Ten years ago Brazil had no public policy towards its youth. This July the country celebrated the 10th anniversary of a federal statute that defends the rights of minors and is considered model legislation worldwide.
By Brazzil Magazine

In reference to Brazzil's article "Brazil 101", anybody who even needs to ask this question, "Is Brazil all it's cracked up to be," shouldn't go there. It doesn't matter who your friend happens to be or the CD's you like; if you asked this ridiculous question you don't get it. As for your wife, if she watched a TV documentary about the youth of this country particularly the treatment of Native American, Black and Latino youth she'd wonder why she's got her foot in this one. We have more African American young men in jail than South Africa. I'm not Black or Brazilian, but I love Brazil and I go there once a year. Thank you for a great magazine.

I just read an article in Brazzil about foreigners working in Brazil. I am an American that is going to be visiting Brazil in a few weeks and I must say I am outraged at those people that don't take the time to learn about their host country. I myself have been in a few foreign countries and I have found that if I were to take the time to learn some of that country, the people there enjoy it and are friendly. I feel as though I have to say something about this because it isn't right to just go there knowing nothing. I have learned a lot about Brazil and I am still learning, But Brazil is a wonderful place from what I see and I have a hard time reading this and I feel as though I must apologize for these people. I hope that some people read this and if only one person takes the time to learn about another country, then writing this is worth it.

I am renewing my subscription and will put a check in the mail today. I think you magazine is great, and since I am trying to "improve" my Portuguese, I especially like the fact that some articles are written in Portuguese as well as English. I also think your articles "tell it like it is" (giving both sides to the story), and that's fantastic. Many other countries face similar problems, but I sometimes wonder if the issues are addressed as candidly.

I would take exception though, to your suggestion (on-line "About us"), that your magazine is primarily for those who know little about Brazil. In your Letters to the Publisher department I see contributions from many Brasileiros, and I personally think Brazzil is for anyone who is interested in world affairs. My wife is from Teresina, Piauí and we spend a great deal of time there. She also finds the articles very interesting, and many of them contribute to lively discussions. Keep up the good work!

P.S.: I am looking for a Brazilian manufacturer or source for native crafts and artwork. I am especially interested in Blue Morphos butterflies, mounted, or encased in plastic. If anyone knows of a source, my e-mail address is: densau@worldnet.att.net 

I'm looking for information on Antonio Houaiss's work as a translator, mainly on his translation of Joyce's Ulysses. Can you help me? It's difficult to get hold of this kind of information in Portugal. Thank you very much for your help.

I have just been searching the Internet for a Brazil chat site, and I came across John Miller's "Postcards from Brazil," which I enjoyed reading immensely. In 1974 I was an exchange student in the state of São Paulo...hence my interest. I have not kept in contact with the families I knew there unfortunately, and as we have just connected to the Internet I decided to look for some sites on Brazil. I visited Rio for about three weeks during the year I spent there, and from your `postcard' it sounds as though not a lot has changed. It was a great experience for a teenager and it left me with a multitude of memories, thoughts and feelings that have remained over the years. I have traveled quite a bit, but the time I spent in Brazil will always be unique.

I have been following the music of Daniela Mercury for many years now and I caught Bruce Gilman's great article on the Web about Daniela. You probably know by now that DM is performing at the Hollywood Bowl September 10 and I can't wait to see her. DM is coming for the first time to L.A. and her performance will definitely kick butt at the Bowl.

I am the editorial coordinator of Cristina magazine in Miami. I saw in your Webpage an article on Thaís Araújo. She was on the cover of Manchete magazine. I've been trying to contact them but no one ever answer. Is there anyway that you can help me locate them. We will like to purchase the picture on the cover.

I want to say that Cardoso is another Bill Clinton who seeks to disarm the good people and make them helpless before thugs and renegade government agents. This is the way Clinton does things with executive orders; so has Cardoso done this evil deed to the good people of Brazil.

As was reported in the AP story of June 22nd "This is not a six-month ban," Sprovieri said by phone. "It's going to last forever, because the government can and will renew the decree until the law (on gun control) is passed." Norman Gall, executive director of the Fernand Braudel Institute of World Economics, a São Paulo-based think tank that has studied violence, agrees the decree "will have absolutely no impact on diminishing crime."

"Legally purchased weapons are not the problem," Gall said. "The illegal ones, mostly bought on the contraband market are the problem." He said the ban could even increase the demand for illegal weapons "like prohibition did with booze in the United States." Cardoso is a good for nothing.

