May 2019

A Month in Service of Hui Kuîn Healers

In the spring of 2019 I met Siã Damião and Busê Cosmo de Araujo Braz Kaxinawá. The day before the twin brothers from the Huni Kuî tribe were scheduled to arrive in the United States for the first time, a close friend and colleague came to me with a special request. Would I help her coordinate a series of public and private events for the brothers during their month-long stay? I was in-between freelance jobs, and I offered to volunteer full time.

My friend Soley had met Cosmo and Damião after months of solo travel in Brazil and had spent almost 3 years working tirelessly to raise funds, secure visas and make travel arrangements to bring these two men all the way from the Amazon rainforest in Northern Brazil to a small mountain town in the Berkshires of Western Massachusetts. This was no small task, as many Huni Kuî live deep in the jungle on ancestral indigenous land. To reach an international airport, Cosmo and Damião have to travel for three days by boat, bus, and plane. Some Huni Kuî live even deeper into the jungle, as many as 10 days journey by boat. The brothers had already made the entire trip once before only to be denied travel visas over a technicality. Now they were finally arriving in an unknown country full of anticipation and ready to share music, stories and ceremonial tradition from their culture. It was up to us to make sure they felt welcome.

They spoke no English, only their own native language and Brazilian Portuguese. This would be a challenge as neither Soley, who is from Iceland, nor myself, spoke either. We would rely on a small group of generous Brazilian volunteers to translate their message. Fortunately, as it turns out, we share one language in common — music. I am a classically trained violinist (I began taking music lessons at the age of 5) and I have spent time in the jungles of Peru and the mountains of Chile learning sacred chants and folk songs from the people there.

In their home village of Aldeia Caucho, Cosmo and Damião Kaxinawá are elementary school teachers and trained spiritual leaders (shamans), responsible for holding complex weekly spiritual and medicinal plant healing ceremonies for over 400 people living at the edge of the rapidly diminishing expanse of the Amazon rainforest. The twin brothers, who do almost everything together and consider themselves one soul split between two bodies, underwent rigorous years-long trainings under the close guidance of their pajés, or village elders, in order to take on the respected role of spiritual leaders of their people.

The region of Tarauacá, Acre, Brazil is the ancestral indigenous land of the Huni Kuî. Although their land is currently under legal protection by the Brazilian government, it is continuously under threat from both government and private interests driven by economic gain. The land is further encroached upon daily by oil companies and cattle farmers seeking profit and by relentless development and the lure of modern life with its many conveniences. In spite of these threats to their traditional way of living, the Huni Kuî have maintained a remarkable connection to their heritage and their environment and are intent on passing it down to their children.

The night I met Cosmo and Damião, I brought my violin and a charango, a small stringed instrument from the Andes of Bolivia and Peru with a heavenly harp-like sound. Soley had told me that the brothers loved playing music, but I had no idea what kind of music they played, and I was slightly nervous about meeting these spiritual leaders for the first time. But Cosmo and Damião were remarkably approachable. As soon as they saw that I had brought instruments their faces lit up with big friendly smiles and they invited me to play with them. They both had guitars, which they strummed in unison, and they had prepared a great number of songs, mostly in their native language, to share during their time in the states.

During the month that the brothers were in the States we organized a number of local private and public events for them. One highlight was a visit to the Primrose Hill School in Rhinebeck, NY, where we were given the opportunity to speak to students, teachers and parents during school hours and in the evening. The brothers performed songs in their native language, shared about life in their village and answered students’ questions. At one point they even invited the entire school to get up and dance, explaining that their songs are intended to bring joy and harmony, and that dancing is an important part of the celebration.

The visit was a pleasure for everyone. Students were curious to learn what life in the rainforest is like: what people eat, how they get their food, what kind of work they do, and of course, what school is like for children there.

The elementary age children were fascinated to see the beautiful tropical feathers, bright beadwork and hand-woven clothing worn by the brothers. The vibrant colors and patterns of Huni Kuīn clothing and jewelry are all derived from nature, inspired by the endless diversity of animals and plants in the Amazon.

Cosmo and Damião loved meeting the families, eating snack with the kindergarten children in their classroom, and seeing the school farm animals. At the end of their visit the 5th graders presented the brothers with hawk feathers that they had found on a local class hike.

One of the first requests Cosmo and Damião made when I met them was that they wanted to record an album of their songs while they were in the States. Fortunately I knew a local sound recordist and engineer and was able to schedule studio time for them on short notice.

We spent a marathon day at Stone Studio in Lakeville, CT with sound recordist Graham Stone, arriving the studio in the morning with two hand-painted gourd rattles that we had agreed to trade for studio time. Upon our arrival, Cosmo and Damião informed me that they had prepared an entire 14 songs to record, the equivalent of a double album. Graham and I were both a state of slight disbelief, but neither of us wanted to cast a shadow of doubt over the day. We soon realized, however, that any skepticism on our part was completely unnecessary. With Cosmo and Damião, doubt is simply not part of the equation.

Not only do the brothers possess a remarkably relaxed and positive attitude, but they also have incredible stamina and unwavering focus. They proceeded to breeze straight through all 14 songs before stopping for lunch. Each time we finished recording a song, Graham would begin to play it back. Cosmo and Damião would simply nod and smile their approval, ready to begin the next track. I explained to them using google translate that they could stop and do a second or third take anytime they wanted to, but there was no need. They were completely satisfied recording live.

That afternoon we went through the entire 14 songs again, adding percussion. Then we added flute and violin. Finally, at 10pm, Cosmo and Damião asked Graham if he would step away from the mixing board to add piano to some of the tracks. The request made him light up completely.

We had come to the studio that morning straight from a late night of private performances and ceremony. But by the time we finally left the studio at 2am the brothers’ first album was complete. As we stood outside under the stars celebrating our achievement, Graham laughingly said to us, “this is how every album should be made.” An entire 14-track double album in one day. No drama, no second takes.

Click the SoundCloud link to listen to Vamos Huni Kuî from the double album Txana Huya: Prayers and Healings of the Sacred Chants of Yuxibu (Great Spirit / Creator). The full album is available for purchase on Bandcamp. All proceeds go directly to Cosmo and Damião to support their families and village.

One of the brothers’ favorite things to do when they were not meeting people, performing, or offering traditional shamanic healing was to walk in the woods. They shared that they loved seeing new plants and animals, and listening to the birds of our native forests. They commented often on the beauty of the forests of the Northeast. Their quiet, gentle presence, attunement to their environment and genuine appreciation of nature was refreshing and touched everyone they met. When asked what they hoped to accomplish in their time with us, their answer was simple, straightforward, and always the same. They said that their mission is to bring peace, joy, harmony and union into the world, and to share the healing power of the traditional Huni Kuîn way with all who wish to receive it.

The Huni Kuî people have a word, “Haux” that is means both “hello” or “goodbye” and “thank you.” It is often said twice in succession or repeated multiple times for extra emphasis. It has been said that the structure and meaning of a language reveals much about a particular culture and way of thinking. What a beautiful concept, then, that each time we greet one another we would also take the opportunity to express gratitude. My time with Cosmo and Damião was uplifting and inspiring and I am very grateful to have met them and through them, to have received an introduction to the Huni Kuî way of life. Haux Haux.

Below is a reprint of an article from a local newspaper, the Berkshire Record, which ran a piece on Cosmo and Damião to help get word out to the community about the brothers’ visit.

A poster I designed for one of our public events at Race Brook Lodge in Sheffield, MA. They generously donated the use of their Barn Space so that Cosmo and Damião could share their music and message with the local community.