Listening to Nature

With this podcast, I’ve been trying to show that Brazilian popular culture has much to teach the world. One of the most important lessons I’ve learned from indigenous people is to sit and listen to the nature around me.

This morning, Rita and I walked into the jungle along the banks of the Lagoa de Peri, a fresh water lagoon nestled in the high mountains close to our house. It was cloudy, still, and cool — somewhere in the mid 40s Fahrenheit — and the birds decided to provide a symphony in the jungle, with only us as the human audience.

These sounds aren’t just beautiful: they are also hopeful. From the time of colonization until the middle of the last century, the jungle around Lagoa de Peri was destroyed for firewood and planting. In the last century, it has come back as exuberant and inspiring nature.

So today, in a special and unexpected episode, you can listen to the sounds of that natural symphony. Enjoy.