A
Hint Of Indian Adds All The More Flavor To The Tangaráense Mix
Mato Grosso, Brazil ~ by Ashley Riley Lopes
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| Tangará
da Serra, Mato Grosso, has become quite “chic” as of late. The city’s 60,000
or so inhabitants have become the envy of many of their fellow Mato Grossenses,
promising residents of the small, peaceful town the advantages of shopping
malls, boutiques and high-speed agribusiness without the scorching heat
of its neighbor Cuiaba or the rough, unbearable roads of Sapezal.
Clearly ranked
one of the top places to live in Mato Grosso, Tangará is located
about 3 hours from the Mato Grosso capital of Cuiaba, and has capitalized
on its rise in popularity by continuously offering more. Women can find
the latest fashions in its many stores, whether along the busy Avenida
Brasil or inside its large air-conditioned shopping. Men’s mouths might
water at the sight of motorbike and jeep rally trails, or merely at the
vast agribusiness job opportunities that exist here. Don’t forget nightlife—whether
it be laid-back bars, pizzerias or stepping out at Zapp, one of the city’s
nightclubs, there is always something to do.
While Tangará
may seem like a modern Mato Grossense’s paradise, the city has managed
to hold onto parts of its past, too. Surrounded by several Indian reservations,
Tangará da Serra is a prime location for a visitor to encounter
the Indian way of life. Stores like Tangarártindia provide customers
with a wide variety of Indian artifacts, some of which have even been used
in ceremonies previously. |
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Interested
parties can pick from anything from wondrous basket weavings, beaded jewelry
and accessories to authentic headdresses, armbands and ankle jewelry, all
made of things gathered on nearby lands. Rich in color and texture, the
artifacts give buyers a peek into how life must really be for the tribes
of Irantxe, Bororo, Umutina, Paresi, and Aruniná who remain and
how life really was for those who came before.
Tangará’s
sense of future and past is apparent in many of its residents' homes. They
line their walls with Indian masks, bows and arrows, use woven baskets
for their dirty laundry and let their children play with authentic wooden
flutes and noisemakers. A Tangaráense can combine their chic Victor
Hugo handbag with a beaded necklace made of coco and be out the door.
So next time
you are looking for a balance of modernity and the wild, wild West of Brazil,
think Tangará da Serra. I mean, who wouldn’t like a necklace made
of dried armadillo skin anyway? |
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For more information,
including photos and ordering opportunities, concerning Indian art, jewelry
and artifacts from Tangará da Serra, contact Ashley Riley Lopes
at ashleyrileylopes@hotmail.com.
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