Cauim interview with Luiz Pagano to Polish magazine Aqua Vitae

  

Last April 2020, during the pandemic, I gave an interview to the Polish magazine Aqua Vitae, specialized in alcoholic beverages, about Cauim, a product that I have been developing together with my friend Hildo Sena, based on the fermented mandioca (sort of Brazilian cassava) alcoholic beverage, ritualistically taken by pre-Colombians people in Brazil.

leia este artigo em Português

It is important to say that the interview was conducted by my friend Leszek Wedzicha in English and later translated into Polish by the magazine's journalism team. Therefore, there are some lines that, at first, do not seem to make much sense and we may get lost in translation.

A good example is when Leszek asks me in English “what was the reason for your interest in such an unknown world of indigenous spirits”, understanding that the term “spirits” is used to name distillated beverage, I clarify that Cauim, as well as the other ancestral beverages, do not go through the distillation process, but only through alcoholic fermentation (translated into Polish as napojów alkoholowych).

That said, I decided to put the text in full in Polish, so that the ambiguities are resolved and then the translation into English.

T'ereîkokatú!!

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Cauim - prekolumbijski trunek Indian - Mówi Luiz Pagano

- Na początku może przedstaw się i powiedz nam o swojej roli w świecie napojów alkoholowych tubylców brazylijskich?

- Jestem malarzem, ilustratorem i konceptualistą. Wykonywałem ilust- racje dla „Superinteressante" (głów- ny naukowy magazyn ukazujący się w Brazylii), promowałem „Paradę Capivara", projekt podobny do „Pa- rady krów" Pascala Knappa, z uży- ciem jednego z najbardziej kultowych zwierząt w Brazylii (kapibara) i jestem również specjalistą od napojów alkoholowych, koncentruję się na wprowadzaniu nowych produktów i ich akulturacji. Przez ostatnie 22 lata zajmowałe się także wprowadzanien na brazylijski rynek takich marek jak: Veuve Clicquot, Red Bull, Beers Franziskaner i Löwenbräu, a przez ostatnie dziewięć lat praco- wałem w Pernod Ricard do Brasil, odpowiedzialny za Dział Edukacji Marki. Ta mieszanka umiejętności bardzo mi pomogła w nowym wy- zwaniu, jakim jest odkrycie na nowo i przedstawienie światu najbardziej autentycznego i oryginalnego napoju Indian, jakim jest cauim. Robiony z mandioca (rodzaj brazylijskiego manioku) napój alkoholowy, który został stworzony przez rdzenne ple- mionach Brazylii na długo przed przybyciem Portugalczyków i dalszą kolonizacją Brazylii.

-Jaki był powód twojego zainteresowania tak nieznanym światem tubylczych napojów alkoholowych, zarówno w samej Brazylii, jak i tym bardziej poza nią. Jakie były twoje pierwsze doświadczenia z napojami alkoholowymi Indian?

- Przede wszystkim bardzo ważne jest skorygowanie powszechnego nieporozumienia, cauim nie jest napojem destylowanym, jest sfermen- towanym napojem z manioku, o zawartości alkoholu od 8% do 12%. Destylat z manioku nazywa się ti- quira (w języku old tupi, znaczy krople). Od małego słyszałem opo- wieści o naszych rdzennych przod- kach. To były opowieści mojego już zmarłego ojca Sr. Tao, który był rów- nież bardzo utalentowanym mala- rzem oraz jednego z moich wujków, Pedro, który dużo podróżował po Brazylii, do stanów Mato Grosso i Pará. Wujek znał tupi antigo (stary rdzenny język old tupi) i świetnie znał brazylijskie legendy ludowe tubyl- ców. Miał dobry kontakt z rdzenną ludnością. Spośród tak wielu odnie- sień do Brazylii stworzyłem własny styl artystyczny, który nazywam TUPI-POP, używając japońskiego J-Pop i koreańskiego K-Pop, jako główne referencje. Jestem znawcą języka japońskiego, kultury japońskiej i mieszkam w dzielnicy Liberdade w São Paulo (dzielnica japońskich imigrantów). Moja sztuka zawiera w sobie wiele japońskich elementów. ale odzwierciedla się w niej także dawna wyidealizowana Brazylia, jesz cze przed przybyciem Portugalczy- ków, gdzie rdzenne kultury rozkwitly i w izolacji osiągnęły wysoki poziom cywilizacji - podobnie jak kultura podobnie jak kultura japońska. 

Przeprowadzając bardziej szczegółowe badania, odkryłem wiele podobieństw między Japończy- kami a ponad 305 rdzennymi gru- pami etnicznymi, które mieszkają na całym terytorium Brazylii. Japoński sake sprzed 1100 lat jest bardzo po- dobne do autentycznego brazylij- skiego napoju cauim (w końcu mają to samo pochodzenie etniczne, które przeszło Cieśninę Beringa tysiąc lat temu) Pojechałem do Japonii, gdzie wspólnie ze specjalista od sake za- cząłem odtwarzać proces przemy- słowy, mający na celu przywrócenie plemiennego cauim i udostępnienie tego trunku światu.

- Jak myślisz, jak zmienił się rynek alkoholi w ciągu ostatnich lat? Gdzie widzisz rynek rodzimych napojów alkoholowych w następnych latach?

