Adriano Pereira Marques (photo), born and bread in Brazil’s most populous city, São Paulo, has been a spiritist since his early days. His mother was introduced to the Doctrine in the state of Goias and passed it on to him. He works at the Boa Nova spiritist radio network in Guarulhos, nearby São Paulo, as a producer, technician, radio host and news reader. He also has a degree in Physical Education.  In this interview he talks about his experience as a spiritist broadcaster and the interaction with the listeners.  O   Consolador:    What    are     the

programmes you host on Rádio Boa Nova?

I’m in charge of two programmes. The first one, Raio de Luz (or Ray of Light) has been on since May 2007 and it goes on air every Monday evening, from 2200 to 2300. The other programme is called Roteiro (Guide or Itinerary), which has been on air for just over a year, on Mondays and Fridays, 1800 to 2000.   

O Consolador: How did you come about the idea of the programmes in the first place? 

Raio de Luz was created with the idea of getting people to know what we can do for them, the assistance we offer, at the Spiritist Centre I attend (Wantuil de Freitas). We also thought that would be a good way of getting the message of Spiritism out there. Having been successful in that experience for two years and having a gap in the radio grid, we decide to produce another programme, Roteiro. 

O Consolador: How is the interaction with listeners? Are there any stories you would like to share with us? 

From my early days in radio, with the director of the radio station, Jether Macomini, I learned that establishing a full interaction with the listener is of supreme relevance. We had email and phone interaction in Raio de Luz, but with Roteiro we moved a step further, bringing in other ways of engaging with listeners, such as MSN, Orkut, Facebook, Twitter, as well as email and phone-ins. We do it live and we also answer to some of the emails once the transmission is over. As for sharing interesting stories and anecdotes, I would need at least a week... But I would like to share a few touching moments, without going into much detail. There are the cases of the mothers-to-be who were considering aborting their children and changed their minds after listening to our programmes; there were cases of people who were considering commiting suicide and also gave up thanks to our transmissions; we had many Evangelical Protestants contacting us to ask about reincarnation and Catholics asking for guidance on books to answer questions their priests could not clarify. 

O Consolador: How do you produce you Outside Broadcasts, from locations other than the studio? 

We use similar equipment, only linking the telephone line to a laptop with internet access, so we can keep the live contact with our listeners. 

O Consolador: How do you choose the themes to be discussed and your guests? 

I have total freedom to choose the themes, the questions, the guests. We’re only guided by the goal of getting the Spiritist message to the public and providing clarification and comfort to those who are listening. 

O Consolador: What are your frequencies? Can we listen online? 

We are in several frequencies in several Brazilian cities and towns. (More details in the original version of this interview, in Portuguese) On the internet, you can listen on www.radioboanova.com.br.  

O Consolador: What has been the reaction to the interviews you put on air in the last three years? 

We have had all sorts of reaction; we have received emails from all over the world – even from countries where access to the internet and freedom of religion is curbed by the government. But overall we have had wonderful feedback from our listeners. The best feedback we get is their frequent demonstrations of love and affection, their support for the programme, which reflects on several invitations we get to cover and take part in Spiritist events and lectures throughout the country and the world. 

O Consolador: What themes generate the biggest interest? 

It’s difficult to tell, as our interests and challenges change quite often. But whatever the theme – either speaking about the main issue Jesus brought to us, love, or a complex subject such as Quantum Physics – we always attract a huge audience. And that is an outcome of the collective work of so many of us here at the Boa Nova radio network. 

O Consolador: What would you like to highlight from all the radio interviews you have done? 

I wish I had pages and pages to write about all the interviews. Some are special, even though all of them are very dear to us and had an impact on our lives. One such special moment was being able to broadcast from the Rio de Janeiro book fair after being given very short notice. We also did a live broadcast from the main São Paulo airport, Cumbica. I also cherish the memories of sharing the microphone with my blood brother, Claudemir Marques, and my mother’s brother, uncle Dirceu Belarmino, sharing our views about the Doctrine. I must say they were the ones who rescued me in the days when I abandoned Spiritism. I was also very proud to interview some of the big names of Spiritism in Brazil, such as Dona Zilda (the mother of the disincarnated author, Luís Sérgio); the actor, Carlos Vereza, who played the part of the pioneer Spiritist doctor Bezerra de Menezes in a film. Another memorable transmission was the live broadcast from the old house of the great medium, Chico Xavier, in Pedro Leopoldo. And it has been a privilege to have the two people who introduced me to radio – Jether Jacomini and Osmar Marsili – in the studio with me. Other interviews I must mention are those with Sérgio Thiesen, the son of a former president of the Brazilian Spiritist Federation, and with our friend Arnaldo Rocha, the husband of Meimei (Irma de Castro Rocha, who disincarnated in the 40’s and has since written several books through the mediumship of Chico Xavier). 

O Consolador: What else would you like to add? 

I would like to thank all of those who helped me along the way, the great friends without whom I wouldn’t be here. I must send my love too to all the cities and towns, all the Spiritist Centres who opened their doors to us, as well as the television and radio networks who have been so kind, by reporting our work in several occasions. 

O Consolador: What are your final words? 

Once again I would like to thank her eternally, my mother, Durvalina Marques, who helped me so much and made me what I am today. Also thanks to my brother, Claudemir Marques, and Denise Rissi, two people I love dearly and who supported me greatly. And finally, my thanks to our friends and all the team at the Boa Nova radio station. They are always there when you need them.