000 capacity.

Colombia and Greece inaugurate the pitch during the World Cup in the first round of competition on the 14th of June. Then, still in the same month is the turn of Belgium and Algeria who play on the 17th, followed by Argentina in their match against Iran. Closing the first phase, Mineirão gets Costa Rica and England on the 24th. The mineiros will also host the quarter-final on the 28th of June, and the last game will be a semi-final to be held on Tuesday, July 8th.

BAD MEMORY In the 1950 World Cup, also in Brazil, the England national team played in Belo Horizonte in one of the most iconic games in the history of the competition.

It was against the United States, considered far inferior opponents to England at that time. The result was surprising: a 1-0 victory for the Americans. Against Costa Rica in June, England enters the field with ample favouritism. What will be the result this time?

NEGATIVE: TRANSPORT SYSTEM During the Confederations Cup, transport to the stadium was the item with the lowest positive evaluation by foreigners who visited the country. According to the Ministry of Tourism, in a partial analysis of data at the time, 61.5% of foreign respondents positively evaluated the transport, while the process of purchasing tickets scored a 69% positive rating. The survey was conducted in June 2013.

Already in January this year during the Tour of Stadiums Inspection, conducted by FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC), the Minerião was praised, but transportation was a concern of the organizers.

One of the representatives of the committee, the General Manager of Operational Integration, Tiago Paes, even stated to the press that improvements were needed. According to Paes, the World Cup is a very complex event, and in operational terms the transport needs “to be slightly adjusted, some variations from one event to another.” Special lines must be created for game days.

Also in January this year, the city centre has received protests by changes in public transport. The protesters demanded a reduction in the price of public transport, zero-fare and research service costs. Some also spoke against the World Cup, which has been a repeated complaint in several cities.

Even in the case of transport, the Municipality of Belo Horizonte said that, unlike the scheme adopted during the Confederations Cup, the city will not have free bus transport for fans that submit tickets to watch the games. The rationale is that the fans can afford shouldering more of the cost to see a game of the World Cup. Tariff prices have not yet been defined.

14 brasilobserver.co.uk

In late January the widely popular TV novella “Amor à Vida” (Love to Live), ended with a symbolic outcome: the first kiss between gay men seen in a TV Globo novella and a statement of affection between two men.

The episode also represented a long awaited redemption for one of the lovers, Felix (played by Mateus Solano), who had been rejected by his father because of his sexuality.

While I’m no “noveleiro” (novella addict), I can see why people are drawn into the human stories, especially when the writers and actors move away from one dimensional caricatures. After all mental well being and the search for happiness are much more interesting than the boring old TV rules of “good conquers evil”. Now it’s possible to get even closer to the characters as you can see their pains and achievements play out through social media. For this episode, I could accompany the pains and achievements of Felix and see how his actions were met with manifestations of hate and love.

Any bitterness came from those who cannot accept that the world does not work exactly as they want, as well as the advocates of compulsory heteronormativity, typical of the owners of arrogance who want to control everything and everyone.

Others relied on religious discourse, full of prejudice, disgust and fear, as all of those expose their most sordid and vile feelings, all in the name of God. Worse still, there were those who, without knowing what they were talking about, burp violence and ignorance claiming that scenes like that destroy families

CONECTANDO and promote for debauchery, begging you to wonder: Do you really think it is the role of TV to educate your children?

All this being said, the storyline was also received a lot of happiness, tears and celebration.

In all corners of the country, and abroad, millions of people celebrated the shy kiss between Felix and Nico. Many families found themselves represented in that scene, they were siblings, parents, friends, acquaintances along with thousands of gay people themselves.

Many others were moved with compassion and redemption for the homosexual son, a good person at heart who took cared for the father who rejected him when he was sick. Though some critics have said this secondary story was not needed and that it shouldn’t take a generous act of kindness or selflessness for a prejudiced parent to change their opinion. But you cannot say that the mainstream media companies like TV Globo have ever been violators of order or cutting edge, this whole storyline and the publicity surrounding it served only to sell more products on TV Globo, and rightly so, for that matter.

Earlier this month, the newspaper Folha de São Paulo, contained a report on homophobic violence in the city and gave tips for LGBTs (lesbians, gays, bisexuals, transvestites and transsexuals) to protect themselves from possible aggressors.

Though once again ingrained prejudice seems hard to remove, rather than provide contact details for complaints and state protection, the report guided people to try and not appear gay to avoid aggression. This way

of thinking basically says: “It’s ok to be gay, just don’t be a total faggot, behave nicely or else get punched, and it’s all your fault.”

I am one of many people who appreciates what people might see as ‘gay’ behaviour, each one with their own way of expressing it, since as far as I can see, it does not create oppression, violence or prejudice, which are by far bigger worries for society.

The richness of gay expressions is to transgress labels.

This is a valuable contribution of gay culture to the world, and do not give me any speech that there is time and a place for these things. Until there is a time when women, ethnic minorities, LGBT, poor and all other discriminated groups are on equal footing we have to fight for it.

