World-Samba Party Kicks Off As Brazilians Hit Town
Martyn Herman:
Normally a peaceful commuter town just a short hop from Frankfurt, Koenigstein promises the best World Cup party in Germany.
The reason is simple. The Brazilians have arrived.
Once a pleasant place to sit and enjoy a quiet beer, the leafy town square has become the centre of what local officials and business owners hope will be a month-long festival of football, music, food and dance.
Samba groups are set to take centre stage, the Brazilian cocktail caipirinha is the refreshment of choice and yellow and green are everybody’s favourite colours.
Should Germany fail, this part of Germany will be cheering on the south Americans. While Ronaldinho and company rested at the nearby Kempinski Hotel on Monday, a rare day off before the hard work starts, the town was bursting at the seams.
‘We have never had a party like this,’ said Sabina Angel, one of a team of 80 people helping to organise the Koenigstein Sauda o Brasil, an 11-day programme of everything from capoeira to bossa nova, dance workshops and scantily-clad carnival queens. ‘We are anticipating between 3,000 and 10,000 people coming into the town every day for the next 2 weeks,’ she added. ‘It’s so easy to get here, being near Frankfurt. Hopefully fans from every nation here can come and enjoy the best that Brazil and Germany have to offer.’
The weather has been on the cool side, but there was a roaring trade in beach flip-flops and exotic fruit drinks, while yellow and green-clad crowds munched through an assortment of traditional Brazilian fare.
Not Everyone’s Taste
Each night the sounds of Brazilian music will blare from the square, with some of the country’s top performers in town. Rock-reggae heavyweights Manimal are booked on an impressive list that also includes, Afro Bossa Nova and Samba Tuque Brazil. Gilberto Gil is also touring the region.
While many of the estimated 6,000 Brazilians who live in and around Frankfurt will be making regular visits, many have come from further afield. ‘I’ve just arrived from Porto Alegre, bought a map and came straight here,’ said student Marcelo Carveira. ‘I’ve got no tickets for the games, but I’m going to just hang out here and party. I just hope we are still here on July 9!’
Those sentiments will be echoed by the majority of the town’s population, although according to one local organiser, an elderly lady had already phoned the council to complain about the commotion.
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