Eduardo Pereira Medeiros is our interviewee this week. He is 28 years old and was born in Ponta Delgada, specifically in the parish of São José. However, since 2004, he has lived in Vila das Capelas.

His father is from Furnas and his mother from Ponta Garça. He began his primary education in the parish of Furnas. Still, from 2004, he studied in Vila das Capelas until the 9th grade, also attending Domingos Rebelo Secondary School before entering the University of the Azores to obtain a degree in History. He also completed a Master’s degree in Tourism Management and a Postgraduate degree in Cultural Tourism.

He currently works for Into The Wild Azores Tours. This tour company reveals the best-kept secrets of the Azores, “in harmony with nature and incomparable landscapes, inside dormant volcanoes or on a hidden beach.”

“We usually have a lot of American, German, Canadian, Dutch, and many other nationalities,” he said.

Eduardo Pereira Medeiros has been with Into The Wild Azores Tours since 2022, where he has noticed “an increase in tourist flow.”

“Azores – USA,” his first book

At a certain point in his life, he began working part-time with the Association of Emigrants from the Azores, chaired by Rui Faria, who encouraged him to prepare an exhibition entitled “Azores – USA.” He compiled a lot of information from various books and ended up with a 300-page Word document, which he completed with further development. This led to his first book, “Azores – USA,” which covers topics such as Columbus’s stop in the Azores until World War I and was released in 2021.

Subsequently, the book “Azores – Canada. Between Navigators and Azorean Communities” was released. In 1953, the first emigrants left for Canada. This book, somewhat similar to “Azores – USA,” compiles a lot of information from various sources, including newspapers.

“175 Years of Portuguese in Bermuda” is Eduardo Pereira Medeiros’ latest book, which is the result of research on various aspects of emigration and the impact of the Azoreans on the culture, religion, and economy of that territory. “It is over 700 pages in Portuguese, but the book has also been translated into English.”

The book “Azores – Canada, Between Navigators and Azorean Communities” was also translated into English, but the work “Azores – USA” was not, “but this does not mean that it will not be translated.”

Two years of research and physical presence in Bermuda

“175 Years of Portuguese in Bermuda” is the result of two years of research, carried out after working hours. In this particular case, our interviewee says that “when we are doing something we really enjoy, we don’t notice the time passing.”

His effort and dedication also meant spending three months in Bermuda researching. “My father is working there, and I had this advantage because the cost of living in Bermuda is high. While I was there, I researched many archives and conducted more than 50 interviews, which are duly described in the biography. It is estimated that 25% of the population of Bermuda (a British overseas territory) is of Portuguese descent, most of whom are of Azorean origin.”

With so much to do, Eduardo Pereira Medeiros is also a musician in the band “Moby Islands,” where he is the guitarist. Coincidentally, one of the songs in their repertoire, “Promised Land,” is related to Bermuda.

The band “Moby Islands” released the album “9” in 2024, consisting of nine songs and alluding to the nine Azorean islands. It was a pioneer in the Azores Region, as it was in cassette format but could also be listened to in digital format via a USB flash drive.

Exhibit “Azores – Bermuda”

Meanwhile, celebrating 20 years of history, the Azorean Emigration Museum, on Rua da Estrela, in Ribeira Grande, will present the book “175 Years of Portuguese in Bermuda”, where the exhibition “Azores – Bermuda” will also be inaugurated. The exhibition is closely related to the content of Eduardo Pereira Medeiros’ book, with several photographs that people can visit. The exhibition will be available in Portuguese and English.

The book “175 Years of Portuguese in Bermuda” is a captivating work for the general public, but particularly for those who have or had family members in Bermuda.

The author begins by explaining, in the first chapter, what the Azores and Bermuda are, so that the reader can understand their geographical locations. However, in the second chapter, he discusses the Portuguese presence in Bermuda during the 16th century. The third and fourth chapters address the beginning of emigration, which started with citizens from Madeira and then the Azores. “In Bermuda, I found some mainlanders, people from Madeira, Faial, Terceira, and Flores, many of whom lived in São Miguel and emigrated to Bermuda.”

Eduardo Pereira Medeiros also addresses emigration to Bermuda “pure and simple,” that is, the numbers, professions, negotiations, agreements, clarifying other topics in the business and cultural spheres, the construction and presence of our culture there, and the issue of discrimination.

“The influence of the Azoreans in Bermuda is also quite pronounced in religion, and we are not just talking about Catholicism, but also Protestantism, because there were several Azoreans who converted to Protestantism, so that the Evangelical Church of Bermuda was started by Azoreans. Then there is the Holy Christ or the Holy Spirit, that is, our culture is also part of their culture.”

In terms of gastronomy, there are malassadas, red bean soup, chouriço, leavened cakes, and sweet bread, which are available almost everywhere.

In short, the Azorean presence in Bermuda is felt in various sectors of the economy, including civil construction.

Marco Sousa is a journalist for Correio dos Açores-Natalino Viveiros, director.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks the Luso-American Education Foundation for sponsoring FILAMENTOS.