Felix and Nico are just characters from a novella - 20 million LBGT people are beings of flesh and blood who face prejudice, discrimination and homophobic violence every day.

Their lives are not novel. While the public display of gay affection is one small victory, Brazil needs a set of forceful and effective public policies at the national, state and local level, to combat the “trans-lesbo-homophobia” and promote citizenship for LGBT people.

HOW TO PARTICIPATE ?

Conectando is a project developed by the Brasil Observer that aims to put into practice the concept of ‘glocal’ communication, helping a local story find a global audience of readers. You can be involved too, just send your story to us! Find out how to get involved by contacting conectando@brasilobserver.co.uk.

TV GAY KISS VS REAL LIFE

By Caio Varela

“Each one with their own way of expressing it, since as far as I can see, it does not create oppression, violence or prejudice”

Photo: Reprodution

The kiss between Nico and Felix from “Amor à Vida” led to mixed reactions, but what does it mean in the context of the real lives of 20 million LGBT people?

brasilobserver.co.uk 15

Brasil Observer

GUIDE

GISMONTI: A MODERN VIRTUOUS Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti is back in London for a sell-out one night concert at the Barbican. We found out more about his rare talent and unique sound >> Read more on pages 16 and 17 Multi-instrumentista brasileiro Egberto Gismonti está de volta a Londres para apresentação de uma noite no Barbican >> Leia mais nas páginas 16 e 17

c

foto divulagação

e Do chor o lub

uk

CLUBE DO CHORO UK IS BACK IN 2014 FOR A NEW SEASON OF MUSIC, DANCE AND HAPPINESS!!! LEAVE LONDON AT THE DOOR AND ENTER LAPA FOR THE EVENING! TOCA DE TATU WILL BE PERFORMING ON MARCH 8th!

FULL DETAILS ON OUR WEBSITE, WWW.CLUBEDOCHORO.CO.UK !!

16 brasilobserver.co.uk

Gismonti the music man returns to London

photos: Divulgation Egberto Gismonti

By Antônio Veiga

A year and a half after impressing audiences and critical acclaim for his appearance at the London Jazz Festival in 2012, the multi-instrumentalist Egberto Gismonti, is back in the British capital, one of the cities where his music is most recognised and admired. The gig will take place on Thursday, the 27 February at the Barbican.

“There is simply no one out there remotely like Gismonti. He plays with intensity, holding the audience in rapt attention and hardly daring to breathe until the applause at the end of each piece. The music simply flows, engrossing and entrancing”, according to the website London Jazz News.

Gismonti enjoys international prestige as he has always made his own path with an individual sound throughout his career. With a sound considered “not commercial” by Brazilian labels in the late 1960s and early ‘70s, Gismonti found more than a refuge in Europe but also an experimental environment that enabled him to emerge then mature and garner admirers wherever he played.

Born in Rio de Janeiro in 1947 to a family of musicians, he began studying piano as a boy, aged just six.

Not long after he began to master many other instruments including guitar, flute and clarinet, there was no limit for the apprentice, later on his travels around the

world he discovered and perfected the use of synthesizers, which were still scarce in Brazil at the time.

The appreciation from the wider public came in 1968 with the song “O Sonho” (The Dream), presented at a TV Globo Festival. His first album, recorded in France, came a year later, however, the album did not have classic French ingredients, for it showcased the great influence of the Bossa Nova sound that had conquered the world ten years earlier.

With a rare talent on piano and guitar (right from six to ten strings), Egberto Gismonti solidified his career in instrumental music. Drawing upon the influences of Brazilian rhythms, interpreted in his own way, with the help of legendary composers including, the master Heitor Villa- Lobos, Gismonti enjoyed success for their work on the “Trem Caipira” album in 1985.

It is also well worth a mention that Villa- Lobos, will be celebrated in a day of concerts, lectures and film screenings, also at the Barbican, on 8 March.

Experimentation with collaborators has always been a huge part of Gismonti’s music, he played alongside other legends including Hermeto Pascoal, with whom recorded an album in 1983, and the respected percussionist from Pernambuco, Nana Vasconcelos, whom he workeded with extensively at various stages of his life.

Egberto Gismonti has deservedly become known as

the most popular alternative musician to come out of Brazil with his ability to express the rhythmic diversity that exists within and outside the country, and throughout Brazilian history.

For all this and more, Gismonti can be considered a genius, that’s why he wowed audiences in London in 2012 and why the concert later in February is great opportunity to enjoy and understand an irrepressible Brazilian Master of Sound.

WITH SPECIAL GUESTS Those lucky enough to attend the concert, will also have the opportunity to enjoy the music another multiinstrumentalist: Ralph Towner.