- Stawiam na klasyczne produkty, które mają silne korzenie kulturowe, zamiast modnych produktów, które mają krótki okres trwałości. Jesteśmy w trakcie rewolucji cyfrowej, nowe technologie i nowe oczekiwania społeczne zmieniają się w ciągu miesięcy. Moje doświadczenie na rynku napojów pokazuje, że silne trendy przez jeden rok są praktycznie ignorowane w następnym, na przykład na rynku japońskim średni wskaźnik „przepa- kowywania” wynosi 6 miesięcy (jeśli firmy nie zmieniają opakowania pro- duktu w tym okresie. konsumenci zaczynają tracić zainteresowanie). A cauim pojawia się na tym rynku w taki sam sposób, jak pulque zdo- bywa rynek wśród młodych Meksyka- nów. Pulque jest tequilą bez destylacji, a cauim ma tę samą relację, jest to fermentowany maniok, jeśli destylowany staje się tiquirą. Jeśli wszyst- ko pójdzie zgodnie z planem, w ciągu najbliższych pięciu lat możemy mieć ogromną różnorodność cauim, z któ- rych każdy wyraża duszę różnych rdzennych plemion w Brazylii.

- Czy są jakieś plany produkcji tych napojów na masowy rynek?

- Jasne, gdybyśmy nie znajdowali się pod „social distancing” COVID-19, mieliśmy plany wprowadzić napój na rynek w sierpniu tego roku (uwa- żam, że numer 8, sierpień, wiąże się z pomyślnością). Opatentowane są już dwie metody produkcji cauim. Pierwsza to metoda pagano, zwana także metodą japońską, w której używamy drożdży koji, aby przekształcać skrobię z manioku w cukier i przeprowadzić wielokrotną fermentację. Druga metoda, zwana sena, opracowana przez mojego partnera Hildo Sena, jest tańsza i prostsza, z doskonałymi wynikami wykorzystuje syntetyczne enzymy, aby osiągnąć ten sam cel. Wyniki tych dwóch procesów można porównać do produkcji win musujących, które przynoszą świetne metody: charmat, jakość w stosunkowo niskiej cenie i champenoise, która jest droższa i bardziej wyszukana.

- Czy istnieją jakieś specjalne zasady i przepisy dotyczące degustacji napojów rdzennych mieszkańców Brazylii?

- Cauim to najstarszy napój alkoholowy na kontynencie południowoamerykańskim, jednak nigdy nie wyszedł poza rdzenne plemiona, z tego powodu nie ma „nawyku konsumpcji” (na szczęście jestem specjalistą od akulturacji produktów, w przysz- łości będę miał dużo pracy w tym zakresie). Rok temu, doksładnie 31 maja 2019, mieliśmy pierwszą foodpairingową kolację z cauim i z miejscowymi potrawami, wykonaną z doskonałością przez studentów SENAC, w restauracji Toriba w Cam- pos do Jordão, w środku Serra da Mantiqueira (południowo-wschod- nia Brazylia), pod kierunkiem prof. Victora Pompeu. Profesor liczył na wyjątkowy talent miejscowego szefa kuchni Kalymaracayi, z grupy etnicznej Terena i szefa kuchni Fábio Eustáquio, z caiçara (brazylijskie pochodzenie etniczne z wybrzeża) z Ubatuba, który stworzył pięciodaniowe menu, mieszając elementy wykwintnej kuchni z miejscowymi potrawami kulturowymi, przygotowanymi dla 50 osób. Uzyskane pieniądze w całości zostały przekazane do APAE (bra- zylijskiej organizacji charytatywnej).

W menu było: Couver, czyli chleb yam z masłem kakaowym i masłem orzechowym, na przystawki sardynki z sałatką pancs (niekonwencjonalne rośliny spożywcze) i wędzonym sago z manioku, danie główne – Terra e Rio (po portugalsku „dla ziemi i rzeki” z czarno-białym tucupi, czyli sosem wytłoczonym z manioku, a na deser smażony banan panierowany z lodami kokosowymi i słodyczami z nerkowca.

- Czy uważasz, że produkcja lokalnych napojów mogłaby przynieść korzyści rdzennej społeczności?

- Absolutnie! To chyba najważniejszy krok nie tylko dla ochrony kultury rdzennej społeczności, ale także po to, aby się rozwijała, a w konsekwencji, aby chronić nasze lasy deszczowe. Dzisiaj dużo debatuje się na świecie o problemach związanych z ochroną środowiska. Takie skarbce przyrody, jak las deszczowy Amazonii, są bardzo zniszczone. Rdzenni mieszkańcy dzielnie starają się chronić ich terytoria, ale mają niewiele zasobów aby oprze się zwykłemu brazylijskiemu bandycie, różnym nielegalnym drwalom i górnikom, osadnikom i hodowcom bydła, którzy nieustannie niszczą tropikalną zieleń. Zawsze mówię, że nie można postawić kopuły ochronnej nad Indianami i ich ziemią, ale można ich edukować i zapewniać warunki które pozwolą im walczy jak równy z równym przeciwko bandytom. Moje marzenie, to pojawienie się nowej kategorii napojów cauim. Chciałbym odtworzyć każdą recepturę z 305 grup etnicznych, które dziś mówią w ponad 270 różnych językach. Z ich pomocą mogę zrealizować ten scenariusz. Jeśli skoordynowany wysiłek zawodowych soc- jologów, polityków i naukowców pokieruje rdzennymi mieszkańcami Brazylii, to będą oni potrafili produkować i sprzedawać własny cauim, generując własne zasoby, które pozwolą im zarządzać swoimi ziemiami oraz chronić je przed wrogi- mi działaniami z zewnątrz.

- Czy maniok jest głównym składnikiem do produkcji miejscowych napojów alkoholowych?

- W kategorii cauim maniok jest głównym składnikiem, cauim który ja produkuję jest w 100% z manioku. Istnieją jednak miejscowe napoje alkoholowe wytwarzane z kukurydzy czy z pinhão (orzeszki piniowe araukaria). Wyróżniamy dziesięć głów- nych rodzimych fermentowanych napojów brazylijskich z różnych surowców, m.in.: saki, caxirí, chichás, macaloba, masato, mõg, pajuaru, tarubá czy yakupa.

