Paulo Coelho

Stories & Reflections

Carnaval 2011: Filhos de Gandhy/ Children of Gandhy

Author: Paulo Coelho



1] Turn on your speakers (VERY LOUD!) and click on the thumbnail. A window will open, and you can hear the song by Gilberto Gil
2] Open another window in your browser so you can read the lyrics and sing together
3] Time to dance! Dancing keeps the bad vibes away


PORTUGUESE

Omolu, Ogum, Oxum, Oxumaré
Todo o pessoal
Manda descer pra ver
Filhos de Gandhy

Iansí£, Iemanjá, chama Xangí´
Oxossi também
Manda descer pra ver
Filhos de Gandhy

Mercador, Cavaleiro de Bagdá
Oh, Filhos de Obá
Manda descer pra ver
Filhos de Gandhy

Senhor do Bonfim, faz um favor pra mim
Chama o pessoal
Manda descer pra ver
Filhos de Gandhy

Oh, meu Deus do céu, na terra é carnaval
Chama o pessoal
Manda descer pra ver
Filhos de Gandhy

ENGLISH VERSION

Omolu, Ogum, Oxum, Oxumaré (*)
Everybody
Come here to see
Filhos de Gandhy

Iansí£, Iemanjá, chama Xangí´
Oxossi (*) also
Come here to see
Filhos de Gandhy

Merchant, knight of Bagdad
Oh, Children of Obá (*)
Come here to see
Filhos de Gandhy

My Lord of Bonfim, please do me a favor
Call everybody
To come here to see
Filhos de Gandhy

Oh my God in Heaven, here on Earth is Carnival
Call everybody
To come here to see
Filhos de Gandhy

(* ) Orixás, religious entities in Candomble, an African-originated or Afro-Brazilian religion, practised chiefly in Brazil.

Filhos de Gandhy (Children of Gandhy) was inspired by an act of violence on the Indian subcontinent and the manifestations of which, although rooted deeply in Africa, were born in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil.A little more than a year earlier — on the 30th of January, 1948 — the great Indian leader Mahatma Gandhi had been assassinated.

Filhos de Gandhy was born beneath a tree in one of Salvador’s poorest neighborhoods. The men who were gathered there — stevedores, dockworkers. Carnival was about to begin and they were forming a bloco (carnival group) of their own. One of the men suggested to name the bloco after the Indian leader. It was suitable to all, and the theme followed naturally.

The name is mispelled (Gandhy instead of Gandhi) because the founders were worried about political implications.

Acording to the Brazilian version of Wikipedia, today the group has over 10.000 participants.

Further information in LITTLE PINK BLOG

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