What a week it has been for pop music in Brazil! On Saturday the Rolling Stones played for an audience of 1.2 million on Copacabana beach. Then U2 played two concerts in the soccer stadium in Sao Paulo – over 70,000 in the sold out house each night – plus a national broadcast of the first concert on the largest Brazilian TV network. Bono even sang a song in Portuguese. Carnaval is already under way in Bahia – dozens of bands are playing atop tractor trailers, or trios, that move slowly along three routes in the city of Salvador daily from early afternoon to 4 AM – much of it is broadcast nationally. Bono et al are here to enjoy the largest party in the world according the Guinness Book of Records. Rumor has it that he will be singing tonight on the trio of Grammy winner Gilberto Gil, who is currently the Cultural Minister of Brazil. I plan to be in the street listening. And here am I, am American – John Raymond Pollard – who has released his 4th CD, titled Map of the AmericAs Linhas da Mão in Brazil. I have been playing for small audiences of friends and acquaintances. They especially like my songs with Portuguese lyrics including Umbu and Porto da Barra and some have asked when I plan to record his foreign language version of Kris Landherr’s Serotonin Song. My tan will be back in NY with me in a few weeks. Until then, beijos and a joyous Carnaval!