A Quarter Mile of Drums

This great drum and horn troupe convenes only once a year at the Lavagem do Bonfim Parade, the second largest festival in the state of Salvador. The 50 drummers from all around the city are hand picked. They play only the first quarter of the parade – 3 miles. If you wanna catch their sound you gotta know where in the parade they line up and start (towards the back) or find a good spot to wait till you hear them coming. The musicians inevitably play the innovative underground and above ground rhythms which’ve been percolating round the city for the year before and too, the synthesis of those rhythms which you’ll begin to hear in the year ahead.

Photo by @rabello_