Chiclete com Banana (chewing gum with banana taste :-) and symphonical orchestra in one weekend

Saturday 10th of December

Today, I went to one of the music shows that one can't miss when he's in Brazil: CHICLETE COM BANANA ...

This band is already sold out since November for the Carnival (25th - 28th of Feb) in Salvador. This kind of Carnival is different than the one in Rio, where you watch the Samba parades, and is considered better by almost all Brazilians, as in Salvador and also in Recife and other cities in North East, you are a part of the show, dancing in the streets in the blocos eléctricos. These are trucks with a stage where the band performs and a pile of speakers, where people walk behind. If you bought a T-shirt, you can enter the rope and are protected by the security.

But as I might not join carnaval in Salvador, this was my chance to attend a show of Chiclete here. So I went with Diogo, an AIESEC friend from Recife to the show. And actually, the whole atmosphere around the show was more interesting than the show itself ...

Let me explain a little ...
We bought a ticket for "la pista", the cheapest place in the stadion, as it wasn't a real bloco moving in the street. So we got a green T-shirt, and had to wait a little till the gates opened. Other people who paid more, had better places. But I thought about the system of the Antwerp Sport Palace, the cheap ones in front of the stage standing, the more expensive ones on seats some higher. This was not the case here, we were standing more or less 50 metres from the stage, hardly hearing the music of the first group, and waiting a while till Chiclete came on stage.

Some heavy boys got angry and wanted to cross the fences to enter the better parts. But the security, who handled a little to rude in my opinion, picked some guys and trew them out of the area. You had to watch out all the time, not to be involved in some little fight happening next to you. So we decided to move a little further, where all the couples were "waiting", and it was more calm there. But we saw people entering the next part by paying R$ 15. As I thougth it would be better to go there too, to enjoy the show more and be more involved, we crossed the fence paying. But on the moment that Chiclete started, the crowd in the back became crazy, and they were running into our part, as the fence broke. Bad for us, paying to enter here, but maybe good not to be hit in the crowd. Que locura, what a crazyness! But this was a great event to watch some Brazilian culture, people getting crazy when the music starts, etc.

The bad thing was that the show started quite late, and that it started raining like hell on the moment that Chiclete began to sing. But it was a great experience, although the ambiance was dimmed by the rain, and the band wasn't complete. Only the singer, guitar player and some drum was present, the other instruments were missing.
But at least I have an idea now how the Carnival in Salvador is like.

Unfortunatelly, I couldn't take any picture nor movie because it wasn't safe at all to take my camera. I just took my entrance ticket and some money for drinks, as an other trainee got robbed here during a previous show. But I bought a CD that you can listen when I'm back ...


Sunday 11th of December
From the locura at Chiclete to a more calm event: a performance of the Orchestra of the University of Brasilia, brining some classical music. This was a relaxing evening, watching and listing to 200 singers, 15 violins, 15 chellos and other big similar instruments of which I don't know the name (sorry, but the music course wasn't my favourite one in college), some trompets, a harp, and something more. They brought pieces of Verdi, Carmen, Mendelssohn and others.

Who knows me a little, might know that I don't really like this kind of music. But as the event was for free, and I had to opportunity to go to National Theatre, I decided to go. And I was surprised by the show, I even liked it in a way ...


I want to add something else here about the pricing system of some concerts. You could by the ticket for Chiclete for half price, only if you have student card. But if you bring a kilo of rice, beans, macaroni or some other food, they let you enter too with a half price ticket. So actually, everyone can go for half price. This food is given for charity to organisations that take care of homeless people, kids or elder persons. And the same happened during the free concert at the National Theatre on Sunday. You were supposed to bring powder milk instead of paying for a ticket. And this milk is given to a kindergarten.
I like this kind of system and social caring. Something where we can learn from in Belgium ...