The main reason is the extraordinary musical stew provided by deep African roots, Caribbean and Hispanic influences coming in through the city's port, and a local record industry that quickly realized the money-making potential of Bahian music.

They didn't invent lambada, for example, but it was Salvador record producers who transformed it into a global hit. Tellingly, all over Brazil (except in Rio, naturally), it is now more common to hear the Salvador Carnaval hits than samba during Carnaval.

 

Google maps
 

The new Bahian sound, an exhilarating blend of Brazilian and Caribbean rhythms, is exemplified by groups like Reflexus, and singers like Luis Caldas, Margareth Menezes and Daniela Mercury . Its guiding light is the percussionist and producer Carlinhos Brown ; a great performer and songwriter in his own right, he is also the éminence grise (*) behind the rise of other prominent Bahians like Marisa Monte.

(*) An éminence grise (French for "grey eminence") is a powerful advisor or decision-maker who operates secretly or unofficially. This phrase originally referred to Francois Leclerc du Tremblay, the right-hand man of  Cardinal Richelieu. Leclerc was a Capuchin friar who wore grey, or rather brown, robes. Brown or light brown (now called "beige") was called grey in that era.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%89minence_grise

Brazil
Where To Go
Weather
Average temperatures
Getting there
visas, consulates
Insurances
travelers with disabilities
Costs, Money And Banks
Getting Around
Eating And Drinking
     Street foods, snacks
     Restaurants
     vegetarian /natural
     Soft drinks, hot drinks
traveling with Kids
Robberies, hold ups, drugs
Women travelers
Gays and lesbian
Best of Brazil  
Health, vaccinations
Info and maps
Media
Holidays
-Carnaval
-World Cup, Festas Juninas
Soccer, football
-Going to a football match
-Football teams, clubs, shirts
Nature and Amazon
Brazilian music
-Bossa nova
-Bahian sound
-Contemporary singers, musicians
-Brazilian rhythms
-Discography
-Lie and recording