Past Minicourses & Workshops

Fall 2004

Brazilian Literature
Brazilian Portuguese
From Choro to Mangue Beat
Introduction to Cuba's Post-Soviet Economy
From Son to Salsa: The Origins and Development of Cuban Popular Music in the 20th Century
São Paulo: Leading Region and Global City

Brazilian Literature

This course, taught in Portuguese, will examine the development of Brazilian literature from colonial times to today. Looking first at early pioneers of Brazil's literature, the course will explore the effects of early-19th century modernity and Brazil's literary awakening in the early-20th century. It will consider the effects of politics on art, particularly as witnessed in the 1930s and 1940s, and the effects of military dictatorship on Brazilian culture and arts. You may sign up for the entire series, or for individual sessions.
Instructor: Geraldo Galvão Ferraz, is a well-known Brazilian journalist; book, movie, art, and music critic; lecturer; art and publishing consultant; translator of more than 80 fiction and non-fiction titles.
Thursdays, September 23-November 4 6:30-8:30pm.

Introduction to Brazilian Literature (1 class Thursday, 9/23, 6:30-8:30pm)
An overview of Brazilian literature and history. This introductory class is recommended for those new to the study of Brazilian culture.
Pioneers and Dreamers: The 16th to Mid-19th Centuries
(2 classes: Thursday, 9/30 and 10/7, 6:30-8:30pm)
These classes will explore Brazilian literature of the colonial era, offering a close look at early Brazilian writers. Topics to be discussed include Archaism; Poetry of the revolutionary movement "Inconfidencia Mineira"; and Brazilian Romanticism. Authors to be discussed include Gregorio de Matos, Tomas Antonio Gonzaga, Jose de Alencar, Castro Alves, Alvares de Azevedo, Goncalves Dias, and Manuel Antonio de Almeida.
From Realism to Modernism: The Mid-19th Century to 1930
(2 classes: Thursday, 10/14 and 10/21, 6:30-8:30pm)
This course will focus on the movement from Realism to Modernism, examining the works of Brazilian writers during times of transition and social change. These classes will look closely at the impact of the 1922 Modern Art Week on the development of an innovative, Modernist literary movement and the effects of nationalism on the "Antropofagia" and "Pau-Brasil' movements. Authors to be discussed will include Aluizio Azevedo, Machado de Assis, Euclides da Cunha, Lima Barreto, Oswald de Andrade, and Mario de Andrade.
Modern Times: 1930 to Today (2 classes: Thursday, 10/28 and 11/4, 6:30-8:30pm)
These classes will look closely at the 1930s novel and the subsequent shifts and developments in Brazilian literature. It will consider the emergence of Brazil's greatest contemporary poets, the impact of military dictatorship on the literature of the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the proliferation of other modes of literary expression: the short story, poetry, and musical lyrics. Authors to be discussed include Jose Lins do Rego, Graciliano Ramos, Jorge Amado. Carlos Drummond de Andrade, Manuel Bandeira. Erico Verissimo, Joao Guimaraes Rosa, Joao Cabral de Melo Neto, Clarice Lispector, Dalton Trevisan, Lygia Fagundes Telles, Carlos Heitor Cony, Ignacio de Loyola Brandao, Ivan Angelo, Marcio Souza, Rubem Fonseca, and Joao Ubaldo Ribeiro.

Brazilian Portuguese

Learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. A placement test is required prior to enrollment in the course. Required Book (for all classes): Bem-Vindo available at www.brazilianbooks.com or Luso-Brazilian Books.

