Passistas de Samba & Pão de Queijo Lovers

I am discovering again the Brazilian culture, I love the people and the way they approach you, in an informal and kind way, teaching you samba steps and offering you smiles and happiness with music and joy. 

View of the city of Goiânia, downtown

Along with dancing, which I am a real fan of and I love experimenting new dance styles, I am listening new Brazilian samba songs and authors that I wish to share with you. In my spare holiday time, I am meeting great people, learning to cook Pão de Queijo, which is one of the most wondrous and delicious food you can ever taste in all parts of Brazil. Here the recipe, the secret is polvinho azedo which in English is called sour starch and it comes from manioc or mostly known as Cassava, a woody shrub cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas of South America. It is a major source of carbohydrates and it looks like a tuber. When dried, the Cassava is called tapioca.

photo 1. preparing Pão de queijo with Miss Marina in the city of Caldas Novas                                  photo 2. Manioc roots in the fruits&veggies market of the city of Goiânia

Samba dance finds its roots in Africa via the West African slave trade and African religious traditions, particularly Angola and the Congo. It is recognized as the symbol of Brazil and the Brazilian Carnival and it is considered one of the most popular Brazilian cultural expressions. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization proclaimed Samba de Roda of the Recôncavo of Bahia a UNESCO Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2005. Samba de Roda, which involves music, dance and poetry, developed in the State of Bahia during the XVII century and it encompasses many different rhythms, tunes, drumming and dances of various periods and areas of the Brazilian territory.

                    

In the indigenous language, “samba” means roda de dança, or a circle to dance since the indigenous peoples dances in celebration on many occasions, such as the celebration of popular Catholic festivals, Amerindian or Afro-Brazilian religious ceremonies, but was also practiced as improvisation. The choreography is often spontaneous and is based on movements of the feet, legs and hips.

The rhythm of samba is the unusually accented syncopated beat. The syncopated rhythm is also an indication of Black resistance against cultural assimilation. The Samba of Roda was considered an expression of freedom and identity of the unprivileged and became a means of liberation.

             

Samba de Roda was eventually taken by migrants to Rio de Janeiro, where it influenced the evolution of the urban samba that became a symbol of Brazilian national identity in the XX century.

Annual Carnival in Rio de Janeiro with a colorful parade of Escolas de Samba

The musical instruments used for playing samba are cavaquinho– a small string instrument of the European guitar family with four or gut strings and various types of guitar, and various percussion instruments such as tamborim. It is a 2/4 tempo varies with the conscious use of a sung chorus to a batucada rhythm, a substyle of samba referring to the African influences Brazilian percussive style, usually performed by an ensemble, known as bateria, at a fast and repetitive pace. Other instruments include snare drums called caixas, agogô bells, surdos, ganzas/ chocalho (shakers), timbal, pandeiro and the repinique. The apito is often used by the leader to signal breaks and calls. The most interesting instrument which gives the special sound of samba is the cuica, listen to its solo sound here, and here in a samba song.

The Samba National Day is celebrated on December 2. The date was established at the initiative of Luis Monteiro da Costa, an Alderman of Salvador, in honor of the Brazilian composer, pianist, soccer commentator and talent-show TV and radio host Ary Barroso. He composed “Na Baixa do Sapateiro” even though he had never been in Bahia. Thus 2 December marked the first visit of Ary Barroso to Salvador. Initially, this day was celebrated only in Salvador, but eventually it turned into a national holiday.

Enjoy the colors of the Samba and why not becoming a Passista (Samba dancer!) ? 🙂

Samba Playlist:

Não deixe o Samba morrer– Maria Rita

Roda- Elis Regina

Canto de Ossanha ( A Vida tem Sempre Razão)– Seu Jorge

Saudosa Maloca– Herois de Botequim

Magalenha– Sergio Mendes

Nas asas da da canção– Nelson Sargento

Expressão do teu olhar- Candeia

Sem ilusão– Elton Medeiros

Miragem– Guilherme de Brito

A flor e o espinho– Nelson Cavaquinho

Quem Me Vê Sorrindo– Cartola 

O sol e a Brisa– Zeca Pagodinho

Sede- Jorge Aragão

Sabor do Samba– Patricio Teixeira

Vai Saudade- Heitor dos Prazeres (1965)

