|
by MdC Suingue
[for complete playlist, click READ MORE below] Yet another Carnival affected by the pandemic. The official street celebrations in Brazil's capitals were postponed to April. Part of the more enthusiastic party animals decided to hit the streets with impromptu celebrations, but not in the usual scale as most of the 'blocos' decided to play safe due to the recent surge of Omicron in Brazil. That made me think about the voluntary 'non-carnivals'. Yes, we Brazilians love carnival but it is a relationship with ups and downs - like all relationships. Sometimes you don’t feel very ‘canivalesque’. That happens, it is normal and no, you are not sick. Sometimes, depending on your state of mind, it is the wise thing to do. Go to a retreat. Lock yourself at home. Travel to a distant country. Since my youth I confess that I skipped more than one Momo celebration. I say since my youth because when you were a Brazilian kid in my day it was not much of a choice. You would follow your parents in the celebrations and there were balls at clubs with matineés where they would drop you and fetch you like 5 hours later. Basically it was a big hall with an orchestra of 15, 20 musicians playing carnival classics and samba/marchinha renditions of radio hits of the season. This episode is inspired in those times. I did learn a lot about Brazilian music going round and round in costumes, singing and dancing in a circle without knowing exactly why. Note: I was a kid, so no alcohol, drugs or sex was involved in the ritual. Maybe love... I mean, love for sure! Not just because inside every kid there is a romantic soul evolving and you fall in love all the time, but also because love is a recurrent theme in Brazilian music and while you are there listening to those songs you think about them. You might not understand then the meaning of some lyrics, but you reflect about it.
The song ‘Bloco da Solidão’ performed by Maysa in this episode is a good example.
For me it was a paradox: a sad song like that not only being played in a carnival but being sung in a big chorus by the crowd. Later in life I learned that the sad figure described there is always among us, revelers. The heartbroken soul that desperately tries to be happy in those four days where the notions of routine and reality are forgotten is as old as carnival itself. What sounds like a good idea - to forget your sorrows drinking loads and flirting during four days - doesn’t always have a happy end. If you are lucky you might just have a huge hangover. If you are VERY lucky you might find the love of your life in the middle of the bacchanalia. But if you are unlucky you might have your heart broken - again! Our vids of the week are: Deixe-se acreditar - Chinaina A song originally created by Mombojo gai another version by China, The video was created by Mary Gatis with the dancer Inae Silva. Um Frevo Feito Pra Pular Fevereiro - PC Silva PC Silva and Flaira Ferro live at Teatro de Santa Isabel Bloco da Solidão - Maysa A classic on the slow moments of Carnival balls, this samba made popular by Jair Rodrigues have its most depressing rendition here with Maysa (click on the black youtube screen to see it on the platform. You can also find the translation of the lyrics. Toró de Lágrimas - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi at Samba da Gamboa We embeded the clip right at the point Antonio Carlos and Jocafi start singing Toró de Lágrimas in the middle of a medley, but we strongly recommend you dare to test your Portuguese and enjoy this episode of Samba Da Gamboa, presented by Diogo Nogueira. The guests are celebrating 50 years in the trade and have loads of stories to tell and a vast repertoire of popular hits to play. All that right below the complete playlist for CAS 527 ! 
Deixe-se acreditar - Chinaina
Um Frevo Feito Pra Pular Fevereiro - PC Silva
Toró de Lágrimas - Antonio Carlos & Jocafi at Samba da Gamboa
Bloco da Solidão - Maysa
|
the CAS
|
RSS Feed
