REAL BUT AIN'T EXACTLY THERE: PORTUGAL (1)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

PORTUGAL (1)

I WAS BORN IN CASCAIS, GREW UP IN LISBON, AND LIVED THERE UNTIL I WAS 13
MY DAD WAS A MANAGER (VICE-PRESIDENT) AT MUNDET E CIA LTDA, I GUESS THE LARGEST PRODUCER OF CORK IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME, OUR APARTMENT IN LISBON WAS SOLID PARQUET FLOORING IN CORK, IT WAS SUCH GOOD INSULATION
WHEN I WAS BORN, MY PARENTS LIVED IN ESTORIL, PLAYED AT THE 'HOT CLUB DE ESTORIL', A JAZZ AND BLUES VENUE, INCLUDING BIG BAND MUSIC (SWING), AND WORKED A CRUISE SHIP TO RIO DE JANEIRO/BUENOS AIRES, SEASONALLY, AS THE HOUSE BAND, FEATURING AN AUNT SINGING BESSIE SMITH, BILLIE HOLLIDAY, AND MAHALIA JACKSON TUNES
MY MOTHER LATER WORKED A STINT FOR THE J WALTER THOMPSON CO, AS A PUBLICIST
MY DAD WAS AN ENTHUSIASTIC MUSICIAN, PLAYING THE PIANO, THE DRUMS (JAZZ), AND BEING A
CHOIR-MASTER/CONDUCTOR
HIS SISTER PLAYED A MULTI-KEYBOARDED PIPE ORGAN, FOOT-KEYBOARD, STOPS AND ALL, IN AN
OLD FIFTEENTH CENTURY CHURCH THAT SURVIVED THE LISBON EARTHQUAKE IN THE 1700s
A 'COUSIN' OF MY MOTHER'S, CHINA MACHADO, WAS A FASHION MODEL, LATER EDITING HARPERS-BAZAAR, THE FASHION MAGAZINE, IN NYC
'EXOTIC' WAS A WORD I LEARNED TO HATE, IN ENGLISH, IT ALWAYS SEEMED TO HAVE RACIAL
CONNOTATIONS, WHEN REFERRING TO MIXED-RACE PEOPLE SUCH AS US
'EURASIAN' WAS A WORD LESS LOADED WITH RACIST OVERTONES, BEING A MORE DIRECT DESCRIPTION
OF ME, SO I DID NOT MIND IT
EUROPEANS TEND TO BE LESS RACIST THAN AMERICANS, OR CHINESE WHO ARE THE RUDEST OF THE
BUNCH, MAY I POINT OUT THEIR OUTRAGEOUS DESCRIPTIONS OF OTHER RACES, WHEN TRANSLATED LITERALLY
THE PORTUGUESE ARE THE LEAST RACIST, HAVING MIXED WITH SO MANY OTHER RACES, IT WOULD BE TOTALLY IMPRACTICAL, WHATEVER RACISM LURKED WAS IN THE FORM OF JOKES, INVOLVING ONE'S FAMILY NAME MOSTLY DURING 'CARNAVAL'
A CENTURIES-OLD CUSTOM OF DERIDING JEWS, AND CONVERTED JEWS OR 'NEW CHRISTIANS',
WHO ALL ADOPTED PORTUGUESE SURNAMES (NAMES OF TREES, ANIMALS, OR PROFESSIONS BEING THE MOST POPULAR), LIKE MINE, THAT MEANS RAM, OR MALE SHEEP, AS WELL AS ONE WHOSE PROFFESSION IS TO KILL SHEEP OR SELL THE MEAT
YES 'CARNEIRO' IS A CERTIFIED 'NEW CHRISTIAN' NAME, MY FATHER WAS A BUSY MAN DURING 'CARNAVAL' ANSWERING ANONYMOUS PRANK PHONE CALLS
MY MOTHER'S SURNAME, HOWEVER, IS AN OLD PORTUGUESE NAME, AS OLD AS THE CELTS
SO, A LITTLE HISTORY, AS INTRODUCTION TO SOME INCREDIBLY BEAUTIFUL SITES

street cascais

Sintra & Cascais - Portugal

Songs:
1 - "Canção Para O Grande Amor" (Isabella Taviani) with Isabella Taviani - Brazilian popular singer/composer.
2 - "Vilarejo" (Marisa Monte, Pedro Baby, Carlinhos Brown e Arnaldo Antunes) with Marisa Monte -
Brazilian popular singer/composer.