My first trip down the rabbit hole of ancestral discovery began with a handful of days in Tallinn in November 2006, followed by several subsequent trips through the ebb and flow of Estonia’s climatic and cultural calendar, then a fateful summer internship at VEMU in 2014, before subsequently moving to Toronto in 2016. While it was certain a path would unfold to more deeply understand my Brazilian ancestry, it wasn’t quite clear when. Perhaps — if you have more than one cultural connection through your parents — you’ve felt the same?
Things shifted in 2022, when my friends and I started the Latin rock band Blumarelo, and within two years, I was on a flight to São Paulo with my wife.
To return to a fatherland or motherland, so to speak, is loaded with emotions, sensations, knowledge, and, speaking realistically, fear as well. I was thrilled to practice speaking Portuguese with family I had heard so much about but had never met. Yet, I was scared to make blundering mistakes and appear like I had a tenuous connection to my culture. I was curious to explore the biggest city in the western hemisphere, but also nervous as to whether we would be safe.
(A quick note about safety: while crime [particularly theft] is a genuine problem in Brazil, the notion that it is too dangerous to visit is false. Take Ubers or taxis back home at night in big cities. Keep your phone and wallet stowed away safely while out on the street. Also, try sightseeing with locals or a guide for the first few days to get a sense of the most secure areas. Then you can go about it independently.)
Despite the unease, I understood it was crucial to know who I am, to get a fuller picture of my identity, and to see the country for myself.
You’ll be delighted by the complex flavours, from Romeu e Julieta (a dessert made of cheese and goiabada conserve) to the most succulent mangoes on the planet.
Or taste it for myself, for that matter. Food is a huge part of Brazilian culture. From the delectable coxinhas (chicken croquettes) and chopp (small glasses of ice-cold draft beer) at a bar to lovingly-simmered feijoada (bean and pork stew) and the onslaught of protein that is a visit to a churrascaria (all-you-can-eat barbeque restaurant), you will not go hungry. Brazilians won’t let you. You’ll be delighted by the complex flavours, from Romeu e Julieta (a dessert made of cheese and goiabada conserve) to the most succulent mangoes on the planet. For some trips, you have a list of sights, but this trip had a list of foods to sample as well.
Forming a feedback loop with food is family. Families and friends gather together around meals, lunches lasting several hours. It fills one’s heart to be received with so much excitement, to be shown the ins and outs of a place, for family to want to know more about your life. But even if you’re just on vacation, this care and hospitality extends to all visitors, with a sincere, palpable desire to make others comfortable.
By talking to waiters, receptionists, and Uber drivers, hearing announcements and reading signs, you’ll encounter language within context, which is more likely to stick than something in a book alone.
When you’re navigating a country in a different language, this warm social style makes it easier. You will be encouraged at the first utterances of the local language. Every language has its challenging components, and for Portuguese, it must be mastering the conjugation of verbs. This includes the present tense, past perfect, past imperfect, compound perfect past tense, and many more.
However, one of the convenient results of travel is the absorption of words and phrases through immersion. By talking to waiters, receptionists, and Uber drivers, hearing announcements and reading signs, you’ll encounter language within context, which is more likely to stick than something in a book alone.
Honestly, immersion is the key. I had been studying more intently for six months prior, speaking with my mom in Portuguese as much as possible. My childhood gave me a good foundation of key words, phrases, and pronunciation. But the puzzle pieces of verbs and vocabulary fit together most of all when the language is multi-dimensional.
You’ll encounter it in music, for one thing. Music is everywhere in Brazil, singing, percussion, and guitars in particular. Accordion as well depending on the region. In fact, I’d say folk music is one of the stronger links between Estonia and Brazil. In addition, there’s a common historic maritime tradition. A similar amount of forests (57.2% of Brazil and 52.3% of Estonia). We might put a talent for volleyball in there as well.
Back to the music, though. Whether you’re strolling to a museum on the bustling Avenida Paulista, São Paulo’s most famous thoroughfare, or cycling along Avenida Atlântica on the way to Copacabana Beach, you’ll often see a roda de samba in action. Crowds bob and sing along in a circle around a table full of musicians. Cavaquinho and pandeiro players provide the soundtrack of an afternoon cafezinho and pão de queijo (espresso and a cheese bun) or a night out after a gruelling day at work. Motorcycles weave and sputter in the background, forming the most intense, invigorating musical arrangement.
Intense — that’s the word I’m looking for. Culturally. Socially. Intellectually. Stylistically, whether it’s elegant suits and dresses in a patio above an endless sprawl of towers or a bathing suit by Saco do Mamanguá, one of the world’s only tropical fjords. Architecturally, there are art deco skyscrapers or towns like Paraty, with their charming, historic Portuguese-style shopfronts, churches, and pousadas (inns).
Photo gallery
When you need a break, there is the peace of nature to be found. Impressive granite mountains. Wild monkeys in lush green forests. The bem-te-vi bird that welcomes you from a tree branch. Thunderstorms and heavy rains. These sensations put you at ease.
Brazil is certainly a complex country. Alongside its vibrancy is a major wealth gap and a colonial history that shouldn’t be forgotten. However, as with any country, learning about these realities presents an opportunity to make change for the better.
A voyage of ancestral discovery will have elements that are different and unexpected… they are slivers of your existence that will change you for the better…
And regardless of the country and culture you may be getting to know, a voyage of ancestral discovery will have elements that are different and unexpected, that may be uncomfortable. But this is a type of discomfort everyone should step into more often. They are slivers of your existence that will change you for the better, expand your mind and heart, and deepen your soul.
Be bold, go out and get to know your roots. Get to know who you are and where you came from. That’s part of everyone’s destiny.
