Above: An aerial view of Ilha do Mel showing the island's unique geography. Inset: The island's famous lighthouse.

Ilha do Mel (Honey Island) is an irregular, whale-shaped stretch of land just over two miles off the coast of Paraná. The lack of cars, roads and power lines to the mainland make it one of the most pristine and picturesque beach resorts in all of southern Brazil. The island's sense of tranquility and lack of development are thanks in part to its isolation.

Pontal do Sul is a 4-hour train journey through the jungle from Curitiba followed by a half-hour coastal bus ride from Paranaguá. The journey itself is worth the ticket price. The scenery is awe-inspiring, the squawks of native birds emitting from the lush green of the jungle canopy only occasionally broken by the remains of long abandoned rail stations, really does sharpen the senses to the fact that you are leaving the 21st century way behind. To reach Ilha do Mel, you'll need to catch the 40 minute boat ride from Pontal do Sul. Invariably, you'll find that your fellow passengers are locals from the island returning from shopping expeditions on the mainland.

The northern half of Ilha do Mel is an ecological preserve and closed to any inland exploration. The southern portion has three small villages: Nova Brasília and Praia do Farol near the isthmus and Encantadas at the far southern tip. For the most part, Ilha do Mel is a magnet for savvy surfers hoping to "catch the big one" in waters that are safe, clear and pleasantly warm. The island is also the territory of campers, birders and other escapists in search of simplicity and serenity, though it can become unbearably crowded on weekends and public holidays when young crowds descend on the island.

For more information about Ilha do Mel, visit http://wikitravel.org/en/Ilha_do_Mel.

A pile of manioc root.

An important ingredient in Brazilian cooking, manioc is known as cassava and yucca in English, and by aipim and macaxiera in Portuguese. The legend of the root's origin is explained below.

A very long time ago, the daughter of an Indian tuxaua, or chief, was expelled from her longhouse because she became pregnant in a mysterious way. She went to live in an old and isolated hut with distant relatives helping her and bringing her food. The Indian girl lived this way until she gave birth to a boy, a very white and pretty child, whom she called Mani.

The news of the birth spread among the Indian villages and caused the great tuxaua to forget his pain and forgive his daughter. He came across the rivers to visit her and the new grandfather surrendered himself to the grace of his grandchild. The child became loved by all.

When Mani turned three years old, he mysteriously died. His mother was distraught and buried her son close to the house where she lived. She cried for a a very long time until one day she noticed, through her tears, that a little plant had sprouted and began to grow rapidly. Everyone came to see the miracle of the new plant, whose strong white roots were shaped like a horn. Everyone wanted to taste the root in order to honor the departed child. Since then, this root has become a very welcome food and received the name mandioca. Today, the mandioca is the most important food in the region.

Mandioca is the Indian name for manioc. This Indian name is derived from Mandi, the name of the white Indian child and oca, similar to a horn.

View new work by Jarbas Lopes at the Tilton Gallery (left) or see Moacir Santos (right) at Lincoln Center this May.

Brazil Station is pleased to announce a variety of Brazilian events happening in May. If you want to announce any upcoming events, or offer ideas or suggestions for future activities, please contact us atnewsletter@brazilstation.com.

Sérgio Monteiro Piano Concert - Wednesday, May 12

Sérgio Monteiro is director of piano at the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University. Following his recital, Steinway & Sons will awardMonteiro the title of Steinway Artist, guaranteeing him that a Steinway piano will be made available to him for any recital at home or abroad. The event will feature Monteiro performing works of Villa-Lobos, Scarlatti and Prokofiev.

Monteiro first won international critical acclaim in 2003 upon winning the Martha Argerich International Competition in Buenos Aires. He was a featured solo artist in Europe, Asia and North America, including the Konzerthaus in Berlin and the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C.Monteiro studied with Myrian Dauelsberg in Brazil and Nelita True at the Eastman School of Music, where he earned his Doctor of Musical Arts. He was appointed to the faculty of the Bass School of Music at Oklahoma City University in 2009.

Free Admission- Please call 973-655-4379 for more information or to reserve seats in advance, as seating is limited.

For more info visit: http://www.steinwayshowrooms.com/steinway-hall

Steinway Hall
109 W 57th Street
New York, NY 10019
212-277-0320

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Luiz Simas Quartet - May 19 and from May 31 to June 4 

Come enjoy the sounds of Brazilian jazz, pop and bossa standards and Luiz Simas originals at Bryant Park.

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, such as Raul Seixas, Roberto Carlos, Elza Soares, and many others. Many of his songs have been recorded in Brazil, and he also composed several soundtracks for television. Luiz's style is influenced by classical music, jazz and bossa nova, and by Brazilian popular, traditional and modern music. His presentations are always very vibrant and extremely well received by the audiences.

