um fim de semana muito legal

I was thinking my Portuguese teacher will likely ask us what we did this weekend, so I better practice the phrasing. There is actually a lot to tell.

On Friday, I saw a movie with Laura (my Dutch classmate), and her hosts – this included her host mother, Audimir, and Audmir’s boyfriend, Osvaldo, who drove us to the huge shopping mall where we saw the film. Laura and I chose the film Cidade dos Homens because we thought it was American, and would have Portuguese subtitles – a good way to “practice”. The theater was busy, and all the attendants were wearing t-shirts advertising the movie we had chosen. This seemed normal for opening weekend, so I assumed this was the case and ignored my suspicion that the movie might actually be Brazilian. After sitting through six previews for horror movies – which was more of an odd coincidence than anything else – the feature presentation began. Upon reading the first line of the opening credits, “Imagem Filmes presentam,” Laura and I looked at each other and groaned. It was going to be in Portuguese.

I actually made it through the movie without falling asleep. Osvaldo – who speaks perfect English – was kind enough to provide me with intermittent translations from his spot three seats away. Happily, no one in the theater seemed to mind. That is something I love about Brazil (and Paraguay and Mexico): it is quite difficult to offend people.

The movie told a story similar to that of Boys in the Hood, only it was set in a hill-side favela in Rio de Janeiro. Favela is the term for the poor urban neighborhoods in Brazil. In Rio, they are commonly located on the city’s dramatically steep hills because the land is undesirable for building expensive homes and condos. I read a really interesting article about favela governance a few years ago in the NACLA quarterly. Rather than getting into the details of the movie and/or providing a summary of the article, here is the link: Rio Drug Gangs Force a Fragile Security.

After the film, the four of us attended a Forró – a specific kind of Brazilian dance with a live band (key instrument, accordion!) at a bar. The dancing was really impressive, so I stayed seated most of the night and just watched. Osvaldo did insist on taking me out on the floor once, but the combination of his lack of rhythm and my stiff Tango-trained body made a bit of a scene. I retired to my caipirinha and people-watching, and was satisfied.

On Saturday, Osvaldo and Audimir drove Laura and me to the town of Cachoeira, an important inland port for sugar-cane transportation during colonial times. Before railroads were constructed and long before the abolishment of slavery (which occurred in Brazil in 1888 – the latest of any nation in the Americas), Cachoeira was the only connecting point between the coast and the interior. This meant the city was a rich cultural and trade center for a few centuries. The colonial-style buildings and the imported infrastructure (iron bridges and fountains constructed in England) are now mostly in decay, but remain a testament to the great wealth of the colonial city. For lunch we feasted at an outdoor restaurant along the water. I tried a typical shrimp dish called Muqueca, whichis made with palm oil and coconut milk and accompanied with rice, Brazilian baked beans, and farofa (a toasted “crumble” of mandioca flour and butter). Muito bom.

The town of Cachoeira is also considered the center of the Candomblé religion. Their principal ceremonies take place in February when they have an annual festival honoring Iemanja, the goddess of the sea (also the orixá most commonly linked to the Catholic Virgin Mary). We also just missed the annual festival of Boa Morte (good death), which takes place in August and is hosted by the Sisterhood of Good Death – a group of women who long ago organized escape routes for the slaves. These days, the festival celebrates and promotes Black empowerment in Brazil.

After a long and tiring drive back to Salvador, Laura and I rested up for a night of Salsa dancing. Her host brother brought us to one of his favorite places – a cozy, dark basement with candles in old bottles on each table. The building was formerly a factory where mandioca flour was processed. Now it is owned by a family and offers live music every night – Forró, Samba, Salsa, Lambada, etc. Unfortunately, the Salsa band cancelled at the last minute, so the three of us enjoyed a small dinner, a few Caipirinhas, and live music provided by a local band that was called in at the last minute. They actually weren’t bad, just not as lively as we were expecting.

On Sunday I slept in and met up with Laura in the early afternoon to attend a free Zouk Lambada class in Pituacú park – a large urban green space about 10km east of our neighborhood. The class was offered at an outdoor café with a perfect dance floor, and lots of people were there (mostly women, of course). Zouk Lambada is a Brazilian form of Zouk, which originated in the Cape Verdian islands. It’s a partner dance and the steps are similar to Salsa, with the main difference that Zouk appears much more “flow-y” and incorporates dramatic dips and swirling of the hair. At present, there aren’t any clubs or bars that offer Zouk music in Salvador, but the movement is growing. It was really cool to be at this casual free class, learning from various instructors, everyone helping each other and practicing with each other. Even the waitresses joined in when they saw how much fun we were having.

The other cool thing about our Sunday outing was just the fact that Laura and got there by ourselves, on the bus. There is something awesome about the moment you figure out the public transportation system in a new city – it’s as though everything opens up to you. Suddenly there are so many places to explore and things to see.

Another cool Brazilian dance form to look up – if you are interested – is Funke (or Funk… I’m not sure how they spell it). Funke parties are hosted in favelas throughout Brasil and are popular among all kinds of folks. I saw a television program where the journalist attended a Funke, and it looked like a lot of fun. Everyone shouting “na na NA na na!”