Braz Menezes

Class of 55's Braz Menezes, is a retired architect and urban planner and Commonwealth Scholar. He lives in Toronto. He graduated from the University of Nairobi in Architecture. He was awarded a British Commonwealth Scholarship in 1964 to study Civic Design at the University of Liverpool. He returned to Kenya and established a successful practice, before eventually immigrating with his family to Canada in 1976. In 1978 he joined the World Bank and has travelled and worked in a number of countries including Brazil, Egypt, India, Mexico, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. He returned to Canada in 2004 and recycled himself into an author. He studied creative writing at George Brown College, and at Humber College, Toronto. His work has appeared in various anthologies.

In 2011 he published his debut novel - Just Matata that is about to be replaced (December 15, 2015) with a Second Edition titled Beyond The Cape - Sin, Saints, Slaves, and Settlers. His second volume of the Matata Trilogy was More Matata, reviewed below by our own Joan DoRosario. .

For further info, please visit : http://matatabooks.com

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A review of More Matata by Joan DoRosario: As I turned over the final pages of More Matata – Love after Mau Mau, I felt a nostalgic yearning for the homeland I’d left behind almost 40 years ago. Through 307 pages of More Matata, I was transported to a time and place that I held, and still do hold, dear. Reading about the Coryndon Memorial Museum brought back memories of truancy at skipping class just to ‘hang out’, and where else to be undiscovered but at the Museum with its myriad of hiding places? Menezes breathes life into the now forgotten streets of my beloved Nairobi. He awakens dormant memories of a splendid past life, and a realization that our Goan forebears, and later their offspring, can indeed boast of an intrinsically rich and vibrant participation in the mosaic of communities that contributed towards the building of British East Africa, which later became Kenya.

But, more than merely traipsing down memory lane, Menezes jogged in me awareness into the disgrace and pain of the odious practice of segregation that was prevalent during the time of British East Africa. On a personal level, I was not old enough to comprehend, nor be affected by, the full impact and implications of the ‘color bar’ that was imposed by our Colonial rulers. The shame that was “For Whites Only” became a reality that my parents protected me from – the degradation of not being allowed through the front door of buildings, or not being served in certain “White Only” restaurants. My parents didn’t discuss the atrocities inflicted upon persons of color in front of me, and thus I never really understood how painful and hateful such practices were. Being raised Goan, we were bogged down with our own community biases of caste and profession. One was considered ineligible for entry into clubs and socials if one was born into the house of a tailor, a cook, a baker, or such. But, none in our community were considered worse than those born ‘nusu-nusu’ or half-caste. Sadly, these were dirty words among most people; even in the homes of those looked down upon by Goans of imagined higher birth or trade.

As teenagers, my generation merely coasted on the periphery of racial bias. It didn’t really affect us. Now, turning the pages of More Matata Mr. Menezes has brought to light the heartbreak this evil has wrought on the lives of so many innocent people. In his very poignant story, I felt a deep sadness and regret for Saboti’s missed opportunity of true love. Yes, I am an incurable romantic.

The Mau Mau era was also a phenomenon I was shielded from by protective parents. The incidents of violence and fear were vague and barely touched me as I continued my foray into adulthood and the exciting discovery of the effects of the biological differences between the sexes. My generation left it to our parents and their generation to worry about the harsh struggle towards an independent Kenya, and the breaking of the yoke of suppression by the British rulers of the Empire. But, within the pages of More Matata, the icons of the fight for freedom like the once dreaded Jomo Kenyatta, Dedan Kimathi, Pio Gama Pinto came to life again. These were household names that everyone knew about. Only, one just whispered these names in the privacy of homes, or perhaps the more daring would talk about them in their clubs. It was vaguely familiar, and exciting to revisit that forgotten era again.

Thank you, Mr. Menezes, for having taken me on this journey through a country that I once loved. The memories you evoked are precious. I wholeheartedly recommend that everyone read this book – if you haven’t read Just Matata, do that first. Whether you are a Goan born in Kenya, or just a Goan, whether the perpetrators of segregation are your forebears or whether you are the victim of this an evil, read the book. It is a well crafted, well researched and thought provoking account of the events of the time.

Joan DoRosario

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What readers have said about Just Matata

The Bulletin—Toronto, ON “The charm and strength of this book are the detailed descriptions of the rough-and-tumble world of Nairobi under British colonial rule, observed with a keen sense of humour….Menezes is a sensitive writer with a great memory.”

Gerhard Fuerst—USA “What in my estimation makes the historical novels of author Braz Menezes so fascinating is his lively and exciting narrative style, which entices the reader to follow him wherever he guides, lures, and leads you, often with a very delightful sense of self-deprecating humour.”

Jenny Sohst — Greece “The story is told with tremendous empathy and understanding but still reveals the cruel divisions caused by race and economy…. Definitely a "must" even if you are not a Kenyan, Goan or otherwise.”

David Grant—Hong Kong “I bought Braz Menezes' first book, Just Matata, on a whim, having been brought up in pre- and post-colonial Kenya. I was captivated by Braz's style of writing and his vivid portrayal of places and incidents seen through the eyes of a young Goan boy, born and living in Kenya . . . This book should resonate with anyone who was brought up in colonial Africa.”

John Ambury—Toronto, ON “Braz Menezes, already a recognized writer, emerges here as an adept and highly skilled long-form storyteller as well… His true-to-life characters live it in their day-to-day activities. The circumstances of life in Goa and Kenya, and the realities of the times, the struggles in Africa between the disparate colonizers and native peoples and immigrant groups and developments in Europe . . . all unfold naturally as they touch the Goan community and the lives of the characters.”

Henriette Schalekamp-Roux – South Africa “Matata did not only touch my emotions, but also my curiosity. Although I have a huge interest in world history my whole life, never knew about Portuguese Goa … I was touched so deeply by Menezes’ book and could hardly believe it was his debut. Will take me quite some time to get back to reality. This story must be told and retold. The facts about segregation and unfairness towards humans hit me hard.”

What have you to say about

Beyond The Cape –Sin, Saints, Slaves, and Settlers?

Other reviews & links

Review for More Matata

ThatChannel.com Interview with Braz Menezes

Review by British historian Mr. Stephen Luscombe Aug 6 2016

Audio from book Goa tour (source: Internet Archive, recorded by Frederick Noronha)

Book Release

Author Interview

Book Club Proceedings

Goan Cultural Group Video (49 mins) of Braz Menezes' Beyond the Cape book review