Getting a Brazilian
Different from many of the ethnic communities in our area, expat Brazilians do not hold parades in celebration of their Independence Day. Instead, they put together a party of humongous proportions. Kicking off at noon on Aug. 31, Brazilian Day attracts over a million people every year. This is a crowd that parties hard but doesnt get caughtNYPD statistics show a small number of summonses and arrests, despite the fact that the crowded neighborhood bars begin selling caipirinhas way before most of us make it to brunch.
This years celebration includes rock guitarist Lulu Santos (pictured), who burst into the music scene in the early 1980s. Now 55, he continues to reinvent himself by incorporating new technologies into his sound and has become a legend in his own right. Also on the lineup is singer-songwriter Jorge Ben Jor, best known here for writing Mas Que Nada, a bossa nova–era tune that holds the title of the most played song in the U.S. sung entirely in Portuguese.
I want to bring a little bit of Brazil to fans, said Jor. He also said that he will play a hit-filled set, charged with happiness, energy and harmony, which is the biggest contribution that Brazilian immigrants bring to the U.S.
The latest inclusion to the party is a cleansing ritual on 46th St. done a day before the festivities. On Saturday at 9 a.m., a group of women clad in white dresses will walk the extension of Little Brazil Street between Madison and Sixth avenues, chanting and throwing perfumed water on the sidewalk to drive evil spirits away. The Afro-Brazilian ritual is inspired by a similar event that has taken place in Bahia for over two hundred years. In addition to the police presence, its one more reason to feel protected as you dance your troubles away.