Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
Today was spent in the old city of Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia in Brazil. It was our first time ashore since we left Fogo in the Cape Verde islands a week ago, so at first we had to get our land legs back. Soon, however, we were on our way around the old part of the city, the Pelourinho, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the restoration or the old Manueline style buildings which line the cobblestone streets.
The highlight of the day came after dinner when we returned to the old town for a performance featuring dances created in Bahia by African slaves. Salvador is a very African city and traditional African religious practices co-exist with the Roman Catholicism brought by the Portuguese to their Brazilian colonies. Although we had visited two magnificent Catholic churches during the day, in the evening on our way to the dance performance, we passed a church where a large congregation was worshiping in the Bahian version of traditional African rites. The dance performance continued this theme nearby, as many of the dances featured African gods portrayed by colorfully costumed dancers. The performance also featured capoeira, a combination of dancing and martial arts which is becoming increasingly popular around the world far from Bahia, but which also was originated here by slaves. All of this was a strong reminder that although slavery robbed almost everything from those it enslaved, one thing lived through the horror of the passage and the crushing work on the fields and in the mines of the colonies. The music of their African roots survived and provided both comfort and identity to those who needed them most. And so it does today.
Today was spent in the old city of Salvador, capital of the state of Bahia in Brazil. It was our first time ashore since we left Fogo in the Cape Verde islands a week ago, so at first we had to get our land legs back. Soon, however, we were on our way around the old part of the city, the Pelourinho, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in recognition of the restoration or the old Manueline style buildings which line the cobblestone streets.
The highlight of the day came after dinner when we returned to the old town for a performance featuring dances created in Bahia by African slaves. Salvador is a very African city and traditional African religious practices co-exist with the Roman Catholicism brought by the Portuguese to their Brazilian colonies. Although we had visited two magnificent Catholic churches during the day, in the evening on our way to the dance performance, we passed a church where a large congregation was worshiping in the Bahian version of traditional African rites. The dance performance continued this theme nearby, as many of the dances featured African gods portrayed by colorfully costumed dancers. The performance also featured capoeira, a combination of dancing and martial arts which is becoming increasingly popular around the world far from Bahia, but which also was originated here by slaves. All of this was a strong reminder that although slavery robbed almost everything from those it enslaved, one thing lived through the horror of the passage and the crushing work on the fields and in the mines of the colonies. The music of their African roots survived and provided both comfort and identity to those who needed them most. And so it does today.
