Tropikaos
Adalu Carnaval
Rasta Fogo
The dance of the sacred and the profane
An invitation to a collective trance: Brazilian Carnival will soon be celebrated at Moods. Singer Dandara Modesto from Banda Tropikaos, samba coletivo Gira and organiser Alyne Silva explain what the tradition means to them.
Alyne Silva: In the blackest city outside the African continent, in Salvador do Bahia. I wanted to experience the Baiana System for the third time, a movement that is revolutionising Carnival in Brazil - and to take part in the parade of the Afro-Bloco Ilê Aiyê, celebrating 50 years of resistance and beauty.
Dandara Modesto: Mostly at home with my daughter, listening to Brazilian carnival music. We have also seen some carnivals from different parts of Brazil: Afro-Blocos from Salvador, the parade of samba schools in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, or Maracatus and Galo da Madrugada in Pernambuco. To get in the mood, we visited the children's carnival on Bullingerplatz, where Borumbaia, a batucada group from Zurich, performed. It was great to feel that carnival also releases the children's energy!
Coletivo Gira: We spent most of the carnival working and the rest resting. We always have a lot to do during this time. We try to have fun while we work.What does Carnival mean to you?
Dandara Modesto: Freedom. To dream. Creativity. Peace. Magic. The power of the collective. Carnival has a deep cultural and historical meaning. It is the dance of the sacred and the profane. It is an Afro-Indigenous expression of richness and diversity. It is also political: Carnival has always been a platform for social and political activism, with Afro-Brazilian and indigenous communities using the festival as a means of resistance, empowerment and cultural affirmation. It is a time when people come together to express their belief in life.
Coletivo Gira: Carnival is a celebration that has strongly shaped the identity of the Brazilian people. There is a saying that goes: "The Brazilian did not invent Carnival, but Carnival invented the Brazilian". It stands for freedom, for the profane, for joy, but also for protest. Carnival is a little bit of all that.
Alyne Silva: There is something healing about Carnival. It has the power to create a sense of freedom and shared joy. Brazilian Carnival is truly one of the great symbols of our uniqueness as a people.
What does carnival sound like?
Coletivo Gira: Like fun.
Alyne Silva: The beat of the drums in the streets and the heartbeat of the voices. A huge orchestra of people, a synaesthetic, intoxicating and spectacular mix.
Dandara Modesto: Like the pulse of samba, maracatu, frevo, samba-reggae, axé, ljexá, ciranda, pagodão and funk. And singing! The singing of hundreds of thousands of people singing together.In Zurich, the Brazilian carnival does not take place until 24 February. Can you still celebrate carnival then?
Coletivo Gira: No problem. In Brazil we often celebrate carnival out of season and no one complains.
Dandara Modesto: As I said, carnival is a dance between the sacred and the profane. It takes place beyond any authorisation. I would even say that the celebration is urgently needed here. It's a place to celebrate life, to let go, with good music, with joy and glitter!What is the story behind Adalu Carneval?
Alyne Silva: I founded the Adalu association in 2017. The first edition of Tropikaos Carnaval took place in 2018 at Provitreff, with the aim of celebrating the diversity of the Brazilian carnival on Swiss soil. I wanted to show non-Brazilians how rich in diversity the Brazilian Carnival is. The event has grown from year to year - and last year the first edition took place at Moods.Dandara, you are performing with the Banda Tropikaos, interpreting carnival classics. One time only?
Dandara Modesto: At least twice! We got together last year for Carnival at Moods - and it worked so well that we all wanted to do it again. I get to play with some very talented musicians.Tell us about them: What will you be playing?
Dandara Modesto: Only classics! The set list is a marathon of the Brazilian Carnival. We travel through the diversity of this custom, bringing in different regions, rhythms and colours of sound.The website says that you play Marchinha, Samba Rock, Axé and Ijexá. What is Ijexá? Dandara Modesto: Ijexá is a rhythm and a genre that comes from the Afro-Brazilian culture. Originally, the Ijexá are a people from Yorubaland who belong to the religious tradition of Candomblé.
There is hardly any other music that can move you as directly as samba. What is the magic of a samba circle?
Coletivo Gira: For us, the samba circle is a ritual in which we honour our ancestors and Afro-Brazilian music. Everyone who plays has a role, as does the audience that stands around them, singing and clapping along. The magic comes from the synergy between the musicians and the audience, but you can only understand it if you live the samba and surrender to it.Collectivo Gira from Lisbon is still young. What brought the five of you together and what do you want to achieve?
Collectivo Gira: The project is relatively young, yes. I think what brought us together was not only our love for samba, but also the fact that we are women in the music scene, which is a challenge in itself. We realised that the unity of women is very strong and overcomes barriers. Our goal is to continue to carry the flag of samba and all the other flags that are part of our daily struggle.What can visitors expect at Moods on Friday?
Alyne Silva: We'll be celebrating Brazilian Carnival on Swiss soil - in the spirit of rhythm and different cultures. The evening will start with more than 50 drummers beating their drums in the foyer of the Schiffbau. The Rasta Fogo quartet will then take us into the warmth of the Brazilian northeast with rhythms such as forró and coco. Then, in the centre of Moods, we will celebrate a traditional roda de samba with Coletivo Gira, before the band Tropkaios plays carnival classics from all over the world. To round off the evening, Miss Trópica plays Baile Funk.You can now hear Brazilians on every corner in Zurich. Is Zurich on the way to becoming a Brazilian city?
Dandara Modesto: Watch out, we're everywhere! (laughs) There are just very, very many Brazilians and they are spread all over the world. It's great that the presence here is growing: there are now many artists from all kinds of places.
Which song is a must for carnival?
Dandara Modesto: "Faraó, composed by Luciano Gomes and immortalised by the divine Margareth Menezes.
Coletivo Gira: "Vou Festejar" by Beth Carvalho, "É Hoje", "Aquarela Brasileira", "História pra Ninar Gente Grande".
