By Felipe Pontes
RECIFE, Brazil, May 30 (Reuters) – If music and partying are
what you have in mind for a trip to Brazil, you might want to
sidestep traditional hotspots like Rio de Janeiro and Salvador
and head to Recife instead.
This often-overlooked metropolis of 3.6 million people on
Brazil’s northeastern coast is home to some of the country’s
most popular Carnival celebrations and other street festivals.
It also boasts one of the most vibrant music scenes in Brazil.
But don’t expect the smooth sounds of bossa nova and samba,
the musical genres most identified with Brazil. This is the land
of frenetic, body-to-body dance music that will make you sweat.
Located where the Capibaribe and Beberibe rivers meet the
Atlantic Ocean, Recife is a city of endless waterways and
bridges Some call it the “Brazilian Venice.” (Map: https://goo.gl/maps/lfdQr)
One of Brazil’s oldest cities, Recife boomed as the world’s
leading sugar producer in the early 17th Century. Colorful
vestiges of that era are still on display in the city’s historic
districts, giving it a colonial charm among modern skyscrapers.
Soccer fans coming to Recife for the World Cup in June will
miss Carnival, but will still get a good taste of the city’s
love affair with street parties. Recife will host five World Cup
games: Ivory Coast vs Japan; Italy vs Costa Rica; Croatia vs
Mexico; USA vs Germany; and a Round of 16 match.
Here are tips for getting the most out of a trip to Recife
from Reuters, whose 2,600 journalists in all parts of the world
offer visitors the best local insights.
JUNE FESTIVALS
Luckily for soccer fans, the World Cup will take place at
the same time as what Brazilians call “Festas Juninas” –
literally, June Festivals – nationwide festivities celebrating
the Catholic saints of John the Baptist, Anthony and Peter.
The festivals also celebrate rural life in Brazil, with men
decked out in plaid shirts and straw hats while women don
country dresses and pigtails. In between fireworks displays and
folk dancing, taste some “pamonha” and “canjica,” seasonal
corn-based treats made for the festivals.
Don’t miss the chance to try your luck at “arrasta p (c),” the
cheek-to-cheek, foot-dragging way of dancing forr ‘, the
fast-paced and catchy musical genre from northeastern Brazil
played with an accordion, a triangle and a zabumba drum.
The festivities are spread out all over the city, but head
to Arsenal and S GBPo Pedro squares for the biggest attractions.
MUSIC MUSEUMS
While downtown, you can learn more about forr ‘ and other
local rhythms such as bai GBPo, xote and xaxado at Cais do Sert GBPo,
a sparkling new gallery dedicated to the late Luiz Gonzaga, one
of the most influential Brazilian musicians of the 20th Century.
(www.caisdosertao.com.br)
For more on Recife’s rich musical history, visit the Pa o do
Frevo about two blocks away. It’s a shrine to the upbeat
orchestral musical style and accompanying acrobatic dances known
as frevo, mainstays in the city’s Carnival celebrations.
(www.pacodofrevo.org.br)
Both museums are just a stone’s throw from Rio Branco
square, also known as Marca Zero, where a giant compass marks
the city’s ground zero. From there, take in the view of the
harbor, whose entrance is graced with ceramic sculptures by one
of Recife’s best-known artists, Francisco Brennand.
For more of Brennand’s work, visit his family’s old brick
and tile factory on the city’s western outskirts. It houses a
remarkable collection of ceramic sculptures, surrounded by a
nature reserve. (www.brennand.com.br)
MANGUE TOWN
As a coastal metropolis in the tropics, much of Recife is
built around mangrove swamps. That muddy landscape, known as
“mangue” in Portuguese, inspired a cultural movement in the
1990s that thrust Recife’s music scene onto the national stage.
The “Mangue Beat” movement fused electronic beats and other
sounds with maracatu, a local drum rhythm, revolutionizing
Brazilian pop music.
At
http://www.sonsdepernambuco.com.br
you can sample some of the
vibrant local sounds that have come in Mangue’s wake. Or you can
witness them yourself at street parties such as “Som na Rural,”
a spontaneous set of live concerts performed from the back of an
old Ford truck. (www.facebook.com/som.narural)
For a glimpse of what’s up-and-coming in Recife’s music
scene, check out the festival organized by a group of
independent producers at Est ?dio Base on Rua da Aurora, on June
15, 22 and 29. Golarrol is another party producing crew hugely
popular with locals. (http://on.fb.me/1rggqEy)
Another good venue for live music is Estelita, which also
plans to screen World Cup matches for fans who were not lucky
enough to score tickets. (www.facebook.com/estelitarecife)
WORLD HERITAGE IN OLINDA
No trip to Recife is complete without a visit to its sister
city Olinda, a neighboring colonial gem that was declared a
World Heritage Site in 1982. One of Brazil’s most festive
tourist destinations, Olinda always has something afoot on its
hilly, cobblestone streets.
Spend the day exploring Olinda’s historic churches and many
art studios, nibbling on street food like tapioca along the way.
For a stunning view of Recife, climb the steep Ladeira da
Miseric ‘rdia, or Mercy Slope.
A great place to start an evening in Olinda is Bodega de
V (c)io, where locals gather to sip cold beer and munch on
tapas-style finger foods called “acepipes.” From there, head
over to Casa do Cachorro Preto, an art gallery that stages live
music and DJ shows at night.
If you plan to spend the night in Olinda, stay at the plush
Hotel Sete Colinas. (www.hotel7colinas.com.br)
If you’re looking for a good way to unwind after all that
music, Boa Viagem beach back in Recife beckons.
Just don’t let the warning signs against shark attacks scare
you away. There are plenty of natural pools protected by the
coral reefs that give Recife its name. You can swim there
without running the risk of becoming shark bait.
(Editing by Todd Benson, Mary Milliken and David Gregorio)