For more information, check out http://www.bryantpark.org/calendar/may.php?y=2010.

After Work Series
Wednesday, May 19th - Bryant Park (Fountain Terrace)

Piano in the Park Series
May 31th to June 4th - Bryant Park (East Terrace, behind the Public Library)

Bryant Park
Ave of Americas at 42nd St.
New York, NY

Discovering Abilities workshop - Friday, May 21 at 8pm

Discovering Abilities: A Performance Workshop by the Sidney Lanier School Music Ensemble. This evening of inclusive music is a performance workshop based on published research projects between university music majors from around the world with the Sidney Lanier School Music Ensemble under the direction of Dr. Donald DeVito.

Sidney Lanier is a public school for children with moderate to profound disabilities including autism, cerebral palsy, Down syndrome and other special needs. The general public and New York schools and colleges are invited to observe and interact in this uplifting and inclusive music workshop demonstrating the abilities of students with special needs to excel. Included in the performance are: Universidade de Londrina music majors under the direction of Dr. Magali Kleber. The second portion of the performance includes both original and traditional Brazilian music including: Meu Balaioand Marcha de Pifano.

Dr. Magali Kleber is a music education professor at the Universidade de Londrina in Brazil. She integrated her music composition majors into the curriculum of the project. Universidade de Londrina music major Rafael Rosa composed Meu Balaio for the Sidney Lanier students and taught it to them using the virtual classroom. While the simple translation of the title is "My Basket", the meaning behind these words is significant. The basket, referred to by the composer as a balaio, is a wicker container for items of importance or emotional value in Brazilian culture. The lyrics are a comparison between the virtual classroom and a balaio for collecting the musical experiences shared between the participants of the study.

For more information: http://www.carnegiehall.org/article/box_office/events/evt_15063.html?selecteddate=05212010

Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall
881 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10019
212-247-7800

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Exhibition "Park Central" by Jarbas Lopes - through May 21

Park Central is an exhibition of new work by the Brazilian artist Jarbas Lopes. Jarbas Lopes's work is a poetic celebration of life, art, movement, music, and the world around him. It is at once personal and political. It comes out of the Brazilian tradition of colorful weavings and craft making and incorporates his country's abstract modernist movement beginning in the 30s and 40s to fit into a global present day context.

Lopes incorporates many media into his work. He makes sculptures, drawings, woven "paintings" and performances. The performative aspect is key to his work and infuses even the most concrete art objects. The dancer and choreographer Malcolm Low will participate during the opening.

Lopes chooses to use everyday, often ephemeral materials, whether found in nature, or attainable at any hardware supply store. Rough, often raw materials are transformed into objects of beauty that, while refined, playfully retain reference to their origins. The idea of ephemera, performance and art being one with the environment holds much greater importance in Brazil, and when viewed in a New York or European art context, his works transpose the viewer into a more utopian world. In his explorations of the reality of everyday life, aesthetics, social, and political concerns are melded into one.

For more information visit: http://www.jacktiltongallery.com

The Tilton Gallery
8 East 76th Street, between Madison and Fifth Avenues
New York, NY 10021
212-737-2221

Lincoln Center is presenting a pre-concert festival celebrating the culture of Brazil complete with live music, capoeira performers, tastings of authentic cuisine, tourism representatives and more! Reception begins at 7pm, and featured participants include Brazil Station, Samba Laranja, Curacao North Sea Jazz Festival, and S.O.B.'s.

Jazz at Lincoln Center - May 28 and 29

If you don't know the music of Moacir Santos, you're missing out on one of the originators of Brazilian jazz, a composer who laid the foundation for later Brazilian stars like Antonio Carlos Jobim and Milton Nascimento. Mario Adnet, who collaborated with Santos on his award-winning 2001 double album Ouro Negro, leads an all-star band in playing the music of a towering figure in Latin music. As Wynton Marsalis puts it, "Moacir Santos is nothing less than the Duke Ellington of South America." This event is also available as part of a subscription series.

For more information visit: http://www.jazzatlincolncenter.org/concerts/details309a.asp?EventID=2063

Frederick P. Rose Hall, home of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Broadway at 60th Street
New York, NY 10023
212-875-5018

Exhibition of Photographer Adriano Fagundes - through June 1

Adriano Fagundes arrived in New York City for the first time on May 9th 1990, knowing that he wanted to be a photographer. Today, 20 years later, while having accomplished a successful career as a professional photographer, he continues to nurture his love for life and interest in people by capturing it on film and exploring it through his music.

