cluding samba, clas-
sical guitar and per-
cussion performances
as well as Brazilian
films, arts
and a vari-
ety of
children’s
activities.
Brazilian Music,
dance, workshops
and more filled Seat-
tle Center from noon
– 8 p.m. Aug. 19 at
the 9th
annual Brasil-
Fest, Brazilian Cul-
tural Festival.
The day-long event
celebrated the di-
verse cultures of Bra-
zil (Brasil in Portu-
guese) from the folk
traditions of its in-
digenous people to
the melting pot of
Europeans and even
Japanese immigrants.
BrasilFest, started
nine years ago to in-
troduce the North-
west to this wildly
diverse South Ameri-
can country.
The event included a
variety of music in-
BrasilFest 2007.
Special Guests: Grupo Brasil Tchê and Sergio Augusto.
New Jersey-based group of
11 children and 5 adults,
Brasil Tchê showcased
dances of the ―gaucho‖ or
Brazilian cowboy culture
from the far south of Bra-
zil.
Sergio Augusto gave to
Seattle classical the guitar
in the style of the famous
Bossa Nova music of Brazil
with a musician who was
enmeshed in the scene in
1960s Sao Paulo. After 25
years, he returned to the
music scene several years
ago with his clear, smooth
voice and a passion for this
soulful Brazilian music.
Brazil Center seeks to serve a broad community of all ages and backgrounds, residing in or visiting the
greater Northwest. This includes those who are curious about Brazilian culture and are looking for an
initial exposure, friends and regular guests of Brazilian cultural events, and people of Brazilian heritage.
Throughout Brazilian events in recent years, we have witnessed a growth of the Brazilian community,
especially in the Greater Seattle area.
Brazil Center News
Your Brazilian Festival of Washington State.
O seu festival brasileiro do Estado de Washington.
Inside this
issue:
History 2
What is Brasil-
Fest?
2
What is Festál? 2
Organizations 3
Performers 3
Donors 3
This is BrasilFest 4
9/04/07 Volume 1, Issue 1
Special points of
interest:
The Portuguese first
arrived in Brazil on
April 22, 1,500
The Jesuits fathers
made use of the mu-
sic to catechize the
Indians by replacing
the original words
with religious ones
using Tupi-Guaraní
language
BrasilFest was cre-
ated in 1999 by Bra-
zilian immigrants
Eduardo and Ana
Paula Mendonça
with the mission to
expose our commu-
nity to Brazilian arts
and traditions dur-
ing the week of the
Brazilian Folklore
Day. This is a
unique mission, as this
day is not usually cele-
brated outside of Bra-
zil. In Brazil, this event
is an important educa-
tional tool in continu-
ing Brazilian folkloric
traditions. BrasilFest
mission goes
beyond keep-
ing traditions
alive; it com-
bines tradi-
tional and
contemporary
Brazilian ex-
pressions.
Under umbrella of Ba-
hia Street, a Seattle
nonprofit organization
led by Dr. Margaret
Willson, BrasilFest de-
buts its first Festival
with the presence of
Dori Caymme (photo)
as special guest artist.
From 2000 to
2003, our um-
brella organiza-
tion was Ethnic
Heritage Council
that still sup-
porting Brasil-
Fest as organi-
zation until the present
days.
In 2004, Brazil Center
was formed as a non-
profit organization ac-
quiring the federal 501
(C3) status.
namic and varied com-
munity.
This collection of
events is produced by
Seattle Center and indi-
vidual cultural organi-
zations, and is pre-
sented by The Seattle
Times with generous
support from Safeco
Insurance, Toyota,
Wells Fargo and KUOW
94.9 FM. Additional
Seattle Center's Safeco
Insurance Festál pre-
sented by The Seattle
Times is a year-long
series of world cultural
events that honors the
richness and diversity
of the Pacific North-
west.
Safeco Insurance Festál
plays a vital part of Se-
attle Center's role in
connecting our dy-
support is provided by
Verizon Wireless, The
Paul G. Allen Family
Foundation, The Boeing
Company, Seattle Cen-
ter Fund, the City of
Seattle and Seattle's
Child.
BrasilFest is part of
Festál.
History
What is Festál?
sent a broad repertoire
of traditional and con-
temporary Brazilian ex-
pressions as well as
traditional folkloric per-
formers. BrasilFest
leads you to experience
all that this exuberant
and vivid culture has to
offer, from Capoeira
(Brazilian martial arts),
demonstrations and
workshops for all ages,
Samba workshops, chil-
dren's activities, Brazil-
ian instruments, arts
and crafts, photo exhib-
its and films. BrasilFest
is the first annual cele-
bration of Brazilian cul-
ture in Washington
State, drawing a signifi-
cant audience. Regard-
less of the size of the
community, BrasilFest
has a significant contri-
bution to make to our
community.
