WLRN Culture

The Portuguese word saudade [pronounced sau-DAH-jee in Brazilian Portuguese] has no translation in English or any other language. It’s described as a deep, sad longing for that which has been lost indefinitely or for a time – a loved one, a place, a feeling. On July 6, Brazilians in South Florida – where a significant portion of Brazilians live in the United States – felt saudade for João Gilberto , the founder of what is arguably Brazil’s largest cultural export: Bossa Nova. Gilberto, a guitarist and singer, passed away at 88 after a musical career spanning over 50 years. As a 27-year-old from the state of Bahia, considered the birthplace of Afro-Brazilian culture and Samba, Gilberto recorded 12 songs that transferred the loud, hectic rhythms of Samba onto softer, quieter tones on his guitar. The result was his 1959 album “Chega de Saudade,” considered a defining moment for Brazilian music. He continued his musical innovations with his recordings of “The Girl From Ipanema,”

For the last several weeks, Chicago-based composer and percussionist Ben Wahlund has been a resident artist at The Studios of Key West, absorbing the island and its people, both the tourists and the service workers who provide the only-in-Key West experiences for them. Wahlund's observations and encounters have been transformed into a dozen musical compositions that he's calling "Mile Marker Zero." WLRN's Nancy Klingener talked to Wahlund about his work and got a preview of some of the pieces he'll be performing on Saturday, July 13, at The Studios of Key West .

Toni Morrison is among the most revered American authors of modern times. One of only two female writers to ever win the Nobel Prize for Literature, Morrison’s works have been read by millions of people all across the globe. Her life story is captured in the new documentary, " Toni Morrison: The Pieces I Am ." And director Timothy Greenfield-Sanders was born in Miami and attended Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove. In 2017, Ransom Everglades presented him with the Founder's Alumni Award for Distinguished Service to the community. Aside from film, Greenfield-Sanders has a long career in photography, capturing portraits of adult film stars, celebrities and even presidents. Sundial host Luis Hernandez spoke with him about his childhood in Miami, his experience in photography and his vision behind the Toni Morrison film. WLRN: There is this long history of talented black writers in the U.S., but I think what made Toni's style so unique is that she was intentionally writing to a

Betsy Willeford lives in a home surrounded by books. Her prized item is a photograph of her late husband, Charles Willeford. He's sitting on a curbside, glasses in hand, as he stares directly at you. What is he thinking at the moment the camera snapped?

As a child, South Florida artist Lori Pratico did not understand why people told her to be ladylike – and not to make a mess. It just didn't jive. Ultimately she found a way to embrace her true self through visual art. Now she intersects that expression as a self-taught artist with a feminist message to uplift young women. Pratico is the executive director of Girl Noticed, a community-based program dedicated to encouraging young women to discover themselves and their value through community art projects. To carry out this mission, Pratico guides groups of women to paint or draw murals of inspiring people. In collaboration with ArtServe and Holy Cross Hospital, Pratico’s work is now being featured in a woman-centered exhibition titled “Femme Empowered” at the Dorothy Mangurian Comprehensive Women’s Center at the Holy Cross HealthPlex in Fort Lauderdale. It features six paintings that span over a 15 year period of art and female empowerment. Her work is also accompanied by that of