For many, the words ‘’Brazilian carnival’ equal scenes of outrageously-clad voluptuous bodies gyrating through the streets of Rio to the universally understood rhythms of samba. Well, they’d be right. What they’d be ignoring however is the sheer vastness of Brazil and the simple fact that with different carnivals come different branches of music.
As I set foot on the carnival circuit of Salvador de Bahía, I underwent a similar rude awakening. The samba spectacle of Rio was nowhere to be found. Instead, the lifeline of the party was the procession of 60-foot long trucks, or ‘trio eletricos’, charged with enough kilowatts of sound equipment to destroy a small planet, each crowned by a different live band of the Bahían musical phenomenon that is Axé.
An Afro-Brazilian synthesis of samba reggae, calypso and frevo, Axé is the soundtrack to the largest street party on Earth, with more than two million people jumping inexhaustibly to the infectious blend of relentless beats.
Being a part of the ‘bloco’ – call it a ten-thousand-strong-mosh pit – of a particular Axé band that surrounds each truck, was a bit like being caught in the midst of an American election rally, though without the propaganda circus and obviously, infinitely more fun. The atmosphere is electric, and roaming around outside the ‘blocos’ or watching them from the stalls above is a fantastic way to get a better understanding of the different incarnations of Axé.
Thunderous pounding worthy of an elephant migration saw the arrival of Timbalada known for its use of the ‘timbal’ drum and racks of three bass drums that can be played by a single person. With a lead singer and chorus chanting songs over the deafening beats, Timbalada is one of the most powerful and spiritual Axé bands, with socially motivated lyrics dedicated to the people of Bahía.
Believe it or not however, mainstream Axé does exist, in the form of such institutions as Ivete Sangalo, Claudia Leitte and Chiclete com banana. The latter’s decades old formula of upbeat electric guitar, reggae rock rhythms and booming percussion has secured their position as the most popular Axé band to date, despite still smacking of dodgy crooners from the eighties.
So, bad news for the culture-vultures so intent on that perfect Kodak moment of the samba queens of Rio; Axé is the sound of Brazilian carnival to end all others. Listen to it live. Or simply if you have itchy feet.
