a blog for procrastination, distraction, and prorogation of everything else we probably should be doing.
January 15, 2012
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TeamBerlin party review: Senhor Antônio´s Festa dos três Reis Magos
Yesterday was the annual Festa dos Reis party in Zona Rural do Bauru, São Paulo. This team berlin contributor was lucky enough to get an exclusive invite, and let the intersphere in on the secret caipira partygoing lifestyle in rural SP.
The occasion for the celebration was the birthday of one of the three kings who brought Jesus his incense, frankenberry and mur on the eve of the first Christmas. Senhor Antônio is 89 years old, has eleven kids, each of whom have eleven more kids. there were over 300 people at this party, held at the senhor´s sítio off the dirt road not far from the new airport.
guests were treated to the trational brazilian dish, a steaming pile of beans, white rice, spaghetti and meat. A 15 foot pit was dug for barbecued ribs and other beef parts, which i was told consisted of no less than two heifers slaughtered that morning. chicken and pork were also served along with limitless amounts of guaraná soda, aka the sweetest softdrink ever to have been brewed on our young planet.
after the group prayer, under the awning outside the igrejinha, more barbecue and soda was served out of disposable cups and plates to the partygoers. someone poured me a cold cup of cachaça and then yakked in my ear for a long time about the local rodeo circuit. i discovered that the worldwide rodeo champ is a brazilian. many wanted to have a word with the lone gringo at the party, your faithful correspondent. ´isn´t this different?` people wanted to know. to which i would invariably reply, ´compared to what?´
providing musical prayers and wellwishing was the Grupo de folias dos reis - Bauru chapter. this was a local troupe consisting of a few old men and about a dozen schoolchildren, entirely clad in the Grupo uniform of white shirts, bright red pants and sailor caps of matching colors. instrumentation included open-tuned guitars, tambourines, ukeles, a shaker and a loud, low drum.
this is also known as Festa Da Bandeira; guests took turns lining up, wielding the Flag of Kings, and the band would sing their jolly song of good luck and prosperity to the flagbearer. although only a few members of the group actually knew the tune, they played through it about 100 times during the afternoon, which was punctuated by heavy rains.
I left drunk, wet and in need of a prompt colon cleanse. I give Senhor Antônio´s party 8/10 grav blasts.
