From Great Suffering to Great Joy: Salvador Brazil

Salvador is a premier destination in one of the countries best loved by travelers.  Located in Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil, it is perhaps THE must-see place in Brazil.  Visitors love Salvador for its food, color, culture, and, of course, its people.  With all that the city has to offer, it seems that no one leaves Salvador untouched.  To appreciate the deeper nuances of this wonderful place, it is important to know a bit about how Salvador became the place it is today.

Salvador da Bahia is situated along a cliff which divides the city into upper and lower sections.  The upper city was established as Salvador’s religious and administrative center while the lower part served as the commercial center.  This distinction persists to this day, with the upper city drawing the most tourists to its Pelourinho, or old town.  The images you see of cobblestone streets and colorful colonial architecture are of Pelourinho, which is considered a must see for visitors.  Salvador’s Carnaval considered the best, if not the largest, passes through these old streets.  

Salvador is looked upon as the bastion of Afro-Brazilian culture.  This was the place where most of the people from Africa made their entrance into Brazil, where they would be forced into slavery.  With the thriving slave trade that started around 1550 until slavery was abolished May 13^th of 1888, the city was transformed as influences and customs from Africa permeated local life.  Even today, African culture here is strong and Salvador garners much respect for keeping this culture intact.  When the rest of the world thinks of things Brazilian, the images conjured up in their minds are often of Bahian origin.  Capoeira, samba, candomble- these all have their roots in the forced migration of Africans and their cultures to Brazil.  From this often dark history full of suffering comes a place where Indigenous, Portuguese, and African cultures now form a complex and intriguing culture found only in this part of the world.  Visitors also invariably find it to be one of the warmest and most inviting places, with a joy that belies a past which was full of suffering. 

The martial art of Capoeira is thought to have its origins in Bahia, or at least its Brazilian origins.  This fighting art was disguised as a dance so that slaves from Africa could continue to practice it under the eyes of their owners.  Its mix of music, ritual, and masterful use of the human body has gained many followers and today the traditional art is strong.  Practitioners of capoeira come to Salvador to train in renowned schools such those of Mestre Bamba and Mestre Curio (“Mestre” means master).  Visitors are also usually welcome to train at these schools, especially if they already train under that school in their own countries.  For serious capoeristas, the art is more than a way to fight, much more.  People who are deep into capoeira find that it is a way of life, a way to stay cool under pressure when under attack, a way to gracefully come out of conflict unscathed and strong.  It can also be a lot of fun! 

Probably the most dignified representatives of Salvador and Bahia as a whole are the Baianas, women of African descent dressed in white who keep alive that most important component of culture- food.  Baianas will cook all day preparing what have become quintessential Brazilian dishes.  These well known concoctions include bobó de camarão (stewed shrimp with manioc), moquecas (a spicy seafood stew), and vatapá made with peanut (vatapá is an Afro-Brazilian dish of shrimp, coconut milk, and various other ingredients).  Then there’s the delicacy acaraje, which are little cakes eaten with bean paste, shrimp, hot peppers, and vatapá.  These tasty treats can all be sampled from the Bahianas who sell them as street vendors. 

Besides nurturing the body with home cooked food, Baianas are also peoples’ connections with the divine.  Baianas practice Candomble, which basically has its origins in Salvador.  This religion has its roots in Africa and consists of practices from a wide spectrum of African tribes, the main one being the Yoruba.  These African religions in turn melded with the Catholicism of the Portuguese to form Candomble, giving birth to a religion which has imposed the qualities of its own deities, or orixas, onto the pantheon of saints found in Catholicism.  Adherents consider themselves the sons and daughters of saints, with the women (the Baianas) being the ones to make offerings to these higher powers.

Not only tourists but also Brazilians find themselves magnetically pulled towards Bahia.  Today, Salvador is a beacon of culture for Brazilians looking to find their African roots.  Brazilians in search of a cultural identity increasingly look to Bahia to give them a sense of where they come from.  This has gotten to the point that Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, two baianos and among the most revered musicians in the supremely musical country of Brazil, have recorded a song with lyrics that have this to say about the situation:

“Every monkey on his branch

I never tire of saying

My branch is in Bahia

Yours is some other place”      

It’s a catchy song, too (Cada Macaco no Seu Galho (Cho Chua)). 

This urge to find meaning is perfectly understandable.  In a time where commercial culture permeates every corner of the world, people are increasingly turning towards that which holds authenticity and meaning.  With its rich customs and traditions encapsulating deep meaning and history, Salvador is a natural place to turn to.