I owe special thanks to the many institutions that granted me resources to undertake research in collections and archives in Brazil, Cuba and the United States. I initiated this project with a DRCLAS/Harvard University postdoctoral fellowship (1999-2000). In 2002, I received a John Simon Guggenheim Foundation Fellowship. These sources of support allowed me to considerably extend the first steps of the research. Thereafter, my research received funding from CNPq (Brazilian National Council for Scientific and Technological Development), FAPERJ (Rio de Janeiro State Research Support Foundation) and New York University.
The combination of collegiality and friendship resulted in a great deal of joy, energy, love and stimulation along my trails. Since the beginning, my paths have been illuminated by the wisdom and sensibility of dear friends – who happen also to be special colleagues (or vice-versa!) – with whom I shared documents, books, houses, meals and long conversations. My deepest gratitude goes to colleagues and friends who made my work come true. Amir Geiger, Amy Chazkel, Brodwyn Fischer, Louis H. Marcelin, Ada Ferrer, Verena Stolcke, Hilary Burguer, Dale Tomich, Luiza Moreira, Alessandra Benedicty-Kokken, Kevin Yelvington, and Rivke Jaffe were, in many ways, my ‘travel companions.’ Besides their friendship, their warmth and kindness, I owe my always present malungos, Stephan Palmié, Verena Stolcke and Kevin Yelvington, immense intellectual and personal debts. I had the great fortune of having different versions of the manuscript read by friends and outstanding scholars Stephan Palmié, Alessandra Benedicty-Kokken, Kevin Yelvington, Sally Price, and Richard Price. Although all the mistakes this book may have are mine, their thoughtful and supportive comments and suggestions guided my final revision. Diana Lachañéré and John (Jake) Homiak have been much more than, respectively, the curator of the Special Collections at the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, and the anthropologist and head of the National Anthropological Archives at the Smithsonian Institution: they have been interested colleagues, taking part in my adventure and kindly answering my inquiries.
I am especially grateful for having been able to count on the ongoing dialogue with many colleagues and friends. Perhaps, without knowing, by listening to me, posing me questions, sharing their own research challenges, answering my requests for a conversation, teaching me in their classrooms, inviting me to present parts of my research to their students, research groups or at their institutions, or even – and maybe most of the time – through their inspiring writings, they taught me in uncountable ways. Many thanks are due to Sidney
I am indebted to the many librarians, curators and archivists who assisted me in my wanderings among collections, archives and libraries. In Cuba I benefited from the collegiality and expertise of Maria do Rosário Rodriguez Díaz, Martha Pérez, Pedro Luiz Soares, Sérgio Bernal and Dania Vazques of the Instituto de Literatura y Linguística; Fernando Heredia Martinez (in memoriam), Pablo Pacheco(in memoriam), and Cecília Fleites of the Centro Juan Marinello; and Ana Prieto, Waltério Carbonell(in memoriam), and Thomas Robaina(in memoriam) of the Biblioteca Nacional José Martí.
In Brazil, my appreciations go to Silvia Martini, Anderson M. Silva and the staff of the archives and libraries at Edgar Leurenroth/UNICAMP and SEMEAR/Museu Nacional at the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, the Biblioteca Amadeu Amaral at the Museu do Folclore Édison Carneiro, the MAST/Museu de Astronomia archive, and the Fundação Gilberto Freyre Library. For many years, I regularly made new friends at the Manuscript Sector of the Biblioteca Nacional of Rio de Janeiro, received daily assistance from Carmem Moreno and Vera Lúcia Faillace, and could count on the support of Ana Virgínia Pinheiro. To the librarians of the Francisca Keller Library at the Museu Nacional – Dulce Carvalho, Adriana Ornellas, Fernando Lima and Márcio Miranda – I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation.
