Brazil - lalalalalala!

We went to the House of Homosexual Culture's Boys and Girls from Brazil evening yesterday, John-John and I suitably attired in Carmen Miranda t-shirts - and it was a fascinating little event! Host Paul Burston was wearing flip-flops ("Havaianas", apparently), the place was packed out with an exotic mix of people, samba music was playing - lovely...

We began with a thought-provoking presentation from the chap from the Naz Project, in which he outlined the reality of how Brazilian gay people who head to this country seeking freedom and fortune often find themselves isolated by language, and in some circumstances drawn into easy sex and drugs, with the consequence that barebacking and HIV infection is a growing problem.



The lovely Nick Field (the only non-Brazilian on the bill) read one of his excellent poems, about his orgasmic love for Rio de Janeiro, and then it was time for an unusual scenario - Paul interviewing his husband Paulo about the cultural differences between being born in Brazil and now living in London.

Apparently it is best not to pretend to be German, as British people have more of a bias against that race than they do against Brazilians... All through the interview I couldn't help but notice that marriage to one of Bridgend's finest sons has led to the beauteous Paulo developing a rather Welsh accent! :-)



After a very sweet presentation by Jane Sacco about lesbian life in small town Brazil, Paul's second interviewee was the very sexy dancer Thiago Drewry, a philosophy graduate-turned-go-go-boy.

Unfortunately managing to keep his clothes on throughout the evening, Thiago related an unusual tale of the culture shock of arriving here to find himself working as a kitchen porter and in a variety of menial jobs unsuited to a qualified professional, then discovering that he could make far more money by shaking his toosh for the boys (logical really)...

Another great evening, and one I am very glad not to have missed!

Ary Barroso - Aquarela do Brasil