The organiser’s choice to have Towner perform on the same night as Egberto Gismonti is a great one as both share a common love for experimentation. Just as Gismonti unites classic rhythms from Brazil with other popular sounds, the American mixes jazz with folk music of the United States. The concert will be a great way to experience rare musical talent and vision so is the top choice for discernable Londoners.

brasilobserver.co.uk 17

photos: Divulgation Ralph Towner

Egberto Gismonti + Ralph Towner When: 27 February 2014 / 19:30 Where: Barbican Hall Tickets: £17.50 – 25

O erudito mais popular do Brasil está de volta

Info: www.barbican.org.uk

Por Antonio Veiga

Um ano e meio após ser aclamado pelo público e elogiado pela crítica em sua apresentação no London Jazz Festival 2012, o multi-instrumentista carioca Egberto Gismonti volta para se apresentar na capital britânica, uma das cidades onde sua música e virtuosidade são mais reconhecidas e admiradas. O show do brasileiro está marcado para quinta-feira, dia 27, às 19h30, no Barbican Hall.

“Não há ninguém por aí parecido com Gismonti. Ele toca com intensidade, prende o público, que mal ousa respirar até os aplausos no final de cada peça”, descreve o London Jazz News, que complementa: “A música simplesmente flui, cativante e fascinante”.

Egberto goza de tanto prestígio internacional por conta do caminho que trilhou em sua longa carreira. Com um som considerado “pouco comercial” pelas gravadoras brasileiras, no final dos anos 1960 e começo dos anos 1970 encontrou na Europa mais que um refúgio, mas também um ambiente que o possibilitava emergir no universo experimental, amadurecer musicalmente e angariar admiradores.

Nascido em 1947, no seio de uma família de músicos, começou a estudar piano ainda garoto, aos seis anos. Não demorou muito para que começasse a dominar outros instrumentos, como violão, flauta e clarinete. Daí em diante, não houve limites para o então aprendiz, que em suas andanças pelo velho mundo conheceu e dominou também o uso de sintetizadores, ainda escassos no Brasil na época.

O desabrochar para o público em geral aconteceu em 1968, com a canção “O Sonho”, apresentada no Festival da TV Globo. Seu primeiro álbum viria no ano seguinte, após fase de estudos na França. No entanto, o disco não possuía ingredientes franceses, pois trazia grande influência da Bossa Nova, som que conquistara o mundo dez anos antes e que apresentava uma sonoridade que seria marca da música brasileira.

Com um talento fora de série e a mesma capacidade para tocar piano e violão – seja este de seis, sete, oito, nove e até dez cordas – Egberto Gismonti solidificou a sua carreira na música instrumental. Passeou pela variedade rítmica brasileira e interpretou, à sua maneira, compositores que são verdadeiras lendas da música do Brasil, como, por exemplo, o maestro Heitor Villa-Lobos, homenageado por Gismonti no álbum “Trem Caipira”, de 1985. Villa-Lobos, aliás, será tema de um dia de concertos, palestras e filme no mesmo Barbican Centre, dia 8 de março.

O experimentalismo também sempre foi uma marca do carioca, que tocou ao lado de outras lendas do gênero, como Hermeto Pascoal, com quem chegou a gravar um disco, em 1983, e o respeitado percussionista pernambucano Naná Vasconcelos, com quem tocou, gravou, somou e multiplicou em diversas fases de sua vida.

Podemos dizer que se o poeta Vinicius de Moraes, compositor de clássicos como Garota de Ipanema – ao lado de Tom Jobim –, é considerado o branco mais preto do Brasil, Egberto Gismonti pode carregar a al-

cunha de o erudito mais popular, tamanha capacidade em passear pela diversidade rítmica que encontra dentro e fora de seu país, e também pelo amplo domínio instrumental, que o possibilita adicionar música clássica a sons que emergiram do folclore brasileiro.

Por tudo isso e muito mais, Gismonti pode sim ser considerado um gênio. E como toda pessoa que esbanja genialidade, ele conquistou o público de Londres sempre que exibiu sua música por aqui. Portanto, dia 27 é uma oportunidade de entender e deixar os ouvidos viajarem pela musicalidade que o brasileiro leva para as suas apresentações.

RALPH TOWNER Quem comparecer ao show do brasileiro, de quebra, terá a oportunidade de apreciar outro multi-instrumentista: o músico Ralph Towner. O jazz pedirá passagem quando o americano levar para o palco as fusões que faz em suas canções.

Colocá-lo para se apresentar na mesma noite que Gismonti é um grande acerto, pois Towner também passeia pelo experimentalismo e, assim como o brasileiro une ritmos clássicos do Brasil com outros de origem popular, o americano tempera o jazz com música folk dos Estados Unidos. “Bela música de um mestre do violão”, define a BBC Music Magazine.

18 brasilobserver.co.uk

GRINGO’S VIEW

Gilles Peterson: a case of love with Brazilian music

By Kate Rintoul

Gilles Peterson: um caso de amor com a música brasileira Por Kate Rintoul

Gilles Peterson has been working on a new album that’s going to be released in just ahead of the World Cup in June

Photo: Divulgation

On a Saturday evening in mid-January, Camden had a different kind of buzz to it.

Gone were the usual crowd of perma-goths with dubious long hair and hooded garments. In their place were a dare I say it, all together more chic crowd drawn ready to descend upon Koko for the Worldwide Awards.

