Carnaval in Salvador…
Let me try my best to explain: The entire city stops. Lots of famous music artists (Daniela Mercury, Ivete Sangalo, Timbalada, Chiclete com Banana, Ara Ketu, Badada Novo, Carlinhos Brown, Rapazzola, and MANY others) get on top of a big truck called a trio electrico. This truck has speakers attached on all sides and a stage on top. Each bloco (the trio and the people that follow it) leaves a certain point at a given time and then proceeds to drive throughout the streets (along a given route) until it gets back where it started. All in all, it’s about 8 kilometers…maybe 6 or 7 miles. Around each trio is a group of people who’s only job is to hold a rope. This rope divides those who pay to be inside the bloco and those who remain on the outside in the chaos of the streets. So basically, you buy a package to be able to be inside the rope. The package includes a shirt that must be worn, or else you can’t get in. these packages can cost up to R$1,000, depending on the artist.
Honestly, I think carnaval is what you make of it. It can be the biggest party in the world or a huge kissing fest. The propaganda that is in your face the entire time is for beer and condoms ("camisinha, não saia sem ela"…i.e. condom, don’t leave home without it). Personally though, that’s not my scene. For me, it was about getting the opportunity to travel for the two weeks we had no school and spend time with old friends.
Mind you, I’ve only described carnaval in Salvador. It’s completely different in SP and Rio de Janeiro. But I’ll save that for another time…
1 comment:
What great reporting!!! All I need to do is close my eyes and I can imagine the wave of humanity as it moves to get a view of the artists, as well as the electric beat of the music. I bet it passes right through the body.
It's very easy to see how you can get tired after 3 hrs of intensity like this.
Oh, the Music!!! I was listening to an uploaded recording of Carlinhos Brown as I re read this section. I tell you, I was in heaven.
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