All language subtitles for Brazil Coastlines Series 1 3of5 The East 720p

LATIN GUITAR THEME, BREAKING WAVES

Our third visit
to the coast of Brazil

takes us to the states
of Sergipe and Bahia.

Bahia has the longest coastline
in the whole country.

BEAT OF DRUMS

In Pirambu, volunteers work
to help sea turtles survive.

RAPID DRUMBEATS

In Salvador de Bahia,

Mary makes acaraje
in the tradition of Candomble.

What would Salvador's
Pelourinho district be

without Joao and his troupe, Olodum?

In the Bay of All Saints, Roberto
preserves the traditional saveiro.

Near Ilheus, the Terra Vista
community produces organic cocoa.

By studying Bahia's coral,

Simoni hopes to discover
the medicine of tomorrow.

And finally,
in the Abrolhos Marine Park,

Milton and his team monitor
the humpback whales.

Our first step takes us
from the Sao Francisco River

to the beautiful city of Salvador,

stopping on the way
at Pirambu Beach.

Running for almost 3000 kilometres,
the Sao Francisco River

is the longest
wholly Brazilian river.

It has a special place
in the national imagination.

Linking the richer southeast
to the poorer northeast,

it is known as the 'river of
national unification'.

LIVELY MUSIC

The fishermen of its estuary
still live very simply...

in marked contrast with the
prosperity seen along its course,

far to the south.

RHYTHMIC CLAPPING AND CHANTING

In its final stretch,
the Sao Francisco marks the border

between Alagoas and
Brazil's smallest state, Sergipe,

with a coastline
of barely 160 kilometres.

Its sandy tidal flats make
an ideal trotting ground.

The people here

are among the most disadvantaged
on the north-eastern coast,

even if the local production
of sugar and oranges is increasing.

CLAPPING AND CHANTING CONTINUE

MOTORBIKE ENGINES

This stretch of coastline
sees very few tourists.

It remains pristine,
and a haven for wildlife...

especially the beaches of Pirambu,

where several species of marine
turtle come to lay their eggs.

The Tamar Project began in Pirambu
in the early 1980s

to protect
these vital spawning sites.

It now operates in 20 locations

scattered along more than
1000 kilometres of coastline.

THUNDER

OTHERWORLDLY MUSIC, RUMBLE OF THUNDER

Just why turtles come back to
their birthplace to lay their eggs

remains a mystery.

Turtles migrate over long distances.

They seem to have an acute awareness
of time and direction,

which may be linked
to the earth's magnetic field.

After maturing for several years
at sea,

female turtles find their way back
to the beaches

where they were born.

Each turtle lays
between 70 and 200 eggs.

Augusto is in charge
of the Pirambu centre.

He has always been fascinated
by sea turtles.

One of Tamar's main achievements
at Pirambu

was to create a protected area
on the beach

where a quantity of Olive Ridley
turtle eggs could be kept safe

until they hatched.

With 53 kilometres of coastline
under its care,

the Pirambu base
now protects 2400 nests.

That's over 100,000 baby turtles
every season.

LIVELY GUITAR MUSIC

Like these baby turtles,

which he hopes will return in
a few years' time to lay their eggs,

Augusto has forged enduring ties
with Pirambu.

LIVELY BRAZILIAN MUSIC, SURF

LIVELY MUSIC, BREAKING WAVES

Some of the turtles cared for
at the conservation centre

are tagged to keep track
of their movements.

The Pirambu centre is one of
four Tamar centres in Sergipe,

which reflects how important
this short stretch of coastline is

for nesting turtles.

By comparison, the coastline
of the nearby state of Bahia

has only five centres,

even though it stretches
for almost 1200 kilometres,

or seven times as far.

RELAXED BRAZILIAN MUSIC

The idyllic resort of
Praia do Forte, in northern Bahia,

is one of the most popular
on the whole Bahian coast.

Praia do Forte also houses the
headquarters of the Tamar Project.

600,000 visitors flock to its refuge
and information centre every year

to learn more about turtles
and the project's activities.

So far, it has released an estimated
10 million turtles into the sea.

The beautiful Coconut Coast,

stretching 250 kilometres south
to the city of Salvador,

is named for its host
of coconut palms.

Until the 1960s, they were among
the region's main resources.

In the far south of
this magnificent coastline,

there is a city on a peninsula,

with the Atlantic on one side and
the Bay of All Saints on the other.

It is Brazil's
"capital of happiness", Salvador.

Salvador, population 3½ million,
is Brazil's seventh-largest city.