Now in its 15th year, with nine live awards ceremonies behind it, this annual showdown of the best tracks and albums, headed up by Gilles Peterson is firmly on the calendar for those people who might have outgrown the London club scene (if one even exists anymore), but still love to listen to dance, hip hop, soul and all those genres that have never been big enough to go mainstream in the UK. The live acts were a good mix of the different sounds Peterson plays out from the Finnish Jimi Tenor with his weird and wonderful sounds to Mount Kimbie, who met in Elephant and Castle’s Southbank Uni and started recording in a home studio in Peckham. In between there were some fantastic acts – I was enthralled by the performance

given by Memphis-born, Brooklyn-residing Valerie June.

Perhaps a little more variety in the line up would have gone down well. For a night of worldwide music, it seemed a little sad that most acts were American or British.

Writing for a Brazilian newspaper, I felt sad there weren’t any Latin American acts to see and was reminded of a panel discussion I went to last summer at the Brazilian Embassy, on which Peterson was a panellists. The speakers included Luiz Gabriel Lopes (Graveola e o Lixo Polifônico) who was talking about the high costs for Brazilian bands who are starting out to travel to events.

I suppose that’s why so many people still tune in to listen to Peterson, now in his cosy Saturday Afternoon slot on BBC 6 Music -radio remains a fantastic lowcost means of connecting the world and sharing experiences and it’s on been improved by the internet.

Peterson has long been a great advocate of Brazilian music and while this annual awards ceremony might not be a great platform for it,

don’t worry he has much more up his sleeve. GP had just returned from Brazil two days before the Awards, where he’s been working on a new album that’s going to be released in just ahead of the World Cup in June.

According to a report in O Globo Culture while he was in Rio, Gilles has been collaborating with the likes of Elza Soares, Ed Motta, Wilson das Neves, Arlindo Cruz, Mart’nália, Lucas Santtanna, Emanuelle Araújo and Gabriel Moura. Currently without a title, with acts like these there is no doubt this is going to be a great follow up to GP’s last foray into Brazilian music “Gilles Peterson back in Brazil” that was released in 2006.

He told O Globo “I have been in love with Brazilian music since I heard the ‘Brazilian Love Affair’ album by George Duke, and with this album I hope to show what sparked this love, from a contemporary point of view, with the participation of these artists that I admire so much and with a bit of my touch.”

More information: www. gillespetersonworldwide.com.

Numa tarde de sábado no meio de janeiro, a região de Camden estava com uma cara diferente. No lugar de roupas e cabelos inusitados estavam, digamos: os mesmos cabelos inusitados, mas roupas um pouco mais chiques. E a aglomeração dessas pessoas descia para o Koko, onde aconteceria o Worldwide Awards.

Agora em sua 15ª edição, com nove cerimônias ao vivo já realizadas, esse evento anual de melhores músicas e álbuns, liderado por Gilles Peterson, está fortemente inserido no calendário daqueles que ainda amam ouvir dance, hip hop, soul e outros gêneros que nunca se tornaram grandes suficientes para virar algo popular no Reino Unido.

As apresentações ao vivo foram uma boa mistura de diferentes sons selecionados por Peterson, desde Jimi Tenor com seus belos e estranhos sonidos até Mount Kimbie. No meio disso outras exibições fantásticas – uma das que mais me entusiasmaram foi Valerie June.

Talvez um pouco mais de variedade na line-up teria caído bem. Para uma noite de música global, foi um pouco frustrante o fato de a maioria das apresentações ter sido de britânicos e americanos.

Escrevendo para um jornal brasileiro, senti falta de atrações latino-americanas, o que me lembrou de um debate que eu fui no verão passado na Embaixada do Brasil em Londres, no qual Peterson era um dos convidados. Entre os participantes estava Luiz Gabriel Lopes, da banda Graveola, que falou sobre o alto custo para grupos

brasileiros que estão começando a viajar para eventos.

Eu suponho que seja esta a razão para que tantas pessoas ainda sintonizem seus rádios para ouvir Peterson, agora em seu aconchegante programa de sábado à tarde na BBC 6 Music – o rádio segue sendo uma forma fantástica e barata de conectar o mundo e compartilhar experiências.

Há anos Peterson tem sido um grande divulgador da música brasileira e, embora a cerimônia deste ano não tenha sido uma plataforma para isso, ele guarda uma carta debaixo da manga. Antes do evento, Gilles estava no Brasil, onde ele tem trabalhado em um novo álbum que será lançado pouco antes da Copa do Mundo em junho.

De acordo com uma reportagem do jornal O Globo, Gilles está trabalhando junto com artistas como Elza Soares, Ed Motta, Wilson das Neves, Arlindo Cruz, Mart’nália, Lucas Santtana, Emanuelle Araújo e Gabriel Moura. Ainda sem título, não há dúvidas de que o álbum será uma ótima continuação da última aventura de Peterson pela música brasileira, “Gilles Peterson back in Brazil”, de 2006.

Ele disse ao O Globo: “Tenho um caso de amor com a música brasileira desde que ouvi o álbum ‘Brazilian Love Affair’, de George Duke, e com esse novo álbum eu espero mostrar o que deflagrou esse amor, a partir de uma visão contemporânea, com a participação desses artistas que eu admiro muito e com o meu toque também”.

