Bidu Sayão

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Bidu Sayão's Impressions on a trip to Belém

Extract from Maria José de Oliveira Sayão's (mother) diary,
kindly offered by Pedro Sayão (nephew)

Pedro II On November 29, 1936.

We boarded ship in Fortaleza, on the Pedro II to Belém, in Pará. The boarding in Fortaleza is very difficult, as this Capital city does not yet have a Port, a boat must be taken to go to the ship, where the sea is very furious! Fortunately, the distance to the ship is short. We appreciated Fortaleza a lot, for the kindliness of all and of the cultured society there.

On December 1st, 1936.

We arrived at São Luiz do Maranhão which is the Capital city, but we didn't unboard there to visit the town, as there's no Port, the ship remains very far! And, so, as soon as at 10 in the morning the Pedro II weighed anchor to Belém do Pará, where, if so God wishes, we shall arrive tomorrow, December 2nd.

Belém On December 2nd, 1936.

We arrived in Belém do Pará, staying at the Grande Hotel, which is magnificent and it is situated in a beautiful Square full of mango trees, and in front of the incredibly beautiful Theatro da Paz. On the same day we arrived, we visited the Zoo Garden, which has the Amazonas' most beautiful birds. The City is pretty and specially picturesque, as all the streets are actually tunnels under magnificent mango trees.

On December 2nd, 1936.

Bidu gave her 1st Concert, at the Theatro da Paz, with the theater completely sold out, receiving speeches, flowers, delirious ovations, from a enthusiastic and cultured public, that almost repeated all the Program and still asked for many extras! During a break, the Governor inaugurated a beautiful plaque for Bidu, in the theater, as a celebration for her passage, with Bidu being honored and ovationed by all that great audience! It was a great night of art and glory to Bidu. Praised be Our Lord Jesus Christ and all our Protectors!

On December 3, 1936.

We went by car to a sigh seeing around the City, and we also went to the Market, which that is quite interesting. We also visited the Nazareth Cathedral, which is, perhaps, the most beautiful and artistic one of its gender, with its sacred paintings all formed by tiny golden mosaics existing in Brazil.

On December 3, 1936.

The Pará Governor and his family promoted a reception to Bidu, at 5 o'clock in the afternoon, where the Belém's most distinct and elegant people showed up. We were charmed by the kindness and amiability, having the Governor and his wife offered Bidu an extremely beautiful and rich briefecase all made of crocodile skin, as a souvenir of her passage in Belém!

On December 4, 1936.

The Mayor and his wife offered a lunch to Bidu, having the Mayor's wife offered Bidu a beautiful purse made of frog skin, with a beautiful belt and a small packet of mother-of-pearl. We tried all of Pará's specialties and also drank all the tasteful refreshments of the various fruits from here.

On December 4, 1936.

Bidu gave her 2nd Concert at the Theatro da Paz, under never-ending ovations from a never before seen Consecration until today in Belém. Everything so wonderful! Extremely beautiful flower baskets. An Occasion that will be unforgettable for a long time in Belém! The people followed Bidu with claps until the Hotel! What a great triumph, and what a Glorious Night was that farewell Concert to the people of Pará! Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ and all our Protectors! The program was completely repeated, and, again, with many extras: because the audience didn't want to leave the Theater, clapping deliriously!

On December 5, 1936.

Bidu still had a tea party offered at the house of one of the friends she made in Belém, called Elena Coelho, who has an extremely beautiful voice but still has to educate it a lot! Bidu won many presents as souvenirs from the place and left many memories for these wonderful people, who didn't know what else to do to please her, as an official guest.

Duque de Caxias On December 5, 1936.

We left Belém at 8 o'clock in the evening headed to Manaus, on the Ship Duque de Caxias!

On December 6, 1936.

We passed through the "Estreito de Breves" which is indescribably picturesque, as the Ship passes so close to the margins of the majestic Amazon river, which are truly wild forests, with various views and some primitive caboclos' houses of who live there, that many times it seems that the ship is going to crash on these margins! In other occasions the Ship sails on the majestic Amazon, as if it were in the middle of the ocean, so large in the skyline is this impressive and dazzling River, the biggest in the World, an Apotheosis.

On December 7, 1936.