- Czy tiquira to także napój alkoholowy Indian brazylijskich?

- Tak, jak powiedziałem wcześniej, tiquira jest destylatem, o mocy 40- 50% alkoholu. Cauim to wino maniokowe o zawartości alkoholu 8-15% które nie przechodzi pro- cesu destylacji. Innymi słowy, cauim to tiquira bez destylacji, tak samo jak piwo to whisky bez destylacji, wino to brandy bez destylacji, czy pulque to tequila bez destylacji, i tak dalej...

- Co możesz nam powiedzieć więcej o procesie produkcyjnym jednego z rdzennych napojów alkoholowych Brazylii?

- Plemiona brazylijskie stosują tradycyjny proces, zbierają plony manioku, gotują go, a następnie podają młodym dziewicom do żucia. Jak zapewne wiesz, fermentacja alkoholowa ma miejsce, gdy cukry są spożywane przez drożdże i przekształcane w alkohol. Maniok, podobnie jak ryż, nie ma prostych cukrów, lecz skrobię, którą można przekształcić w cukier za pomocą środku enzymatycznego. Wszyscy mamy ślinową amylazę, enzym, który chemicznie rozkłada amid i przekształca go w cukry. Cauim produkowa- ny przez plemiona jest następnie fermentowany przez endogenne drożdże i może uzyska zawartość alkoholu w przedziale 4,5%-15%.

Cauim - Luiz Pagano talks about the pre-Columbian indigenous beverage

- First, why don't you introduce yourself and tell us about your role in the world, alcoholic beverages and Brazilian indigenous people?

  I'm an artist, illustrator and concept artist. I made illustrations for Superinteressante (Brazil's leading scientific magazine), promoted the Capivara Parade, a project similar to Pascal Knapp's Cow Parade, using one of Brazil's most iconic animals (the capybara) and I am also an expert in alcoholic beverages with a focus on introduction of new products and their acculturation, introduced brands such as Veuve Clicquot, Red Bull, Franziskaner and Löwenbräu beers in the Brazilian market, and for nine years I have been working at Pernod Ricard do Brasil, responsible for the Brand Education Department. This mix of skills helped me a lot in my new challenge of rediscovering and introducing the world to the most authentic and original indigenous alcoholic beverage, which is CAUIM. Made from mandioca (a type of Brazilian cassava), this alcoholic beverage that was created by the indigenous tribes of Brazil long before the arrival of the Portuguese, and subsequent colonization of Brazil.

-What is the reason for your interest in such an unknown world of indigenous alcoholic beverages, both in Brazil itself and beyond? What was your first experience with Indigenous spirits?

 - First, it is very important to correct a common misconception that cauim is not a spirit, it is a fermented cassava beverage with an alcohol content of 8% to 12%. The cassava distillate is called tiquira (in ancient Tupi it means drops). Since I was a child, I have heard stories about our indigenous ancestors. These were the stories of my late father Mr. Tao, who was also a very talented painter, and one of my uncles, Pedro, who traveled all over Brazil, mainly to the states of Mato Grosso and Pará. My uncle knew a little Tupi antigo (Ancient Tupi - the ancestral indigenous language) and was very familiar with the folklore legends of native Brazilians. He had good contact with indigenous peoples. With so many references to Brazil, I created my own art style that I call TUPI-POP, using Japanese J-Pop and Korean K-Pop as main references. I specialize in Japanese language, Japanese culture and I live in the neighborhood of Liberdade in São Paulo (district of Japanese immigrants). My art contains a lot of Japanese elements. but it also reflects the old idealized Brazil in a modern way, even before the arrival of the Portuguese, where indigenous cultures flourished and isolated reached a high level of civilization – just like Japanese culture doing a more detailed research, I discovered many similarities between the Japanese and more than 305 indigenous ethnic groups that live throughout Brazil. The Japanese sake of 1,100 years ago is very similar to the authentic Brazilian beverage cauim (after all, they have the same ethnic origin that crossed the Bering Strait a thousand years ago) I went to Japan, where together with a sake specialist I started to recreate the process - that is, it aims to restore tribal cauim and make this liquor available to the world.

- How do you think the alcoholic beverage market has changed in recent years? Where do you see the native alcoholic beverage market in the coming years?

- I focus on classic products with strong cultural roots rather than trendy products with a short shelf life. We are in the middle of a digital revolution, new technologies and new social expectations are changing over the months. My experience in the beverage market shows that strong trends in one year are virtually ignored in the next, for example, in the Japanese market, the average "repackaging" rate is 6 months (if companies don't change product packaging in this period, consumers, they are starting to lose interest). The cauim is entering this market in the same way that pulque is gaining market among young Mexicans. Pulque is tequila without distillation and cauim has the same relationship, it is fermented cassava, which when distilled becomes tiquira .

If all goes according to plan, in the next five years we could have a huge variety of cauins, each one expressing the soul of different indigenous villages in Brazil.

- Are there plans to produce these beverage for the mass market?

- Of course, if we weren't under COVID-19 social distancing, we had plans to launch the drink in August of this year (I believe the number 8 - August, is associated with prosperity). Two methods of producing cauim are already patented* . The first is the Pagano method, also called the Japanese method, where we use koji yeast to convert cassava starch into sugar and carry out repeated fermentation. The second method, called sena, developed by my partner Hildo Sena, is cheaper and simpler, and uses synthetic enzymes to achieve the same objective with excellent results. The results of these two processes can be compared to the production of sparkling wines, which bring excellent methods: charmat, quality at a relatively low price, and champenoise, which is more expensive and sophisticated.

