By Michaella Lesieur, Staff Writer
Portuguese music has been around for a while and WUMD radio has their very own show that features the beauty of the Portuguese musical culture.
Brazilliance is a radio show that has been around since 2001, and airs live every Thursday from 3-6 p.m.
Portuguese Professor and DJ Dário Borim remembers when the show first aired. He said his “show had its debut on WUMD (then it was called WSMU, 91.1 FM) on Dec 4, 2001. The name combines the words ‘Brazil’ and ‘Brilliance.’”
This name first came to him as a possibility for a radio show when he was listening to records by Brazilian Virtuoso guitarist and composer, Laurindo Almeida.
Borim is celebrating fifteen years on-air, with approximately 700 episodes with memories worth a lifetime.
One of his most memorable moments was when he celebrated his father’s eighty years as a salesperson for a clothing and gift store.
“He is alive and still working full-time at the age of 94: a real phenomenon […] [so] I put together an entire show, that is, three hours, totally dedicated to the music of his liking and his generation,” said Borim.
There is always that one show that leaves a tear. “One experience that also marked me forever was the very first show,” said Borim. “One tear rolled down my face as I listened to the first song I ever played.”
Before this show even launched he first applied for a Portuguese professor position and from there his radio show became a dream come true.
There is a lot of inspiration that brings him to pour his whole heart into his show.
“Most of all, the pleasure of investigating, sharing and educating listeners about the high quality and cultural significance of Brazilian music, about its sophistication and its power in the music scenario either in Brazil or elsewhere in the world,” said Borim.
Learning is another one of Borim’s favorites as he enjoys both learning and broadcasting the music from the Portuguese culture. Education plays a key role and he finds himself using his show to help teach his students.
Borim has even featured student work on his show. “Many special editions have served as soundtracks of my courses, since my scholarships has developed into an interface of literature and music,” said Borim.
When tuning in students, staff and faculty can enjoy lots of different types of music featuring bossa nova, fado, morna, MPB, Samba and much more.
Even if you are not fluent in Portuguese you can still enjoy the show. Borim addressed newcomers by saying that to “those who may not be familiar with these genres, my programming tends to be easy listening. It occasionally features pop genres, even some light rock, but it usually includes tunes that may sound like classical music (such as Bach or Debussy), cool jazz (such as Chet Baker or Stan Getz), or folk music (such as John Gorka or Nanci Griffith),” said Borim.
In light of the University’s controversial push to sell the station, like many, Borim does not want to see WUMD go.
“Just like me, many people believe in and enjoy radio broadcasting. I really hope that UMass Dartmouth does not give away this amazing source of education and entertainment, this precious bond WUMD has maintained with its listening communities.” said Borim. “WUMD 89.3 FM is a gift from the University to the people who have supported our school all along.”
For those interested in the radio station, WUMD’s website can be reached at 893WUMD.org, where listeners can find schedules, news updates, and live-stream radio programming to a computer or mobile device.
For those with a car or access to a radio, Borim’s show will also air on 89.3 FM WUMD every Thursday from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m.