Beth Blenz-Clucas blogs about music for kids that grownups will love too
One of the best family adventures we ever had was a trip to Brazil in the summer of 2001. We hung out with relatives of my sister-in-law in Rio, explored some of the hill towns around the city, and enjoyed days filled with amazing sights, sounds and glorious food. A side trip up to the capital of Bahia, Salvador, was like experiencing a little bit of Africa, South American style. One evening there, our whole family joined an impromptu street parade, banging percussion instruments and samba dancing up a cobblestoned colonial road with a growing crowd of people of all ages. It was unbelievable, and we could’ve danced along all night, if not for a tank full of government troops rolling through to break things up (the police were on strike, and the government was suspicious of any unsupervised group activity). Needless to say, it was an experience.
