The most difficult task in this expedition that instantaneously absorbs and radiates everything that is captivated worldwide by electronics, is to break the tears of emotion that every minute want to fall due to the magnitude of beauty and tenderness that take possession of me. Nevertheless, I ought to break these tears, or I won’t be able to speak or sing.

“Navegar Amazônia” is the dream-boat, the boat of poetry come to life. It picks up and transmits information amalgamated by emotions and revelation of mysteries. The landscape is shaped by pieces of dreams, poetical mirages, visions and advents that already live in our unconsciousness. But as we realize these landscapes which live in our dreams and premonitions appear more eagerly and deeply, even when we see them concrete, we are always surrounded by astonishment (a kind of astonishment that is always joy too!).

Nevertheless, I won’t talk about this wonderful astonishment awoken by these landscapes of mystery from the emerald forest, because the photographs and recorded images speak by themselves. I will use this space to talk about the supreme beauty of the people who constitute this cultural expedition, the beauty of the people who came on board and of the inhabitants.

First of all, I’d like to talk about Marcia and Jorge Bodanzky. She is a woman whose soul was built by intense lecture and literature, such as her husband Jorge, film maker who won lots of awards. They are the metaphor of the expedition they guide: democratic, receptive to all kinds of suggestions, they ask for suggestions, moving themselves constantly to what their interlocutors want, more than attentive. They are the example of humanism and plenitude, attentive to the permanent discoveries from others, demonstrating in all occasions to be receptive in radiant tenderness.

The leadership of this expedition is also shared with José Roberto Lacerda, who was born in Macapá, Amazon, and carries a vast political background, always focused on culture, an enthusiast and idealist who can solve the unexpected problems that show up with his smile radiating optimism and intense human solidarity.

Beside them, in the planning and direction departments, there is the resplendent presence of Célia Maracajá, actress, activist and cultural agitator, who, beside the young actor from Belém Emanuell Souza, not forgetting Lina (Maria Orvalina Cardoso), has been the essential key to Navegar Amazônia’s success since the beginning of the trip, from Macapá to Belém, and then in the city Abaetetuba, located in the banks of the river and the populations situated next to the islands of the big sea-river, that constitute the quilombola1 communities. Descendents from the quilombos, they were the primary vision and the preparation to the Independence of Brazil.

Nelson Jacobina (current conductor and one of the fundamental elements of the Imperial Orchestra from Rio de Janeiro) and I, beside the magnificent singer and composer from Amapá Zé Miguel, were responsible for workshops and a lot of musical presentations. Zé Miguel is a formidable artist, singer and composer of Amazon sagas. He’s got a universal and warm tone, as well as contagious. The three of us seemed to have known each other for ages. The result was as impressing in the didactics as in the seduction of songs.

I’d like to call attention to the art workshops ministered by Dario Chiaverini, which touched us so deeply, due to their high level of contents and sensitive approach. The emotion watching the young inhabitants analyzing the fine beauty of Nefertite and the inclined heads of Modiliagni’s muses was indescribable.

Some experiences in our lives are revolutionary; others transport us to lived and seen landscapes (when?/where?). Navegar Amazônia is an alike experience. For each one of us who took part of it, including the invited partners Evaldo Mocarzel (film maker) Gilson Schwartz (head of the project Cidade do Conhecimento-USP) and Mario Miranda (photographer); the camera operator Hélio Furtado and the workshops’ assistants Manoel de Jesus and Agatha Farias; the ship’s crew composed by Pedro Borralho (captain), Orlando Freitas (practical sailor), the Elielson brothers (machine operators), Eliilson Lobato (deck auxiliary) and Ana Maria Campos (cook); the permanent staff Otizete de Alencar (president), Luis Babha (administrative coordinator), Marck Lane Metzker (operational coordinator), Gavin Andrews (film maker and webmaster), Aroldo Pedrosa (cultural agent, journalist and poet), Airá Santana (cultural agent and art educator), Ézio Cerqueira (operational technician) and Clay Sam (sound technician).

From now on, we will be everlasting united, because we have shared this passage rite together, with its magic and enchantment. Inventing other projects to new opportunities of meetings is just a question of time.

1. Quilombola: a runaway slave hiding in a quilombo (a hiding place of runaway slaves).

(*) The author is a writer, a singer and a composer