Music of Carnaval – Bahia, Brazil 2009

Always wondered what Carnaval looked like? Here and see music and images from Carnaval in Salvador, Brazil 2009.

Fhilos de Gandhy and other Blocos

They are immediately recognizable as you walk through the Carnaval areas. Men in white and blue with several beads around their neck. Over 10,000 men participate in the Bloco over the entire Carnaval and it is one of the most recognizable Blocos because of the intricate costume. Originally limited to Black men and followers of Candomble, over the years they have opened the Bloco to include all races and even allow tourists to participate. It is tradition for the men to give their beads to women in exchange for a passionate kiss. This is not a peck on the cheek or even a small kiss on the lips. These are the kisses that win awards and are usually shared by intimate partners. This has made the Bloco a draw for tourists looking for ways to connect with women watching or near the Carnaval.

Our very own Andre has participated in the Bloco for years. He explained that most of the men who are long time participants of the Fhilos de Ghandy stay in the middle of the group to enjoy the music. They also hope to connect with the original purpose of the Bloco, to spread a message of peace and tradition. The border and outer edges of the Bloco are often full of tourists and as the Bloco passed I saw many men happily participating in the tradition of kissing women who accepted their gift of beads. The beads worn by long time participants have been blessed so see if you can get someone to give you the beads without the kiss and you can still take advantage of the blessing.

The Fhilos de Ghandy is one of the most recognizable Blocos during Carnaval because of the elaborate costume. The other is the Masquerdas. The bloco is made up entirely of men dressed as women. Each year they take on a central theme for their costumes and this year they were superheroes. With red capes, horrible wigs, and water guns they follow behind their trio electrico in the Bloco, living out their annual drag celebration. As an outsider not aware of the tradition, I at first assumed that this was a drag group celebrating or possibly a gay group. This was not the case. We were told that in fact all, if not most, of the participants are straight men that only dress this way during Carnaval. From locals I learned that the group is made of mostly police officers and the water guns are actually a flirting technique similar to the beads of the Filhos de Ghandy. Women are shot with the water guns as the Bloco passes. Interesting way to pick up women…

From Markets, Cigars and Samba – a taste of Bahia

Cachoeira is the area of the state of Bahia in Brazil where the majority of the slaves entered the country. It has been said that Bahia boasts one of the largest concentrations of people of African descent in the world, second only to Nigeria. A tour of the Cachoeira area is not to be missed when visiting Bahia and is a little more than an hour by car from Salvador. It will provide you with a different side of Bahia than the urban pace and beautiful beaches of Salvador. Start in the market – Feira Popular in the small town Santo Amaro da Purificacao. Filled with beautiful chapels and buildings, it is a great place to see culture and learn a little of Bahia history. Here you will find everything from clothes and fresh food products to handmade cigars. Cachoeira is central to Afro-Brazillian history and the city has a museum that helps to highlight and tell the story of the slave trade in Brazil. You can also visit the sisterhood of the Boa Morte or visit a cigar factory and see the women hand roll cigars in front of you dressed in historical Bahian clothes.

We have done it all during a trip to Bahia and we share some of our views here.