Mais em www.gillespetersonworldwide.com.

brasilobserver.co.uk 19

NINETEEN EIGHT-FOUR Filmmaing loses two great talents

By Ricardo Somera

At the beginning of February, Brazilian cinema lost Eduardo Coutinho, one of the most important documentary filmmakers in its history. Coutinho, responsible for modern classics like “Edifício Master” (2002), “Peões” (“Peons”, 2004), along with historical works like “Cabra Marcado Pra Morrer” (“Man Marked to Die”, 1984), was murdered by his son in his Rio de Janeiro home, according to initial investigations.

Coutinho was a great listener and director who created surprising documentaries as he brought out people’s experiences and at times surreal stories. From “Edifício Master”, in which Coutinho documented the lives of families living in a 12-storey apartment block in Copacabana to the legion of peons (labourers) strikes, led by former

President Lula, head of the union at the time, in the 1980s he brought unique experiences to the wider public. Though his technique of conducting lengthy interviews meant that not many of his films were translated so they were not well known outside of Brazil.

Coutinho liked to tell the story of real Brazilian people, the factory labourers, residents of Rio’s hills and those who were part of the syncretism of Brazilian religions. The recent social history of Brazil passed through the lens of Eduardo Coutinho and thanks to him is part of those who watch his films.

The country lost a major talent who had cast a light on the various “Brazils” to audiences at home and afar. To know the work of Coutinho,

is to understand the nation and the Brazilian people a little more of - essential for those who want a deeper insight into the country.

Tragically, on the same day – 2 February, the world of cinema lost another talent and the most versatile actor of our time, Philip Seymour Hoffman who died of a drug overdose aged just 46.

Hoffman won an Oscar his lead in for “Capote” (2005) and was well known and respected for countless memorable roles including cult-leader Lancaster Dodd (“The Master”), Rock journalist Lester Bangs (“Almost Famous”) and Father Brendan Flynn (Doubt). Hoffman did announce that he had sought help through rehab last year though his death came as a surprise to many and leaves an immutable gap in the performing arts.

The loss of Eduardo Coutinho and Philip Seymour Hoffman leaves cinema a poorer place

photos: Divulgation

Cabras marcados para morrer Por Ricardo Somera

No começo do mês de fevereiro o cinema brasileiro perdeu um grande nome, Eduardo Coutinho, um dos mais importantes cineastas do Brasil. O documentarista responsável por clássicos modernos como Edifício Master (2002) e Peões (2004), além de registros históricos como Cabra Marcado Pra Morrer (1984), foi assassinado a facadas em seu apartamento no bairro do Jardim Botânico (Rio de Janeiro) pelo próprio filho, de acordo com as primeiras investigações.

Coutinho era conhecido por ser um bom ouvinte, um diretor que deixava os personagens surpreender os expectadores a cada frame, com histórias surreais que pareciam roteirizadas de tão criativas – como o caso de Paulo Mata

(Edifício Máster), técnico de futebol que diz ter tirado a roupa em protesto a jogos comprados no campeonato carioca, ou a legião de peões que contam como foi a época vivida no ABC Paulista e a participação nas greves lideradas pelo ex-presidente Lula, na época sindicalista, na década de 1980 (Peões).

Eduardo gostava de contar a história do povo brasileiro, do trabalhador braçal das fábricas, dos moradores dos morros cariocas e do sincretismo das religiões brasileiras. A história do Brasil recente passou pelas lentes de Eduardo Coutinho e está nas memórias dos cinéfilos e também no Youtube.

O país perdeu um grande nome do cinema e

da sociedade que mostrava os diversos “Brasis” para os próprios brasileiros e para o mundo. Conhecer a obra de Coutinho é entender um pouco mais da nação e do povo brasileiro – indispensável para quem quer ter uma visão mais profunda de quem realmente somos e como agimos.

Coincidentemente, no mesmo dia 2 de fevereiro, o cinema mundial perdeu o mais talentoso e versátil ator da atualidade, Philip Seymour Hoffman. Hoffman ganhou o Oscar pelo filme Capote (2005) e fez papéis memoráveis como o guia religioso Lancaster Dodd (O Mestre), o padre Brendan Flynn (A Dúvida) e o radialista The Count (Os Piratas do Rock). Vai deixar uma lacuna nas artes cênicas.

20 brasilobserver.co.uk

Belo Horizonte: Packed with great local food, natural wonders and architectural beauties

TRAVEL Minas Gerais in Belo Horizonte is famed for it’s vibrant social and nightlife, and any duration of a stay will show that it really lives up to this expectation. Around restaurant and bar tables, “mineiros”, as the locals of Minas Gerais are nicknamed, treat eating and drinking as sacred acts and are quick to encourage visitors to join in this carefree way of life.

Inspiring architecture, breath taking natural beauty, good weather and of course great regional food, enchant many tourists, city catering for all tastes.

