Gal do Beco

Gal do Beco

From: Salvador, Bahia, Brasil.
Style: samba
E-mail: galdobeco@galdobeco.com


Gal arrived in Salvador from Rio in 1978, where she'd worked as a housemaid. She scratched up the money to open a barraca de praia (beach shack) in Itapoan, and as it was samba that Gal loved, the barraca became a well-known spot for impromptu gatherings of local sambistas. The barraca ran for ten years.

Tired of being so much at the mercy of the weather, Gal resolved to find another place, and on Wednesday, March 17th, 1989 she opened up Beco de Gal on Avenida Vasco da Gama. Her legion of samba-afficionado friends went and that first night the samba was beaten out on pots and pans.

An auspicious beginning, and the next night...nothing. A week passed with nary a visitor. The following Wednesday Gal was hanging around waiting for nobody... when cars started to pull up and people to arrive... in droves.

"Cadê o samba Gal?!" (Where's the samba Gal?!)

Completely unprepared, Gal had to run out for the beer.

And with the exception of that last part (no beer) -- and the music being played on pots and pans -- things have pretty much continued this way on Wednesday nights at Beco de Gal for the last 17 years.

*Although now the parties are located at her place on the Dique do Tororó.