Carlinhos Brown Official Website

VERÃO DA BAHIA (BAHIA SUMMER)

Starting in November, Salvador brings into action all its saints, Bahianos and tourists for one more season of rhythms, festivities and projects. The city seems to be taken over by pre-carnival events that culminate in the biggest popular street celebration on the planet-- Carnival, and its seven intense, uninterrupted days of festivities. In itself, the carnival festivities attract close to a million tourists to the Bahian capital and mobilize millions of Brazilian Reais in sponsorships, merchandising activity and creation of temporary jobs. This is the culminating moment for the regional economy, making it an opportune time for new projects, investments, sponsorships, and national and international visibility for famous brands. And it is impossible to speak of Carnival’s history without mentioning Carlinhos Brown.

SARAU DU BROWN

In the months leading up to carnival, between November and January, the Museu du Ritmo prepares itself for Bahianos and tourists by hosting the Sarau du Brown. The project, filled with musicality and creativity, is led by Brown and his guests in a mixture of music, fashion, poetry and an eclectic public. In its last edition the event included participation of great artists such as Caetano Veloso, Marisa Monte, Margareth Menezes, Arnaldo Antunes, Armandinho, amongst many others who passed through the event.

ENXAGUADA DU BONFIM

Considered to be Bahia’s second greatest popular cultural manifestation, the Lavagem das Escadarias do Bonfim (Washing of the steps of the Bonfim Church), brings together religious devotion and festivities in a pilgrimage that takes the faithful from different creeds to the feet of the Senhor do Bonfim Church. Located right in the middle of the path that leads to the sacred hill, Museu du Ritmo dared to give continuity to the homage paid to Bahia’s Patron Saint by conducting last year Enxaguada du Bonfim’s first edition. The celebration, which took place for the first time in 2008, was so well received that it became a mandatory stop in the calendar of Bonfim’s festivities.

CAMAROTE ANDANTE

First mobile camarote (closed off bleacher-like constructions with private spaces for carnival viewers) in Bahia’s Carnival and the largest open bloco ever seen. This describes Camarote Andante, which innovates and surprises each year with its independent trio elétrico (truck equipped with high power sound system on top of which bands and blocos perform), which follows the Barra-Ondina circuit and transforms those carnival participants who have not paid to join any bloco, into the stars of the night.  Carlinhos Brown does the greatest part of the route on the ground together with the multitude of people and his guests. The camarote, set over wheels with a bold design, is another manifestation of the musician’s creative and visual power, providing the perfect medium for the possibilities of his sound.

PIPOCÃO

The independent trio Pipocão (meaning “big popcorn”, in reference to those carnival participants who have not paid and are relegated to the outskirts, jumping from bloco to bloco, like popcorn), was created by Carlinhos Brown with the aim of becoming the largest popular bloco on the planet. In its first edition- there have been two consecutive so far – the only requirement to join the bloco was to wear one of the 30 thousand popcorn shaped tiaras that were freely distributed to whoever wished to follow the independent trio, led by Carlinhos Brown and his band. The Pipocão also has an allegorical float which faithfully represents a pot of popcorn and which is always paraded on the days in which Obaluê is celebrated. Obaluê is an orixá (Candomblé entity) associated with the Earth, who cures illnesses. "The popcorn offered to Obaluê is like flowers [offered to the sea]. So, in this sea of people, which we call the foliões-pipoca (popcorn carnival participants), it represents a true rosary to the Lord of the Earth”, says Brown.

BAILE DO BLOCO PARADO

In line with his audacious spirit, Carlinhos Brown created the first non-mobile bloco (carnival group) in the world. The Baile do Bloco Parado (Dance of the Still Bloco), located in the Museu du Ritmo, has had two editions to date, both happening parallel to 2007 and 2008 Carnivals, and has featured a variety of artists in a rich mixture of sounds and styles. Great names have passed through the event: Cidade Negra, Banda Didá, Margareth Menezes, Cláudia Leite, Daniela Mercury, Timbalada, Zélia Duncan, Arnaldo Antunes, Vanessa da Mata, Pitty, Ilê Aiyê, DJ Dero, Chico César, Bitgaboott and Maestro Duda.