Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
DRINKING AND NIGHTLIFE
You'll find Salvador's most distinctive bars and nightlife in the
Pelourinho
, though
Barra
also attracts the party crowd
and other venues are scattered all over the city (Amaralina and Pituba are probably the liveliest areas to head for, and
Friday and Saturday nights are best). Other than the weekend, Tuesday is a big night out, a tradition known as
Terça da
Benção
(“blessed Tuesday”). Bars aside, undoubtedly the biggest attraction of the area is the chance to hear
live music
:
Salvador has spawned several musical genres, and in recent years has overtaken Rio to become the most creative centre of
Brazilian music. Some of the best music in the city comes from organized cultural groups who have public rehearsals
around their own clubhouses in the weeks leading up to Carnaval (see box below). For the rest of the year, the
clubhouses
are used as bars and meeting places, often with music at weekends. Check out
W
salvadorcentral.com and
W
agendacultural
.ba.gov.br for up-to-the-minute listings of cultural events and live music.
Jam no MAM
Av Contorno (Cidade Baixa)
T
71 3241
2983,
W
jamnomam.com.br; map pp.208-209.
Live
jazz, samba, blues and bossa nova every Sat evening at the
Museu de Arte Moderna da Bahia, which also hosts
temporary exhibitions, in the old Solar do Unhão. Take a
taxi to get here. Cover R$3-6.
Sat 6-11pm.
Sankofa
Ladeira de São Miguel 7, Pelourinho
T
71
3321 7236,
W
sankofabrasil.com; map pp.208-209.
Buzzing African bar and restaurant, with live acts (mostly
salsa and samba), house DJs, dancefloor and lounge area.
Mon 6-10pm, Tues 9pm-3.30am, Wed 7-11pm, Fri &
Sat 9pm-3am.
Show de Gerônimo
Ladeira do Carmo, Pelourinho;
map pp.208-209.
Don't miss this weekly live performance
by Gerônimo (a veteran
Salvadorian
songwriter) on the
steps leading up to the Igreja do Santíssimo Sacramento
(best viewed from the Ladeira do Carmo around the
Café
Alquimia
), supported by his band Mont'Serrat, renowned
for its classy horn section.
Tues 7-10pm.
BARS
Café Alquimia
Ladeira do Carmo 22, Pelourinho
T
71 3326 4079; map pp.208-209.
This small bar and café,
located underneath the
Hostel Cobreu
, serves cold beers and
wonderful falafels. It's a popular meeting place where
English is spoken, but it can get rowdy.
Daily 5pm-late.
O Cravinho Bar
Largo Terreiro de Jesus 3
T
71
3322 6759,
W
ocravinho.com.br; map pp.208-209.
Traditional place to start the evening, preferably with a
glass of
infusões
(specially flavoured
cachaça
), the most
popular -
cravinho
- made from essence of clove or ginger.
This place gets busy Tues evenings (the busiest weekday
night in Pelourinho) and at weekends.
Daily 11am-late.
3
LIVE MUSIC VENUES
Clube do Samba
Largo do Terreiro de Jesus 5
T
71 8726
9609,
W
clubedosamba.com.br; map pp.208-209.
Often hosts live samba acts on Sat and Sun, and various local
groups during the week. Cover R$10.
Wed-Sun 5-11pm.
CARNAVAL
Having steadfastly resisted commercialization,
Carnaval
(February/March) in Salvador has
remained a street event of mass participation. The main hubs of activity are
Cidade Alta
,
especially the area around Praça Castro Alves - which turns into a seething mass of people that,
once joined, is almost impossible to get out of - and, in recent years,
Porto da Barra
(see p.215),
equally crowded and just as enjoyable. This is an expensive and a hectic time to stay in Salvador;
all accommodation more than doubles in price, and with added costs like paying to join a
bloco
or participate in a
camarote
(a venue with good views over the Carnaval route and an organized
party thrown in for the duration), you are likely to be spending in excess of R$500-600 a day.
From December onwards Carnaval groups hold
public rehearsals
and dances all over the
city. The most famous are
Grupo Cultural Olodum
, who rehearse on Sunday nights from
6.30pm onwards in the Largo do Pelourinho itself and on Tuesdays from 7.30pm in the Teatro
Miguel Santana (see p.224) on Rua Gregório de Matos in the Pelourinho. On Friday night, it's
the turn of
Ara Ketu
, who start their show at 7pm in Rua Chile in the
centro histórico
, while
Ilê
Aiyê
rehearse on Saturdays from 8pm near the fort of Santo Antônio Além do Carmo on Largo
de Santo Antônio (at the northern end of the
centro histórico
). These rehearsals get very
crowded, so be careful with your belongings. One of the oldest and best loved of the
afoxés
(candomblé-inspired musical groups)
is
Filhos de Gandhi
(“Sons of Gandhi”), founded in the
1940s, who have a clubhouse in Rua Gregório de Matos, near Largo do Pelourinho, easily
recognized by the large papier-mâché white elephant in the hall.
Information
about Carnaval is published in special supplements in the local papers on
Thursday and Saturday. Tourist o
ces also have schedules, route maps, and sometimes sell
tickets for the Campo Grande grandstands.
