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Festival Afro-Bahia 2021

This year, for the first time, DC’s annual Festival Afro-Bahia went virtual and was accessible to audiences across geographic areas. This year’s theme was “As Yabas”, representing the power and reverence of women through online sessions led by women demonstrating music, dance, history, aesthetics, and includes panel discussions about socio-cultural activism and women’s experiences as musicians and artists.

June 11 – Features the movie “Dona do Terreiro” directed by Daisy Anunciação which talks about the importance of women in the Candomblé religion.

June 12 – The day’s opening honors the memory of Babalorixá Arnando Tavares the spiritual mentor of Festival Afro Bahia. He will be eternally missed. He did not like sadness, so we continue with wonderful music videos and testimonies of Mestres Tonho Materia and Badaró about the importance of Festival Afro Bahia.

Session 2 – Afro Brazilian dance workshop with movements of Yansã.

Session 3 – Workshop teaching the dance of the Ebony Goddess of Ilê Aiyê.  Followed by a Capoeira workshop for all levels.

Session 4 – Two important panels: The first one is a panel about cultural history, collaborative efforts, and social activism. Both panels delve into the importance of women empowering other women to achieve their goals and recognition.

June 13 – The event closed with the music clip “Boto Pra Mexer” by Gabi Moraes featuring Mari Antunes followed by a Turban Workshop demonstrating different styles of turbans that can be worn on many occasions and also some history of this wonderful hair garment. In closing, a celebration with a concert with world-renowned singer Tonho Materia and all-women percussion band Batalá Washington at the Kennedy Center Millennium Stage.

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Dança dos Orixás

In the terreiro (places of worship in Candomblé), a xirê (which means circle and pronounced ‘shee-RAY’) is a dance ceremony (usually open to the public) that is held to invoke the orixás as a part of Candomblé ritual. The initiated dance for the orixás and the orixás enter and dance through the bodies of the initiates through trance. When the orixá manifests through the initiate, the initiate is dressed elaborately in full regalia as the orixá. The orixá is returned to the public circle and continues to dance while others cheer, sing, and greet the orixá. The orixá may offer advice and healing to many people that are in attendance.

Each orixá has its own dance movements, greetings, songs, and drum rhythms, many of which are showcased in non-religious performances, and even Afro-Brazilian dance classes, and other folkloric events. In the video below, Balé folclórico da Bahia performs dances for Ogum, Oxum, Obaluayê, Iansã (Oya), Oxossi, and Oxalá (Obatala) respectively.

 

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Capoeira Angola

Capoeira Angola is an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines acrobatics, fighting, music, African history and philosophy and refers to every capoeira style that keeps the traditions held before the creation of the Regional style. Enslaved Africans brought the movements of Capoeira Angola to Brazil, disguising the martial elements of Capoeira Angola as dance and adding music and singing. Since the abolition of slavery until present day, Capoeira Angola continued to develop as a community instrument of freedom and social resistance.

In 1941, Mestre Pastinha who was much respected by recognized capoeira masters, opened the Centro Esportivo de Capoeira Angola (CECA). His preference for the playful aspects of the game, rather than the martial side, became associated with Angola style that was also characterized as being strategic, with slow, smooth, sneaking movements played low to the ground.

The music typically played with capoeira is in bateria (percussion band) formation in a roda of Capoeira Angola. Instruments played are three berimbaus (stringed percussion instrument), two pandeiros (tambourine-like instrument), one atabaque (tall drum), one agogô (cowbell-like instrument) and one ganzuá (bamboo stick instrument). Today, Capoeira Angola groups flourish across Brazil and around the world.

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Balé Folclórico da Bahia

Balé Folclórico da Bahia, the only professional folk dance company in Brazil, was formed in 1988 by Walson Botelho and Ninho Reis. Based in Salvador in the northern state of Bahia, and under the leadership of artistic director José Carlos Arandiba, the 32-member troupe of dancers, musicians, and singers performs a repertory that originates from Bahian folkloric dances of African origin and includes slave dances, capoeira, samba, and those that celebrate Carnival. The company highlights the region’s culture within a contemporary theatrical vision.

Balé Folclórico da Bahia made its debut in July 1988, at the Joinville Dance Festival where an audience of 20,000 enthusiastically greeted its performance entitled “Bahia de Todas as Cores” (All Colors of Bahia). The troupe’s immediate success brought invitations to perform at other festivals around the country. After being awarded “Best Performance of the Year” by the Ministry of Culture, through the National Institute of Dance, the dance company was invited by the Ministry to tour all of the principal capitals of Brazil, which earned the troupe the acclamation as one of the country’s most important dance companies. Its U.S. debut tour was in 1995-96 and it has since performed in 88 US cities, earning rave reviews and playing to sold-out houses.