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*The patent was necessary because we need the process described in the pertnent legal department in order to apply for a specific law/regulamentation for Cauim.

Ironically, the oldest Brazilian beverage does not have a law that regulates ir, which is under study. It is important to say that we will leave patents free so that everyone can develop and improve cauim, whose basic objective is to serve as an alternative, sustainable and scalable source of income for indigenous villages, to manifest their cultures and increase their economic potential.

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- Are there any special rules and regulations for tasting indigenous beverages in Brazil?

- Cauim is the oldest alcoholic beverage on the South American continent, but it never went beyond the indigenous villages, so there is no "consumption habit" (fortunately I am a specialist in product acculturation, I will have a lot of work in this area in the future). One year ago, exactly on the 31st of May 2019, we had our first pairing dinner with cauim and regional dishes, perfectly prepared by SENAC students, at the Toriba restaurant, in Campos do Jordão, in the heart of Serra da Mantiqueira (Southeast of Brazil), under the direction of Prof. Victor Pompey. The teacher had the unique talent of local chef Kalymaracaya, from the Terena ethnic group, and chef Fábio Eustáquio, with caiçara food from Ubatuba, who created a five-course menu, mixing elements of haute cuisine with elements of local culture, prepared for 50 people . All the money raised was donated to APAE.

The menu was: Couver, yam bread with cocoa butter and peanut butter, for starters, sardines with pancs salad (Portuguese for plantas alimentícias não convencionais - unconventional food plants) and smoked cassava sago, main course - Terra e Rio de tucupi black and white, that is, broth resulting from the cassava press, and for dessert fried banana breaded with coconut ice cream and cashew jam.

- Do you think that the production of local beverages can benefit the indigenous community?

- Undoubtedly! This is perhaps the most important step not only to protect the culture of indigenous peoples, but also to develop it and, as a result, protect our rainforests. Today, there is much debate around the world about environmental issues. Natural treasures like the Amazon rainforest are seriously threatened. Indigenous people try valiantly to protect their territories, but they have few resources to resist the challenges arising from criminal, such as illegal loggers and miners, settlers and ranchers who constantly destroy tropical vegetation. I always say that you cannot place a protective dome over the Indians and their lands, but you can educate them and give them conditions that allow them to fight as equals against bandits. My dream is the emergence of a new beverage category, cauim.

My dream is that with the emergence of a new beverage category, CAUIM, each of the 305 ethnic groups, who today speak more than 270 different languages, will be able to react to this scenario. If the coordinated efforts of professional sociologists, politicians and scientists guide the indigenous peoples of Brazil, they will be able to produce and sell their own cauim, generating their own resources that will allow them to manage their lands and protect them from hostile external actions.

- Is cassava the main ingredient in the production of local alcoholic beverages?

- In the cauim category cassava is the main ingredient, the cauim I produce is 100% cassava. However, there are local alcoholic beverages made from corn or pine nuts (araucaria pine nuts). There are ten main Brazilian indigenous fermented beverages made from different raw materials, including: saki, caxirí, chichás, macaloba, masato, mõg, pajuaru, tarubá or yakupa.

- Is tiquira also an alcoholic drink used by Brazilian natives?

- As I said before, tiquira is a spirit, 40-50% ABV. Cauim is a cassava wine with an alcohol content of 8-15% that does not go through the distillation process. That is, cauim is undistilled tiquira, just as beer is undistilled whiskey, wine is undistilled brandy, pulque is undistilled tequila, and so on...

- What can you tell us more about the production process of one of Brazil's indigenous spirits?

- Brazilian tribes use a traditional process, harvest the mandioca, cook it and then give it to the young virgins to chew. As you probably know, alcoholic fermentation occurs when sugars are consumed by the yeast and converted into alcohol. Cassava, like rice, does not have simple sugars, but starch, which can be converted into sugar through an enzymatic means. We all have salivary amylase, an enzyme that chemically breaks down amide and turns it into sugars. The cauim produced in the triebes is then fermented by endogenous yeasts and can reach an alcohol content of 4.5% to 15%.

Summary table of the main Brazilian indigenous drinks

#	Name / Raw Material	Principal Etinicity	Ficticious Bottle	Linguistic Group
1	Saki 100% purple sweet potato	Etnia Ingariko		Karib

2	Cauim  100% Mandioca	Etnias Tupi		Tupi/Guarani
3	Cauim  100% Mais	Arawetés		Tupi-guarani
4	Caxirí 100% Mandioca	Wajampis		Tupi-Guarani
5	Chichás M 60% Mais 40% Mandioca H 60% Mandioca 40% Mais	Apiacás		Tupi-Guarani
6	Macaloba 100% Mandioca	Zorós		Mondé
7	Masato 100% Mandioca	Ashaninkas		Aruak
8	Mõg 40% Xaxim 37% Honey 20% Pinhão 3% others	Xokleng		Jê
9	Pajuaru 100% Mandioca	Tikuna		Tikuna
10	Tarubá 100% Mandioca	Saterés-Mawés		Tupi-Guarani
11	Yakupa, Awari e Dubia 100% Mandioca	Yudjás		Juruna

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From Dealing Desck to Restaurant Tables Around The World

 

My story of love for food and drink and its cultural implications begins in November 1996, due to a state of deep emotional, mental and physical exhaustion caused by excessive and prolonged stress, known today as Burnout Syndrome.

leia este artigo em Português

At the end of 1996 I was almost reaching my main career objective, to be a desk operator for a large international bank - I had great experience with exchange operations, since my internship in April 1989 at Banco Noroeste I had already worked in the export & import departments, centralized accounting and, at that point, I was assisting traders at Dealing Desk of the Brazilian branch of Chemical Bank in Brazil (Banco NorChem, former partnership between Banco Noreste and Klabin), the third largest bank in the United States at the time, with approximately US$182.9 billion in assets and more than 39,000 employees worldwide.

