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9/1/2000 - “Sugar Notes” by Tyrone L. Turner

SugarNotes September RECIFE Pernambuco Brazil Peter B Martin Institute ofCurrentWorldAffairs 4WestWheelockStreet Hanover NewHampshire 03755 Dear Peter I sitonthesideofanakedlybrownhillinthesugarcanefields about40 milesfromRecife inthenortheasternstate ofPernambuco Puffywhiteclouds float overhead figures through greenish brown stalks couple However sugarcane harvest I wantedtophotograph Iamhere aboutfourmonths toosoonfor The workers fully covered ragged shirts protect planting hasbeen every almost fourhundred fifty years I amazing imagine sugar perfectly ordinary product completelychanged thisPernambucanlandscape Brazil whole But Mygaze sweeps overwhat oncewasthe atlntica theAtlantic tropical forest parallel coast Unfortunately trees particularl suitable sugarcane export product Por tuguese Crown establishing colony As hills apatchworkofbrownand green Brownwherethe already green where tender stalks maturing September Sugarcane second Brazil The first Brazil brasil abeautifultreefelledforthedyethatitsrichlyredwoodyielded Loggingofthese treesbegansoonafterPedroAlvesCabrallandedinApril of1500 butdeclinedabout50years later In sixteenth century Portuguese brought sugarcane theirholdings intheAzoresandMadeira offofthe coast ofAfrica andbegan planting fertile areas around Salvador Recife Large landowners built hundreds sugar mills engenhos planted thousands acres The sugar industry exponentially Olinda sister Recife homeofthe sugarbarons became ofmostpowerful cities ofSouth America The Portuguesehadfound their sweet E 1Dorado Sugar became powerful quickly because tastes changing Europe Though refined sugar scarce Old World craving white crystals developed quite rapidly century Withincreaseddemand price ofsugar skyrocketed becominga coveted luxury By thebeginning century Pernambucowasbeing colonized sugarwasworthitsweight Eu ropean markets This first tastes outside Brazildetermined course ofthe colony As mentionedabove thepau brasiltreewasloggedtoyield color clothing I watched historicalTVminiseriesputonbytheGlobonetworkthat explained thatjustbefore colonization New World Catholic Church ended ofthe colorred clothing previouslyreserved religious vestments The ensued society European courts which later extraction Brazil refore continued investment colony itself profitable venture Back sugar The growing required areas oflandandconsiderablehumanlabor IfBrazilhad anything ithadland TheCrownslicedthenewcolony twelve parallel captaincies running coast inland The favored noblemen received these tracts supposed populate develop defend likes French Dutch Duarte Coelho received whatwouldbecome Pernambuco subdivided other noblemen plant sugar caneandbuild mills Landwas distributedbetweenfew hands pattern thatunfortunately persists eventoday In terms labor local enslaved Indians dying Old World diseases simply escaping Portuguese looked their colonies Africa supply necessaryworkers One visible aspects present balization ishowindustries locate their labor intensive production operations countries withlowwages The alization ofthesugarindustrycenturiesago instead vicious effect dragging enslaved African labor force Brazilian sugarcane fields The isting Portuguese slave trade iblytransportinghundredsofthousandsofAfricanseach New World This beginning African diaspora whichintheendstole millions ofAfri their homelands deposited Bra AnditallstartedwiththeEuropeansweettooth Thinkingaboutitabitmore Gilberto Freyre Brazil mostfamoussociologist wascorrectinhisfamouswork Casa GrandeeSenzala TheMastersandtheSlaves thatthe Brazil existstodaycouldonlyhavebeen possiblewith slavery True thewaythat circular logic affirms itself without sugar slavery would taken forms without slavery sugar industry would totally different If Portuguese landownershadhad topaywork their sugarwouldhavebeen cosily venture sustain Perhaps large latifndio large landed estate wouldnothavebeenthebestsystem would givenwayto smaller scale farmingby Por tuguese other European immigrants Brazil would havebeenafardifferentplacethan itistoday However thatwouldhavesupposedthatthePortuguesecrownwas looking toward Brazil feeds maintaining itasanextractiveeconomyandinvest little colony development As however sugarcane sprouted bloodandsweatofAfricanslaves Itmadetheownersof filthy powerful That history glorious painful Today haunts Brazil violent fights reform growingconsciousness ofracial inequality andthehuge persistentgapbetweenrichandpoor I sugarcane southern Louisi albeitfrom distance Myclosest contactwith arcane besidesitsrefinedform wassuckingonthesweet stalks thatsomehowappeared atoursuburbanNewOr leans I remember being fascinated scared asmyolderbrother Everett recountedhis stories ofthecane fields Asanentrepreneurialventure heand friend Pete would rattlesnakes sugar rattlers called Theywould catch snakes thevenom their liquid hospitals venom Icouldn timaginewalkinginthedarkened shade beneath green stalks armed stick seeking themostpoisonous reptile WhereI satonthehillsideinPernambuco nosnakes visible The poison insecticide being sprayedonthenewlyplantedpieces ofstalk Thesprayer NancyScheper Hughes DeathWithoutWeeping The ViolenceofEverydayLife Brazil Berkeley UniversityofCaliforniaPress MarshallEakin Brazil TheOnceandFutureCountry NewYork St Martin sGriffin Eakinwritesthat10 12million enslaved Africans survived middle passage Americas million arriving Brazil He gives estimates howmanydidnotsurvivetheoceanjourney Othersourceshave differingnumbers withRobertConradinhis The Destruction Brazilian Slavery Malabar Florida KriegerPublishingCompany writinginfootnote23thathisestimates around million In Jamary Pretos Terra Mocambeiros Jamary Blacks Land Mocambeiros writtenbytheProjetoVidadeNegro SoLuis theauthorswritethatasmanyas 18millionAfrican slaves werebrought Brazil Gilberto Freyre Casa Grande Senzala Pdo Janeiro Editora Record TLT VENEZUELA COLOMBIA PERU ARGENTINA walked along large insecticide strapped protective facemask slungbelow He couldn breathing through DuringmyfirstcarnavalinRecife Iwasintroduced totheruralmaracatu ormaracatu baquesolto maracatu TLT unique sugarca culture Per nambuco These fantasticwhirling figureswithhuge headdresses colored plastic mylar strips exquis itely sequined cloaks cowbells their ribbon adorned spears Their parades consist abouttento 15warriorssurroundingand protecting queen entourage their royal court reminis ofthekingdoms ofAfrica The rural maracatu remindedme Indian warriors withtouches ofMadMax Inreality theyarehumblesug arcane workers friends assured spend their meagersalaries duringtheyearpreparing threedays glory For second carnaval I wanted escape Recife sugarcane towns where maracatu lived performed Since workers Institute ofCurrentWorld Affairs Ara oiaba Carpina Paulista PERNAMBUCO Olinda Camarajibe Recife arecaneworkersarecaneworkers IthoughtthatifIcould gettoknowonegroup itcouldbemyentryintothewhole sugar culture Mycontact cursionwasmyfriend Massa abass guitarplayerwiththe Recife based group Faces Do Subrbio Faces Suburb He Trancunha6m heart sugarcane In conversationshe talkedabout incredible scene ofthe maracatu these towns actually charg ofthe fields Wemadeplans tomeetin Rec travel hometown He promised citement Monday Tuesday carnaval No problem Smallproblem Atthe lastminute hisband Sunday night which scratched early morning travel Monday However Tuesday still Not wanting I called favorite driver guide friend Loinha andsetupanearlyMondaymorn ingdeparturefromRecifeforthezonadamata minute drive In Recife carnaval rural maracatu competed public attention Thestreetspulsedwithparadinggroups ofurban maracatu differentthan rural variety frevo frantic music dance bonecos gigantes giant often caricatures ofhistorical currentpersonali blocos parading groups united costume theme Inthesugarcane caboclosdelanfa thespeared Indianwarriors maracatu called attraction The buses transport workerstoandfromtheirdailytoilferriedthesplendidly costumed groups frenzy short presentations during three final carnaval Once arrived Loinha proof method finding solute place maracatu theirhometown Carpina Pernambuco The Massacre hisword Wepiled aVWbuswiththree ofhis friends oneofwhomgotmore attentionthanI evenwithmy lookatme I gringo uniform Canibal Cannibal thefounderofthehard Recifeband DevotosdoOdio HateDevotees isamus cular brown rastafarian dreadlocks The townspeople certainly gawkingathim Thekidsrunningnearbywoul dcall BobMarley theypronouncedit BOE beeMAH trying reactionfromhis stern AsweenteredNazar6daMata loandbehold Iran Lego Cordilheiras group Carpina again Astheydanced onemem pulled sleeve wastopullovertoasktheopin Loinha whogrewupinthe askedmetoshootapictureofthe ionofeverylivingbeingalongthe group sowner Z6Duarte which interiorandcallshimselfa highway asurveymethodnei Ididwithoutgiving itmuch thertime savingnorconsistent matuto keptrepeating thought Asthemaracatuexited Mypatiencewasrunningthin theirpresentationIpromisedthat thatifhecouldaffordto retire sinceasIwantedtojustgetsome wouldtrytocometotheirtown whereandstarttakingsomepic wouldbeinaplacelikethis withpicturessomeday Thetim tures However democratic approach stumbled magical maracatu scene small townofAraoiaba By afternoon light bathingthesceneingoldandyellow Iwalkedtow alargecrowdcircled inthe center ofthe tinytown Hear tinny paced music I poked through people maracatu group whirling their frenetic revolving dance The crowd thead libbedrhymesofthesingerashesangofAraoiaba andpoked goodhearted mayor Waiting inthe wings stretchingdownthe streetand around cornerwere dozens groups eachfrom ferent They Nazar6 Mata Trancunha6m fromLimoeiro carryingbannersadorned beasts lions elephants I walked along dazzled flashes colored costumes defining bodies curved resting positions Under weight headdresses hardened lines ripened facesbrokeintogrinsas approachedwithmycamera They liked attention They proud people looked atthemwithwonder The group Lego Cordilheiras Lion Moun tains caughtmyeye Istartedphotographingonemem berofthegroupwho I initiallymistooktobeawoman Helaughed atmymistake allowedmetobringmy camera inches fromhis Throughthe I gazed blackeyesandthewayhisdarkcheekspressedin around laughed When I finished tauntedme sayingthattheywouldneverseethosepictures I countered sayingthattheywould andjotteddownthename ingofthismeetingwasperfectbe cause their pulled skies opened dampening festivities couple ofhours Ourgrouptookadvantage ofthe respite ducked restaurant tohave local Twomonthslater IwasbackinPernambuco armed withlow grade inkjet prints carnavalimages termined Lions season walked Loinha susual taxistandnearthebeachinBoaViagem tosee ifhewasupforachallenge Assoonas Isawhim Loinha police officer killed centlyintheMuribecagarbagedumpwherehehad companiedme TLT Hetoldmehewouldn ttake methereagain thathedidn twantmetogo Icalmed tellinghimthat I onlywanted maracatu Carpina along asphalt waythat connects towns It looks perousat firstglance stations motorcycledealerships medium sized hotel entrance The freshand thepace Loinha whogrewupin interior callshimselfa matuto keptrepeatingthat couldaffordtoretire itwouldbeinaplacelike Hisani mated spirit showed honked anyone passing I would person justwaved apointlessquestioninhismind We needed Loinha extreme affability group since contrary preconceptions CarpinaknewtheLeodasCordilheiras Iwouldwhipout shots warriors picture ownerand leader Z6Duarte thathitpaydirt Akindly manwho where Duarte played around maracatu lived often happens small TLT towns offered toaccompanyus destination At small white house guardedby conti ngent fedora salty types playing dominos I asked Z6 Duarte Athinmanwithwirywhitehairandasmile crookedteethunfoldedhimselffromachair Hiswornt shirt shorts flops perfect camouflage I wouldn picked I photo graphed Araoiaba But there years Even modest