Salvador is getting ready for Carnival—all supermarkets ordered massive stocks of beers and coolers, Avenida Sete de Setembro is being repaved, trees are being cut (more overhead clearance for floats) and the Farrol da Barra is being boarded up.
Yet, it’s too early to party, too early for pre-Carnival even…
… or is it?
On Saturday morning, I heard from someone who heard it from
someone that there was a folia in Rio Vermelho in the evening.
I trust word-of-mouth info when it comes to party, so at 4:30 p.m.,
I started to walk towards Rio Vermelho, a fairly hip neighbourhood five
kilometres east of Barra. I took Avenida Oceânica along the waterfront and
crossed Barra, then Ondina.
I arrived in Rio Vermelho and spotted the first few clowns—yes,
clowns, because every “bloco de rua” (neighbourhood gathering) has a theme and
this one was the “Palhaços do Rio Vermelho,” the “clowns of Rio Vermelho.”
Revellers were getting reading around the campo,
putting makeup on if not done already, drinking a beer or five, taking pictures
and just having fun. Friendly atmosphere and friendly people, like in most blocos
(beer probably helps, mind you).
Blocos always look like impromptu gatherings but in
fact, they are carefully planned. It takes great organizational skills to bring
a few thousands (or several hundreds of thousands) people together, to create
something fun.
The drummers showed up. The streets were filling up with
people coming from all directions.
The bloco was bigger than I was expecting. I’m always
surprised to see how inclusive they are—old, young, rich, poor, whatever, just show
up and party. A true “come as you are” experience.
Drummers started drumming at nightfall, a slow repetitive
beat soon echoed by other drummers picking up the beat and working with it.
The crowd started dancing, moving like a giant wave.
I put the camera away and embraced the fun.
Ondina, on the way to Rio Vermelho, Salvador
Ondina, on the way to Rio Vermelho, Salvador
Pedra da Sereia, Ondina, on the way to Rio Vermelho, Salvador
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Campo do Rio Vermelho, pre-Carnival party of the Palhaços do Rio Vermelho (“The clowns of Rio Vermelho”)
Good think you don’t have clown phobia. I meant to ask as I didn’t catch if you mentioned it; where did you learn your Portuguese? (Online, in a class, self-taught) I’m trying via apps and self teach, but it seems more difficult than I imagined. Perhaps you already speaking French helps?
As for Portuguese, I picked it up while traveling. The first trip was brutal back in 2002. I only spoke basic Spanish and Feng and I somehow thought we could get by in Brazil speaking Spanish. Yeah, no. I remember staring at a menu in a restaurant, wondering what the hell “frango” was… (the answer is “chicken”!). I picked up Spanish easily, Portuguese was a different story. I still speak Spanish better than Portuguese. Being a native French speaker does help, but it would make my life easier if Brazilians pronounced words the way I read them in my head 😆
Mind you, I pick up languages fairly easily and it’s my job as well as a translator. I didn’t speak English when I came to Canada, same story, self-taught…
Good think you don’t have clown phobia. I meant to ask as I didn’t catch if you mentioned it; where did you learn your Portuguese? (Online, in a class, self-taught) I’m trying via apps and self teach, but it seems more difficult than I imagined. Perhaps you already speaking French helps?
No clown phobia, even after watching “It” 😉
As for Portuguese, I picked it up while traveling. The first trip was brutal back in 2002. I only spoke basic Spanish and Feng and I somehow thought we could get by in Brazil speaking Spanish. Yeah, no. I remember staring at a menu in a restaurant, wondering what the hell “frango” was… (the answer is “chicken”!). I picked up Spanish easily, Portuguese was a different story. I still speak Spanish better than Portuguese. Being a native French speaker does help, but it would make my life easier if Brazilians pronounced words the way I read them in my head 😆
Mind you, I pick up languages fairly easily and it’s my job as well as a translator. I didn’t speak English when I came to Canada, same story, self-taught…
Nice costumes, I love it 😉
Funky, eh?