If you visit and wish to understand what the state of Minas Gerais and city of BH have accounted to the history of Brazil, reserve a day to tour the Liberty Square Cultural Circuit. Opened in 2010, the complex features of eight museums and cultural spaces and is home to one of the most

Photo: Cris Bonfatti Church of St. Francisco de Assis

BH: Das comidas típicas às belezas naturais e arquitetônicas

O que pensar de uma cidade que tem média de um bar para cada 170 pessoas? Pois é, este dado dá fama à badalada vida social de Belo Horizonte.

E faz jus a tradição de que, nas mesas dos mineiros, os prazeres de beber e comer são sagrados, aproximando as pessoas com o jeitinho acolhedor que o mineiro recebe seus visitantes.

As belezas arquitetônicas e naturais, as comidinhas típicas e o clima agradável de BH encantam e deixam a capital mineira mais charmosa, com muitas opções para todos os gostos.

Para entender o que o Estado de Minas Gerais e BH representam para a história do Brasil, indispensável fazer o Circuito Cultural Praça da Liberdade. Inaugurado em 2010, o complexo reúne oito museus e espaços culturais na região central, num dos cartões-postais da cidade, com experiências

famous views of the city.

If you are more of a design junkie than history buff, make sure you visit the Pampulha architectural complex designed by Niemeyer, which can be found 12 km from the centre. The area is a work of art in open space, the Church of St. Francisco de Assis, on the shores of the lagoon, is the most beautiful icon of BH. Gastronomic tour To enjoy the flavours Minas can offer, begin the day with a tasty breakfast, accompanied with local coffee and cheese bread. Then wonder around the Central Market and go on a discovery of colours, smells and sounds. Have lunch at one of the numerous restaurants specialising in local food, usually cooked to order right in front of diner’s eyes, proving that the flavours of Minas Gerais are

Photo: Visit Brazil Belo Horizonte overview

sensoriais além apreciação visual.

Já o Conjunto Arquitetônico da Pampulha, projetado por Niemeyer, a 12 km do centro, é uma obra de arte a céu aberto. A Igreja de São Francisco de Assis, às margens da lagoa, é a mais bela da cidade e um dos símbolos de Belo Horizonte.

Roteiro gastronômico Apreciar os sabores mineiros pode começar cedinho com um saboroso café de minas, acompanhado de um pão de queijo. Em seguida, partir para uma descoberta de cores, cheiros e sons num lugar único, que abriga diversos aspectos da cultura mineira: o Mercado Central. Deixe o almoço por conta das inúmeras opções de comidas típicas e feitas praticamente aos olhos do freguês, provando os sabores mineiros que são um verdadeiro patrimônio histórico.

brasilobserver.co.uk 21

Time Tunnel: Historic towns of Minas

something to be very proud of in the heritage of Brazilian culture.

End the day in the capital of “botecos” (a kind of pub), with great regional delicacies like sausage, cracklings, cassava or pasties, washed down with a cold beer or an authentic “cachaça”.

For those looking to embrace tradition to the most sophisticated foodies and hipsters there’s great local food and drink for everyone, especially if you head to the Savassi and Lourdes neighbourhoods.

Ecotourism The imposing mountain ranges of Serra do Curral almost as a frame to Belo Horizonte, visible from different parts of the city. Serra do Curral stands as one of the main symbols of the city and in late 2012, the site became a Municipal Park

filled with trails and places to explore. For those looking to connect with nature, the park has ten lookouts, three of which can be accessed quickly by walking along safe and well-marked roads, so you don’t need to be an intrepid explorer to discover them!

Though if you see yourself as a Bear Grylls type, you can explore the whole mountain, though you will need to schedule this with park’s authorities beforehand. For more information visit: www. parqueserradocurral.com.br.

After the discovery of gold and diamonds in the region, there was a massive migration of Portuguese people who previously lived on the coasts of Brazil. Between 1700 and 1800, the period of the Gold Cycle in Brazil, the historic towns in Minas Gerais were founded and much of the baroque architecture has been preserved till today.

This, coupled with the natural beauties of the landscape means that more tourists are attracted to the area, which is thankfully well equipped to deal with the influx of tourists with everything provided whether it’s hiking or eating that you’re there to do.

Here we give you a closer look at four of the region’s nine cities:

Tiradentes: This city is rich in traditional handicrafts (wood, brass, weaving), also some modern perks – known for its large supply of local sweets.

In Lago das Forras, there is a monument to the martyrs of the Minas Conspiracy, which sparked the independence movement in Brazil and gave the city it’s name.

Ouro Preto: The best known of all the cities of the region thanks to the magnificence of its buildings and the preservation of historic streets, Ouro Preto was named after the colour of the gold nuggets that were found in its mines, black on the outside and shiny within.

Photo: Visit Brazil Central Market

Photo: Visit Brazil and city of Tiradentes

Túnel do Tempo: Cidades históricas de Minas

Para acabar o dia na capital dos botecos, nada mais justo que um tour acompanhado por linguiça, torresmo e mandioca ou o pastelzinho de angu, chope gelado e em uma autêntica cachaça. Dos mais simples e tradicionais aos mais sofisticados e moderninhos, uma característica é comum a todos eles: o capricho na hora de preparar os petiscos tipicamente mineiros. Uma sugestão é são os bairros Savassi e Lourdes.

