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77 All Oranges and Bananas Now for Carmen Miranda (1909–1955) Arriving in New York harbor she told the reporters I know plenty English words. and five-fingered them off her hands Man. Man. Man. Man. Man. and Money. Money. Money. Money. Money. Brazil’s first favela music superstar and national export was discovered singing samba in hats of her own making and with her hipsway work brought color and motion to Broadway and then the movie screens of a world lost in depression, And so became the highest paid actress of her era. For thirty years she stirred the blood of Middle America, till in that grainy footage she appears: Red Skelton speaks her name and the studio audience goes wild. Carmen appears with arms outstretched a sequined cornucopia in high heels that shakes and then careens to a jerk before her final fall. Maria do Carmo would never be seen again and in a week the streets of Rio would swell to mourn the little girl milliner made international icon of delight. Today she is distilled to fruited hat, arching brows and almond eyes on the label of every yellow bunch. While in the movies she remains the first Latin goddess at the center of Busby Berkeley constellations, singing to a country that never quite understands. ...

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