This will be a place for any special shout-outs an individual may want to submit or special announcements. Feel free to message me any time to include your special passage in Alma Sentida!

Contact: Email @ marisarod89@gmail.com

Please Donate to Help Christian Brasil’s Family in Need

Our friend, Forcado Antonio Brasil‘s son, Christian Brasil, needs our help. Please see the GoFundMe below, and please help if you can:

https://gofund.me/e594440b They still need about 6.6k to be raised, so let’s donate and share the GoFundMe to help this family reach their goal.

“Antonio’s son, Christian, has always suffered from heart problems, but in more recent years, they have gotten worse. Christian is going to be having his second open heart surgery this summer. All the money raised will support the Brasil family financially during this recuperation time. The Brasil family appreciates all the prayers and donations given to this fundraiser.”

What is “Portuguese Unidos Venceremos”?

Portuguese Unidos Venceremos is an inclusive and empowering group on Facebook that is actively fighting for unity amongst our Portuguese diaspora and people of Portuguese ancestry everywhere! The group will be two years old this upcoming mid-November. It currently has 2.7k members and continues to grow. We are celebrating the growth of 300 members in less than 70 days!

Join us and our mission of unity! Feel free to join the group and share your content! Do you have an event, fundraiser, or something interesting you’d like to share? Feel free! We do not discriminate and do not have a list of rules. We practice inclusion and are working hard to break down restricting “cliques” and further unite our people, little by little!

Not only are we working hard to unite our people, but we are also working hard to bridge the considerable gap between Portugal/Azores/Madeira and the Luso communities worldwide! We make it easy for everyone to connect with one another and keep up with everything that is happening with Portuguese people all over the world.

Fadista Isalino Santos, quase 90 Anos!

What a legend! They celebrated the book’s launch (about his life)  at the Casa dos Açores festa this year, before the Noite de Fados. Not only did they present the book, written by editor Liduino Borba,  as a Tribute to Legendary Fadista Isalino Santos of our community, but he sang a Fado as well!

This touched the hearts and souls of all! Getting older is inevitable, but it’s a privilege not granted to all. His beautiful fado brought me to tears.

God bless him and his dedication to the Fado and the Portuguese communities of California and beyond! We chatted with his son Izzy Santos (Isalino Jr.), about the touching event;

“It was a great event and it was amazing to see my dad still do what he loves at his age (He turns 90 on August 7th). He had just been released from the hospital only 5 days before that event, so it was Amazing to see his determination and Love for the fado” -Izzy Santos, Son of Isalino Santos.

Unfortunately, Isalkino dos Santos passed away a few days ago, a little over a month before his 90th birthday. He will be missed. He was an icon in our community.

The retirement of Forcado Johnny Vaz – Grupo Amadores de Turlock

“Monday night 6/3/24 an important and dedicated Forcado retired after 14 years of service to the California Tauromaquia.  Johnny Vaz started grabbing bulls in 2011 with Aposento de Turlock, in his time there he became one of the premier Second Guys in California.  In 2016 he suffered a gruesome leg injury (broken tibia and fibula), but that didn’t stop him, in 2018 he joined us, Amadores de Turlock.  Since then we have had the privilege of calling him one of ours, thank you Johnny for these years of commitment and dedication to our group and remember once a Forcado always a Forcado!  Enjoy the next chapter BROTHER “ –George Martins Jr., Captain.

East Coast Artist Tori Jae Returns to California!

The independent singer-songwriter -musician-producer -extravaganza Tori Jae of Massachusetts returns to California, specifically the Bay Area! Last summer, she stayed in Berkeley to do some shows and street performances. She is back and has been continuing with her street performances, this time dominating San Francisco. I have a lot of respect for artists who are true to themselves and their mission on Earth! Check out her awesome music! “Thank you so much Marisa! I appreciate you sharing & all that you do to bring people in the community together! Much love!” – Tori Jae

A year ago – The retirement of Forcado Darren Mountain (Captain) – Grupo Aposento de Turlock

From 6/7/23 – “I did not want to believe it NOR say goodbye to Darren Mountain in the praça~ you were & will always be AN AMAZING bullfighter with HEART & SOUL! We have been watching you not only dominate the praça for over a decade but we saw the true BROTHERHOOD that exuded from you! Always humble & always ready to help his brothers in the praça! Someone who truly understood the meaning of teamwork! & Stayed true to yourself. You showed everyone wasssssup in the praça, but not only that, you were a PIVOTAL individual in the history of bloodless bullfights in California!!! Be proud ~ always ~ for your hard work & contributions to our Portuguese culture & community! FORÇA in all your future endeavors! God bless my friend” -MSR

While imitation is the highest form of flattery

While I’m grateful & humbled ~ Don’t forget to explore Your Own Uniqueness! Don’t compare. Know that we are all made unique,

With our own purpose. With our own ability. With our own intent.

Whatever that May Be. Don’t compare yourself to your brother. “Comparison” is a negative energy (influenced by Thou Who Shall Not Be Named👿 . That is the Joy-Killer.) View your differences as puzzle pieces 🧩 coming together to form in fullness ~ We need those differences, to fit like puzzle pieces, in this big picture we call “LIFE”. June teaches us about tolerance of others. We are all different puzzle pieces 🧩 coming together to form the complete picture of Life. We are all different for a reason. I am a Vessel of His Word. That’s all. It’s just a simple message. You Rock, and You Got This. Because He Has Your Back! He made you Unique for a Purpose.

This is a weekly segment of news and opinion by Marisa Silva Rocha, Portuguese-American Fadista and Community Activist.