Salvador’s Carnaval: 2 Nights With Daniela Mercury
Feb 27, 2010
2 Comments
It's been a couple weeks since our Carnaval experience in Salvador da Bahia, but the intensity and energy is still with us.Carnaval brings just about every emotion in you. There is the exhilaration and joy of being with an enthusiastic and ecstatic group; boredom and ennui as you wait for your bloco to begin moving; disgust and anger, as you see the filth and get pushed around by the crowds, and relief yet disappointment when your bloco finally reaches the end of the circuit.
For two nights, we were in Daniela Mercury's bloco, Crocodilo. I think this was the best bloco to be in. First of all, Mercury, a Brazilian mega-star for over two decades, is representative of her native Bahia, and through her efforts, has made Salvador's Carnaval the penultimate show that it has become. Carnaval is also reflective of her career: the music there is mostly dominated by MBP ("Popular Brazilian Music"/Brazilian pop), axé, samba-reggae, electronica, and even some bossa nova, all genres that she has explored.
Here's how Carnaval in Salvador works. Unlike Rio's celebration, which is more ostentatious and vibrant, Salvador's is more participatory, like a giant roving concert. There are three (parade) circuits through the city. Stars like Mercury who perform have a trio elétrico, which is a jerry-rigged semi-truck retrofitted as a moving concert platform. If you are lucky to be one of the VIP's, you get to hang out here. What we did is buy an adabá, a t-shirt that allows you to tag along the trio. This t-shirt, which can set you back up to several hundred dollars, grants you access to a roped-off area that supposedly is safer than being among the crowds that line the circuits. If traipsing a few kilometers for several hours is not your fancy, then you can buy a ticket for a camarote, which is a huge grandstand-cum-dance floor where you can party away and watch each bloco saunter by.This scene is not for everyone. Bathrooms are scarce; hence the need to leave your shoes in Brazil when you return home, as you won't want to wear them again. The claustrophobic also need not apply--the crush of the crowds can get overwhelming. There is also the risk of getting kissed by someone you may not (or may) want to lock lips with. And the environmental effects of all those cans and bottles, despite the recycling efforts of many, will make one cringe. Then there is the racial aspect: most of the spectators are poor and black. The poor folks who carry the ropes are mostly black, with some mestizo and mulatto. Those who wear the adabás are, well, mostly white.
What I found engaging about Mercury's bloco was the message she was trying to send. While other trios were slathered in Styrofoam or other noxious materials, her trio was slathered in native plants the first night. The second night, her trio was stunning: rows of plastic bottles were strung together and covered the trio, giving a sultry, luminous effect. Considering Mercury's years of involvement with UNAIDS, UNESCO, and other NGOs supporting her native Bahia, we should not be surprised by the message I assume she was attempting to convey.I urge you to try Carnaval at least once. You will be smitten.
Lovely! How expensive was it and did you take a camera into the roped area? I heard that it is not advisable to do so, but I love taking pictures. I’ve been wanting to go to Salvador’s Carnival for some time now but I’ve never had both the money and the time.
Hi C,
The abadas, which are the t-shirts you need to get into the roped area, run anywhere from $US250 to $US850, depending on the date and how popular the band is. You can also buy a ticket for a camarote, which runs from US$100 to $350, I think, which are the dance floors where you can watch the entire procession–preferable if you don’t want to march and dance for hours all night. Apparently, the abadas for the next year go on sale soon after Carnaval ends, so Carnaval 2011 are on sale now, probably–if you can plan that far ahead.
The trick with pictures is that you should have a good sturdy bag to store your camera in (Coleman makes them), or use an older camera that won’t break your heart if it gets busted. But I have to save over all it’s safe. The point is to not take too much cash on you and have it hidden. But we really never felt threatened at all.
I hope you make it–it certainly is worth the time and money–the experience is amazing!