As I have a degree in business administration and a postgraduate degree in international business, I love and study languages and I wanted to know the countries of the world, I thought that the financial market would be my gateway, when in fact it almost led to my premature death.

The burnout caused me some important psychosomatic effects, such as selective memory loss, high blood pressure and vitiligo, but the mental impacts were the most important, as it provided me with all the necessary impetus to redirect my life and remake my goals.

I took advantage of my resignation from the bank to change my life, I decided, through my brother-in-law at the time, to bring DCS Patio Heaters and other professional kitchen equipment from California.

In the short time I worked on this endeavor, I got to know several bars and restaurants, as well as their chefs, I understood how much the relationship between food and drink works as a physical form of cultural assimilation by its consumers and brought me a new dimension of how to grow in my purpose to connect and integrate cultures around the world.

I realize now that it was the perfect decision, I stopped visiting offices around the world to really have a complete immersion in the culture of the peoples worldwide.

It didn't take me long to partner with the best salesperson I've ever met, Mauricio Bozzi, to create Bozzi & Pagano, a company specialized in introducing new products to Brazil.

Luiz Pagano and Mauricio Bozzi da Bozzi & Pagano at an event with a representative of Russian culture.

Bozzi & Pagano's proposal was to use my experience with administrative processes and Mauricio's sales talent to introduce products with some degree of difficulty in the Brazilian market, and our clients were:

DCS do Brasil (1997 ~ 2007) - Introduction of heaters for outdoor areas manufactured by the American DCS and a line of professional stoves & ovens, as well as the opening of two proprietary stores, one at Rua Gabriel Monteiro da Silva (the most important street of decoration stores in São Paulo) and another one at São Paulo Shopping Mall D&D.

Luiz Pagano and Luciano Boseggia, chef at Fasano at the time, at the event Boa Mesa Rio de Janeiro 1997 - commercial line of professional kitchen equipment from DCS (Dynamic Cooking Systems)

Dynamic Cooking Systems, better known as DCS, was founded by Surjit Kalsi, Roberto Bernal and Randy Rummel in 1988 in Los Alamitos - CA, after being fired from Vulkan.

Sales case - It even sold more in Brazil than in the state of California, surprising even the expectations of the company owner, who thought it would not sell heaters in a tropical country. Taking advantage of these heaters, restaurants and bars with open areas began to profit more in winter by using outdoor tables during the unexpectedly cold winter in São Paulo

Flash Power (abril de 1997 ~ 1999)- Creation and execution of a special sales team, a specialized team with excellent results 2 years before the product was regulated by the Ministry of Health.

We even had monthly results with more than 40,000 boxes sold per month, through injunctions, even before the regularization of the energy drink market in the country.

Flash Power started its operations through Lizu Trading, in 1994 in Austria, based on the Thai invigorating drink called Lipovitan-D (Osotspa of Thailand, under license of TAISHO PHARMACEUTICAL - TOKYO), and was launched in Brazil in 1997 brought by visionary Austrian entrepreneur Udo Holler.

Flash Power opened the doors to the energy drinks segment, as did Red Bull, a company in which I had the privilege of being the first On Premise Manager in Brazil

Luiz Pagano was the first On Premise manager for Red Bull in Brazil, still imported by Madasa, which also introduced the pioneer RTD Sub Zero, an alcoholic beverage of 5.5% ABV, precursor to Smirnoff Ice and all other beverages in the category' Ice', brewed by Australian beer Foster

Grupo ZAO Veda - ЗАО «Веда» (November 2005 ~ December 2007)- Once again Bozzi & Pagano anticipates trends and introduces vodkas from St. Petersburg to the Brazilian market. Russkiy Razmer vodka (Русский Размер) was St. Petersburg, until the death of Kiril Ragozin, owner of the company in 2005.

...to know that in 2005 there were no Russian vodkas on the Brazilian market (the Stoly that arrived here was produced in Lithuania) - more than putting a new product on the market is to bring a tradition with more than 600 years and spread the culture of a people.

Arriving before the right moment is a risk for the innovator

Successes and failures are interspersed along the way

One of the most emblematic cases I experienced with regard to innovation errors was with the Sub Zero brand, one of the first RTD “ready-to-drink” alcoholic beverages in Australia and the world.

With 5.5 ABV, it was a crystal beer, without hops, with Citrus/Lime extract  manufactured by the Australian Foster's and represented in Brazil by Madasa, a company in which Luiz Pagano was manager of the On Premise segment, As previously mentioned, in 1999, that same year Smirnoff launched a competitor to Smirnoff Mule, with vodka, ginger ale with lime/lemon flavor, which ended up not reaching Brazil strongly - both were flops...

I must say that we were in love with the maraca and the Sub Zero logo.

It had everything to work out, we had incredible launch parties in Campos do Jordão, the brand was strong, well, maybe the taste was a little cloying.

The fact is that the success of the RTD category only arrived in 2004, almost five years later with the multi-millionaire global launch of Smirnoff Ice, as well as with the necessary corrections to the flavor, target audience and price of the category.

These are some experiences that I am proud to share, I know that such examples may be all the reader needs to give a new impetus to a new career.

In short, the most daunting task in our working lives is the decision to change direction, to leave the job that is hurting your life and to pursue the best option available. I understand now that even if you find it difficult to do this, nature will always find a way to transform your inner desires into all that you desire, all you have to do is to perceive this opportunity and go for the change.