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Back by popular demand! This course will offer an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.
Instructor: Cláudia Sobral Vaz, Language Instructor.
Section 1: 10 Mondays, September 13-November 22 6-8:45pm; No class 10/11
Fee: $320
Section 2: 10 Thursdays, September 9-December 2 6-8:45pm; No class 9/16 and 11/18
Fee: $320

Level 2
This course is intended for those students who possess a basic knowledge of Portuguese or who have completed the Introduction to Portuguese course. The course will expand students' basic knowledge of the language through a more extensive focus on grammar, vocabulary, and idioms. Through participation and interaction, students will improve their ability to communicate in Portuguese.
Instructor: Silmara Roman, Consulate General of Brazil.
10 Tuesdays, September 14-November 30 6-8:45pm; No class 10/5 and 11/23
Fee: $320

Level 3
This course is open to students who have completed the second level of this series, or to those who can already communicate in Portuguese but wish to polish their grammar and interactive skills.
Instructor: Silmara Roman, Consulate General of Brazil
10 Wednesdays, September 15-December 8 6-8:45pm; No class 10/20, 11/17 and 11/24
Fee: $320

From Choro to Mangue Beat

From the samba to bossa nova and beyond, Brazilian popular music has been celebrated as one of the world's greatest and most diverse musical traditions. This course is an introduction for the complete novice to the richly varied popular music of Brazil, focusing on early musical forms in Rio such as choro and maxixe; samba; bossa nova; Brazilian pop of the 1960s and '70s known as MPB (música popular brasileira); the Afro-Bahian sound; and the mangue beat movement of Recife, Pernambuco. Beginning with a brief historical overview, the class will look at the diverse ethnic and cultural influences that have informed Brazilian music. It will teach students in a nontechnical way how to identify musical differences among the styles, while linking Brazilian music to its social, cultural, and political contexts. Each class will include the use of audio-visual instructional aids and musical demonstrations on Brazilian percussion instruments.
Instructor:Philip Galinsky, Ph.D., ethnomusicologist and percussionist specializing in the music of Brazil; has taught at Wesleyan, Hampshire College, and the University of California, Davis; former instructor at The Guggenheim Museum in New York in conjunction with the 2001 exhibit, Brazil: Body and Soul; has conducted workshops, lectures, and guided discussions for numerous institutions and organizations.
Wednesdays, October 6-27 7:00-9:00pm
Fee: $120

Introduction to Cuba's Post-Soviet Economy

During the last three decades of the Cold War, Cuba has had one of the most collectivized, egalitarian, and subsidized economies within the Socialist camp. Massive shifts in global politics in the early 1990s plunged the island into severe economic crisis from which it is still reeling. These seminars will examine the changes in Cuba's socioeconomic condition since the crisis, the strategies adopted in response to it, and the major problems and challenges still facing Cuban economy and society today.
Instructor: Mario A. Gonzalez-Corzo, Ph.D. (2003), is a Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Global Change and Governance at Rutgers University.
Thursday, October 21 6:30-8:30
Fee: $75.00

From Son to Salsa: The Origins and Development of Cuban Popular Music in the 20th Century
Famed Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz once called Cuban popular music "a love affair between the African drum and the Spanish guitar." This course will trace the origins and development of Cuban popular music during the 20th century. We will give special emphasis to how Cuban music has successfully "crossed borders" to the United States and the rest of Latin America, reinventing itself along the way. We will also sample some of the many different styles of Cuban popular music including rumba, son, danzon, conga, mambo, cha-cha-cha, boogaloo, bolero, filin, trova, nueva trova, latin jazz, and today's styles of salsa, timba, and rap cubano.
Instructor: Ted Henken, Professor, Baruch College.
Mondays, November 8, Nov. 15 & Nov. 22 6-7:30pm
Fee: $50 series

I Origins
This class will trace the Spanish and African roots of Cuban music, up to 1920.
Monday, November 8 6-7:30pm
Fee: $20 Individual
II Crossover
This class will focus on Cuban music from 1920-1960, the period of its mass popularization of in Cuba, the U.S., and worldwide.
Monday, November 15 6-7:30pm
Fee: $20 Individual
III Revolution
This class will look at the effect the break with the U.S. had on Cuban music and its subsequent development both in Cuba and the U.S. over the past 45 years.
Monday, November 22 6-7:30pm
Fee: $20 Individual

