Playing a femme fatale with some brain in a successful Brazilian novela (soap opera) landed actress Adriana Esteves on the cover of Time magazine, on the Latin American edition that is, but still quite impressive. Esteves is Helena, the protagonist of Globo TV A Indomada (The Untamed) and also the main star of Time's take on the political role of Latin America racy soap operas. The weekly news publication called her "novela queen and Brazil's sweetheart." "I am not only a sex symbol in this soap opera," said Adriana. "I interpret a strong-willed woman who tells the world the things in which she believes."

Who is also flirting with Uncle Sam is Christine Fernandes, 29, who just went back to Brazil after working on Francis Delia's independent film The Time of Her Time. In Hollywood, Christine and her flawless and accentless English made the finals for playing Jane to the coming Tarzan movie. Back in Brazil, after being chosen is one of the three finalists among 200 candidates for the coveted role, the Brazilian actress was hopeful she would be called as the King of the Jungle's companion.

Pixinguinha, Cartola, Milton Nascimento, Djavan, Jorge Ben, Paulinho da Viola, and Gilberto Gil, all of them are in Black Pearls, the latest musical extravaganza by Brazilian saxophonist, producer, arranger, and composer Leo Gandelman. This is Gandelman's homage to 11 Afro-Brazilian composers from the first team of Brazilian pop music and it is also the musician's US debut on PolyGram Latino. For nine years in a row Gandelman, who is now living in the United States, has won as Brazil's most popular instrumental artist, according to the yearly popular poll taken by Rio's daily Jornal do Brasil.

Born in Rio de Janeiro, Gandelman grew up listening to classical music in a home where the father was an orchestra conductor and the mother a concert pianist. After attending Boston's world-renowned Berkeley College, the musician returned immediately to his hometown's musically effervescent environment. Black Pearls is Gandelman's sixth solo album. But he can be heard in more than 500 discs, adding his eclectic sound to the work of such musical powerhouses as Djavan, Gal Costa, Gilberto Gil, and Milton Nascimento.

According to Zagat, New Yorkers and visitors to the Big Apple can enjoy Brazilian cuisine's spices served in a sophisticated setting in all these other places: Cabana Carioca, Circus, Coffee Shop, Greenfield, Ipanema, Rice'n'beans, and Via Brazil. Churrascaria Plataforma, which serves authentic Brazilian barbecue, has become a big hit in town. Being the new kid on the block, it did not make the renowned restaurant guide 1997 edition though.