What is BrasilFest?
BrasilFest (Brazil
spelled with an "S" in
Portuguese). The lively
world of Brazilian arts
and culture fills Seattle
Center with a sultry dis-
play of South American
soul, Brazilian style.
This one-day extrava-
ganza offers continu-
ous music, dance,
workshops and per-
formance that repre-
Page 2 Brazil Center News
Celebrating the cultural
diversity of Seattle.
Eduardo (right) and Ana
Paula Mendonça (left) -- in
the center Gary Locke, then
Washington State Gover-
nor
“Brazil is a huge
country,” said
Eduardo Mendonça,
festival
organizer. “Each
region of Brazil
has its own
cultural aspects
and influences.”
Mendonça, a
Brazilian native
and musician,
started BrasilFest
with his wife Ana
Paula nine years
ago to introduce
the Northwest to
this wildly
diverse South
American country.
BrasilFest is produced by
Brazil Center,
Show Brazil Productions,
and presented by Seattle
Center's Festál,
Ethinic Heritage Council,
and The Seattle Times.
BrasilFest 2006 and 2007
also is supported by Wash-
ington State Arts Commission
Fest 2006, and Glória Brown
received the award
―Personality BrasilFest 2006‖
SCENIC BACKDROP
―Northeastern Brazil‖ is the
colorful acrylic stager back-
drop for the BrasilFest. The
vivid murals celebrated Bra-
silFest’s 5th
year at the Seattle
Center. It is a creation of the
artist Maria da Glória, of
Bothell, Washington.
It is a tribute to the untiring
efforts of BrasilFest’s foun-
ders, Eduardo and Ana Paula
Mendonça, as they have faith-
We are
thankful
to Terry
Brown
and Maria
da Glória
Brown for
their con-
tinued
support
to Brasil-
Fest.
Photos: Terry Brown at Brasil-
fully sought to share a por-
tion of Brazil’s rich cultural
heritage with US audiences in
their performances, year af-
ter year. It is also intended to
be as a giant thank you to all
of BrasilFest’s talented per-
formers from over the years.
It was done with the aid of
another Brazilian-born
painter, Ms. Nilza Lessa (Rio
de Janeiro).
For more about the mural,
please visit:
www.brasilfest.com
Organizations who helps to produce BrasilFest?
Donors
Batucada
Yemanjá,
Show
Brazil!,
Fofinho and Samia,
ICAF Capoeira
Angola Foun-
dation),
Ocheami,
and Dora
Oliveira.
Performers
BrasilFest local performers
donate their times since our
first festival. We want to
change it in the future by
providing any kind of finan-
cial support recognizing what
they do for our community.
On our first news letter, we
would like to acknowledge
those that performing at our
festival for nine years in a
roll. These pioneers and con-
tinued supporters are:
Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 1
BrasilFest—Bringing the cul-
ture of Brazil to the United
States
Mural by Maria da
Glória Brown.
“Performers
gives a special
soul to
BrasilFest”
It is BrasilFest!
P.O.Box 2242
Kirkland, WA 98083—2242—USA
(425) 254-1616
WWW.BRAZILCENTER.ORG
The mission of BrasilFest is to
expose our community to Bra-
zilian arts and traditions during
the week of the Brazilian Folk-
lore Day (August 22). This is a
unique mission, as this day is
not usually celebrated outside
of Brazil. In Brazil, this event is
an important educational tool
in continuing Brazilian folkloric
traditions. Our mission goes
beyond keeping traditions
alive, and combines traditional
and contemporary Brazilian
expressions. It provides an op-
portunity to bring together all
artists and organizations con-
cerned with Brazil and to unite
them in one venue. Thereby we
hope to increase the visibility
of the Brazilian cultural land-
scape to our community.
Brazil Center BrasilFest!
One day of Brazilian music, dancing, food,
workshops and films!
SAVE THE DATE!
14th Annual BrasilFest
Sunday, August 5th 2012
It is not a dream.
It is reality!
KEEP IT ALIVE, PLEASE MAKE YOUR DONATION!
Brazil Center is a federally registered 501 (C3) nonprofit organization, and all dona-
tions to BrasilFest are tax deductible.
OBRIGADO! THANKS!
To donate, please contact Ana Paula Mendonça (425) 254-1616
E-mail: [email protected]