Salvador Carnaval

An English friend once said to me that if I want to find a party that beats full moon party I have go to the Carnaval in Brazil. From internet research, I was thrilled by the fact that Salvador Carnaval is the biggest street party in the world with 1.5 million people. I was overflowing with curiosity.

We were given a Carnaval kit on the second day after arrival. The kit included 5 ticket-Ts (coloured tops that also were our passes to the events), a Smirnoff T, a book, a notepad, two pens, a manual fan, a tube of facial wash gel, a pack of razor blades and the ladies favourite, cellulite removal crème. We were told to take good care of the ticket-Ts. A ticket-T that let us get into 2222 – which was one of the most exclusive lounges (known as a camarote) could cost over 500 Rais and they could not easily be replaced. There was a room provided to customize our tops, so a boring tank top was altered to endless fashion possibilities.

Salvador Carnival can be separated into two parts, the Trio parade on the street and the Camarote that spread out over the length of the street. 2222 Camarote, the most exclusive lounge was once a residence of the heroic Brazilian music figure, Gilberto Gil who is now a minister of the government. It amazed me to know the impact of music on Brazilian lives.

Camarotes are private lounges that provide an elevated view into the street where the Trio parades stream by you. They had a dance floor inside with DJs pumping electronic music. I was very fortunate to spin my beloved music at 2222 Camarote on one night. It was an unimaginable and unforgettable experience for me. We had a chance to party in two Camarotes. There were sushi bars in both of them, proving the sushi craze of Brazilians. I enjoyed eating fresh sushi and sashimi every night. Um… Japanese food in Brazil….

The Camarote life was so glamourous, pretentious but indulging. The experience in the actual parade was totally different. Thousands of people shoving, bumping, yelling, singing, shouting, smiling, laughing, moon walking and the most distinctive one, kissing. The tradition is that a guy can kiss any girl in the parade. There was an even better reason in order to rightfully kiss a girl….. becoming a part of the tribute to Ghandi troop. They are the people who paid money to get a special white outfit which came with loads of bead necklaces. This team (around 3,000 manpower) stormed through the street exchanging their necklaces for every kiss they sealed. I am not sure how this practice relates to Ghandi’s devotion but it sure was an attractive tribute. It was a common sight to see these guys in action while walking through the party-bustling street at night.

The walk in the parade was intense. My emotions and actions were directed by the engulfing amount of positive energy that surrounded me. It was not necessary to know the lyrics or songs in order to follow the dynamic of the parade. When they clapped I clapped, when they jumped I jumped, when they shouted I shouted, everything was simple and instinctive.

My 5 nights in Camarote, 6 hours of parade experience, numerous plates of sushi, and a session of DJing were totally a treasured experience. My life will never be the same after the Carnaval….