Troubadours

One of the things I love most about living in big cities is that they are always full of surprises.

The other day, I was on the bus going home, and somewhere in Ipanema three guys boarded the bus. Two had guitars and the other had a triangle. They looked like modern day hippies, what Brazilians would call boemios. One guy announced that they were going to sing and hoped everyone would enjoy it, even if they didn't give any money.

And then right there, each one standing up and wedged in a seat, they began to play. And much to my surprise, they were actually quite good. Really good, actually. They sang even though the bus stopped frequently, with new passengers getting on and others getting off, despite the jolting and hiccuping of the bus in traffic, and despite the incredulous looks the singers got from passengers and bus employees at every bus stop. Other passengers just smiled.

As the bus made the way through the congested streets of Ipanema and Copacabana in a gray drizzle, the troubadours transformed the normally dull ride into a little show, making me forget about the rain and the traffic. The troubadours sang two songs, both folksy and lyrical, what I suppose could be considered MPB (Brazilian pop music). One of the guitar players was in the seat directly in front of me, and I felt awkward staring up at him, unprepared to be serenaded during a bus ride. After each song, people clapped, and the band leader explained they'd written the song and what it was about. At the end, they thanked everyone and walked to the back of the bus to collect donations, and hopped off the bus as quickly as they'd entered. A minute later, the bus passed a clown waiting at a bus stop in full costume and make-up, with knee-high striped socks, red nose, huge shoes and all. I began to wonder if I'd slipped into the rabbit hole.

Lesson learned? In Rio, music often springs up in the unlikeliest of places.

Comments

[polyana]

haha, one of my favorite things about são paulo!! i'm constantly enjoying (or hating) the live entertainment on public transportation here :-)

[ajoy]

Classic!