This week, we’re looking at the different Carnival celebrations in Brazil. Today, we’re going to look at Carnival in Salvador, in the northern state of Bahia.

Salvador’s Carnival is one of the largest outdoor celebrations in the world, attracting nearly three million people every year for the six day festival. In this city, huge crowds follow the trio elétrico, a group of musicians on top of a large truck that winds through the streets. People also sit in the grandstands and watch the trios parade.

The trio was first seen in 1929, when singer Dodô performed on top of a Ford. Today, large, open bed trucks are used.

Salvador is famous for several types of music including axé, an upbeat, frenetic genre and samba reggae, a mixture of African percussion, samba, and reggae. Today, the most famous performers who dominate the trios are Daniela Mercury, Ivete Sangalo, Claudia Leitte, Chiclete com Banana, and Olodum. There are also blocos afros, bands of people dressed in traditional African costumes playing percussion music in the streets.

New from this year’s Carnival in Salvador:

Daniela Mercury falls during show

Chiclete com Banana singer called Barack Bell

Photos from trios in 2009

Listen to this year’s Carnival songs from Salvador