São Paulo: Leading Region and Global City

Sao Paulo has been the leader of Brazilian development for over a century and is poised to remain the largest economy in South America. This minicourse will examine the various factors that attribute to the region's economic dynamism, including the role of export agriculture and industry; the centrality of the city of Sao Paulo; the impact of state-level processes of reform and responses to globalization; and Sao Paulo's subsequent emergence as a political power and transformation into a hub of modern Brazilian labor and business activism.
Instructor: Mauricio Font, Professor of Sociology, Queens College and The Graduate Center, CUNY; Director of the Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies, The Graduate Center, CUNY; author of numerous studies of Brazil, including his most recent Transforming Brazil: A Reform Era in Perspective (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003) and his forthcoming Brazilian Statism: Rise, Limits, and Decline.
Saturday, December 4 10:30am-12:30pm
Fee: $20

Spring 2004

São Paulo: Leading Region and Global City

From Son to Salsa: The Origins and Development of Cuban Popular Music in the 20th Century

Chile on the Web

Mexico on the Web

Brazil on the Web

Cuba on the Web

Brazilian Portuguese

Summer 2004

Brazilian Portuguese

São Paulo: Leading Region and Global City

Sao Paulo has been the leader of Brazilian development for over a century. The state is poised to remain the largest economy in South America, having adapted well to the economic restructuring and reform process unfolding since the 1990s. This minicourse probes Sao Paulo's economic, political role in historical and political economic perspective. It reviews various factors accounting for the region's dynamism, including the role of export agriculture and industry, as well as the centrality of the city of Sao Paulo. As it reviews the main sectors of today's Paulista economy, the minicourse probes the state-level process of reform and responses to globalization. Patterns of geographical differentiation will be explored. Lastly, the course will discuss the extent to which Sao Paulo is emerging as a political leader in the post-1985 era of democratization, electing the last two presidents and being the birthplace of modern Brazilian labor and business activism as well as of two of the most important political parties.
Mauricio Font, director of the Bildner Center for Western Hemisphere Studies. He has written extensively on Brazil. His most recent book on Brazil, Transforming Brazil: A Reform Era in Perspective (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003), analyzes the reform process since the 1990s. He is currently completing Brazilian Statism: Rise, Limits, and Decline. Dr. Font's Coffee, Contention, and Change (Basil Blackwell, 1990) focuses on Sao Paulo's export-oriented coffee economy and the state's transition toward modern industrial and agrarian capitalism in the first part of the 20th century. Professor Font teaches sociology at The Graduate Center and Queens College, and earned his Ph.D. at the University of Michigan.
Date & Time: Wednesday, April 28 6:00-8:00 PM
Cost: $20

From Son to Salsa: The Origins and Development of Cuban Popular Music in the 20th Century

Famed Cuban anthropologist Fernando Ortiz once called Cuban popular music "a love affair between the African drum and the Spanish guitar." This course will trace the origins and development of Cuban popular music during the 20th century. We will give special emphasis to how Cuban music has successfully "crossed borders" to the United States and the rest of Latin America, reinventing itself along the way. We will also sample some of the many different styles of Cuban popular music including rumba, son, danzon, conga, mambo, cha-cha-cha, boogaloo, bolero, filin, trova, nueva trova, latin jazz, and today's styles of salsa, timba, and rap cubano.
Ted Henken, Professor, Baruch College.
Date & Time: Monday, March 15 6:00-8:00 PM
Cost: $20

Chile on the Web

Learn how to access the best free online sources about different countries for personal or professional use. Through this class, you will learn how to find the most reliable and up-to-date information on the internet pertaining to the country's businesses, statistics, government, and news. Learn the best strategies for searching the web, and useful tips on what to do when you reach a dead end. Each course will be tailored to meet students' particular needs and interests.
Elba Barzelatto, Manager of Information Services, Princeton Public Library, with more than 20 years experience as an online researcher.
Date & Time: Tuesday, May 18 6:00-7:45 PM
Cost: $60

