BANGKOK – A scattering of Thais were reported to have raised themselves to their feet and moved back and forth to music at a local concert last night. The unusual phenomenon occurred at 9:42 PM, roughly 75 minutes into a searing live set by the Brazilian samba group Portela. Witnesses say a young couple in the seventh row stood up, bobbed their heads and rotated their hips several times before sitting down. Immediately following this, an older, apparently drunk woman in a red dress in the second-to-last row reportedly hopped up and down for almost a minute.
The movement in the crowd set off a short chain reaction: band leader Davi Silva decided to encourage the audience by clapping his hands over his head and shouting “Come on Thailand, time to samba!” which was followed by a short burst of united clapping that faded as soon as Silva lowered his hands.
After the show, Silva told the press, “Best crowd in Asia.”