Ecoturismo Moldura de Belo Horizonte, visível de diferentes pontos da capital, a Serra do Curral se impõe como um dos principais símbolos da capital mineira. No final de 2012, o local virou Parque Municipal e agora conta com trilhas, mirantes e praças de convívio.

Para quem busca o contato com a natureza sem

muitos obstáculos, o parque conta com dez mirantes e os três primeiros podem ser acessados com pequenas caminhadas em estradas largas, seguras e bem sinalizadas.

Já os mais aventureiros têm a opção de fazer a travessia completa da serra. Neste caso, é necessário fazer o agendamento no parque. A duração estimada da trilha é de três horas. Mais informações: www.parqueserradocurral.com.br.

Depois da descoberta de ouro e diamante na região, houve uma massiva migração de portugueses que até então viviam no litoral do Brasil. Entre 1700 e 1800 - período do Ciclo do Ouro surgiram as cidades históricas de Minas Gerais, que até hoje preservam igrejas e monumentos que documentam a arte barroca da época.

Com as belezas naturais que formam o cenário da região, cada vez mais turistas são atraídos para o local, que conta com infra-estrutura necessária para a prática de esportes voltados à natureza, como caminhadas, rafting e escalada. Das nove cidades da região, o Brasil Observer selecionou quatro que são as mais conhecidas.

Tiradentes: Cidade rica em artesanato (em madeira, latão, tecelagem), com grande oferta também de doces mineiros. No Lago das Forras, há um monumento ao mártir da Inconfidência Mineira que dá nome ao município.

Ouro Preto: Mais conhecida entre todas as cidades de região pela magnificência de suas edificações e pela preservação das ruas, Ouro Preto ganhou o nome da cor das pepitas de ouro que foram encontradas em suas minas, pretas por fora e reluzentes por dentro. Em sua praça principal foram expostas partes do corpo de Tiradentes.

22 brasilobserver.co.uk

GOING OUT PENTA: BRAZILIAN FASHION EXHIBITION

EL CARACAZO February 25, 2014

February 10 – 18, 2014

Where Bolívar Hall / Tickets Free >> http://goo.gl/g0GM7L

Where Embassy of Brazil / Tickets Free >> culturalbrazil.org

El Caracazo is 2005 Venezuelan historical film that deals with the events of El Caracazo on 27 February 1989 in and around Caracas. It was produced and directed by the veteran Venezuelan filmmaker Roman Chalbaud. Part of the Bolíwood season.

Total Immersion: VILLA LOBOS

London-based designers, Barbara Casasola (photo), Lucas Nascimento and Fernando Jorge, as well as two emerging talents from Brazil, Vitorino Campos and Guilherme Vieira, participate in Brazil’s inaugural International Fashion Showcase exhibit.

Adriano Adewale & DELE SOSIMI

STONECRABS YOUNG DIRECTORS FESTIVAL

March 8, 2014

March 7, 2014

February 27, 28 & March 1, 2014 Where Albany Theatre / Tickets £5 per show or £12 per evening >> stonecrabs.co.uk

There’s no doubt Villa-Lobos was an iconoclast whose raw, zestful music gave expression to a vibrant new polyglot culture. We welcome Celso Antunes (photo) from Sao Paolo to conduct the BBC Singers, and soprano Anu Komsi, who is soloist in the popular and beautiful Bachiana brasileira No. 5. The concert is part of a day dedicated to the Brazilian composer.

The ABC Trust Danceathon will feature a diverse range of Brazilian dance lessons, including Axé, Frevo, Carnival Samba, Gafiera, Forro and Coco.

You can buy a ticket for £35 and take part in as many of the classes you like, or you can register for free and pledge to raise £100 to help thousands of children across Brazil.

Eight piece Afro-Brazilian band led by Adriano Adewale (photo) and singer/keyboard player Dele Sosimi will explore the magic of Brazil and Nigeria’s music, playing styles such as samba and Afro-beat.

Where Barbican Hall / Tickets £10-32

Where Rich Mix / Tickets from £12

>> http://goo.gl/BtSKJl

>> http://goo.gl/el53W8

“Desde 1992 servindo a Comunidade Brasileira”

Mudança segura e personalizada!

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COOL HUNTER

brasilobserver.co.uk 23

Sara, 27

Meri, 20

Charlote, 21

Ida, 25

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Francesca, 26 zazaoliva.com

24 brasilobserver.co.uk

MIND & SOUL

By Inner Space (innerspace.org.uk)

VALUES OF THE SOUL PEACE This is calmness and non-violence. It can relate to a reconnection with harmony and quite self contemplation. This can be peace with yourself, with others and with your past - if there is any aspect of the past that you have not reflected and accepted it will continue to affect the present, try and move on and be consistent in what you do.

PURITY This relates to the authenticity, sincerity, honesty and transparency of the soul. In modern life this is what we miss most, because we often leave the more authentic, real and pure self and reside in the periphery of being, taking up identities, roles, temporary and permanent labels.