Este samba foi feito pra você – Mário Reis (1935)

Para O Samba Entrar No Céu- Almirante & Bando de Tangarás (1931)

Brasil Pandeiro– Beth Carvalho e Ivete Sangalo

Herois de Botequim in Café Nice, Goiânia- Brazil

Vegetable cake & colors of Brazil

This Thursday blog is dedicated to veggies, the colors of Brazil and the history of its flag. I wish to guide you through the preparation of a easy and very delicious dish, to gather friends for a nice happy hour: salty cake with vegetables, fresh and ready for the summer time!

Ingredients:

As veggies: carrots, peas, potatoes, fennel ( you can mix or add other veggies, as you prefer) 

Use: olive oil, salt & parsley as seasoning

Add: 2 eggs, 100 gr of grated cheese, 1 roll of puff pastry, also called “pâte feuilletée”, to be found in any grocery store.

Put in a pan peas, 2 potatoes, 4 carrots, fennel, turn on the oven and start cooking the veggies with olive oil, salt and a pinch of parsley. Cover the pan and leave it to cook- but always check for the veggies not to get sticky in the pan- cook for around 20 minutes. Turn off the oven and let cool it down.

Take 2 eggs and the grated cheese and add them to the veggies. Mix everything.

Take a baking pan and roll out the puff pastry and add all the veggies dough you have just created.

Put it in the oven and leave it at 180 degrees for 40 minutes.

Tip: use a cooking brush to spread some water around the crust, to make it more golden!

As you can see from the picture, the veggies’ colors are like the Bandeira do Brasil, the Brazilian flag, officially adopted on November 19th 1889, replacing the flag of the Empire of Brazil. The concept was the work of Raimundo Teixeira Mendes (1855-1927) a Brazilian philosopher and mathematician originally from Maranhão. The green field and the yellow rhombus from the previous imperial flag were preserved- the green represented the House of Braganza of Pedro I, the first emperor of Brazil, while the yellow represented the House of the Habsburg of his wife, Empress Maria Leopoldinha. A blue circle with 27 white five-pointed stars replaced the arms of the Empire of Brazil. The stars, represent the Union’s Federated Units- each star representing a specific state, plus one for the Federal District.

The motto, Ordem e Progresso ( “Order and Progress”) is inspired by Auguste Comte’s (1798-1857, French philosopher) motto of positivism: L’Amour pour principe et l’ordre pour base: le progrès pour but (“Love as a principle and order as the basis, progress as the goal”).

Here a quote about Love from Anaïs Nin (1903-1977) a Cuban author who lived and produced novels, journals, short stories, essays and erotica between France and the United States of America.

Songs while cooking:

Dream on– Aerosmith

It takes a fool to remain sane– The Ark

Radioactive– Imagine Dragons

Electric feel- MGMT

You get what you give– New Radicals

Blue moon– Billie Holiday

Vogue– Madonna

Lady ( Hear me tonight) – Modjo

Coming up roses– Keira Knightley

Velha Infancia– Tribalistas

Congregation– Foo Fighters

Owner of a Lonely Heart– Yes

It’s a love thing– The Whispers

A night to remember– Shalamar

Summertime- DJ Jazzy & The Fresh Prince

Ciao and see you next week!

@GaiaParadiso

January 26 2015: on Love and Life Planets

January 26th is to me the very first day of my Year. 26 days after the Gregorian Calendar’s New Year. 

In addition to being India’s Republic Day, celebrated on this date of 1950, and Australia Day, which commemorates the establishment of the first European settlement at Port Jackson, now part of Sydney, in 1788, I will fast forward on time and tell you why this date has a special place in my heart ( and I am also quite fond of India and Australia, so many places to discover!)