My family and I are hoping to adopt a son (infant up to 6 year old). Is it possible to find someone in Brazil to help? Can we adopt without using an American agency that charges a lot of money? We want to legally adopt without paying a high agency fee. We hosted an exchange student from Brazil recently and we have contacts in his city, but we need someone who knows about adoptions and will be able to advise us, etc.

I am an American in Chicago, but my heart is in Brazil! Please e-mail me any info you may have on Brazilian events/clubs in Chicago!

Have been to Brazil, twice! Spent most of my five months in Bahia and loved it, especialmente o clima do Carnaval. Am interested in checking out your magazine and will possibly submit an article with photos about my experience. Have you done anything like that before?

I am a Portuguese Professor for the University of Alabama. Are you guys interested in giving me a year of free subscription of the magazine? This way I can introduce the magazine to my students and to the staff.

I was stationed in Recife Brazil for 16 months during World War II from 12/31/42 to 4/18/44. I was a member of the Army Air Force Camp Ibura Recife. I am searching for information.

Your article about poverty was wonderful and so true; each month I send money to five children in the Northeast of Brazil and I am comforted by knowing that I am doing the right thing.

I am a writer and would be glad to write an article for the magazine on a subject that is dear to me, and one that would be of interest to everyone, and beneficial to the children. However, I am in dire need of employment and would like to work in Brazil. However, my understanding is that I need sponsorship. I have recently started taking Portuguese lessons, I have a private tutor but I have no exposure to the Brazilian culture nor do I have any friends to speak Portuguese with. So, I'm not getting very far. My pronunciation is horrible and the language is very difficult for me.

I would like to go to Brazil tomorrow if possible. I was told that I could teach English there without teaching credentials, what are your thoughts on that subject? I would love to teach the children English and help them in any way that I can. If I could meet someone of influence I could put my plans into action and the country would benefit. How would I reach someone such as Pelé?

I am very sincere about my goals and intentions. My father was Brazilian and my spirit wants to be in Brazil. I plan to speak, to read and to write in Portuguese fluently, so that I can help others and myself. My desire is to live in Brazil. And, I know that if I lived in Brazil I would learn to speak Portuguese much faster.

A Brazilian friend gave me a copy of Brazzil and I love it. Being a student of Portuguese and Brazilian culture, this is a priceless resource!

Recently I ran into a Brazilian cartoon in the Net. I found it to be funny and entertaining. The cartoonist has real talent. I was wishing you would consider putting her cartoons into your magazine. Needless to say, I enjoy reading the Portuguese stories in the magazine and would be great to allow the cartoons to appear in it too. Please consider it. I think it would be a real plus. Here is the address for you to check it out: http://www.geocities.com/madalenaebafafa/  

Are you sure the Portuguese are to blame for slavery in Brazil? From my knowledge of Brazilian history, Portugal had to obey the British Crown. Are you also blaming the Portuguese for slavery in the USA? The power of England was above that of Portugal and France. The Portuguese were "servants" of the British Crown...Slavery was a human tragedy, a shame for humanity, an unforgivable stain in history. Inexcusable!

Dear Bruce Gilman, at last I have a short summer break with an opportunity to catch up with my correspondence and I thought it only fair to write to you first. I am sorry that after the brief thank you note I never had time to tell you properly how I appreciate your article on my son Suba ("New World Sonority"). I cannot begin to tell you what it meant to me to read such a thorough and in-depth presentation of my son's work.

It is very rare in our profession to read an article such as yours in which a reader can feel the genuine interest and respect for the subject under the journalistic skill. Not only is your article far from an impersonal collection of superficial information, it also shows profound understanding of Suba's music and character. For this I am profoundly grateful. I do hope that one day I will have the chance to meet you and who knows, it could even be here in this crazy country. As I consider you to be a great friend of my son's, you will be most welcome.

Bruce Gilman, your interview with Carlos Malta stirred me deeply. Mind you, he did the talking but you had the gift of drawing him out by asking the right questions and listening intelligently, so to speak. Chapéu, senhor! All of that got me thinking about my old friend Ronoel Simões in Bixiga, São Paulo. Back in the 80s, during one of his famous Saturday open houses I had been doing some trading of guitar records from that great collection of his. He mentioned on one of the last visits that someone from California was arranging for his collection to go to University of California (I think). Could that have been you by chance?

