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“Bahia Days Are Like Holidays,”
– Captains of the Sand by Jorge Amado.
Sometimes, for some unexplainable reason, you feel connected to a city even before you’ve been there. There’s a strange invisible force pulling you for reasons unknown to you yet. Salvador de Bahia was one of these places for me.
And it didn’t take me long to figure out why.
Bahia is the birthplace of Capoeira, singers like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil, and famous authors like Jorge Amado.
If there was such as thing as a cultural density index, Bahia would surely rank among the top 10.
After talking to Capoeira masters, attending a Candomble ceremony (I’ll explain more later), and playing music with the military police, I had to share this wonderful feeling with the world.
Bahia is in one word, “magical.”
In this post, I’ll explain why.
In 1500, the Portuguese Pedro Álvares Cabral claimed Bahia for the Portuguese throne.
It then took almost 50 more years to establish the city of Salvador de Bahia, which happened in 1549 by Portuguese colonial governor-general Tomé de Sousa.
Salvador de Bahia became the first capital of Brazil and remained the capital for over 200 years. It was a strategic place due to its geography and natural harbor or bay (‘Bahia’).
But Bahia also has a dark side. It officially imported 1.3 million enslaved men, women, and children from Africa, but the unofficial number is likely much higher. Due to its history, Bahia nowadays has the biggest black community outside of Africa.
From this suffering, the Bahian people have created something unique. As the American activist Maya Angelou said: “Slavery bred many ugliness, but also fed the creative genius of a people – their art, their poetry, their music, their stories.”
This is exactly what happened in Bahia and is why it became the birthplace of Capoeira, the first afro Carnival block, and religious movements like Candomblé.
These cultural topics form the core of Bahian society and culture and deserve to be discussed in more detail. In this post, I’ll talk about books, movies, music, Capoeira, Religion, and Tourism.
Brace yourselves, because you’re in for a ride of a lifetime.
Books About BahiaIf we talk about Bahia, one of the first things that will come up is Brazilian author Jorge Amado. Amado was born in 1912 in the South of Bahia and grew up in different cities within the state. He’s one of the most famous Brazilian authors, won several prizes, and wrote over 30 books. In many of his works, Bahia plays a central role.
Jorge Amado was furthermore deeply fascinated by and celebrated Afro-Brazilian culture and its influence in the northeastern state of Bahia. Because of this, many of his books help us understand Bahian culture on a deeper level.
Some of the most famous are Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon, Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, and Captains of the Sands. I read Captains of the Sands in Salvador, but I’ll give you a summary of each one.
Itamar Vieira Junior is a young Brazilian writer. He was born in Salvador and has a PhD in Ethnic and African Studies.
He mentioned that he learned about slavery during his studies, only to realize that many black Bahians still live similarly.
His debut novel, Crooked Plow, tells the story of poor landworkers in the state of Bahia following the lives of two sisters, daughters of the (Candomblé) healer Zeca Chapéu Grande.
With my limited knowledge, I’d say it captures the essence of Bahia perfectly. It’s struggles, but also it’s culture, resilience, and its magic. This magic reminded me of the classic A Hundred Years of Solitude, but it’s an easier read and talks about the life of real people, despite being fictional.
You can go here for the best Brazilian books.
Bahian MusicBahia is home to some of the most famous Brazilian musicians like Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil (in the video above).
Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil are known for their role in the Tropicália movement of the 1960s, a movement that blended traditional Brazilian music with international influences like rock and pop, aiming to challenge social norms and political repression. Gilberto Gil took on an even bigger role as Brazil’s Minister of Culture from 2003 to 2008.
They’ve also performed in the huge Bahian carnival celebrations, about which you could learn more in Salvador’s Casa do Carnaval da Bahia.
As you’ve read in the introduction, Bahia has a lot of African influences, with Yoruba, an ethnic group primarily from Nigeria, being one of the largest.
It’s therefore no surprise that many aspects of Bahian life, such as music and religion, have African influences.
A great example is the word ‘Axé.’ It comes from the Yoruba term àṣẹ, meaning “soul, light, spirit or good vibrations. You can use it to wish people good energy (or good health).
Axé also became a music genre, characterized by an upbeat, rhythmic genre, blending Afro-Brazilian musical elements like percussion and call-and-response vocals with pop and rock influences. Some key axé artists include Daniela Mercury, Chiclete com Banana, and Ivete Sangalo.
Samba-reggae is a style that combines traditional Brazilian samba rhythms with Jamaican reggae. It emerged in the 1970s and 80s in Salvador, the capital of Bahia.
Some influential samba-reggae groups include Olodum and Timbalada.
Aside from the movies Capitães da Areia and Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, based on Amado’s books, a great movie to watch to better understand Bahian culture is O Pai, O.
This comedy explores themes of family and identity, set against the backdrop of Bahia’s vibrant culture.
Capoeira is a Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. Originating among enslaved Africans in Brazil, it was developed as a means of self-defense and cultural expression. Capoeira is characterized by its fluid, rhythmic movements and the use of a circular, dance-like format, often performed in a roda (circle) with live music.
There are 3 main types: Capoeira Angola, Capoeira Regional, and Contemporary Capoeira. The Capoeira Angola is from Brazil but refers to its Angolan roots. This website gives a very elaborate explanation of the 3 types and their differences and origins.
During our tour, we had the chance to see the Capoeira Regional in the school of its founder, Master Bimba.
Another unique element of Bahia is Candomblé, a religion with African roots and catholic elements.
We had the chance to visit one of the houses with a history and tradition that dated back hundreds of years. There are different types of ceremonies, but generally, people’s bodies function as vessels for spirits or the Gods to speak through them, guided by the constant beat of drums.
It was wonderful to be able to participate in a ceremony first-hand. Although we weren’t allowed to film, here’s a YouTube short that captures the experience quite well.
The Brazilian author Jorge Amado had a strong connection with Candomblé and wrote several books about it that help understand the role it plays in society.
Aside from the famous Bahian Carnaval, I’d highly recommend staying in Hotel Pousada da Mangueira.
We were welcomed by Claudio, who would work in the hotel every other day and offer tours on his day off. It was honestly one of the best tours I ever had, showing us a real local experience. I’d 100% recommend it.
You should ask the hotel for recommendations, but some that I’d suggest are visiting Casa de Mae for live music, trying the typical dishes Acaraje (for example in Acarajé do Rafa, Moqueca, and if you like fine dining, visiting Origem.
That’s it for today! I hope you’ll also have a chance to enjoy this special place.
