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É o Tchan na Selva

Writer's picture: Deric HollingsDeric Hollings

 

If happiness and pleasure had a soundtrack in regard to my life, it would be É o Tchan na Selva (1999) by Brasilian group É o Tchan! If that album had an alternative cover to that of its actual release, it would be represented by the photo above.

 

As part of the global millennium celebrations commemorating the end of 1999 and the start of the year 2000, in defiance of the Y2K scare which was accompanied by predictions about the end of the world, I attended an estimated 3 million-person Copacabana Beach party in Rio de Janeiro, Brasil. Regarding the gathering, one source reported:

 

Every New Year about 3 million people – equal to the population of Uruguay – stream onto the beaches of Brazil’s renowned resort city to send flowers and floating candles into the Atlantic as offerings to Iemanja [also Yemọja or Yemaya], the Afro-Brazilian goddess of the sea and fertility.

 

If the waves carry the offerings away, it means Iemanja has accepted them and prayers for the new century will be answered. But if they wash back to shore legend says the petitioners will not be as fortunate.

 

A Brasilian friend of mine told me that even those people who don’t worship Yemọja traditionally wore either white or blue when sending out offerings on the beach. Rather than observing the religious tradition, I went donned in blue from head to toe while paying homage to Crip regalia I wore years prior to living in Rio.

 

In any case, the song that comes to mind when reflecting upon the photo of me at Copacabana Beach is É O Tchan!’s “Tchan Na Selva.” Roughly translated, the lyrics state, “Tonight in the forest, the party will go down. Tonight in the forest, whoever wants can come.”

 

Rather than a party in the forest, I discovered the warmness of Brasilians when walking along the beach with other Marines. People we didn’t know called out to us as we walked and invited us to eat and drink with them. These were complete strangers who seemed as though they were close family members.

 

Keeping with my lifelong sobriety, I wasn’t shamed for declining offers of alcohol. Instead, I was given my go-to soft drink when in Rio, Guaraná. Three cans deep and I was elated! Music played all around our tiny gathering among millions of other people and many laughs were shared.

 

I’d never seen the people with whom good times were spent, nor have I since. That was but one of many experiences of a similar fashion from my time in Rio. While it can’t be stated about all residents of Rio, I generally enjoyed a welcoming embrace from most Cariocas I met.

 

Of the moments in my life which were punctuated most by positive emotions, my time in Rio from 1999 to 2000 was without a doubt the happiest time of my life. Although it would be easy to lament this fact, given that I’ve not since enjoyed a similar experience, I don’t self-disturb in such a manner.

 

In fact, I’m grateful for having had the opportunity to live among the people of Rio – touring favelas with impoverished people, attending parties with wealthy individuals, and living as though I were a Carioca rather than a tourist. I was then welcomed and now I experience gratitude.

 

Admittedly, not many of my blogposts relate to positive emotions. After all, I spend quite a bit of time addressing problems and how to resolve these issues to the point whereby I tend not to post about the happier moments of my life. Herein, I’ve remedied that matter.

 

Estou com saudades suas, Rio!

 

If you’re looking for a provider who tries to work to help understand how thinking impacts physical, mental, emotional, and behavioral elements of your life—helping you to sharpen your critical thinking skills, I invite you to reach out today by using the contact widget on my website.

 

As a psychotherapist, I’m pleased to try to help people with an assortment of issues ranging from anger (hostility, rage, and aggression) to relational issues, adjustment matters, trauma experience, justice involvement, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety and depression, and other mood or personality-related matters.

 

At Hollings Therapy, LLC, serving all of Texas, I aim to treat clients with dignity and respect while offering a multi-lensed approach to the practice of psychotherapy and life coaching. My mission includes: Prioritizing the cognitive and emotive needs of clients, an overall reduction in client suffering, and supporting sustainable growth for the clients I serve. Rather than simply trying to help you to feel better, I want to try to help you get better!

 

 

Deric Hollings, LPC, LCSW

 

References:

 

Banda É o Tchan. (2010, November 25). É O Tchan - Tchan Na Selva [Video]. YouTube. Retrieved from https://youtu.be/Sihs30O3qVI?si=uLmg8EzZrOecQeGS

Desert News. (1999, December 9). Rio’s millennium bash. Deseret News Publishing Company. Retrieved from https://www.deseret.com/1999/12/9/19479511/rio-s-millennium-bash/

Hollings, D. (2022, March 15). Disclaimer. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/disclaimer

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Hollings, D. (n.d.). Hollings Therapy, LLC [Official website]. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/

Hollings, D. (2023, September 19). Life coaching. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/life-coaching

Hollings, D. (2023, September 3). On feelings. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/on-feelings

Hollings, D. (2023, November 23). Problems. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/problems

Hollings, D. (2024, May 5). Psychotherapist. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/psychotherapist

Hollings, D. (2025, January 15). Satisfaction. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/satisfaction

Hollings, D. (2022, November 1). Self-disturbance. Hollings Therapy, LLC. Retrieved from https://www.hollingstherapy.com/post/self-disturbance

Olson, M. S. (1999, November 21). When the world is Times Square. The New York Times. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/1999/11/21/travel/when-the-world-is-times-square.html

Spotify. (n.d.). É o Tchan na Selva. Retrieved from https://open.spotify.com/track/5LCCnUh6YvaXiVaTAhd8MR

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Carioca. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carioca

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copacabana_Beach

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Crips. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crips

Wikipedia. (n.d.). É o Tchan! Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89_o_Tchan!

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Guaraná (soft drink). Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guaran%C3%A1_(soft_drink)

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Millennium celebrations. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millennium_celebrations

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Year 2000 problem. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Year_2000_problem

Wikipedia. (n.d.). Yemọja. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yem%E1%BB%8Dja

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