Also, do you happen to have any details of the 1988 breakup of Hermeto with Som da Gente? I was in there a fair bit just before then, but have lost contact with Teresa and Walter Santos since then. Once again, thank you for your fine work. Now, I know I am going to have to read everything you write…

Dear Bruce Gilman, thank you for your article on Suba: "New World Sonority." I just found it last night. I was happy to see transcriptions of the lyrics from the album. Also, thanks for the links.

I'm a teacher from Londrina, Paraná, Brazil. In my school we are preparing a project called Brazil 500 years and we wanna know news about Brazil which you read there. About people (personalities), music, environment, culture and so on. I wanna know if you can send me articles about how people from other countries see Brazil. I'll thank you so much if you help me as soon as you can.

The article "Chain and Blood" on slavery is an excellent stroll through Brazilian history, and the description of those ice-cold beers make me thirsty just looking at the page. Has Mr. Blazdell written anymore on like subjects? Brazzil is an excellent magazine.

I came across your magazine a few years ago. I loved reading it then and I love it still now. I was wondering if you all could help me with a slight problem I'm having. I live in New York City, but I do not know any Brazilian. Can you believe that? From what I have read there are about 500,000 Brazilians in the New York area. Where are they? I know that there are places like SOB's, but do real Brazilians frequent such places? Please Help! Frustrated and confused in New York.

Does your publication (or any that you know of) have a listing of the most popular songs in Brazil (Portuguese and English) for 1983, specifically August? I'm trying to track down a song I frequently heard there during a visit.

I received this message (attached) recently regarding legislation to reduce the forests of Brazil by an extraordinary amount. Not being the type of person that takes the written word as gospel (especially from unreliable sources like the Internet) I would like to know if, in your opinion, there is any truth to its claims. Look forward to your comments.

I look forward to receiving your exciting mag. Do you have an email version, as I will be traveling overland to Brazil in September and would like to receive it on my email. Just a thought.

Please, send me a free magazine. I also would like to know how do I go about having an article on a Brazilian bodywork and psychotherapeutic method published by your magazine, if it is at all possible.

I'm a Korean graduate student majoring in Latin American studies and I want to continue my research about this region, especially Brazil.

I was wondering if you could help me. I am currently in the process of making a short, student film about Brazilian influenced electronic music. I would be grateful if you could point me to articles within your website that would be of use to me.

I am a free-lance writer and will be traveling to Rio next month. I would love to write an introduction to Rio's food for your readers. Would you be interested in something like this. If so, how many words should it be? You can view my bio and some writing samples at www.travelwriters.com/evecarr and, in addition to my print publications, I have a column on www.suite101.com called Global Gourmet.

I'm producing a Brazilian band called Enganjaduz and I would like to know if you could help me find who promotes events with foreigner bands. Enganjaduz is a group created by Jimmy Luv and Sandro Black and they play hip hop and sing in Portuguese. I am with Jimmy Luv in New York and we are tying to make some contacts. If you think that you can help us, please let us know.

I need a copy of your magazine to take to my Spanish class. I realize that the national language is Portuguese, but we also study Brazil since it's a South American country surrounded by Spanish speaking countries. I am sure that a large number of your business, educational, and political professionals also speak Spanish. I am interested in any comment that you might have and may be able to include them in my report.

I am glad to have found your Web site and I want to receive your magazine.

Sou professora de português e tenho um site de português para estrangeiros que já pode ser acessado em http://www.sonia-portuguese.com . Estou recomendando Brazzil no meu site e gostaria de saber se você também poderia recomendar meu site de português como língua estrangeira no seu site.

Produzimos um livro sobre violência na Bahia abrangendo diversos aspectos da realidade contraditória entre o mundo bonito do turismo de Antônio Carlos Magalhães e do dia-a-dia entre a fome e a morte violenta da maioria da população. O livro se chama A Outra Face da Moeda e conta com a colaboração de vários intelectuais de diversas áreas. Além disso contém uma pesquisa sobre homicídios na Região Metropolitana de Salvador entre 1996 e 1999 (com resultados mais do que preocupantes) e um dossiê sobre violência policial. Se existir interesse favor entrar em contato.

Gostaria de pedir aos senhores que incluíssem a Praia da Reserva no seu roteiro de praias de naturismo no Rio de Janeiro. Aqui no Rio estamos travando uma batalha com a prefeitura para legalizá-la como praia de naturismo. Gostaríamos muito do apoio dos senhores, toda ajuda será bem vinda. Estamos com uma página em www.naturismo.cjb.net e dentro em estaremos também com um jornal virtual.

Send your
comments to
Brazzil

---

Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites