Hidden Brazilian gems

ABOUT THIS ARTICLE: I went around the Brazilian community in South Florida looking for a good entertainment guide to give Sun-Sentinel readers. That community is big over there, but so many stories -- and riches -- remain hidden. I think I succeeded in giving them at least "a taste" of this culture that is ingrained in me.

SUN-SENTINEL
September 14, 2006
A taste of Brazil in South Florida
Love of homeland is strong for the growing Brazilian population, who find a taste of home at these lively spots. Join in the fun.
By Ana Ribeiro

Weekend after weekend, New Zealander Bruce Dunn sits in a Brazilian restaurant in Pompano Beach, sipping on beer and listening to bossa nova.

"You can relax here," Dunn, a Pompano resident for 25 years, said of his favorite hangout. "It's more casual than American places."

Along with Brazilians and others who appreciate the culture, Dunn is a regular at Panorama Restaurant and other venues in Pompano, the hub of South Florida's Brazilian community, nearly 40,000 strong according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

At Panorama, Cristiane Visentin sings and plays the guitar to retro bossa nova tunes on the weekends, as families gather for dinner and others drink and chat at the bar.

A few streets over at Feijão com Arroz and Renascer Cafe, young people pour into the open dining areas, the tables pushed aside to make room. They dance to bands performing Brazilian party music -- often the genres of forró, axé and pagode, popular among the working class.

"Only forró can ease their mind," said Visentin, 41, who has performed, sticking to her own style, at many local restaurants. "The kind of music I perform has been forgotten, the market for it is weak."

Visentin does have a following -- though much of it, she said, is American. She performs Thursdays at Tom Choppin, a Brazilian restaurant in Deerfield Beach, and Fridays and Saturdays at Panorama.

Two Tuesdays a month, Visentin and other Brazilian artists and writers participate in Tom Choppin's Terças Culturais (Cultural Tuesdays). It's an opportunity to sing, recite poems and express other talents.

Aspiring singers also can take the stage at Oba Oba, also in Deerfield Beach, where staff organizes talent contests. It was at last month's contest that Reinaldo De Marios spent the last night of his life, singing an upbeat Brazilian song, before a fatal car accident put an end to his dream of returning to Brazil.

"Brazilian people ache deeply for their culture," said Athos Marques, manager at Feijão com Arroz, which often organizes big Brazilian music concerts at Club Cinema in Pompano.

Deyvid Miller, 26, of Boca Raton, would agree with that. He said he frequents several Brazilian restaurants to get closer to his countrymen's warmth and spontaneity.

"I miss Brazil a lot," Miller said. "But with so many Brazilians here, it feels like my country, and I feel good. I even forget about my homesickness sometimes."

While enjoying the ocean breeze in Deerfield Beach recently, Miller ran into another Brazilian, Eber Moura, who was visiting South Florida from San Francisco. Moura said he enjoyed seeing Brazilians party together -- something he doesn't see much of in California.

"Our community over there is very separated, disunited," said Moura, 30. "It's very complicated to organize things and to please everyone."

Restaurants are by no means the only sign Brazilians are leaving a strong mark in South Florida.

In the past few years, north Broward County has seen a boom of Brazilian supermarkets, bakeries, retail stores, car dealerships, money-remittance companies and media outlets -- including a slew of newspapers and a new cable TV channel.

"Even though a lot of Brazilians left after 9/11, the ones who stayed decided to create their own businesses," said Dinezio Curti, 30, who co-owns Panorama with his father, Dario. "They want to build a future here and a reputation as people who can be counted on for business, rather than as people who just want to party all the time."

Next to Panorama in Pompano Beach is the Brazilian retail store Central do Brasil and, across the street, a Brazilian-run optical store, 20/20 Optical. A few miles north, the plaza where Feijão com Arroz is located is a veritable Brazilian microcosm, with several retail stores bearing Brazilian names and colors. There's also the traditional supermarket Via Brasil, which also has stores in Miami.

In Deerfield Beach, an entire plaza has been named Brazilian Depot and has nothing but Brazilian stores. Another plaza in the city is constantly crowded on weekends, with people dancing at Tom Choppin and others tasting the exotic, popular fruit açaí and having milkshakes at the Brasliced luncheonette.

Despite its growth, Brazilian commerce in South Florida is fickle. Places have opened, closed, moved, or at the very least changed their menus and musical acts several times. Tropicana Restaurant, an old-timer popular for its samba shows, has announced it's now closed in Pompano Beach and moving to Boca Raton.

"Everything is a novelty," said Curti, whose Panorama has survived the times. "You've got to constantly bring in new things to attract people."

But to Dunn, the New Zealander, the Brazilian scene never gets old. A retired professional diver, Dunn once built ocean oil platforms in Brazil -- and he's a great admirer of the joie de vivre of its people.

"Brazilians are easygoing people," Dunn said. "They have fewer restrictions. They live for today, not for tomorrow."