By Tomika Anderson
Rio de Janeiro may be Brazil’s most famous city, but Salvador is its most soulful. Of the almost 5 million Africans enslaved in the onetime prized Portuguese colony, an estimated 1.3 million landed in the state of Bahia, where Salvador, aka the “City of the Holy Savior of the Bay of All Saints,” is the capital. Even today the spirit of those who came in chains thrives in the culturally bountiful port city. Sights include the Dique do Tororó (Tororó Dam), featuring 12 sculptures of Orixás (African deities) atop the water, and a statue of Zumbi, leader of fugitive slave community Quilombo dos Palmares. Because of its rich history and connection to people of color in the States, over the last decade, Salvador has become an attractive destination for many African-Americans.
FUN
Acknowledged Brazil-wide as the “capital of happiness,” thanks to its endless street festivals, there’s almost always a reason to smile in Salvador. A common misconception worldwide is that Rio hosts the world’s biggest and best carnival. Brazilians know better. Every year, roughly 2 million people cram the streets and watch as dozens of bands play atop trios, or big trucks, and throngs of colorfully costumed revelers dance to samba, making this carnival the largest street party in the world by far. Next year, February 27 to March 5 are the official dates, so plan accordingly.
SPORT
Rio won’t be the only game in town when the FIFA World Cup takes over the country that produced soccer god Pelé from June 12 to July 13, 2014. With six matches scheduled between June 13 and July 5 at Arena Fonte Nova, Salvador is also getting in on the action. And though tensions relating to the tournament exploded over this past summer, President Dilma Rousseff remains committed to hosting the first World Cup in Brazil since 1950. Two years later, when Rio is slated to host the 2016 Summer Olympics, Salvador will surely, once again, score a few key soccer matchups.
CULTURE
Pelourinho, which translates to “pillory” or “whipping post,” was once an area where slaves were auctioned, and, according to some scholars, brutally beaten. Today, the well-known UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is being spruced up for the World Cup, is Salvador’s main cultural hub. In Pelo, as the Old City is affectionately known, walking is one of the best ways to take in the lively mix of bars, restaurants, boutiques, museums, churches, historic structures and more amid the colorful colonial buildings and cobblestone streets. Notable sites include A Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos (The Church of Our Lady of the Rosary of the Blacks). Started in 1704, the church, which prominently displays statues of black saints, took almost a hundred years for mostly slaves, who could only work at night and were not allowed in the other churches they also built, to complete. For more in-depth info on Brazil’s African heritage, Museu Afro-Brasileiro is a must. Music fills the streets on Tuesdays, especially the first and last of the month. And the spirited drumming of Olodum, the youth group founded by renowned percussionist and samba reggae pioneer Neguinho do Samba and featured in Michael Jackson’s Spike Lee–directed 1996 video “They Don’t Care About Us,” shot partly in Pelourinho, is among the many highlights. Daily, the also world-famous Balé Folclórico da Bahia presents a mash-up of West African folk art forms featuring the slave-inspired martial arts capoeira and drumming central and the African-influenced religion Candomblé. Shoppers can find cultural wares at the Mercado Modelo.
EAT
Food is distinctive in Brazil. And acarajé, a falafel-like fritter made with black-eyed peas, fried with dende—palm oil—and filled with vatapá, caruru, fried shrimp, salad and pepper, rules the streets. The spiritually connected treat, with roots in Candomblé, is typically sold by a woman in traditional Bahian dress and cooked in the open under a tent. Largo da Dinha in the main square, Largo de Santana, in Rio Vermelho, which has a celebrity following, and Acarajé da Cira in Itapúa are generally considered the best spots for acarajé. To take the taste of Brazil home, drop into Restaurante do SENAC cooking school and learn to prepare acarajé, as well as Carne-de-Sol com Puré de Aipim (sun-dried meat with cassava), feijoada, a savory stew of beans with beef or pork served with yucca once made by slaves, and Brazil’s most famous dish moqueca, a slowcooked seafood stew made with fish, onions, garlic, tomatoes and cilantro.
STAY
Boutique hotels are quite popular in Salvador. Hotel Casa do Amarelindo, Studio do Carmo Boutique Hotel, Villa Bahia in Pelourinho, as well as Hotel Cocoon, near the airport, are all good options. For long-term or homier stays, vacation rentals are fairly plentiful and can be found on sites like homeaway.com.