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Bahia, Brazil: The Land Of Happiness

By J. C. Caballero, Eco Voyager

Bahia is the largest of the northeastern states of Brazil. Its capital, Salvador, situated in the magnificent Bahia de Todos os Santos Bay (All Saints Bay), is the soul of Brazil. The city dates back to 1549 when the first Portuguese governor general landed here to establish the first city in Brazil. It would remain the colony’s seat of political, economical and administrative power until the capital was moved to Rio de Janeiro in 1763. For a time, with its ideal location in a safe, sheltered harbor, Salvador was the most important city in the vast Portuguese empire after Lisbon.

Bahia was the source of the colony’s initial wealth as Portuguese settlers planted the first of massive sugar cane and tobacco plantations to supply the expanding markets of Europe. Evidence of this wealth is to be seen in Salvador’s famous Pelourinho District, which houses the largest and best preserved complex of colonial architecture in the Americas. The narrow, cobbled streets, lined with fine colonial houses painted in pastel shades, are testament to the city’s golden era of the 18th century. Salvador is also famous for its many churches. The spectacularly ornate church of São Francisco, with its splendid golden interior, is the finest example of Baroque church architecture in Brazil.

The workforce for these plantations was slaves from Africa, mainly from West Africa. The heritage of these slaves, mainly Yorubá speaking, permeates the city to this day. The predominant influence is Candomblé, an animist religion that worships ancestral deities and orixás, deities that represent the elements of nature. These orixás are worshipped in the thousands of terreiro’s (places of worship) in Salvador and in the cycle of popular festivals, which take place during the summer months. Yemanjá, the goddess of the sea; Oxum, the goddess of rivers and lakes, and Oxalá, the god of creation are some of the more important orixás in the vast pantheon.

This permeating African influence can be felt by all the five senses: The visual arts have always been important in Bahia and Salvador is famous for its naive style where painters use strong, bold colors and an apparent simplicity that belies the often intricate, densely detailed works.

For many years the music of Bahia has had a huge audience worldwide through the works of João Gilberto, Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa and Gilberto Gil, recently undergoing a resurgence with the appearance of the Afro drumming troupes of Ilê Aiyê, Araketu and Olodum, who have worked extensively with such international musicians as Paul Simon.

Dance traditions have always been strong in Bahia and these dances yet again can be traced back to Africa and Candomblé. The most spectacular demonstration of this is the capoeira, a martial art/dance of Angolan origin in which blows are given with the feet in a mesmerizing dance of attack and defense

The local cuisine, with its delicious, subtle blend of dendê (palm oil), tomatoes, coconut milk and fresh coriander leaf, is a pleasure to the palate. Colorful street vendors sell the famous acarajé, a bean dumpling deep-fried in the palm oil, in their traditional costumes.

It is for all of these reasons that Salvador has been called "Africa in exile", where 80% of its population of over 2 million people have African blood coursing in their veins.

The Coconut Coast: ecotourism and deserted beaches

Traveling north of Salvador along the so-called Coconut Highway, you will find the charming fishing village of Praia do Forte. The village takes its name from the castle built in 1556 by a Portuguese settler called Gárcia D'Ávila. The fortified castle was to be the headquarters of his massive farm, the first farm in Brazil. He brought the first heads of cattle to Brazil and introduced the "slash and burn" technique of deforestation as he cleared the virgin forest for pasture land. In a less destructive manner, he was also responsible for the introduction of the coconut and mango trees to region.

Praia do Forte is now a tranquil resort with a strong emphasis on the preservation of flora and fauna. The resort has ample quality accommodations, numerous restaurants and offers some of the best beaches in Brazil. Inland from the coast there is a restinga forest, a forest that grows on sandy soil with a very delicate ecosystem. Near the village there is a small pantanal, a marshy area that is host to some of the most abundant bird life in Bahia. Early morning and late afternoon the pantanal resounds to the calls of snail kites, kingfishers, cormorants and chattering parakeets.

Praia do Forte is also home to the Tamar Project, which was set up in 1980 to preserve the sea turtles, which lay their eggs on the beaches and were in threat of extinction. One of the most successful preservation projects in Brazil, Praia do Forte is now the headquarters of the extensive national turtle preservation project which receives funding from the World Wildlife Fund.

Cachoeira, rooted in tradition

Set deep in the heart of some of the oldest farmland in Brazil, lies the colonial city of Cachoeira, once a thriving river port that provided a vital supply link with the farming hinterland and Salvador to the east. The region was the center of the sugar and tobacco booms, which played such an important role in the early wealth of the colony. The majestic saveiro, a gaff-rigged boat, traditionally transported this produce down the River Paraguassu to Salvador across the bay. These boats can still be seen on the river at Cachoeira.

The impressive colonial architecture, particularly its fine examples of Baroque and Rococo churches, is considered a World Monument by UNESCO and protected by the Brazilian National Monuments Commission. With the expansion of the road network, Cachoeira ceased to be the important link it was in the time when sail and steam ruled. The town stopped in its tracks and maintains its special charm for this reason.

As in Salvador, Candomblé plays a very important role in the life of the town. It was because of the easy access by river from Salvador that many of the more traditional Candomblé temples moved to avoid repression.

Every August, Cachoeira is the sight of one of the most important festivals in the Candomblé calendar in Bahia. The Sisterhood of the Boa Morte (Good Death) is a festival deeply syncretized with Catholicism.  The Sisters, some of them of a very advanced age, all descendants of slaves, parade through the town with a statue of the Madonna, which is symbolically buried to assume into the heavens on the following day. Behind this Catholic aspect lies a hidden side in which the African ancestral spirits are worshipped.

This solemn part of  the festival is followed by a street festival where the Sisters dance the samba de roda, a spinning samba danced in beautifully colored flared skirts, creating a kaleidoscope effect as the Sisters swirl and spin to the music. Cachoeria is seen as one of the most important centers for the study of African heritage and traditions in the Americas.