For almost a decade, Adriano has been working on his book project on the people of the Amazon region; from the source of the Amazon river in Peru, all the way to the Atlantic Ocean, over 5000 km. down the river. The book will be focusing on the people, how they live and work, and how they interact with their environment. In preparation for this final trip to the Amazon, and the upcoming publication of his book, we would like to invite you to a new photography show, "20 YEARS OF PHOTOGRAPHS." This exhibit celebrates Adriano Fagundes' work and passion for photography. All proceeds from the show will support the finalization of the Amazon project.

For more info visit: http://www.adrianofagundes.com/2010/04/24/20-years-of-photographs/

Four 11 Gallery
411 3rd Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11215
212-533-7224

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Group Art Show Art Fusion - through June 4

Art Fusion is a group art show with various Brazilian and Portuguese artists. The exhibition intends to integrate artists, promote cultural exchange between artists living in the U.S. and Brazil and create opportunity to make this connection through institutions in tune with BEA mission of supporting the arts, literature, music, cinema and theater in New York and Brazil.

For more information visit: http://www.brasilianendowment.org

Bea Art Hall Gallery
240 E 52nd Street (between 2nd& 3rd Ave)
New York, NY 10022
212-371-1556

A dedicated instructor at BrazilStation.

We will have new Group classes starting in the coming weeks. Other groups may be formed based on demand.

We areoffering a 10% discount on all classes when you register by Tuesday, May 18. This offer is good for classes starting in June, giving you plenty of time to plan your schedule! Both new and continuing students are eligible for the discount, which applies to the group classes listed below as well as private and semi-private lessons. The discount may not be combined with any other promotion. Please feel free to share this promotion with others.

1. NIBS - Beginner Level 1 group class forSpanish Speakers will start on Tuesday, May 11 at 8pm. It is for individuals fluent in Spanish and/or Italian with little or no knowledge of Portuguese.

2. N2B - Beginner Level 2group class will start on Tuesday, May 18 at 6:15pm. It is for individuals who have some knowledge of Portuguese.

3. N2BS - Beginner Level 2 group class for Spanish Speakers will start on Wednesday, May 12 at 6:15pm. It is for individuals fluent in Spanish and/or Italian with some knowledge of Portuguese.

If you'd like to register or have questions about any of our Portuguese, Brazilian business or culture classes, please contact us atinfo@brazilstation.com or by calling 646-287-6645.

Contact us to assess your current level and to discuss your goals for learning at 646-287-6645 or newsletter@brazilstation.com.

We offer Private and Semi-private classes from Monday to Saturday. You may begin taking classes with us one any day, at any time. In addition to our traditional Portuguese classes, Brazil Stationalso offers Portuguese for Spanish and Italian Speakers, Business Portuguese, Brazilian Law,Música Brasil, Brazilian History and Travel Classes. We teach off-site classes and Corporate Language Education as well.

Brazil Station
304 Park Ave South, 11th floor (at 23rd St.)
New York, NY 10010
646-287-6645

Words with multiple meanings often confuse students who are learning Portuguese. Below you will find some of the most common.

Verde

1. A bandeira brasileira é predominantemente verde - The Brazilian flag is predominantly green.

2. A maçã está verde. - The apple is unripe

Tomar

1. Você deveria tomar mais água.You should drink more water.

2. Tome cuidado. - Be careful.

3. Eu gosto de tomar banho de mar. - I like to go swimming in the ocean.

4. Tome isso aqui. - Take this.

5. Ele tem que tomar muitos remédios. - He needs to take a lot of medicine.

Seguro

1. Dirigir nos Estados Unidos é seguro. - Driving in the United States is safe.

2. Você tem seguro para o carro? - Do you have a car insurance?

Prova

1. Você tem que ter prova de sua identidade. - You have to have proof of your identity.

2. Tenho que estudar para a prova de amanhã. - I have to study for tomorrow's exam.

3. Ele não completou a prova devido a problemas mecânicos. - He didn't finish the race due to mechanical problems.

Pó

1. A casa está cheia de pó. - The house is full of dust.

2. Eu quero leite com chocolate em pó. - I want milk with chocolate powder.

Pilha

1. Preciso trocar as pilhas do brinquedo. - I need new batteries for the toy.

2. Ele deixou uma pilha de livros sobre a mesa. - He left a pile of books on the table.

Negócio

1. Como vão os negócios? - How is business?

2. Eu acho que fiz um bom negócio. - I think I got a good deal.

Letra

1. Quantas letras tem no alfabeto? - How many letters are there in the alphabet?

2. Sua letra é bonita. - Your handwriting is neat.

3. Eu gosto da letra dessa música. - I like the lyrics of this song.