It is a time of spiritual awakening, reflections and a cold energizer, for whom is living in the northern hemisphere now ( and it is cold, trust me). Fueling on life, the first 26 days are somewhat analytical, where everyone seems to be observing days coming by and organizing activities, workload, courses, family trips, trying to set everything ready, because, deep inside, we know that we, as human beings, are subject to many change of plans, life, mindsets, surprises and unexpected events along the 365 days that we call “a full year” and that labels our time here on the planet.

With that said, every January is full of chocolate, family, boots and smiles, meeting new people and embracing new challenges. To me January 26^th is also a special day to remember.

In my short life experience, two people that indelibly marked my life are Roberto and Giuseppe. Two wondrous friends, born on the same day on the opposite sides of the globe. Brazil and Italy. January 26^th. 10 years difference more or less.

Two great friends that truly connected me to the world and made me feel I was attached to Earth with my feet.  The two weights that balanced my crazy Libra sign.  Two people who never met, but who have so much in common. First of all, the Smiles.  Smiles of people who know the real meaning of life, who make efforts everyday . People devoted to work and to family, who deeply love life and celebrate it every day despite the hustle and bustle. Two people who, when they meet you, welcome you to their world with a huge smile and hug that you could never forget. They start by giving you chocolate, pocket coffee in Italy and sonhos de valsa in Brazil, to taking your hand to their civic responsibilities for building a better world, all to way to opening their hearts to you, showing you the way of how to love and piano piano, to train you.

The training period can be long or short, depending on timing and circumstances. You may perceive it as deep suffering or extreme love, depending on your maturity level I would say. The final goal is the same though: they teach you what they know about human love and make you generate it into others. Like a light and a fire that never goes out and stays inside you forever. Without you even realizing it. They build the roots in you and you learn by looking at your teachers, your role models and examples of love in front of you.

It is so tough when you do not see them, because in our mind we think that if something or someone is not there, physically with you, it or she/he does not exist or is doing something else therefore she/he already forgot about you. Life is hectic and crazy busy, with time differences, seasons, politics, world happenings and personal life achievements and roads to take. However, even if you do not see, they are always there, close to you.

For you to imagine them, they both look like Roberto Benigni in a way, their tremendous sense of humor involves you, they make you laugh and they are able to turn misfortunes into fun moments. They care about you, as if you were a sister or a close member of their family. They trust you and they give you their full encouragement and support. They never ask for anything, also if they are suffering,  and this is when their training comes into your life. If you are able to listen and to understand them, you can do it for others as well. They test you, so that you can see and exercise the art of love, and, as life goes by, you put in practice their life lessons, enshrined in your soul, and which will permanently stay.

Giuseppe used to tell me “Paradiso ( my last name), please get down to earth, don’t be so idealist!”. With this said, he has always tried to protect me from the bad side of the world, where wars, deaths, envy and jealousy predominate. He has always wanted to see me happy and fully satisfied with life, spreading  kind words and meaningful and positive actions.

Roberto used to tell that love is invisible to the eyes, and it is in the actions.  He showed me that we are all part of the same humanity and we MUST take care of every person. We are all interdependent and no one should feel abandoned or excluded. We are here to help one another, and solidarity is that what keeps us together.

Both of them taught me that unity strengthens us. If we are together, we can move the world forward for the better. WE can move mountains, change behaviors, teach love, care and happiness.

I would have so many stories to tell you, so many moments, so many minutes spent with these two incredible people. But as I believe in love and world interconnections, I will leave you with two songs that remind me of them, and which I hope you will listen and enjoy as I always do. Hopeful and confident that one day I will meet them again, despite the kilometers that keep us apart (for the moment);  that they too will get the chance to meet one another and hug; and that you, who are reading this post, can have the chance to meet them. A new world encounter. Ready to open our hands to the infinite possibilities that life gives us.

Ti sento– Ligabue

Oração ao tempo– Maria Gadù

And this is my song for you Roberto & Giuseppe:

True Love– Coldplay

Happy Birthday! Buon compleanno!!! Feliz Aniversário!

A huge hug from Ostia-Roma! ( picture taken 2 days ago 🙂 )

Grazie di tutto!! Obrigada por tudo!!