With its bristling skyscrapers,

it looks at first glance like
any other Brazilian metropolis.

From 1549 to 1763, Salvador
was the capital of Brazil.

It fell into decline,

but has revived
thanks to industry and tourism.

As often happened
with Brazilian cities,

its period of decline

helped save some of
its most historic districts.

The old colonial centre, Pelourinho,

is one of the finest historic
centres in Latin America.

Pelourinho is rich in Renaissance
and Baroque churches

and brightly painted
colonial houses.

A little further up the peninsula
is Salvador's most famous church,

Nosso Senhor do Bonfim.

It is the focus of the city's
largest religious festival.

Held every January,

the Festa do Bonfim typifies
the diversity of Bahia and Brazil.

It incorporates
into Catholic ritual

other rituals that slaves
brought with them from Africa.

From the earliest days
of Portuguese rule,

Salvador was a hub of
the trans-Atlantic slave trade.

Today, many different backgrounds
and traditions coexist there.

TWANG OF STRINGED INSTRUMENT

Salvador is notably African in its
music, its rhythms and its beliefs.

TWANGING CONTINUES

For example, the Baianas
in their traditional white dresses

are undoubtedly the most
popular figures in all of Brazil.

TWANGING

In Se Square,
in the heart of Pelourinho,

Mary and her fellow Baianas sell
the traditional acaraje fritters.

WINGS FLAPPING

Her first batch is destined
for the orixas,

the spirits of
the Candomble religion.

In 1985,

the Pelourinho district was listed
as a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Its architectural treasures
are a visitor's delight.

In streets from another era,

visitors can enjoy
a display of capoeira,

a combination of dance
and acrobatics.

It came to Brazil from Angola
four centuries ago.

The symbols of Catholicism
are everywhere.

Missionary orders
like the Franciscans

built magnificent sanctuaries,

such as the monastery and church
of Sao Francisco.

CHURCHBELL TOLLING

The church, adorned with gold,
floral motifs

and other sculptural ornamentation,

is an architectural jewel

reflecting the Baroque ideal
of the late 18th century.

BELL CONTINUES TOLLING

'Pelourinho' is Portuguese
for 'pillory'.

The name comes from
the whipping-post

where slaves were publicly punished,

in the square right in front of
the sugar planters' mansions.

TAMBOURINES, DRUM

Displaced by capoeira,
the pillory is long gone.

But while the historic centre
has been partly restored,

its people have long suffered
poverty and insecurity.

OMINOUS DEEP NOTE

Thanks to the Olodum movement,
that is changing,

as its president, Joao Jorge,
explains.

DEEP NOTE REPEATED

RHYTHMICAL DRUMMING

With its logo of the peace sign
filled with pan-African colours,

Olodum has become an institution
in Salvador.

It has helped transform Pelourinho
from a seedy, dangerous district

into a buzzing tourist area
with restaurants, art galleries

and all sorts of little shops.

It actively celebrates
Afro-Brazilian identity and culture.

DRUMBEATS

MAN SINGS IN PORTUGUESE

SINGER CONTINUES WITH DRUMS

DRUMBEATS, SINGER CONTINUES

Known for its merging
of musical styles,

Olodum created what is known
as samba-reggae.

Its standing in Brazil
has earned it the opportunity

to perform with
major international artists

such as Paul Simon
and Michael Jackson.

CHEERS, APPLAUSE

DRUMBEATS, CHURCHBELLS

To reach the port from Pelourinho,
you can take the Lacerda elevator,

first built in 1873
and newly modernised.

GENTLE GUITAR MUSIC

At the foot of the elevator
is the harbour,

where we meet Roberto,
nicknamed Malaca, and his crew,

for another glimpse
of Bahia's past.

Roberto welcomes us aboard
the centuries-old Sombra da Lua,

or 'moon shadow'.

And it's time to set sail.

Saveiros can be
up to 15 metres long.

Each part of the boat
is cut from a specific wood,

sourced exclusively
from rare exotic species,

including jaqueira.

The rectangular cotton mainsail
is hand-sewn and covered in lime.

In 1920, there were
1500 saveiros in the bay.

There are barely 20 left today,

and only two naval shipyards
still able to make them.

For Roberto, it's a heritage
that must be preserved.

ETHEREAL MUSIC

Leaving Salvador de Bahia
and the Bay of All Saints,

we now head for Ilheus, which used
to be the cocoa capital of Brazil.

LIVELY MUSIC

Stretching away to the south of
Salvador is the Dende Coast.

'Dende' is the Portuguese name
of the tree that yields palm oil,

highly prized by the food industry
but also controversial,

because its plantations
may displace virgin forest.

