Bye, Bye Brazil

08.07.2012 18:56

Tonight I watched my last sunset in Salvador, a good time to reflect on the last month and a half. I’ve met some incredible people here—my housemom, the director of my language program, my Portuguese instructor and fellow classmates, as well as local students, musicians, and social workers spending their lives to improve their communities. Friday I had a chance to visit the community of Liberdade and meet the director and founder of Ilê Aiyê, the esteemed bloco afro that started the Bahia's black consciousness movement decades ago with the intention of transforming lives through music, fostering pride in one's self and solidarity in the community, which plays an integral role in development in Brazil. Friday night we gave presentations on our learning experiences and had a huge reception and party with the school's faculty and students from Steve Biko. Though I’m very ready to be home in Austin, a piece of my heart is now in Salvador and I know I’ll be back again some day. Until the next time!

Bagunçaço

04.07.2012 17:49

My trip is wrapping up, and I can’t believe how quickly the time has passed. I’m sitting on a terrace café at an French language school on the bay, a pleasant reprieve from busy streets and a perfect spot for focused study. Yet another world within the world of Salvador. I spent today with a community music project called Bagunçaço (“a big mess”). It started in 1991 in a favela of stick houses built over the sea, with a group of kids that beat to their own drums of cans and recycling materials. One of the older kids, Joselito Crispim, decided to formalize the group into a band and hence was born Bagunçaço. Today the group has a brick-and-mortar site for student-led music classes, a Web-based TV project (see http://www.tvlata.org/), schoolwork reinforcement, English learning, and a positive environment for kids to learn from each other. Above all, the idea is to use music to transform kids’ lives from within, keeping them off the streets where drugs and crime rule. I was so impressed today by the leadership we saw in 12, 13, 14-year olds. They showed us their Web TV project and artwork, we had a drum lesson (all the instruments are made from recycled materials), and even participated in caipoeira. Though rarely recognized, in a formal way, it is these types of community projects that are so essential to development and education in Brazil. I feel honored to have spent the day with Bagunçaço! 

 Percussion instruments made of recycled materials. 

 One of many paintings - this is a typical beach scene of a vendor selling queijo quente - fresh cheese grilled over coals, served with oregano and molasses. Yum!