We sailed all day long through the impressive Amazon, sometimes close to its picturesque margins, sometimes on the plain ocean, so enormous is this colossus, that only seeing it, can someone believe it, and that lacks adjectives or superlatives to describe it!!

On December 8, 1936.

We arrived in Santarém at dawn, the 1st Port after Belém. The ship took little time, leaving at 7 in the morning. As it was Our Lady of Conception day, I attended mass held onboard. In this same day we arrived at noon to the 2nd Port, called Obido, which that is the borderline between Pará and Amazonas, not staying long the Ship there.

On December 9, 1936.

We arrived at 10 o'clock in the evening to the last Port, called Taquatiara, and so, in the following day we concluded our ship to Manaus, Amazonas' Capital city.

On December 10, 1936.

We arrived in Manaus, Amazonas' Capital city, after a 5-day journey through the majestic Amazon! We stayed at an Inn, that the government asked to officially host us, and where they treated us with true banquets and all the comfort, since there's no appropriate Hotel in this town for any guest! Bidu was received onboard with a musical band and all the authorities from there, who drived her in the Governor's cars. We went right away to visit the Amazonas Theater that is extremely beautiful, and the richest in the north.

On December 10, 1936.

Bidu gave her 1st Concert in the Amazonas Theater of Manaus, which is extremely beautiful and was crowded. As usual, this Concert was a colossal triumph, with speeches, flowers and many repetitions, deliriously ovationed about everything, having thrilled all the audience!

On December 11, 1936.

We went on a beautiful and original boat ride by the margins of the colossal Amazon, disembarking in a place called Carreiro and going to a very picturesque house of a caboclo, where we could see a "Vitória Régia", that is the most beautiful water flower in Amazonas! This ride took the whole day and was the most beautiful of the rides we made, seeing the lakes where the "Vitórias Régias"!!

On December 12, 1936.

Bidu gave the 2nd and final Concert in the Theatro Amazonas of Manaus, that was extremely crowded with all that was most distinct in the City! It was a wonderful night of glory and art to Bidu, with speeches, flowers, the inauguration of a plaque celebrating her passage through the Theatro Amazonas, and never-ending ovations from this so cultured audience! Bidu was with a very good voice and gave many repetitions and extras! She received marvelous critics, having a music band playing at the entrance of the Theater! Right after the Concert was finished we came onboard the Duque de Caxias being Bidu accompanied by almost everyone who had watched the Concert, and that kept waving Goodbye, until the ship disappeared in the skyline, already missing her and yet so happy for the delicious hours they went through.

Duque de Caxias On December 12, 1936.

We left, at midnight from Manaus to Belém, after Bidu's Concert! In the following day, December 13, we arrived at 9 in the morning in Taquatiara, where the ship stayed all day long loading wood.

On December 14, 1936.

We arrived in the morning in Parintins, where the ship did not stay long. At 10PM that same day we arrived in Santarém, and left at dawn. On the 15th we arrived to S. Miguel dos Macacos and then to Breves, having crossed the strait of Breves which is very picturesque, for the ship almost touched the margins. On the 16th, we sailed all day and finally on December 17 we arrived at 4 PM to Belém, from this wonderful trip!

Belém On December 17, 1936.

We arrived to Belém, and stayed at the Grand Hotel.

On December 17, 1936.

Bidu performed the 3rd and final Concert at the Theatro da Paz of Belém, which was overcrowded and beautiful ! This Concert was a wonderful thing, an apotheosis, because I have never seen a whole audience to vibrate so much and with such enthusiasm ovationating deliriously, encoring and not showing any desire of leaving the theater! It is not possible to describe the night of glories of Bidu, which was marvelous in voice and art ! It was a memorable Concert and Belém will never forget Bidu! Praised be our Lord Jesus Christ and all of our protectors for the glorious tour that ended today.

Commandant Riper On December 18,1936.

We left Belém by the "Comandante Riper", which left at 5 PM. We have taken sweet memories of our friends from Belém, Helena, Ivany and others, and of dedicated Frazão, Nilson, etc, we were captivated by the attention and kindness of Governor Marcher and his family, who in both occasions received Bidu and myself as official guests living his automobile at our disposition everyday for some rides! Such a good people and what a kindness and gifts did we receive in this Town! Helena, Ivany and our friends came on board and stayed until the Ship disappeared waving good bye with handkerchiefs full of longing and crying!