Friday, February 12, 2010

Lapa

Wow -- I just read yesterdays post and it was a little much...Sorry, I think I was in a fit of exhaustion and excitement! Yesterday was a really great day, and it ended with a really great night! A partner from the firm that Mayer Brown just associated with in Brazil invited me to go listen to a bar for some Samba last night. I didn't get home from work until 9:30 due to some late meetings, but I was in a taxi and headed to Lapa by a little after 10 (going out at 10 on a weeknight seemed crazy to me, but its Rio I guess...)!

Lapa  (another good page about Lapa here) is an old neighborhood in Brazil that has been explained to me several times as "bohemian." It is the place to go for good music and there were an incredible amount of people out on the streets and in the bars and restaurants (even very late into the night). I saw a large group of people drinking in the street and asked what they were waiting for -- I was told they weren't waiting for anything. The front of the bar had been opened up and the samba band was playing in the large doorway to the crowd in the street :) Lapa also has a lot of amazing architecture, including the Arcos de Lapa

We went to a bar called Carioca da Gema and heard a Samba band led by Moyseis Marques who has an amazing voice! I think it really is true that nobody can be seated or stay still during Samba -- EVERYONE was dancing. After the bar we went to another restaurant, and I did not get home until very very late...but it was nice to finally experience some good Rio nightlife and meet some new friends!

Tonight I am going to Lapa again, this time to Fundição Progresso to see Monobloco -- they are a big percussion group and I have been promised a lot of drums (maybe over 100 percussionists) and even more people (maybe 3,000 I've heard)!

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