Thursday, June 16, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Mexico: Las Calentas
Las Calentas is a beautiful private island about an hour out from Puerto Vallarta. I had a wonderful dinner on the beach followed by a fire show that had a "Cirque de Soliel" feel. The entertainers are quite talented.
Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
This looks like a photo out of a travel magazine, if I must say so myself. *shameless plug*
The massage was so good, I had one every other day! 3 total. *shameless indulgence*
At the marina preparing to leave for an all-day excursion.
A hacienda that was once used to process silver.
I event went to tequila disillery where they do tastings of 5 different types of tequila. My favorite was an amaretto flavored tequila. Yummy!
Race in Brazil
This issue goes much deeper than I can possibly explain here on my photo blog. Instead, I leave you with some tools and reading materials to explore independently.
Brazil: Religion
If there seems to be several photos of churches on this trip, it's because there are! Plus, I have a facination with photographing them. *shrugs* According to the 2000 census, 74% of Brazilians consider themselves Catholic. This stems from Portugal's colonialization of Brazil.
Salvador: The Michael Jackson Connection
In 1995, Michael Jackson went to Salvador to film part of the video for "They Don't Really Care About Us" with internationally renowned founders of samba reggae, Olodum. I shot this photo from the same plaza the video was shot. There is an undescribable energy there and it is still a huge source of pride for the Salvadorian community.
The full video: http://youtu.be/QNJL6nfu__Q
Bahia: Olodum
Olodum is an internationally acclaimed Afro-Brazilian cultural group from Bahia, Brazil. Olodum (pronounced oh-lo-doon) was founded in 1979 as a bloco afro (African Bloc), a Bahian Carnival association highlighting African heritage and black pride through music, dance theater, and art. From their home city of Salvador da Bahia in Northeast Brazil (often described as the most African city in the Americas), Olodum has dedicated itself to cultural activism in the struggle against racial discrimination and socioeconomic inequality.
Olodum takes its name from the Yoruba deity Olodumaré. They focus their yearly Carnival themes on controversial issues such as black power and socialist movements in Africa and the African Diaspora. In the mid 1980s, the head drummer in the group - Mestre Neguinho do Samba - experimented with Afro-Caribbean rhythms and mixed them with the Brazilian samba. He divided the large surdo bass drums into four interlocking parts and layered the high-pitched repique drums in additive rhythms on top. The result was a new style of music dubbed samba reggae that quickly dominated Bahian Carnival. In the late 1980s Olodum assumed premiere position among the blocos afro in Bahia and became internationally known. They formed a professional musical band Banda Olodum which has now recorded over ten CDs. Olodum musicians have worked with international luminaries such as Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, and Spike Lee.
During Carnival season the group now parades with some two hundred drummers, singers, and thousands of costumed members. But the group's activities go well beyond Carnival and music. Throughout the year they sponsor seminars, speeches, and conferences on social and political issues and publish a monthly news journal, Bantu Nagô. They operate a factory where they make drums, costumes and other items which they sell to the public. Olodum also runs an inner-city school for Salvador's underprivileged children in which they teach a full array of academic and arts courses in order to build self-esteem and encourage economic ascension among Salvador's younger generation.
Pictured below is one of the original members of Olodum, whom we ran into in the airport. He was gracious enough to take a few moments to speak to us about his life and experience.
Brazil: Capoeira
Many enslaved Africansand their decendants in Brazil, escaped bondage, hid in the backlands and lived in free communities called quilombos. Here, anywhere from a few dozen to thousands of Africans and often people of mixed backgrounds lived as free citizens. The largest and most legendary quilombos is Palmares. Portuguese and Dutch armies were sent to destroy these defiant cities. For almost one hundred years, Palmares was successful in fighting off the invading armies.
When slavery was finally abolished in Brazil in 1888, African Brazilians moved to the towns and cities, bringing with them their culture and traditions. Capoeira survived in the ghettos & humbler neighborhoods despite persecution from police.
Capoeira Angola is the traditional form of capoeira that emphasizes freedom of movement, wisdom over force, strategy over speed. Capoeiristas are like chameleons, blending and adapting to their environment. The best capoeiristas appear calm when they play. Their game flows, defies gravity, and at the right moment, they strike.
*I attended an amazing capoeira performance, but was prohibited from taking any photos. :(
Rio de Janeiro: Around Town
After a long day of sight seeing and classes, I ducked in to this cafe to relax and people watch.
University
We attended several lectures at the Federal Univerity de Brazil covering a complete range of topics from public policy, managment, civic responsibility, and race relations. Here, I'm pictured with several University students.
Hidden Gems
Anyone who knows me knows that I'm not one to follow rules much or ask for permission, often leading to the great experiences which are my life. We snuck off from the group to enjoy some true local life and ended up in this cozy cafe dancing with the owner and patrons. One of my best experiences in Rio!
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