Brazilian Connections - Connections Group

Event organized by Brazilian Connections, with the support of the Embassy of Brazil and PETROBRAS

Behind the scenes of a carnival...
By Dania Roberta Acevedo

Before the much expected arrival of the guests, excitement filled the air. It is like a group of actors waiting backstage to enter a scene. The staff of the host bar which basically comprised local employees, saw in this event a crucial test of wit as they were to come face to face with an authentic Brazilian crowd.
Antes dos convidados chegarem pairava no ar muita expectativa. Algo que se pode comparar a um grupo de artistas que, no camarim, se prepara para entrar em cena. A equipe do bar anfitrião, constituída basicamente de funcionários locais, via nesse evento sua prova de fogo.


The journey to the day of reckoning was one loaded with mixed feelings. The beginning was a touch of the 'tail-of-eye', watching a foreigner boss around the familiar grounds of the local staff. The feelings were a combination of curiosity and pure fascination. The fascination was more for what I represented and had to convey to them for their understanding what the word 'Carnaval' inspires: joy, cadence, zest for life; including 'musicality', refined palate for good food whose typical fragrances were filling up the air from the improvised kitchen that was set up for the night.

A well-hidden, but frequently visited feature was Maria. She is a fellow Brazilian comrade who arrived on this faraway island 12 years ago. She was intimidated by the prospect of her debut. Now I can admit publicly that it was truly her first time . . . preparing finger foods, just to set the record straight.Every first time has its share of surprises and we were all assaulted by a huge one. The 'Coxinhas' (Brazilian finger food) previously frozen were promised to be the stars of the night; suddenly, when in contact with the oil, they literally crumbled. The delicacy lost its voluptuous appeal and crumbled into porridge. Pandemonium!

Um pouquinho escondida, estava a Maria. Uma compatriota nordestina, que chegou a essas terras longínqüas há 12 anos. Notava-se que estava ainda dominada pelo medo da estréia . Agora posso confessar publicamente que era a sua primeira vez, fazendo salgadinhos, é claro ! E como toda primeira vez sempre traz surpresas, fomos todos assaltados por uma das grandes : as coxinhas que, quando congeladas, prometiam ser as estrelas da noite, depois de colocadas no azeite, começaram literalmente a se desmantelar. Pânico geral !...

I called Andrea immediately,a dear member of our group and our First Lady in Singapore, the Ambassador's wife. "Andrea, please, bring all the Brazilian finger foods," I requested. Already delayed in attending another official function, Andrea arrived in a hurry with our Ambassador bringing the bags of 'Empadinhas' and other delightful foods, in response to a premonition she had the previous night. Soon we realized that it was a 'false alarm' as Maria's 'Coxinhas' had recovered their dignity when being placed duly in hot oil, as they should have been.It was a lost opportunity to prove the culinary talent of Andrea but it was a privilege to count on our worthy official representatives and friends as participants in our event. Looking back, some may have thought it as a fantastic PR strategic move.

Foi nesse momento que apelei para a Andréa, pessoa querida de nosso grupo e também a nossa “primeira dama” em Cingapura, ou seja, a esposa do senhor Embaixador do Brasil. "Andréa, pelo amor de Deus, traga todos os seus salgadinhos!". Já atrasada para comparecer a outro compromisso, chegou às pressas com nosso Embaixador, trazendo empadinhas e outras delícias que, por pura intuição, havia preparado na noite anterior.Graças a Deus foi um falso o alarme ! As coxinhas da Maria já haviam recuperado sua dignidade ao serem colocadas, devidamente, em óleo bem quente.

And the night had just begun... Serenaded by the best of Brazilian music, the signature of good taste and sensitivity of another facilitator, Elegie Santini; and as backdrop - the images of our "Sambodromo" (famous Brazilian parade) which captured the attention of the enraptured staff. On a personal touch, I played Hostess at the door receiving guests who were, until that point, just anonymous names signed in an email confirmation message. The e-mail response was overwhelming and it was regrettable that we could not accommodate all during that evening.

E assim começou a noite... ao som da melhor seleção de MPB, com a assinatura e sensibilidade da Élégie Santini, e com as imagens do nosso sambódromo no telão que, sem dúvida, traziam nostalgia aos convidados e captavam a atenção de um extasiado staff.Para dar aquele toque pessoal, estive na porta recebendo os convidados que eram, até então, apenas nomes assinados em e-mails de confirmação. E-mails que, nos últimos dias, começaram a se multiplicar, assim como as ligações telefônicas, solicitando lugares que escasseavam.

The evening was a revelation to me as I understood that our community needed to be together in their own familiar environment besides coexisting with Singapore. My mind is now coloured with the photographs depicting the joy of our people at the Carnaval Bar which became our corner, our home for that night.After the surprising drama, everything started falling into place to the organizers' delight. A brief and heartfelt improvised speech by our Ambassador, a lucky draw, t-shirts kindly offered by Petrobras, invitations were announced to the popular 'Café Morning' of Deise Cavalheiro and a thumping performance by talented local percussionists and singers – lovers of the Brazilian culture. The crowd lost itself in the serenades of the samba, the lambada and other tropical rhythms that kept them on their feet throughout the night.

Foi uma constatação reveladora sentir que a comunidade brasileira está carente de convívio em Cingapura. Ficaram registrados em minha mente e nas fotografias, os semblantes alegres da nossa gente que, nessa noite, fez do "Bar Carnaval " do Chijmes, um cantinho brasileiro, a sua casa.E rolou de tudo : discurso improvisado do nosso Embaixador, rifa, convites para os cafés na casa da Deise, show de batucada, performance de dançarinas e até banda ao vivo que arranhou a nossa Aquarela do Brasil. O pessoal caiu no samba, dançou forró, lambada e outros ritmos até altas horas.

At the end of the night, everyone left satisfied with the lingering flavour of Maria's now famous delicatessen and the sweetness of our 'Caipirinhas'. Long lasting in our hearts and minds were the fondly missed flavours of Brazil and the bright colours of the yellow and green that have etched themselves into the retinas of our participants, colours that are more intense and brighter when we are this far.

This was the heat of the Brazilians when they are together. This is the flavour of the Carnaval.

See you at the next one !!!

Na boca ficou o tempero dos salgadinhos, da agora famosa Maria, a doçura das batidas e caipirinhas feitas no capricho. Na retina, ficaram as côres verde e amarelo que parecem mais vibrantes quando se está longe. Ficou o calor de nossa gente junta... Ficou o gostinho do nosso Brasil ... Ficou o sabor do Carnaval ...

Até a próxima !!!

posted by Viva Brasil Magazine @ 7:22 PM