Chico Xavier meets Studio Ghibli

 

Leaving the sea we see a Iupipara, with the morphology of a sea urchin and puffer fish (Yupîpara Pindauva ) leading an elderly Tucuxi Sypave (lady dolphin, mother of the people of the sea), behind the girl we see a male hippocampiform Baepina, with other smaller ones, of the same species that inhabit its ventral pouch, At the edge of the water we see the allways curious îasy asteroids (starfish-shaped beings). As in Brazil we have the largest colony of Japanese people outside of Japan, it is natural that Brazilian entities coexist with the inhabitants of the Atlantic Forest, the Japanese kodamas and the Mushi-shi that float around the candle flame.

Chico Xavier, who wrote several books and reported several wonderful events, always impressed me with his immense dedication to helping others, wisdom and kindness. He also was the man who brought me closer to the beautiful Brazilian spiritist doctrine, which can be considered the most Brazilian of the doctrines, and inspired me to feel true compassion for the planet and for all its lives, even though I am not a religious man.

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One of these magical reports was made by her friend, Suzana Maia Mouzinho, founder of the Spiritist Center André Luís, in Petrópolis (Rio de Janeiro), she said that she had one of the most beautiful experiences, alongside Chico Xavier, on Copacabana beach with the spirits of the sea.

Once, Chico and Suzana went to Rio de Janeiro to watch a play, but unfortunately, it was past nine o'clock at night and they ended up arriving late, thus missing the entrance time, Chico then said:

“Suzana, we can no longer watch the play, what are we going to do?”. Suzana replied “I don't know Chico, let's go for a walk anywhere..”, “Ok I have an idea”, Chico said “let's go for a walk on Copacabana beach, I've never walked on the boardwalk”. They took a taxi and headed to Av. Atlântica, close to the Copacabana Palace.

In the photos above Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎 駿), co-founder of Studio Ghibli and alongside, Chico Xavier and Suzana Maia Mouzinho, founder of the André Luís Spiritist Center

As they got closer to the place, something magical happened, Chico Xavier couldn't stop looking at the sea, and was very moved. Suzana realized that Chico was seeing something there that belonged to the spiritual plane, with his eyes full of tears. Even before Suzana asked anything, Chico clarified:

“Suzana, you don't know what I'm seeing now…I'm witnessing the beauty of the sea spirits! Spirits that are in the waves, which are not human spirits, and I not even have a clue to say what kind of spirits are there...”

Suzana marveled while Chico continued with the explanation:

“...They are looking at the sand, at the people who are still walking along the shore, with so much tenderness and no one is able to realize such wonderful vibrations...and I going to tell you something else, something wonderful”.

At that moment, Chico reports seeing an incarnated woman (sic.) who was near the water, on the strip of sand, who at a certain point dug a hole, lit a candle there and began to make her prayers and offerings.

When the woman finished what she was doing, Chico saw spirits that were watching her approach the candle light, each one of them took those fractions of spiritual light energy that emanated from the candle, reciprocated the offering of that woman, emanated back energy towards she, who was slowly moving away towards the avenue. In the end, all the spirits that were present returned to the sea.

For me, this account takes me straight to a scene from Spirited Away (千と千尋の神隠し, Sen to Chihiro no Kamikakushi), in which the protagonist witnesses marvels, sometimes even frightening, related to the culture of her people.

Chico had already seen the so-called elemental spirits of the river waters, as described in the spiritist doctrine, in the farms in the interior of Minas Gerais, where he lived, but he had never witnessed those of the sea, which presented beauty with eccentricity far beyond what human imagination can imagine. 

Upon hearing this incredible report, I, a great admirer of Chico Xavier, as well as the incredible art of Hayao Miyazaki (宮崎駿), co-founder of Studio Ghibli and live in the Liberdade neighborhood (Japanese neighborhood in São Paulo), filled with Japanese-Brazilian spiritual energy, decided create arts based on Brazilian and Japanese popular culture (of our easter immigrants) in Miyazaki's traits.

Actually, some folkloric deities inspired some of Miyazaki’s otherworldly characters, did you know that the already peculiar Radish Spirit, a hefty, slow-moving spirit with a build like that of a sumo wrestler in Spirited Away was inspired by a violent legend of love and death? 

Or that creatures like Kodama (木霊, 木魂 or 木魅) are spirits in Japanese folklore that inhabit trees? Even the title of Princess Mononoke tells you something supernatural is going on (mononoke are spirits that can possess people and even torture them). Many of these characters are yōkai, or paranormal entities that haunt Japanese mythology.

What I tried to do in this matter was to unite the divine gift of these two genius men, beings of light, who inhabited opposite sides of this special planet (Chico Xavier and Hayao Miyazaki), great connoisseurs of the collective spirit of both nations and to explore the creativity in human beings. who inhabit magic and beauty.

Chico in Liberdade nighborhood in São Paulo

Whenever I pass through the Portal da Liberdade, in the neighborhood where I live, and also where my grandmother Emília Zuzu Correa de Moraes was born, in the famous mansion on Rua da Glória number 4, I bow down asking for shitsurei shimasu in memory of my family, as well as the spirits of the Cemitério dos Aflitos (Cemetery of the Afflicted), destined for slaves and indigenous people, as well as those hanged in the gallows square, which served as capital punishment, in the vicinity until 1775.

A the image we could see the giant Anhangá that inhabits the forests of Anhangabaú, nearby, Curupira and Saci walking behind an incarnated woman, the soot balls, inevitable in the dirty city of São Paulo, Ootori Sama and the Spirit of the Radish watching the holy man from the neighborhood, Chaguinhas.

