🎒 Samba, Strategy, and Security: Why I Do What I Do
People have called me fearless. I'm not.
My approach is measured, often disorganized, but always driven. Pretty sure I'm blind to some of the social conventions that can restrict others, but the term "fearless" doesn't fit.
When I am in the middle of a bateria recording, I am intensely aware of my presence. I am a foreign, white, female (FWF), and I know I'm often in the way. The ritmistas are there to play, enjoy camaraderie, and rehearse to win Carnaval—a matter of great pride. I am the extra person there, attempting to capture the brilliance for you guys to see.
When I first came to Rio and was playing in the Imperatriz bateria, I used to think that no one really noticed me, as I am one person among like 300 other people. But within the first few weeks I started casually meeting other folks from other baterias and they would say "You play at Imperatriz, right?" and I was always taken aback. Like, how do they know that? But Renan pointed out that I stick out, and everyone is watching YouTube videos of baterias and well... I stick out.Â
The Logistics of Recording
Recording here demands vigilance and a strategy. I've been pushed, shoved, hit with sticks and drums, most of the time it is an accident. (To be clear, 99.9% of folks are lovely to me!) To navigate, I keep my elbows tucked in, try to make eye contact, and get a nod before moving across a ritmista's path.
As a FWF, I know I stand out. I'm also positioned in the heart of loud, performance group, often in economically depressed neighborhoods, carrying a lot of expensive camera gear. As my friend Renan puts it: "You're a target."
This is why a robust safety strategy—starting with my gear—is essential. I have spent too much time and money searching for the perfect gear backpack:
-
Completely Concealed: It must fit everything, with no tripods or gear sticking out.
-
Waterproof: It randomly rains a lot.
-
Non-Obvious: It cannot look like a typical "tactical" or PNW hiking backpack that screams "foreigner with expensive gear."
It needs to be subtle, secure, and fit my equipment so I can attend street rehearsals without attracting unnecessary attention.
An Exit Strategy
Once the rehearsal starts, it's impossible to avoid attracting attention. Being the FWF in the center requires an exit plan. If I'm alone, I typically stay with the bateria until the very end (sometimes pretending to record after I've actually stopped). This ensures I'm surrounded by people I know until the last possible moment.
I pack up quickly and call an Uber with a pickup location right next to the crowd, prioritizing my safety over the driver's convenience. Then, I quickly boogie on out.
Thankfully, this is changing. As I make more friends around town, I am almost never at a rehearsal where I don't know several people around me. When friends are present, the atmosphere is much more relaxed.
I have never been robbed, I have only experienced Cariocas trying to help me and just being generally wonderful humans! But I stay alert because these things can happen very fast.
The Driving Force
Why do I do this if it requires such effort and risk calculation?
I am driven by an intense love for the music, the people, and the communities that create Samba Culture. I want all of you back home to see how profound, intricate, and powerful this stuff truly is. I hope that dedication and passion come through in the work I share with you. Below are links where you can follow what I'm publishing.
A huge thank you to everyone who has supported me as a paid subscriber! Knowing you have my back means so much to me! Thank you
đź“… Updates & News
Current Events
Trump is a dangerous idiot, and I am embarrassed and horrified by what he has done in Venezuela. It's a tragedy. Please CALL YOUR SENATORS! Especially the limp-noodle Republican ones.
Last Night: Salgueiro!
Sunday night is typically the biggest night for street rehearsals, with five major Grupo Especial schools (Imperatriz, Viradouro, Beija Flor, Portela, Grande Rio, and Mangueira) usually rehearsing.
Yesterday, the rain caused all of them to cancel, except for Grande Rio and Salgueiro (which was holding a special street rehearsal in a different part of town). Since everyone was eager to rehearse after the holidays and had been rained out, a huge number of people from the canceled schools showed up at Salgueiro's rehearsal.
It ended up being a fantastic night—like a big ole family reunion of sorts. People were there from Mangueira, Beija Flor, Imperatriz, Mocidade, Vila Isabel, and many other schools. Fabio from Samba em Paixão was also there with his crew.
I recorded the bateria and have included some photos with this post.
What's Coming
If you are following my social media channels, I've published a lot of Tuiuti recently. Portela content is coming soon, and the first 360° video of Portela is currently exporting as I type this. And I'll also be editing and publishing videos from Salgueiro last night.
Tonight I'm off to record Estácio street rehearsal.
đź”— Where to Find My Videos
-
Facebook (I typically only post and ghost there—they and IG suck, frankly.)
Want to See it Live?
If you are interested in joining me on a samba tour of Rio's samba schools and immersing yourself in the culture, sign up to get on the email list here:
Leave a comment