Photographing the Carnival Spirit of Nordestinos Bloco at the Durham Miners’ Gala
By Gray
By Gray
Saturday’s Durham Miners’ Gala arrived with a blaze of sunshine, heavy heat, and one of the most vibrant performances I’ve seen all year—from the unstoppable Nordestinos Bloco, part of the fantastic Jack Drum Arts crew.
I was there photographing the full experience—the marching, the performances, the drumming that echoed through the streets and got the whole city moving. And let me tell you, it was electric. The band brought pure carnival energy to Durham, beating out powerful rhythms that bounced between the buildings and filled every corner of the city with colour, sound, and joy.
But while I was right in the thick of the action during the performances, what I’m sharing here is something a little different: the candid moments. The in-betweens. The pauses between performances, when the drums were still, the costumes were slightly askew, and the sun was doing its best to melt us all. These are the shots that often get overlooked—but they’re the ones that really speak to me.
There’s something so human about the downtime. The stolen shade breaks. The water bottle handovers. The shared jokes. The feather re-adjustments. These quiet scenes carry a different kind of energy—gentler, more reflective—but they’re every bit as important to the story. They show the camaraderie, the grit, the joy bubbling under the surface even when the parade halts for a moment.
The day was blazing hot. Sweat was running, the pavements were radiating heat, and everyone was doing their best to stay cool between sets. But the spirit of Nordestinos Bloco never dipped. Whether mid-performance or slumped briefly against a wall catching their breath, this group radiated warmth, community, and togetherness.
I’ve photographed Jack Drum Arts many times now, and I’m always struck by their ability to fuse powerful performance with heart. Their artists aren’t just performers—they’re collaborators, culture-makers, and community builders. And that’s something you can see just as clearly in the quiet, unposed moments as you can in the big showstoppers.
So yes, I’ve got plenty of photos of the full-on drumming, dancing, and street-shaking brilliance that they brought to Durham this year. But this blog post is a celebration of the in-between moments—the candid glimpses of what it really means to be part of something so vibrant, demanding, and joyful.
Huge thanks to everyone at Jack Drum Arts and Nordestinos Bloco for welcoming me along again—it’s always a pleasure to be part of your world, whether in the thick of the parade or tucked to the side, lens trained on a quiet grin between beats.
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