I take care to go through the side of the torii (鳥居) to preserve the central passage for the Japanese-Brazilian giants that also pass through it.

Still inspired by Hayalo Miyazaki, I decided to create an image of what this place would be like if we had the gifts of the fictional Chihiro (千と千尋の神隠し) and the real Chico Xavier to see the spiritual plane.

Heroes of Bruzundanga by Luiz Pagano in manga format

  

ブルズンダンガの英雄たち Os Heróis da Bruzundaga - 原作 と 作画ルイス・パガーノ written and illustrated by Luiz Pagano

Herois da Bruzundaga Vol 3 - Mani Assum Preto and Viscount Quaresma

The following is an exclusive excerpt from the ficticious manga adaptation of series one of the brazilian comic "Heróis da Bruzundanga", written and illustrated by Luiz Pagano.

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Assum Preto locates the terrorist actions

The Manga illustrations add psychological depth and disrupt the familiar narrative in these opening scenes, as Assum Preto and the team of heros are gradually introduced against a backdrop of Bruzundanga beset by mysterious deaths and terrorists attacks by the Cannibals Sect Tupi Rerekoara.

Assum Preto interrogates the anthropophagous leader of the Tupi Rerekoara

Below is an image of the complete collection of the Heroes of Bruzundanga in Mangá.

Assum Preto is a character created by Luiz Pagano based on the famous bird from the northeast (Gnorimopsar chopi), in the song by Luiz Gonzaga "...but assum preto, blind from oio. Not seeing the light, ah, sing in pain". Blind and nervous, the character intersperses moments of sensitivity and aggression, multiplied by his superpowers

These editions and their content are Luiz Pagano's projects for the Japanese market, continuing the adventure saga of the Tupi-pop heroes.

Several enemies will be revealed in the new editions, but the ants and thermites Fujoshi, once again, appear in the lives of our heroes

Japanese Philosophies in Business

 But after all, what are the Japanese philosophies in business?

Japan became famous for showing train station workers pointing and talking to themselves, as if they were reciting some poem. In fact, it is shisa kanko (指差喚呼), a method in work safety to avoid mistakes, pointing out important indicators and verbally declaring your status.

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The ‘Point and Calling’ method, as it is also called, is an active safety behavior that has been shown to reduce human error by nearly 85%, according to a research report by Japan Railways. Workers who completed a simple task without pointing and calling made 2.38 errors per 100 actions, while workers who practiced pointing and calling made only 0.38 errors per 100 actions.

A millenary culture, with a super-evolved job market, the Japanese people have always interacted with a multitude of philosophies outside their native boundaries, most prominently Chinese, Indian, Korean, and Western. So they have benefited from a rich trove of ideas and theories on which to draw in developing their own distinctive philosophical perspectives. 

As a result Japanese proffesionals have always been acutely attuned to the intimate relations among culture, ways of thinking, and philosophical worldviews.

In this article I summarize some of these philosophies and their proposals – who knows, you may be able to appropriate some of them to improve your professional functions:

- SHUKKIN NIPPO, Daily work log (出勤にぽ日報) - every morning, before work, the employee describes their routines and plans for the day, increasing focus and awareness of what has to be done;

- KAIZEN, continuous improvement (改善) - Kaizen is the word of Japanese origin that means change for the better, used to convey the notion of continuous improvement in life in general, be it personal, family, social and work;

It is a concept that refers to personal activities that, when repeated daily, continually improves itself. The concept involves all those who carry out some activity, from the CEO to the workers on the assembly line. Kaizen also applies to processes such as purchasing and logistics. It has been applied in health, psychotherapy, life coaching, government, banking, etc;

- IKIGAI, reason for living (生き甲斐) - Iki means 'life' or 'alive' in Japanese, while Gai means 'value' or 'benefit'. The combination of these terms means what gives meaning, value and purpose to your life;

- POKA-YOKE, mistake-proofing (ポカヨケ) - it is the philosophy that directs people to avoid (yokeru) errors (poka) or defects, preventing and/or correcting them, or calling attention to them as they occur, it is derived from POKA HO YOKERU (ポカを避ける).

A simple poka-yoke example is demonstrated when a driver of the car equipped with a manual gearbox must press on the clutch pedal (a process step, therefore a poka-yoke) prior to starting an automobile;

5S in the Japanese workplace

5S is a workplace organization method that uses a list of five Japanese words: 

SEIRI, classifying (整理) - is sorting through all items in a location and removing all unnecessary items from the location;

SEITON, set in order (整頓) - is putting all necessary items in the optimal place for fulfilling their function in the workplace;

SEISO, shine (清掃) - Seiso is sweeping or cleaning and inspecting the workplace, tools and machinery on a regular basis;

SEIKETSU, standardize (清潔) - Seiketsu is to standardize the processes used to sort, order and clean the workplace, with the goal of establishing procedures and schedules to ensure the repetition of the first three ‘S’ practices.

and 

SHITSUKE, sustain/self-discipline (躾) -  is the developed processes by self-discipline of the workers. Also translates as "do without being told", with the goal of ensuring that the 5S approach is followed.

TENKO, Roll call (点呼) -

Before leaving for an external role - a delivery, for example, the employee must write on a form, details of his/her itinerary and immediately read that form aloud so that his/her boss hears, mentioning his/her full name, role, the safety rules and company policy on the task.

When returning from external service, the employee must do one more Tenko, by law this data must be kept for one year.

