Afro-Brazilian cultural traditions highlighted in Belém and Salvador

Various cultural events in Brazil are highlighting Afro-Brazilian identity, memory, and ancestral traditions through immersive experiences.

In Belém, the ACENA (Associação Cultural e Esportiva dos Negros da Amazônia) is hosting a free performance titled ‘O Herdeiro Cativo do Reino de Mambwe’. Part of the ‘PAVÃO MISTERIOSO’ project, the production uses the ‘ópera cabocla’ tradition—combining music, dance, and melodrama—to tell the story of a Black child from an African royal lineage who is enslaved and brought to Brazil. The play aims to explore themes of resistance, identity, and the reclamation of lost origins.

In Salvador, the Casa Preta Espaço de Cultura is hosting ‘Olubajé: Uma Experiência Imersiva de Cura, Memória e Partilha’. Led by Viviane Carvalho through Ayodèlê Vivências Ancestrais, this activity utilizes Candomblé traditions to connect participants with oral history, music, dance, and traditional culinary practices. The experience focuses on the relationship between the body, collective care, and ancestral knowledge, emphasizing the importance of Afro-Brazilian medicinal plants and traditional healing practices.