Minicourses and Workshops

Fall 2002

Introduction to Brazilian Portuguese
Sandra Vasconcellos

On Tuesdays Sept. 24 to Nov. 26 from 5:45pm-8:45pm

This course offers an introduction to the language as it is spoken in Brazil. Portuguese is spoken by over 200 million people around the world, and is widely used for business within Brazil, Southern Africa, and Portugal.

Dynamic and lively class meetings and individual participation will allow students to learn the vocabulary, idioms, and grammar needed for basic conversation. Students will gain exposure to Brazilian culture, popular music, and cinema through the use of written, audio, and visual materials. In the process of learning Portuguese for both casual conversation and formal interactions, students will become familiar with the culture of a country famous for its carnival, soccer, samba, and bossa-nova. Space for this course is limited.

Sandra Vasconcellos was born and raised in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She earned an undergraduate degree in education in Brazil and later received her Masters from the University of Maryland. Mrs. Vasconcellos has over 25 years of in-class language teaching experience and is known for her energetic and highly-interactive teaching style. Mrs.Vasconcellos has taught foreign languages to students of all ages and backgrounds and has established herself as an instructor able to provide a tailored approach to each individual class and student.

Room: 8400
Cost: $300


Brazilian Music: A World of Rhythms and Sounds
Luiz Simas

On Saturdays Oct 5, 12, 19, 26 from 1pm to 3pm

This workshop and music appreciation course with celebrated composer and pianist Luiz Simas will lead the participants through the entire scope of Brazilian popular music. Whether you are a musician or not, if you're interested in Brazilian music this is a workshop you can't miss! There's no pre-requisite for this workshop other than a love of Brazilian music and culture.

The course will include a description of the various Brazilian music styles and rhythms and their historical and geographical origins (choro, maxixe, baião, samba, bossa-nova, afoxé and many more). Styles and musicians include: Choro: Chiquinha Gonzaga, Ernesto Nazareth, Jacob do Bandolim, and Pixinguinha; Samba: The music of Ari and Barroso; Bossa-nova: Jobim and other composers from the 1960s; Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and the Tropicália movement; MPB and the great modern composers: Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, and Chico Buarque de Holanda; and contemporary tendencies in Brazilian music. Each one of these themes will be accompanied by examples from several precious recordings from the greatest Brazilian artists, as well as by Mr. Simas own singing and piano playing.

Luiz Simas was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is a composer, singer and pianist, and he has performed and recorded with several well known Brazilian artists. Many of his songs have been recorded in both Brazil and the USA. Mr. Simas has been living in New York since 1989, and has performed in several places such as the Brooklyn Conservatory, the Greenwich House Music School, Rutgers University, the Spanish Institute, the Village Gate, the Polish Consulate , the Roger Williams University, the Rocky Mountain Ragtime Festival in Boulder, Colorado and many others. Mr. Simas has played abroad in Brazil and also in Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands and Trinidad.

Check out these URLs for samples:

Room: TBA by the Continuing Education and Public Programs
Cost: TBA

Partial list of recommended books:

In English

Perrone, Charles A. and Larry N. Crook. Folk and Popular Music of Brazil . The Latin American Institute, University of New Mexico, 1997. An excellent short guide to the folk and popular music of Brazil from its beginning to the present time.

Coelho, Tadeu. Brazilian Classical Music. The Latin American Institute, University of New Mexico, 1998. A short guide to Brazilian Classical Music from colonial times to the present.

Fryer, Peter. Rhythms of Resistance. Wesleyan University Press - Published by University Press of New England, 2000. The African Musical Heritage in Brazil. A very interesting and richly detailed account of the development of Brazilian dances, rhythms and of Brazilian Popular Music and their Portuguese/Moorish and African origins.

Schreiner, Claus. Música brasileira: a history of popular music and the people of Brazil. Translated from the German by Mark Weinstein - Published by Marion Boyars, NY. Distributed by Rizzoli International Publications, 1993. The same book is available in the German original under "Musica Popular Brasileira: anthologisches Handbuch der populären und folkloristischen Musik Brasiliens".

Mair, Marilynn Mandolin Quarterly, Volume 5, No 1. Kensington, MD 2000 - A reknown American mandolinist and music professor at Roger Williams University, Marilynn Mair wrote a very complete article on the Brazilian genre choro in this quarterly magazine dedicated to mandolin players. It includes the origins and history of choro, with short biographies of the main composers, pictures, leadsheets and discography.