CHOREI, morning meeting (朝礼) - is a brief meeting that happens every morning before starting work, 10~15 minutes per day only. The main goal of Chorei is to try to make everyone in the Company feel more like a team. Most Japanese companies that do chorei usually have their employees share their vision, goals, or company motto every morning;

SENPAI & KOHAI (先輩), senior & (後輩) junior - represent an informal hierarchical interpersonal relationship found in business organizations, associations, clubs, and schools. The concept has its roots in Confucian teaching, but it has developed a distinguished Japanese style, ultimately becoming part of Japanese culture.

There is a relationship of mutual respect in which Senpai plays the role of mentor and initiates Kohai into working traditions.

Normally, at the end of the period, Kohai waits for Senpai to leave, and then leaves. However, when the one who withdraws before, he must say:

"Osaki ni shitsureishimasu (お先に失礼します)", translated as "excuse me, I'm going ahead/first".

So, then Sempai replies "Otsukaresama deshita (お疲れ様でした) translated as "thank you for your effort/work".

OIJI (お辞儀の種類) types of bow

Eshaku, keirei and saikeirei are the three typical categories of ojigi practiced in the business world in Japan. No matter which type is chosen, it is important to pay constant attention to one's muscles and posture:

Eshaku (会釈) is generally performed with a slight inclination of about 15° of one's upper torso, usually performed between colleagues with the same status;

Keirei (敬礼), is the most commonly used variation of ojigi in Japanese business, is performed with an inclination of about 30° of the upper body;

Saikeirei (最敬礼), which literally means "the most respectful gesture", is, as the name suggests, the ojigi that shows the uttermost respect towards the other party,  with an deeper inclination of one's upper body than keirei, typically somewhere from 45° to 70°. Additionally, as saikeirei is used only in grave situations, one is expected to stay still at the bowing position for a relatively long time to show one's respect and sincerity.

HANKO(判子)INKAN (印鑑), stamp -

 is a carved stamp that can be used in any situation where an individual, or an individual on behalf of a company, might otherwise use a signature or initials. Signing contracts, doing your banking (at a bank) or receiving a parcel are just three such cases. The necessity for a hanko and even the type of hanko may vary depending on the situation.

Although the Japanese government is (reportedly) phasing out the use of hanko in many situations, you should expect the seals to stick around for a good few years yet.

RADIO TAISO(ラジオ体操), Radio Calisthenics -

Japanese companies may have found a way to boost employee health and improve productivity, through morning exercises, a tradition that has taken hold in Japanese culture to foster better health and fitness. 

There is a morning exercise called “Rajio Taisou” or “Radio Exercise.” The radio comes on, employees gather together, and the exercise routine begins. It can be as short as three to four minutes, but the positive effects may continue throughout the day.Rajio Taiso (ラジオ体操) or Radio Calisthenics is a common routine of exercises broadcast on NHK radio every morning from 6:30.  The first broadcast took place in 1928,  since then, this tradition of Rajio (radio in Japanese) Taiso has been incorporated into a lot of Japanese people's morning routines.

The good part about this exercise program is that it's been designed for anyone at any age to do on their own, without any equipment required. Everyone from children to the elderly can join in, and there's even versions that you can do while seated.

These are the standard 13 motions in part one:

1.    Rotate and stretch your arms

Raise your arms up from forward, stretch your back and down your arms from your side;

2.    Cross and spread your arms while bending your legs up and down　

Swing your arms and bend your knees;

3.    Rotate your arms

Swing your arms in full circles to the outside then inside;

4.    Lean backward (chest out)

Spread your legs to the left, shoulder wide, and swing your arms then stretch your chest with an inward breath;

5.    Twist your body sideways.

Bend sideways with one arm up, over head, stretch your side from the right side twice, then the left side;

6.     Bend your body back and forth

Bend forward to touch the ground 3 times and bounce with hands on your waist and backbend;

7.    Twist your body from left to right

Swing your arms and twist your body, to left then to right;

8.    Stretch your arms up and down

Hands on your shoulders with your legs spread to the left, stretch up then down;

9.    Bend your body diagonally downwards and chest out

Bend at the waist for your right toe twice then up and open your arms, stretch your chest then  down for the left;

10. Rotate your whole body

Make a circle your upper body one way, then the other way;

11. Jump with both legs

Hop on both feet up 4 times, then spread and close your legs twice;

12. Spread your arms then bend and stretch your legs

Swing your arms while doing light squats;

13. Breathe deep while stretching both arms slowly

Control your breath, take deep breaths in and out with your arms going up and  down.

KAGAMI-BIRAKI (KAGAMI-NUKI) 鏡開き「鏡抜き」

When starting a new business, venture, project, or even a wedding in Japan, a ritual called Kagami Biraki is usually performed, a traditional ceremony in which barrels of sake are broken with a hammer and served on the 'masus' at a feast.

Originally this ceremony is based on the Kagami-mochi (鏡餅, literally "mirror rice cake" in Japanese), with which the Japanese decorate their altars during the New Year holidays. Kagami-mochi are round rice cakes, stacked in two layers, with ferns at the base, displayed during the New Year holidays on January 11th. People have the custom of making "Kagami-biraki", that is, breaking the mochi and eating the crushed pieces.

Whether it's a Mochi or the cap of a sake keg, both Kagami Biraki's have their strong connection to rice, the raw material of both sake and mochi, and thus have been considered sacred offerings to the gods since ancient times. The concept of receiving the power by drinking the sake after it is offered to the gods is pretty much the same as eating the pieces of mochi.

Still regarding the tradition of breaking the lid of sake kegs (called komo-daru) with a hammer at a party, it is worth noting that this comes from the fact that liquor stores used to call the top lid of a keg of sake kagami (mirror). Despite being popularly called 'kagami-biraki', the correct name for the event should be kagami-nuki (鏡抜き).