LOVE True love is what you give to others without desire, without tethering, without control, without you or the other person losing their freedom.

With meditation, you can learn to recover this dimension of universal love.

THE INNATE WISDOM It is the wisdom of our intuition that guides us.

When you connect with your intuition, not failures, you become wise. To access this wisdom, we need to find this “connection” between intuition and conscience and we need to listen to it.

FREEDOM The basis of happiness is true freedom. Feel the true fullness of being, not a fullness that comes from the outside, but what emerges and spreads from the inside out.

Each of us is a star with five points. Each one is unique and should not be afraid to shine, be unique and be different. Meditation helps to hear the voice that tunes your being with originally peaceful, authentic, loving, wise and free.

The soulful spiritual being, has faculties of the mind to think, imagine, dream, wish; the intellect to analyse, reason, discern, decide and also the archive of memory, where we store our experiences, beliefs, habits and conditioning.

When we are aware of it, we realize that we are spiritual beings having a physical experience, not physical beings trying to have a spiritual experience. This awareness is like a five-pointed star, with each point representing one of the core values of the soul.

A alma, o ser espiritual, tem faculdades da mente para pensar, imaginar, sonhar, desejar; do intelecto para analisar, raciocinar, discernir, decidir; e também dos arquivos da memória, onde estão as lembranças, as crenças, os hábitos e os condicionamentos.

Quando estamos conscientes disso, sabemos que somos seres espirituais tendo uma experiência física, e não seres físicos tentando ter uma experiência espiritual. Esse ser é como uma estrela de cinco pontas.

Cada uma dessas pontas representa um dos valores essenciais da alma.

A PAZ É serenidade e não violência. É reconectar-se com a harmonia e estar tranqüilo consigo mesmo. A paz com os outros, a paz com seu passado – se houver algum aspecto do passado que você não superou ou integrou, isso afeta o presente – e ser coerente com o que faz.

A PUREZA A autenticidade, a sinceridade, a honestidade, a transparência. Hoje em dia isso é o que mais sentimos falta, porque deixamos o centro mais autêntico, real e puro do ser e residimos na periferia do ser: em identidades, papéis e rótulos temporários e passageiros.

O AMOR O amor verdadeiro é o que se dá ao outro sem desejar, sem se amarrar, sem controlar, sem a outra pessoa perder a liberdade e nem você a sua. Com a meditação, você aprende a recuperar essa dimensão do amor universal.

A SABEDORIA INATA É a sabedoria da nossa intuição, a que nos orienta. Quando você se conecta com sua intuição, não falha. Você, o ser, é sábio. Para acessar essa sabedoria, precisamos estar com essa “ligação” entre intuição e consciência bem apurada. E precisamos dar ouvidos a ela.

A LIBERDADE A base da felicidade é a verdadeira liberdade. Sentir a verdadeira plenitude do ser, uma plenitude que não vem de fora para dentro, mas que emerge e se transmite de dentro para fora.

Cada um de nós é uma estrela com cinco pontas. Cada um é único e não deve temer brilhar, ser único e ser diferente. A meditação ajuda a ouvir a voz que sintoniza com seu ser originalmente pacífico, autêntico, amoroso, sábio e livre.

VALORES DA ALMA Por Inner Space (innerspace.org.uk)

brasilobserver.co.uk 25

FOOD Lentil Soup

Sopa de Lentilha

P R E P A R A T I O N

P R E P A R A Ç Ã O

In a casserole dish, heat the olive oil and fry the garlic and onion until soft and translucent (about 7 minutes). Add the lentils, salt and 3 cups of hot water. Leave on medium heat until the lentils soften, about 20 minutes.

Add the potatoes, carrots, chorizo, pepper, basil and 2 cups of water cook for 10 minutes. Turn off the heat and stir in the parsley and chives. Serve immediately with crusty bread – perfect on a cold spring day!

Em uma panela de pressão aquecer o óleo ou azeite e refogar o alho e a cebola. Acrescentar lentilha, sal e três xícaras de água quente. Deixar no fogo até amolecer a lentilha, cerca de 20 minutos.

Acrescente batata, cenoura, calabresa, manjericão, pimenta e mais duas xícaras de água quente. Deixar por 10 minutos após pegar pressão. Desligar o fogo e colocar a salsinha e cebolinha. Servir em seguida.

Ingredients 1 and 1/2 cups lentils 3 potatoes, peeled and diced 1 large carrot, diced 1 red chili, deseeded (optional) Salt, basil, parsley and chives to taste 1 onion, chopped 2 cloves of garlic squeezed 10 cm chorizo, diced 2 table spoons olive oil

Ingredientes Ingredientes: 1 xícara e meia de lentilha 3 batatas descascadas e cortadas em cubos 1 cenoura grande em cubos 1 gomo de linguiça calabresa em cubos 1 pimenta dedo de moça sem sementes picadinha (opcional)

Sal, manjericão, salsinha e cebolinha a gosto 1 cebola picada 2 dentes de alho espremidos 2 colheres (sopa) de óleo ou azeite

By Luciane Sorrino