Culture:
Today Recife turns 475, and Olinda 477.. We Went to a celebration last night in Recife, and will go to one tonight in Olinda..
What does this have to do with culture... AGE. In Western Canada, we have no culture of our own, we use the culture of our heritage, We are a nation of immigrants and have not had a chance for those cultures to blend in to one that we can call our own.
Here in Brasil, the Portuguese, dominated the north east, they imported African slaves.. And have very little immigration since, there is a large Japanese community in Sao Paulo, Italians in the South and small pockets of other immigrants.. The Culture here ( In the North East) has had time to ferment..blend..become their own. It is a mixture of Portuguese, African and Indigenous peoples, blended in to the Music and Dance of this area.. I am not sure what part you could follow back to which area.. it has become Brazilian..
During celebrations like the one last night in Recife, Or Carnival, the cool thing to see is how everyone, no matter their age, 5 or 95, celebrate, they all know the words, and the dance steps, they all smile, dance and enjoy. They do not hold back they dance and sing like no one is watching ( The Beer my be helping!)..
In all my pictures, and videos, https://picasaweb.google.com/104024114949691259972?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH7ipnE2Oi7Yg , just look at how happy these people are.. how "in to it" they are. Even in small family gatherings, there is no fighting over music, it is always LOUD and everyone enjoys it, no complaining that they don't like that style or it is for old folks...
As an outsider, this place can make you feel like an intruder. People here have set out a wall, on one side it is family and friends, if your on that side of the wall, there is nothing these people won't do for you. On the other side of the wall... they are reserved, defensive and cold.. This wall is physical, the wall around their homes, and it is psychological , you are in the group, family or friends, or outside of that group.. I am very lucky, Cris ,her family and friends let me into the inside of the wall.. ( Enough social philosophy).
Here's the nuts of it.. This place is fantastic, music, dance, and costume.. tons of things to see do and experience. I am so blessed to have a tour guide ( Cris) who loves, appreciates and shares all these cultural wonders with me... some days I don't feel like trekking up that hill, or down the narrow street, but she always gives me a little push, when I get there, I am always amazed and in awe , and I always have FUN..
I had been to Carnival before, in 2002, I only took a small bite..a morning in Olinda and an evening in Recife, I enjoyed both.. but I was a tourist, guarding my camera ( mentally guarding).. not open.. not participating.. This year, being "in to it" having costumes, following Cris's groups as they paraded in the old cities..WOW.. you have to come here once in your life..
Carnival in Recife... it is becoming more modern, more commercial but is not completely owned by coca-cola yet ( un-like the Stampede), they have Buses to take you to and from shopping centers, so it is easy to get to, stages set up with famous entertainers, but they still have smaller musical groups who parade through the streets, lots of families, kids and space, it is crowded, but not a crush like Olinda. really well done.
Olinda.. is much more rustic, the Peoples party, they have some stages, some organized entertainment, but most is just impromptu, a Group will just decide to parade, they chose their own route, and pace, if you like the music, just fall in behind, dance and have fun, the crowd is younger, and a little drunker, and very crowded ( streets are narrow and just no space to move, your stuck moving with the crowd), you have to see it..it is better during the day ( But hot) if I were 25, and still a party animal this is were I would want to be... You had better get here before the commercial world takes over, I would hate to see the place with Coke stickers all over..
Today Recife turns 475, and Olinda 477.. We Went to a celebration last night in Recife, and will go to one tonight in Olinda..
What does this have to do with culture... AGE. In Western Canada, we have no culture of our own, we use the culture of our heritage, We are a nation of immigrants and have not had a chance for those cultures to blend in to one that we can call our own.
Here in Brasil, the Portuguese, dominated the north east, they imported African slaves.. And have very little immigration since, there is a large Japanese community in Sao Paulo, Italians in the South and small pockets of other immigrants.. The Culture here ( In the North East) has had time to ferment..blend..become their own. It is a mixture of Portuguese, African and Indigenous peoples, blended in to the Music and Dance of this area.. I am not sure what part you could follow back to which area.. it has become Brazilian..
During celebrations like the one last night in Recife, Or Carnival, the cool thing to see is how everyone, no matter their age, 5 or 95, celebrate, they all know the words, and the dance steps, they all smile, dance and enjoy. They do not hold back they dance and sing like no one is watching ( The Beer my be helping!)..
In all my pictures, and videos, https://picasaweb.google.com/104024114949691259972?authkey=Gv1sRgCJH7ipnE2Oi7Yg , just look at how happy these people are.. how "in to it" they are. Even in small family gatherings, there is no fighting over music, it is always LOUD and everyone enjoys it, no complaining that they don't like that style or it is for old folks...
As an outsider, this place can make you feel like an intruder. People here have set out a wall, on one side it is family and friends, if your on that side of the wall, there is nothing these people won't do for you. On the other side of the wall... they are reserved, defensive and cold.. This wall is physical, the wall around their homes, and it is psychological , you are in the group, family or friends, or outside of that group.. I am very lucky, Cris ,her family and friends let me into the inside of the wall.. ( Enough social philosophy).
Here's the nuts of it.. This place is fantastic, music, dance, and costume.. tons of things to see do and experience. I am so blessed to have a tour guide ( Cris) who loves, appreciates and shares all these cultural wonders with me... some days I don't feel like trekking up that hill, or down the narrow street, but she always gives me a little push, when I get there, I am always amazed and in awe , and I always have FUN..
I had been to Carnival before, in 2002, I only took a small bite..a morning in Olinda and an evening in Recife, I enjoyed both.. but I was a tourist, guarding my camera ( mentally guarding).. not open.. not participating.. This year, being "in to it" having costumes, following Cris's groups as they paraded in the old cities..WOW.. you have to come here once in your life..
Carnival in Recife... it is becoming more modern, more commercial but is not completely owned by coca-cola yet ( un-like the Stampede), they have Buses to take you to and from shopping centers, so it is easy to get to, stages set up with famous entertainers, but they still have smaller musical groups who parade through the streets, lots of families, kids and space, it is crowded, but not a crush like Olinda. really well done.
Olinda.. is much more rustic, the Peoples party, they have some stages, some organized entertainment, but most is just impromptu, a Group will just decide to parade, they chose their own route, and pace, if you like the music, just fall in behind, dance and have fun, the crowd is younger, and a little drunker, and very crowded ( streets are narrow and just no space to move, your stuck moving with the crowd), you have to see it..it is better during the day ( But hot) if I were 25, and still a party animal this is were I would want to be... You had better get here before the commercial world takes over, I would hate to see the place with Coke stickers all over..
( Side note, the last few times I was at the Stampede, I was so pissed, water was only Dasani , Soft drinks were all coke products, all priced fixed, all expensive, no choice, no service clubs, no immigrant groups or community groups, all one big friggin coke commercial, It should be called the Coca-Cola show, thus the snide comments above about coke spoiling Carnival)
Next Year Carnival is February 8th until the 12th , Get working on your Visa...and Travel plans..
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