Drumming in Pelourinho
Hanging out in Pelourinho, the historic area in the heart of Salvador. It is an old part of town with narrow, cobble stone, criss-crossing foot-streets and alleyways. The colonial buildings have been restored and are painted a variety of bright colors. This place is the hub of live music, in many styles. It's in the streets (literally), in the clubs, in the plazas, everywhere!
Pelourinho is also the tourist hub, so these building have been converted into a series of cafes, pubs and tiny souvenir shops. They are peddling all the normal wares - t shirts, paintings, jewelry, drums, etc.. I don't have any good photos of the area yet in daylight because I'm usually there at night, and it's difficult to get good night shots without the use of a tripod. I "tricked" my little digicam into getting these night shots. The top photos are of the main plazas in Pelourinho, and you can see some of the narrow foot-streets in the distance.
There are many drumming groups (baterias) in Pelourinho, and it is common to see them casually drumming around the streets - for no particular reason, just jammin'. It is quite LOUD, but quite groovy! The ensembles range in size from 10 to 50 to 100+, but I usually see around 25-30 on any given night. (The large configurations are more commonly seen during special events.) The "bands" are usually a mix of men, women, boys, girls, of all ages, though there are some bands with just girls, just boys, etc..
The baterias are comprised of various percussion instruments, usually traditional to samba, though it is not uncommon to see various other percussion in the mix. It is the big, low-pitched drums (bottom left photo), appropriately named "surdo" (deaf), that drive the heartbeat of the band like a full speed locomotive! The sound reverberates off the buildings like thunder that has just burst upon you. You can actually feel the vibrations of the drums rattle your bones and your entire body! But even when the drummers are on another street and out of sight, their canon-like beats are still echoing off all the walls and through the adjacent alleyways, and there is no doubt about their presence! And when the band is coming toward you down the narrow street, get out of the way because they don't go around you, they go through you!! I never tire of hearing these baterias around town. It's another way that I know I'm in Brasil!!
Read more about Pelourinho here.
Pelourinho is also the tourist hub, so these building have been converted into a series of cafes, pubs and tiny souvenir shops. They are peddling all the normal wares - t shirts, paintings, jewelry, drums, etc.. I don't have any good photos of the area yet in daylight because I'm usually there at night, and it's difficult to get good night shots without the use of a tripod. I "tricked" my little digicam into getting these night shots. The top photos are of the main plazas in Pelourinho, and you can see some of the narrow foot-streets in the distance.
There are many drumming groups (baterias) in Pelourinho, and it is common to see them casually drumming around the streets - for no particular reason, just jammin'. It is quite LOUD, but quite groovy! The ensembles range in size from 10 to 50 to 100+, but I usually see around 25-30 on any given night. (The large configurations are more commonly seen during special events.) The "bands" are usually a mix of men, women, boys, girls, of all ages, though there are some bands with just girls, just boys, etc..
The baterias are comprised of various percussion instruments, usually traditional to samba, though it is not uncommon to see various other percussion in the mix. It is the big, low-pitched drums (bottom left photo), appropriately named "surdo" (deaf), that drive the heartbeat of the band like a full speed locomotive! The sound reverberates off the buildings like thunder that has just burst upon you. You can actually feel the vibrations of the drums rattle your bones and your entire body! But even when the drummers are on another street and out of sight, their canon-like beats are still echoing off all the walls and through the adjacent alleyways, and there is no doubt about their presence! And when the band is coming toward you down the narrow street, get out of the way because they don't go around you, they go through you!! I never tire of hearing these baterias around town. It's another way that I know I'm in Brasil!!
Read more about Pelourinho here.
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