In Portuguese

Castro, Ruy. Chega de Saudade: A História e as Histórias da Bossa Nova. São Paulo: Companhia das Letras, 1990. The early days of Bossa Nova in Rio.

Castro, Ruy. Ela É Carioca. While not specifically about music, this book chronicles the famous Rio neighborhood of Ipanema with anecdotes and descriptions of artists, musicians, movie directors, writers and other characters who were an important part of the local cultural life when Bossa Nova was being born.

Chediak, Almir, et al. Songbook: Chico Buarque, vol 1. Rio de Janeiro: Lumiar Editora, 1999. A series of excellent Songbooks including the work of several known composers such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Noel Rosa, Chico Buarque, and a also some which include the main Bossa Nova repertoire. Lead sheets, lyrics, prefaces, biography and discography.

Cazes, Henrique. Do Quintal ao Municipal. São Paulo: Editora 34, 1999. An excellent history of choro, with many black and white illustrations.

Motta, Nelson. Noites Tropicais. Rio de Janeiro: Objetiva, 2000. An account of the last thirty years of popular music in Brazil. Nelson Motta, a lyricist and journalist who witnessed (and participated in) the several stages of Brazilian popular music since the 60's, tells us all about Bossa Nova, Jovem Guarda, the music festivals, Tropicalism, MPB, Disco and Rock. A book full of anecdotes and backstage insights. Illustrated.

Sources

Online bookstores: many of the above books are available at online bookstores, such as Amazon.com or Barnes & Nobles.

Luzo-Brazilian Books: www.lusobraz.com

The Mandolin Quarterly can be acquired online at www.mandolincafe.com/strings.


 Introduction to Cuba's Post-Soviet Economy
Mario A. Gonzalez - Corzo, M.A., Ph.D.

The primary objective of this course is to provide students interested in the study of international political economy, global affairs, and international business with a comprehensive background on the main aspects of Cuba's post-Soviet economy. To achieve this objective, particular emphasis will be placed on the main characteristics of the Cuban economy before the collapse of the socialist camp, the roots of the economic crisis of the 1990s, Cuba's post Cold War economic reforms, and their impact on several sectors of the economy.

 Mario A. Gonzalez - Corzo, M.A., Ph.D. (2003), is a Doctoral Fellow at the Center for Global Change and Governance at Rutgers University. His research interests and areas of specialization include Cuba's post Cold War economic reforms, the second economy, and the role of foreign investment in contemporary Cuba. He has conducted a variety of seminars and presentations on current Cuban affairs, economic reforms in transition economies, and the impact of the IT revolution and the globalization of finance in Europe and Asia. In the private sector, he has provided consulting, strategic, and investment advice to global banks and insurance companies in the US, Europe, and Latin America, and has worked with institutional clients to manage their risk exposure in Latin America and other emerging markets throughout the world.

 DATE AND COST:
Full Course: Friday, October 11, 6-8pm; Saturday, Oct. 12, 10am-1pm; Cost: $100 (Full course, Friday and Saturday)
Overview: Friday, October 11 6-8pm; Cost: $45 (Overview only)
Intensive: Saturday, October 12 10am-1pm; $70 (Intensive only)
Room: TBA by Continuing Education Office

Spring 2002

Roots of Cuban Music: The Afro-Cuban Dimension
David Oquendo

 Workshop with noted musician and composer David Oquendo, Director of "Raíces Habaneras."
This course covers the fundamental elements of Cuban music, paying particular attention to African roots. Main musical forms, rhythms, and approaches. Live, interactive demonstrations with percussion, base and guitar.

Maestro Oquendo is founder and director of the Afro Cuban folklore group "Raices Habaneras," which has been performing in New York for several years. As guitarist, singer, composer, arranger and bassist, David has performed in concerts and recordings in Cuba, Panama, Austria, Canada, the United States, the Dominican Republic and other countries. In his native Cuba he performed at Tropicana, Cabaret Internacional de Varadero, "Salon Rojo" (Capri hotel), and other venues. He has appeared with such names as Paquito D'Rivera, Johnny Ventura, Arturo Sandoval, Mauricio Smith, Patato Valdez, Israel Lopez "Cachao," Chico O'Farrill and others. He has appeared in "El Show de Cristina" and other television programs, as well as in such prestigious stages as Avery Fischer Hall, Radio City Music Hall, Town Hall, Madison Square Garden, the JVC Jazz Festival, and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Four two-hour meetings (April 5, 12, 19, 26) 6-8 PM.
Room: TBA by the Continuing Education and Public Programs