Note from BW of Brazil: It’s kind of hard to believe, but it’s already been nearly 20 years since I first became aware of Pathy Dejesus. At the time, she was still known as Patrícia De Jesus, with the separation of De and Jesus in her surname. In reality, at the time, I only knew her by face as she popped up in various promo ads and quite often in early editions of Raça Brasil magazine. Since then, Pathy has come a long way. A successful model, accomplished DJ and then actress. I remember having met and conversed with her at the 2009 Troféu Raça Negra award ceremony and offering my condolences to her as her husband, the popular DJ Primo, had died in the previous year. Pathy continues to do her thing and with her success, one of her hopes is to see more women who look like her find success in Brazil’s ultra-Eurocentric entertainment industry. In a recent photo shoot, Dejesus shared her thoughts on this and a few other topics.
“Video Show” reporter poses for fashion shoot, criticizes lack of blacks on TV and talks about wanting to be a mother.
By Victor Hugo Camarado
At 35, Pathy Dejesus has done a little of everything in life. The paulistana (São Paulo native) began her career as a model, is an actress, was an MTV VJ and currently is a reporter for “Video Show”, besides DJing at parties whenever she gets a little time. “I say that I am a host I’m an actress. In Brazil, it seems you can’t have many qualities and put a hand on various things, because people are starting to say just what you are shooting at all sides,” she complains.
“The problem is that I’m moved by great passions. The comfort of doing the same thing bothers me. I need to cross new frontiers, get nervous, feel my hand sweating, heart racing, have that adrenaline,” she explains.
Crossing borders, by the way, is a role with which Pathy is already more than accustomed: “When I started my modeling career, I was the first black woman to do many things: having my face stamped on a shampoo label, doing a sunscreen campaign, selling beer…Thank God, my career was coronated for opening many doors.”
When she was hired by MTV, the host became the first black VJ, in over 23 years, commanding one of the station programs. “When I was 13, my dad pulled me (aside) for a conversation and told me directly: ‘You are black and a woman. Do you know what that means in society? Less than nothing.’ It was hard, but it gave me a reality check,” she recalls.
The actress and host says she has had to fight hard because of being black. “If I say that I don’t have a greater stigma because of being black it’s a lie, right? But I got used to it early and if I find a wall and I can knock it down, I knock it down. If I had to be the first black to do this or that, that’s what I’ll be. This doesn’t make me proud. For me, there would be many more black women having success around here everywhere. I have three black nieces and I what I want most is that they have a bunch of women three black and want more is that they have a lot of women that stand out and are for references for them.”
“Whenever a new black actress appears, I’m thrilled, because it is difficult,” says Pathy Dejesus
Even with her success – and that of Taís Araújo, Erika Januza, Cris Vianna, Lázaro Ramos and several other names, Pathy thinks that there’s a lack of blacks in prominent roles on TV.
“There are none because there are few blacks on television. Whenever a new black actress appears, I’m thrilled, because it’s difficult. For black men on TV, it’s even harder. I’ve already heard absurdities and had many jobs denied because of being black. Whoever is black, one way or another, experiences some form of intolerance every day,” she sighs.
At 5’8 ½ (1.74 m) and naturally slim, Pathy ensures that it she’s not the type that is counting calories. “I eat everything, ‘I hit the plates hard’. But I try to have a more or less moderate alimentation. So if I end up (eating) feijoada (1) one day, I will eat little the next day. The problem is that I love to eat. When I’m tense, it’s on food that I recoup. I love to eat. I love to cook too and I will tell you that I’m damn good at it.”
With a tomboy style and “connected at 220 (volts or highly charged)” way, the host says that she typically runs from five to ten miles per day. “I love running and I’ve done several half marathons. I like to skate too. I have always been an active person. I’ve been into athletics since I was a teenager and indoor soccer in college.”
Vain, Pathy says that when it comes to beauty, she is adept at a thousand and one cosmetics. “I have cream for everything. My bathroom looks like the shelf of the beauty section of a full pharmacy. I’m crazy about I buying all the new stuff.”
At 35, the paulistana also talked about wanting to be a mother: “I’ve always had this desire, but I still don’t think it’s the time.”
DJ Pathy Dejesus
Photo essay featuring Pathy Dejesus
Note
1. Feijoada is a stew of beans with beef and pork, which is a typical dish in Portugal and former Portuguese colonies, such as Brazil, Macau, Angola, Mozambique and Goa. Modern variants of the dish are based on ancient Feijoada recipes from the Portuguese regions of Beira, Estremadura, and Trás-os-Montes. In Brazil, feijoada (feijoada brasileira) is often considered the national dish. The name comes from feijão, Portuguese for “beans.” The basic ingredients of feijoada are beans with fresh pork or beef. In northwest Portugal (chiefly Minho and Douro Litoral), it is usually made with white beans; in the northeast (Trás-os-Montes), it is generally prepared with kidney beans, and includes other vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, and cabbage. The stew is best prepared over low heat in a thick clay pot. It is usually served with rice and assorted sausages, such as chouriço, morcela (blood sausage), farinheira, and others, which may or may not be cooked in the stew. Source
Source: EGO
Gorgeous woman! 🙂