In the United States, I thank Jake Homiak and Daisy Njoku of the National Anthropological Archives, Smithsonian Institution; Joellen El Bashir and the staff of the Special Collections at Howard University; Diana Lachatañeré and Cheryl Beredo of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library; Jane Guyer, George Easterbrook and Dana Lamparello of Northwestern University; Allan Burdette and Marilyn Graf of the Archives of Traditional Music, Indiana University; Jennifer Morris of the Anacostia Museum; Catherine Bateson for granting me permission to use the Margaret Mead Papers at the Library of Congress; Beth Howse of the Special Collection Archives/Fisk University; and Jennifer Morris of the Anacostia Museum, Smithsonian Institution. My thanks to the staff members of the Beinecke Library/Special Collections/Yale University, the Peabody Library/Harvard University, the National Archives, College Park, the Joseph Reigenstein Library, the
Early versions of these chapters were presented at seminars and conferences at the David Rockefeller Center of Latin American Studies of Harvard University, PPGAS, Museu Nacional, the Universidade Federal de Rio de Janeiro, New York University, Syracuse University, Columbia University, University of Chicago, Indiana University, Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Universidade do Estado de Rio de Janeiro, Binghamton University, University of Michigan, Northwestern University, Syracuse University, and Princeton University. I was benefited by the assistance of my undergraduate students Joanna Dutra, Fernanda Santa Rosa Ayala, Yasmin Pacheco and Rogério Viana – for whom I hope these first research experiences may have stimulated more creative steps in the world of anthropological research. The book’s chapters were originally written in Portuguese and English. I would like to thank the fine, careful, dedicated revision and translation of anthropologist David Rodgers, without which it would have been impossible to navigate with mastery through so many languages, accents and personal writings.
When I returned to Salvador, years after I had been initiated there as an ethnographer during my master’s degree research, I was able to rely on a network of people who facilitated my visits to the religious and biological descendants of various people who figure as authors and characters throughout this book. My dear cousin and friend José Eduardo do Nascimento has shown me the paths that connect his family in the neighbourhood of our childhood, Glória, in Rio de Janeiro, to Casa Branca in Salvador to which his aunt was linked. His cousin Rita de Cássia taught me how to walk, talk and see. She introduced me to Mãe Tieta, Mãe Tatá, the late Dona Celina, Dona Sinha and Jô, who welcomed me in a very special way. Pai Areelson shared his archive of photos with me. Jocélio Telles and Márcia have shown me the way to Gantois. Thanks to Mãe Carmem Oliveira, Mãe Angela, Mãe Neli, Dona Lícia, Dona Edenis and Dona Sidália for their time, sweetness, patience and interest. Mestre Didi (Descorédes dos Santos, in memoriam), Juana Elbein dos Santos, and Dona Nícia introduced me to Opô Afonjá from their childhood and memories. Likewise, with Sr. Everardo Rocha and other people from Bogum, and Mãe Valnísia, from Terreiro do Cobre, I was taught about other ways of learning with the eyes.
I have never been alone. With their love, examples and words, my wonderful parents Maria and João taught me everything I always needed in order to be here surrounded by kind, supportive and lovely people. My wonderful siblings Cacilda and Flávio, and their children, my dear friends Gilda Ellis (in
The noise of children has also been present throughout the research that made this book possible. Aline, João, Vinícius, Mateus and Antônio arrived at different times and coloured my days. My children Lucas and Pedro nourished with love every plan and step I have taken. We were side by side in the libraries, on the soccer days, at the parks, schools, science and children’s museums, and throughout the cold days in Cambridge. They continue to bring poetry and love to my days, teaching me their brand-new arts of being alive. Beatriz, Miguel, and the little Lucas renovated all our dreams, occupying them with curiosity and promises of more fun tricks. Children grew up, got transformed, and transformed me. But these wonderful adventures required much more. It was fuelled daily by the warm and incommensurable love of Beto, who always waited for me, and who continues to fill our days with sweet melodies. I owe him the joy of dreaming. I offer this book to him.