attire dignified thanwhenhecommandedthe spectacular maracatu I handed photos asking remembered carnaval He nodded engrossed photos blankly remember running aroundsnappingpictures Ithought Z6wasbluffing justbeingnice Museum Northeasterner Recife TLT However Z6 pains differentiatebetween urban rural maracatu saying former moreconnectedtothe toIndiansandAfrica whereas maracatu based lives rural workers ofPernambuco Period Hewasmakinghis point They Xang6 andwe Xang6 The deity Xang6 represents justice candombld Afro Brazilian religion draws onandblends African deities European Catholicism However Iunderstoodhim Z6 spointwaslessaboutXang6 urban tradition firmly based candombld Eventhe colorsoftheur banmaracatuwouldhonortheir meuntilheadded butyourhair Onthegrouplevel therural Womenwere waslonger maracatudidn thavespecificcon submissiveandpower nections candombld though Heswepthisthin spotted ormorepowerfuland dividualmembersmayhavebeen motioning candombld adherents destructive thangrownmen enter I chose small woodenstoolthathadmyknees couldhandle Threedaysbefore carnaval crowdingup tomychest NBAplayeronthesidelinebenches Heand othermentook their places aroundme I explained tohimmyinterest tradition ruralmaracatuanditslinktosugarcane Iwantedtoknow where Z6measuredhiswords revealingsomethings keeping others himself Z6 explained rural maracatu ruralworkers sugarcane Eachengenho sugar group maracatu The senhores engenhos owners ofthe sugar mills wouldtalk otherand onewouldsay Iamgoingtosendmymaracatuintothe streets The other would putting groupintothe streets Thiswasto fight Nowadays allplayfulness folkloreandbeauty Then itwasfor fighting The senhores engenhos would maracatu ifyoucomebackbeaten refired Duarte admitted doing share fighting youth brincando playing Maracatu I gotbeatenand Iproddedhimaboutorigins oftoday sMaracatu their large headdresses beautifully sequined capes laced spears Z6 repeated ruralworkers thesugarcaneworkers theirwayof duringcarnavat Hesaidnothingaboutthetradition nections Indian culture traditions Af ricabroughtbytheslaves bothexplanationsgivento nothing drink women Sexual relationsbringaboutalot things He elaborated camarada hadamissionto fulfillandhadtobecarefulaboutwomen because thatwhichisbad sticks camarada When I asked women feared during thistime herepeatedasayingthat Ihadalreadyheard Ifawomanclimbsajacatree4 itruinsthejacafruit As hetalkedandthe othermennodded Icouldtellthatthey revealing fundamentally mysterious andpotentiallyevilpowerofwomen Itwasinteresting insuch amachoculture therewasaneedtodemon women Women submissive powerless ormorepowerfulanddestructivethangrown could handle For warriors mission bestjust avoid contact Above rafters dimly bundled headdresses Colorful spears leaned corners It strange think thattheydidn tbounceandtwirl allontheirown Duarte stored everything house members group admitted spending retirement money brincadeira He opened leather satchel pulled legal documentofficially establishing thegrouponthe fifth July ItnamedJos6DuarteNascimento Z6Duarte founder I Z6 there members Jaca isalarge heavyfruitwithatoughpeelandaglue likesubstanceinside Whatoneeats isthepulpsurroundingtheseeds whichhas abanana flavor Institute ofCurrentWorld Affairs rentlyworking fields Imight photograph Myimaginationjumpedfromphotos maracatu regalia shots ofhimcuttingcane fields He scratched cheek assuredme there walked outside confer Fedora wearing still slapping dominos hotly contested afternoonmatch After allofthe talkaboutmaracatucom ingfromt ruralworkers however Z6andhisbuddies couldn tcomeupwiththenameofa singlememberthat theyknewwellwhowasalsoacaneworker Itwasonly insidemyhead thatthehundred membergroup tight family Z6looked atmeandsaid butyoustillwanttopho tograph culture right He return nextmorning clock andhewould findsome people formeto shoot ThenextmorningIshotpictures ofZ6gardeninghis ownlittleplotofland photographedsomeofhis friends theirsmallhouses andevenmetamemberofanother