LIVELY MUSIC, SURF

The Dende Coast
is oriented toward tourism,

but it also finds room
for this high-value-added crop.

450 kilometres south of Salvador,

the city of Ilheus made its fortune,
not from palm oil,

but from the export of cocoa.

The city's beaches
make it a tourist mecca.

But it was also the home of Brazil's
best-loved writer, Jorge Amado,

who set several of his novels
in Ilheus.

In the 1990s, the cocoa industry
was ravaged by a fungus

and suffered a sharp decline.

IT industries and a newly built
deep-water port

are beginning to fill the gap.

But cocoa processing
still goes on in Ilheus,

and the State of Bahia remains
Brazil's largest cocoa producer.

ROAR OF DISTANT SURF

Just inland from the coast,

where cocoa grows in the shade of
the original Atlantic rainforest,

the MST,
or Landless Workers' Movement,

has taken over
a number of old farms.

Claudio, from the NGO
the Cabruca Institute,

is helping
the Terra Vista settlement

develop environmentally friendly
techniques.

The settlement is led by Joelson.

Here, cocoa is grown both
in the garden and among the trees

in what is known as 'agroforestry'.

In Terra Vista, eco-farming
offers a future for the young.

The region is set
to become Brazil's benchmark

for organically grown cocoa.

Next in our exploration of Bahia's
coastline is the Discovery Coast,

particularly the region
around Porto Seguro.

UPBEAT GUITAR MUSIC

This reproduction caravel

commemorates the first landing
of the Portuguese in Brazil

on the 22nd of April, 1500.

Hence the name 'Discovery Coast'.

Tourists are drawn to the
historic centre of Porto Seguro,

the founding point of the nation,

even if it was only added to
the National Heritage list in 1973.

The city has many historic sites
and colonial-era buildings.

Visitors can also sail up
the River Buranhem

to discover the different ecosystems
of Atlantic rainforest.

The Discovery Coast is famous
for its coral reefs,

yet another drawcard for tourists.

Since 2005,
the resort of Arraial d'Ajuda,

just south of Porto Seguro,

has been the headquarters
of the Living Coral Project.

Simoni and her colleague Cristiano
come here regularly.

For ten years,

Simoni has been trying to isolate
a number of proteins

in different species of coral.

She is focusing on one
in particular.

The Coral Vivo Project is located
inside an eco-tourism park.

Simoni and Cristiano take their
samples to the laboratory,

where they will extract and analyse
various fragments and substances.

Thanks to this work, Simoni was able
to isolate a coral protein

that killed the superbug
known as KPC.

It had caused 110 deaths in Brazil
in 2010-11.

ROAR OF BREAKING WAVES

Between Arraial d'Ajuda and the
neighbouring town of Trancoso,

the coast is a line of cliffs
up to 45 metres high,

and coloured ochre-orange
or white.

Above the cliffs are patches of
Atlantic rainforest,

or palm plantations
that have taken its place.

The Discovery Coast boasts
some of the most beautiful beaches

in the State of Bahia.

Stretching between Salvador
in the north

and Rio and Sao Paulo in the south,
it is a magnet for young revellers.

Though it is
still relatively undeveloped,

the Discovery Coast is coveted
by the tourism industry.

Trancoso's golf course
shows why the coast is coveted.

The work of a team
of American designers,

it's a must for wealthy golfers

who can enjoy a game between
the coastal cliffs and the forest.

The mouth of the Trancoso River
is still pristine.

Some historians believe it was here,
and not in Porto Seguro,

that the Portuguese first landed
in Brazil.

LIGHT LATIN MUSIC

The last leg of our journey
takes us to the Whale Coast

and the Abrolhos
Marine National Park.

The estuary of the River Caravelas
is one of the main departure points

for trips to
the Abrolhos Archipelago,

60 kilometres off the coast.

In June, humpback whales
converge on the marine park

to give birth
and suckle their young.

It is a paradise for Milton.

CRY OF A SEABIRD

THUNDEROUS SPLASH

HIGH-PITCHED WHALE SOUNDS

Milton heads
the Humpback Whale Project,

which studies the behaviour
of humpback whales

and aims to conserve them.

Today, he and his team
are using hydrophones

to learn more
about the whales' songs.

DEEP-PITCHED WHALE SOUNDS

After being hunted for centuries,

humpback whales became
an endangered species.

Off the coast of Brazil,
their numbers dwindled.

We close with a look back
at the faces we met in Bahia

during this third episode of our
voyage along the coasts of Brazil.