Member Reflections

Brazil 2008

My heart soars when we sing in small spaces. Squeezed together, shoulder to shoulder, voices near to one another, all mixed together – alto, soprano, tenor, bass, all come forth on call. We are so close to those smiling ones we are singing to. It is almost a direct transfer – their voices and smiles with ours. How many times in one’s life do 60 people sing to you – in full sound? We are, indeed, the givers and the receivers.

Athletic, acrobatic dance with thunderous drums provided a one-hour glimpse of the cultural history of Bahia. We marvel at the skill, intensity, and grace of the performers of the Balé Folclórico. Everything – including fire eaters – combined to produce a thrilling impression of the Afro-Brazilian dance traditions.

As we rode on the bus to Salvador in Bahia, our new guide Huberto described the people we would be meeting. He said: 85% of the population of Salvador were descendants of African slaves. Many of them live in favelas (very poor, slum-like cement houses, many with no roof or doors.) He said that we would find most of them very happy and naturally giving as it was their nature to serve others. As I listened, I was feeling sad and skeptical. We stayed in Salvador for four days. During that time I really did experience the people as genuinely kind and joyous. What I realized was that their strong and deep connection to their families, a faith in God, and their complete joy in the natural beauty of Brazil as well as its music and dance, gave them riches far greater than material ones. – I became a believer.

I love the resilience of this group: e.g., after missing our connecting flight from Miami to Sao Paolo instead of complaining, the group burst into song – a much better way to cope with the unexpected!