maracatu group Though I having great I still wasno closer culture Around lunchtime I Z6 farewell telling I would return Loinha I backwayout picking ourwaydown amuddy andrutted dirtroadthatledthroughthecane fields As hemaneuveredhisbrightredFiatstationwagon allthe while grumbling about getting stuck I spied group about people wrapped desert wanderers against working barren illside Loinha knewmewellbythen andpulledthecaroversothat I could scamperup hillside towhere plantingwas going As Iwalkedamongtheworkers talkingandphoto graphing monstrous Usina Petribu Petribu sugar processing factory loomed about distance The usina their employer owner Paulo Petribu ownedthecaneandthelandwhere itgrew Ac cordingtothe overseer RonJos6Bez6rra Petribu sland hasno untilHappiness For their labors workers about U S 100permonth fifteenbucksmorethantheminimum There health benefits though usina didbuild aschoolforthechildrenoftheirworkers Many wereemployedallyearroundforcleaningandplanting especially heavy during harvest monthsofSeptemberthroughFebruary Theycouldwork either fields teams about usina wherethegrindingandprocessingofthecanetookplace Sixty Paulo Nazinha whostarted fields leaned against preferred fields fooling machines usina Cabra brinca cabramorre Aguyplaysaroundinthere andhe Mybackbristledthinkingaboutmybrother sadventures I asked about snakes Tem cobra vontade inchada pronto There snakes galore bring added withoutany great concern Trabalhoaquidosso workhereisbone Iasked50 oldManoelPedro Silva whose darkbrownskin glowedinthe sunlight whathemeantbythat giventhat literally means difficulty I thought theymaybe workinghim No I wascompletelywrong Hemeantthattheworkwasgood appreciated It money house Isaia Eustfiquio Farias right trained gently wandering towards hadadifferentopinion Brasilerico eoquenosganha dmuito pouco ddpara viver Bra andwhat wegain little notenoughto In UsinaPetribupurchasedthehousewhere Isaia lived children Though employee Petribu company kicked andtherestofthefamilies offofthelandtoclear itand plant sugarcane With nowhere opted follow greatNortheastern migrationdreamofgoing thebig cities ofthe South Hebroughthis familyto Rio wherehisbrother lived andgotemployed caretaker thehomeofa richhotelowner However meager salary earned could family expenses In frustrating months hepackeduphis family againandmadethe turnjourneyto thezonada Hegotre hired atPetribu andhas spent yearsworking fields After talking during lunch beansinaplasticbox Ipickeduphishoetotryhiswork Rows planting curved around hillside One passed hacking piece stalk placing lengthwise shallow trench The secticide passed Isaia cover stalkswith theclumped earth My first earth clumsily effectiveenough Isaiasmiledandpointedoutmyefforts amusement others Shade passedovermyshoulders successivelycoolingandheat ingthesweatthatIhad uicklybroken Myactions smoother scoop place itinthetrenchandpat itdown Ilastedabout minutes beforemyforearms started Hand ChgdeAlegria PlateauofHappiness isatownabout20kilometersfromCarpina TLT Isaia I kidded myself thinking Iwasover trying Ihadn tgottentheswingofit Truthfully minutes capacity endure their daily toilwascompletelyexhausted AsIsatdowntorest Ilookedoutattheotherhills I loved sight pretty softness large garden groomed meticulously Yet I realized impressed about sweat blood poured Cycles planting andharvesting firstbyIndians thenbyAfricanslaves nowbylow wagelaborlikePaulo ManoelandIsaia The landscapehadbeentamedandmolded front lawninthesuburbanUnitedStates Handsworkeditcon stantly ceaselessly Fromthis effortgrewnot sugar Brazil itself In I maracatu worker thoughIunderstoodtheculturesurroundingsugaralittle better Everyonealsoemphasizedthat Ineededtoexpe riencetheharvestseason Laterthatday aftergivingIsaia aridetohishome Imethisfamilyandreceivedaninvi tation their I Hope fully returnwillbepossiblewhenthecane isbeing andprocessed beforemyfellowship inDecember Untilnextmonth Institute Current World Affairs