Bahia is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful States in Brazil and yet it catches the worse reputation. It is infamously known for the lack of will and indolence of its people. The word 'Baiano', which is someone from Bahia, has literally become a synonym for a lazy person.
My 3 months in Bahia
"The baiano way of life - Baianidade - is to face the harsh life in a way that it is less harsh and more life" - Nizan Guanaes
A little over 10 years ago, when I was starting my journey into photography, I had a great experience working on the campaign trail for Governor in the State of Bahia. I was lucky enough to land a job driving through the state with a film crew.
In those 3 months travelling through the state it became very clear to me the reputation Bahia so arduously carried, at the cost of their tourism and businesses, couldn't be further from the truth. These were hard working, salt of the earth, real people.
A few years later I found a blog post by a very famous businessman from Bahia giving insight about his State, his people and the notorious infamy for being lazy. Reading his text made me think of putting the images I captured while I was there in a format that attempted to show the reality of that people. So I did, using his words as a point of reference. Since I was never able to reach him, the book sits virtually here.
Check it out: Bahia - Wise Indolence
(As of now text - by Nizan Guanaes - is only in Portuguese. Will be translating soon)
