This year's Carnaval was the biggest ever. In fact, Salvador's Carnavals have surpassed that of Rio de Janeiro, making it the most popular festival in Brazil. Unlike the Carnaval of Rio where Samba Schools parade, in Salvador everyone is welcome to parade with their favorite group, all you need to do is buy a costume. The costume grants you the right to parade inside the corded-off area around the bloco, where it is much safer than on the streets. These are essentially huge trucks with many speakers, rumbling loudly, carrying the band and singers of the blocos .
Participants usually follow behind, dancing and jumping.
The costume is the same for men and women and usually comes in a day-glo color. The all-male bloco of 5,000 participants wear white long pants and shirt, a white turban with a sapphire blue plastic stone on it, white sandals and sapphire blue socks. They are beautifully adorned with many necklaces of blue and white plastic beads which they carry and distribute on the streets. Founded in 1949, this bloco originally formed to honor India's Mahatma Gandhi is well respected and aesthetically overwhelming. Friday night marks the official entrance into Carnaval of perhaps Bahia's favorite Afro band, Olodum.