Quadrilha Arraiã de Pelo Sinã - Junho 2008, Escola Municipal Sebastiana Dino, Vila Pelo Sinal, Manaira, PB, Brasil

Marlene, Ivonete's sister, teaches in this school. She and her colleagues organised this São João Quadrilha for the school children. Most of these children travel in the back of cattle-trucks to get to school as the roads are dirt-tracks. It would be impossible for a bus to transport them as the roads can be very difficult - especially during and after the rainy season.

Luiz (Lua) Gonzaga

Chico, Ivonete's Dad, has just introduced me to the music of Luiz Gonzaga who was born near Serra Talhada and went to make his fortune in the south in the 1930's. It is said he greatly influenced MPB (Popular Music of Brasil). He came back to die in his home town about 20 years ago. His memorial there is a museum recording his lifetime achievements

Take the time to have a look at the website produced in his memory:
http://www.luizluagonzaga.com.br/

You will find free music and videos to download which typify life in the north-east of Brasil - even today outside the major towns.

Luiz Gonzaga - Respeita Januário ((Respect for Januário (his father))


Luiz Gonzaga - Asa Branca 60 Anos



Dominguinhos, Sivuca, Oswaldinho e Luiz Gonzaga


Luiz Gonzaga - A morte do vaqueiro (Death of the cowboy)



Luiz Gonzaga - 'Sabia'.
(A 'sabiá' is a very musical song bird in Brazil)

Luiz Gonzaga - 'Deixe a Tanga Voar'
This is very funny! It is about a country yokel who goes to the beach and gets crazy with the wee bikinis of the Brazilian girls. It's called 'Let the G-string fly away'!!

It's a Hard Rain That's Goin' to Fall in the Sertão !!

This photo shows Ivonete and Sara overlooking the almost dry lake at Sitio Poço Mill which Ivonete's grandfather ran many years ago.

How lucky we are to be living in a part of Brasil which has sunshine all year round.

Well, that's what I thought when we arrived in this baker's oven, in the centre of the Sertão, five months ago. As temperatures ranged from 35 to 40 degrees Celsius you had to open the car doors and wait a few minutes. If you didn't, the hot air almost cauterised your throat!

By contrast, we are now in the midst of the loudest thunderstorms and heaviest downpours imaginable. The water floods the streets in minutes and all you can do is to wait until it stops.

People love the rainy season of course. Relief from the water shortage is apparent. Children shower excitedly in the street under roof drain water spouts. Frogs the size of dinner plates congregate in dozens on the door step braying like donkeys after a banquet of insects and beetles. Goats almost smile as they fill their bellies on the new lush grass. Farmers have waited many months for this precious rain to germinate their crops.

At the beginning of the year, in a small village called Extrema high up in the hills on the Pernambuco - Paraiba border, the old padre, having intimate knowledge of these things, told his flock to expect plenty rain this year. Previously, all years ending in seven had been very wet. Local knowledge is a wonderful thing.

So - it's a Hard Rain That's Goin' to Fall in the Sertão. Perhaps we'll wait a little longer to replace our leaky roof!