Mexico on the Web

Brazil on the Web

Learn how to access the best free online sources about different countries for personal or professional use. Through this class, you will learn how to find the most reliable and up-to-date information on the internet pertaining to the country's businesses, statistics, government, and news. Learn the best strategies for searching the web, and useful tips on what to do when you reach a dead end. Each course will be tailored to meets students' particular needs and interests.
Elba Barzelatto, Manager of Information Services, Princeton Public Library, with more than 20 years experience as an online researcher.
Date & Time: Tuesday, April 13 6:00-7:45 PM
Cost: $60

Cuba on the Web

Learn how to access the best free online sources about different countries for personal or professional use. Through this class, you will learn how to find the most reliable and up-to-date information on the internet pertaining to the country's businesses, statistics, government, and news. Learn the best strategies for searching the web, and useful tips on what to do when you reach a dead end. Each course will be tailored to meets students' particular needs and interests.
Mario Gonzalez-Corzo, Ph.D., e-commerce consultant in the private and public sectors with over 10 years of experience as an online researcher and instructor.

Date & Time: Thursday, May 20 6:00-7:30 PM Postponed from April 22
Cost: $60

Brazilian Portuguese

Learn to speak Brazilian Portuguese or strengthen the speaking skills you already have in an energetic and comfortable environment. A placement test is required prior to enrollment in each course.

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Back by popular demand! This course will offer an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.
Instructor: Cláudia Sobral Vaz, Bowne Global Solutions
Date & Time: 10 Thursdays, March 4-May 6 6:00-8:45 PM
Cost: $320

Level 2
This course is intended for those students who possess a basic knowledge of Portuguese or who have completed the Introduction to Portuguese course. The course will expand students' basic knowledge of the language through a more extensive focus on grammar, vocabulary, and idioms. Through participation and interaction, students will improve their ability to communicate in Portuguese.
Instructor: Cláudia Sobral Vaz, Bowne Global Solutions
Date & Time: 10 Tuesdays, March 2-May 4 6:00-8:45 PM
Cost: $320

Level 3
This course is open to students who have completed the second level of this series, or to those who can already communicate in Portuguese but wish to polish their grammar and interactive skills.
Instructor: Silmara Roman, Consulate General of Brazil
Date & Time: 10 Wednesdays, March 3-May 5 6:00-8:45 PM
Cost: $320

Summer 2004

Brazilian Portuguese

If you are heading to Brazil or another Portuguese speaking country, this intensive course will help you to develop some speaking skills just before getting at your destination. Or, if you decide to stay in New York, here is your opportunity to strengthen your Portuguese or just learn from scratch.

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Back by popular demand! This intensive minicourse will offer an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for conversation. Students will also gain exposure to Brazilian culture through the use of written, audio, and visual materials.
Instructor: Cláudia Sobral Vaz, Language Instructor
Date & Time: 10 Sessions, June 14-29, 6:00-8:45 PM
Cost: $320

The Bildner Center organizes these courses in collaboration with the Continuing Education and Public Programs division at The Graduate Center, City University of New York. To register and for more registration information, call (212) 817-8215, send e-mail to continuinged@gc.cuny.edu, or check Continuing Education's web site http://web.gc.cuny.edu/cepp/.

Refund Policy
When programs are cancelled by The Graduate Center, Continuing Education may give you a credit and transfer your payment to another one of our programs. A full refund will be made if this is not possible or desirable. If you cancel prior to the first class: a credit for any class of equal cost, or 100% refund minus the registration fee will be returned. If you cancel prior to the second class (programs of more than three sessions): a credit for any class of equal tuition of 50% minus the registration fee. No refunds are available after the beginning of the second class.

Previous Minicourses & Workshops: 2001 - 2002 - 2003 - 2005 - 2006