This blog started with a dare. My father-in-law, a faithful reader of the blog, challenged me to write a post about my recent trip to New York I took with my wife. We were there for one night to watch the one and only US concert of the Brazilian band Sandy e Junior in the Barclay’s center. He wanted to see if I could tie that experience with theology or AI.
Daniel, challenge accepted! Let’s see how it goes.
Our trip really started in the Atlanta airport. Arriving with plenty of time, enjoying a kid-free trip, we decided to walk to the concourse rather than catching the train. It made for a pleasant 25 minutes walk, helping us reach and surpass the 10K steps goal for the day. Not only that but we also greatly enjoyed an exposition on African art and learned about the history of Atlanta. It is very well done and a great way to pass time while waiting for a flight. Next time you are stranded in the Atlanta airport, I highly recommend it.
After less than two hours of flight we saw this in our window and knew we were close. Even with all the smog, NY still boasts some stunning views. We have not been in the big apple for over 15 years and a lot has changed since then.
A Brazilian Enclave in the Big Apple
After finding some exquisite cuisine for dinner in Brooklyn we headed to the arena. The walk there in the rain was an unexpected treat. It reminded us of a family tradition: dancing in the rain. This is something we started doing before we had kids and have passed on to them. Now every time it rains, our girls ask: can we go out there to dance? Nope, we did not dance in the crowded sidewalks and car congested streets of Brooklyn. However, getting soaking wet prior to the concert was the closest to it. It was a preparation for what was to come.
As we approached the arena, it felt like we were in another country. Just noticing the way people dressed and conducted themselves, we knew there were Brazilians all around us. You see, Brazil is fairly diverse country making it difficult to spot what the typical Brazilian looks like. However, you can often tell by subtle clues. For example, women will wear their purses crossing their shoulder instead on the side. We could also hear a lot of Portuguese being spoken around us. Before crossing the street, I man behind us warned in Portuguese to stay way from the puddle anticipating cars to splash unsuspecting pedestrians. Good reminder, that we heeded willingly though unnecessary since we were already soaked.
When we got inside we felt like we were in Brazil. Everybody was speaking Portuguese except for the stadium’s staff. It felt like we were going back to our adolescence. We both grew up in Brazil. I left as a teenager and Priscila when she married me. It also reminded us of the time we met, when I was 17 and she was 15 years old. A trip back in time to a distant but crucial moment in both of our lives.
An Unique Sister-Brother Duo
Sandy e Junior are quite unique artists in the Brazilian music scene. Children of a famous sertanejo (Brazilian country music) singer, they walked into the spotlight very early in life. Their first appearance was in 1989 at the tender age of 6 and 5. From then on, they enjoyed a successful career as a duo until 2007 when they parted ways. This concert marked their 30 year anniversary of their launch in ’89. It was a reunion tour which planed for a few concerts in Brazil but quickly expanded into an international tour. Though in their mid-30’s, they already boasted three decades of career and over 20 million albums sold – a rare feat for any Brazilian artist!
Their longevity is not the only aspect that stands out. In an industry crowded by divas and big personalities, it is quite refreshing to see self-effacing, humble and authentic artists perform. They showed genuine gratitude and recognition for the fans efforts to be there and faced the opportunity to play in an international stage not as a right but as a responsibility. Both of them are still married to their first spouses and have kids. Yes, sometimes good guys and gals do become famous.
Their songs centered mostly on young love and heart break. Because they grew up doing this, their music reflects their different developmental stages. From kid’s crushes, painful teenage breakups to long-lasting friendship; it is all there in a pleasant mixture of songs to an overall pop sound. Sandy is the lead singer while Junior sings harmony and plays multiple instruments. The closest I comparison I could think would be if Taylor Swift teamed up with a Jonas brother.
The Power of a Shared Experience
As expected for this reunion show, the fan base was quite varied in age. Given their long career, you could see both those who have grown up with them as well as their children coming to the concert. I must confess I was a very late comer to their fandom. My wife was a fan from her teenage years in the 90’s while I scoffed at their association with sertanejo. It was an unfair prejudice that I regret. In our house now, Priscila had already made fans out of all our kids and I was the only hold out. After this concert that is no longer the case and I have the picture to prove it.
Priscila’s passion for the duo rubbed on me. Often, I would turn to look at her face fully immersed into the music experience. It was like I had my teenager Priscila back, almost twenty years later after marriage and kids. Her genuine delight was contagious and captivating making me fall in love again.
She was not alone. We were surrounded by committed fans who stood up and sang along for the whole two hours plus of concert time. Looking at their faces you could see memories of crushes, heart breaks and kids play all coming back. It was as if that experience was transporting them to an earlier and simpler time, a precious memory from their younger years.
The fact that it was in the US made the experience all the more memorable. Many of them, like us, have left their childhood place along with friends and family. They now live in a country where they were no longer sure they were welcome. Many carry the toll of the lonely immigrant life punctuated by hard work and isolation. All of that was forgotten for two hours while they sang their memories at the top of their lungs. The last song invited the whole arena to jump. Twenty thousand fans (including myself) gladly obliged bouncing our sorrows away.
Theology, AI, anything?
There was nothing about AI in that night. After all, I do have other interests in my life and don’t walk around only thinking about how the world relates to AI! Yet, there was ample opportunity for theological reflection. I could talk about the fact that music has the power to transport us into other dimensions in time and space. I could also speak of the nostalgia, the struggle of the immigrant life and the never-ending pervasiveness of love. You see, to me all of this is part of theology.
I am recently reflecting on a theology that embraces the world. I have recognized that my Christian formation, unfortunately, have often led me to despise the world around me and minimize experiences that were outside of religious contexts. Because of that, I was grateful to be part of this intoxicatingly human experience. It left me enriched by having my horizons opened and a bit convicted by my past prejudice. I also felt closer to my wife, the very relationship that continues to teach me most about God.
Learning to embrace the world reminds me that God does not sit “out there” in a “separate” infinite world but pours through in the richness of human experience, in the materiality of this earth, in joy, pain and sorrow.
All of it is sacred.
