Confederado Festa Brazil - Civil War Anniversary Celebration
By Tim Massey · Originally published October 2016 · p. 24
In 1993, while living outside of Charleston, S.C I happened upon a book in local shop titled The Lost Colony of the Confederacy by Eugene Harter. Now I must confess, just what possessed me to purchase and read that book I cannot say. While I found it fascinating and even harbored a dream of visiting the places in the book, in reality, I never dared think that I actually ever would. That all changed after my sister Gwen Gray and husband Rex visited the Confederado Festa in 2015. Gwen came home and told me the Brazilian’s asked them to come back next year and to bring me! I was Friends on social media with several of the Brazilians, so it wasn’t exactly like I was a stranger. From the start, my sister told me they were going back, and that I was for sure going too. I had a few hoops to jump through over the course of the year: passport, apply for a visa, learn some Portuguese. I went to Brazil with a few key words memorized but at a loss to really converse. To my fortune, many of the Brazilians spoke some English or were fluent. I had some tell me “we speak English in your country, next year you must speak Portuguese in ours.” I have three books on the Confederados in my library, so in the year leading up to the trip, I reread them. Also, I researched the families that had made the 5,000-mile move after the war. I looked up military, census, and other records. I copied newspaper articles about them from 1865 up through 2015. I even found death notices and articles in Confederate Veteran Magazines. Since I was already friends with some of the Confederados through social media, I felt a bond because I knew their family histories. Some of these men had been in my hometown of Greeneville, Tennessee with Morgan and served in East Tennessee with Longstreet! They were here! The bonds grew tighter! The year quickly flew by, and I found myself in the Amarillo, Texas airport awaiting the flight that was to take us to Houston, Fort Lauderdale and on to Brazil. It was the day of the flooding in Houston, and our flight was delayed again and again. Finally, we were routed to Denver, to San Francisco, then Fort Lauderdale. It was a thirteen-hour delay on the ground and in the air. We finally arrived in Brazil in the late evening instead of the early morning. It was a relief to finally be off of the plane! We spent a couple of days touring in Brazil before going to the cemetery where the oft pictured monument is located and where the Festa is held. The Festa was on Sunday, and we were there on Saturday to help prepare for the coming activities. I had planned to let Gwen and Rex help, while I explored and took a ton of pictures. Words fail to come when describing the stage area painted like a Confederate Battle Flag or the backdrop going up with the U.S. and Brazilian flags. I was at a loss seeing the monument for the first time. Seeing something in pictures, and seeing it in person are two vastly different effects. I remember feeling (Tim Massey)
a deep reverence as I approached the obelisk with all the surnames of the American immigrants. I spent some time reading the names. These were not just individuals, these were families, with strong ties both in Brazil and the U.S. I could see the nearby chapel and the cemetery beyond. I felt a deep sense of peace and serenity as I approached the chapel. Walking into the cemetery, members of the family organization that oversee the cemetery and Festa were busy placing Confederate flags on every grave. As I looked up at the palm trees, I noticed intermixed between them were Southern pines! The pines had been brought here, to this place where the red soil, lay of the land, and late summer heat reminds one of South Alabama or Georgia. Now the Confederados sleep beneath the red earth and under their native southern pines - with a few palms thrown in. It is truly a pinch of paradise on earth. As I walked through the cemetery, I realized I knew these people. I knew their family history, their war record, and some of their descendants. It was as if I had been here before, as if they were my ancestors. I would recognize a surname and then start looking for the immigrants, those who chose to come here 150 years ago. In the two days at the cemetery, I was repeatedly drawn back into the rows of sleeping Southerners. I read and walked, photographed and filmed. It is a place like no other and words cannot describe the feeling. When Jimmy Carter visited here in 1972, he is quoted as saying, with tears in his eyes, “These are our people.” I couldn’t say it any better. Sunday morning, we arrived at the cemetery hours before the gates opened. I again walked in the cemetery and filmed those preparing for the busy day. I was asked to represent the United States in the opening ceremonies and to then raise the U.S. flag. Stan Hudson of Texas raised the Confederate flag. Other dignitaries including the Mayor raised the local and state flags. It was a long ceremony which featured the Brazilian national anthem just before the flags were hoisted. Another fun item for me was singing on stage with Johnny Voxx. Johnny is the most popular Country Music artist in Brazil. He and Gwen became friends the prior year, and I told him I would like to sing with him. He told me we would sing Proud Mary together which he dedicated to my sister. He let me sing lead, and to be honest, I always shied away from singing out loud in public, so as they say, I just let it rip. I dressed in western attire for the singing gig as my Brazilian friends love the Cowboy look. The Brazilians call the Festa “the party” and for sure it is a party from beginning to end. It is a high octane roller coaster that honors the memory of their ancestors that left their homes in the States and settled here. Let there be no doubt, they are proud of and honor their Confederate ancestors! They are proud of that Rebel blood that courses through their veins and it shows. There is no racism in Brazil.
As the southern culture theme flowed for the day, music was in English, were Southern songs, with country music big here. Dixie was the theme of the day. Dancers wore hoop skirts and men wore Confederate uniforms. Others danced the Texas two-step to country music by Johnny Voxx. All the Southern states were honored and recognized with a soldier in uniform carrying the flag. Young ladies in yellow hoop skirts with each Southern state bird and flower embroidered on it accompanied the soldier with that State’s flag. Southern fried chicken, biscuits, corn on the cob, and watermelon were the foods of choice. In the center, a tent sold Confederate flag and U.S. flag-themed items at a brisk clip all day. The food or other items could only be purchased with Confederate money. Yes, you had to exchange your cash for Confederate currency as you entered the gate. The only notes the vendors would accept were the Confederate ones. It was a long day in the Brazilian heat, but a day to long be remembered, and one to hopefully repeat. The younger generation doesn’t seem inclined to forget, or be ashamed of their history like our youngsters here in the States. It was refreshing to see people of all ages, and ethnicities’ relish in the delight of honoring and celebrating their heritage. It was uplifting to see youngsters participating in the programs and wearing Confederate-themed items. We may be losing our heritage to political correctness here in the States, but in Brazil, being a Rebel is a birthright! (Tim Massey) (Tim Massey)
