• Batalá
  • About Us
    • History
    • Drums
    • Mundo Batalá
    • In The News
    • Join Batalá
    • Meet the Batalettes
  • Media
    • Music
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Book Us
  • Blog
You are here: Home / Bahian Culture / Quilombos
Quilombos

Leave a Comment

Quilombos

A quilombo (derived from the Kimbundu word kilombo) is a settlement in the inlands founded by Afro-Brazilians who escaped from slavery. Most of the inhabitants of quilombos are called quilombolas (similar to maroons and palenqueros in the English and Spanish-speaking countries of Latin America and the Caribbean) and many would later help provide shelter and homes to other minorities of marginalized Portuguese, indigenous, Jews and Arabs, or others who experienced oppression during colonization. Sometimes the term mocambo is used to describe the settlements. Quilombos are identified as one of the forms of active resistance by slaves.

Most quilombolas are Portuguese or Portuguese creole-speaking. A variety of African-influenced dialects have endured and so have the traditional African communal structures of leaders and elders.

Some estimates suggest there were up to 5,000 quilombo communities across 24 states during 17th and 18th century colonial Brazil, with many hidden in remote parts of the thick jungle to conceal them from slave masters and officials. They ranged from just a few dozen inhabitants to the biggest quilombo, Palmares in the northeast, where the population reached an estimated 20,000 people after the Dutch invasion of Brazil.

Today, these communities still exist. The government’s Brazil Quilombola Program has mapped more than 3,500 communities, and provided many with land titles with some social service support, such as bringing clean water and electricity to thousands of  quilombo homes.

It's only fair to share...Share on facebook
Facebook
Share on twitter
Twitter
Share on google
Google
Share on pinterest
Pinterest
Share on linkedin
Linkedin
Share on email
Email

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Categories

  • Bahian Culture
  • Bahian Food
  • Bahian Women
  • Candomblé
  • Cultural Activism
  • Dance
  • Festas / Holidays
  • History
  • Music

Tags

Afro afro-bahia Afro-Bahian afro-brazilian afro-feminist axe bahia Baianas Black Black Consciousness Month black movement blocos Candomble Carnaval Cortejo Afro cuisine Culture dance female Festas festival film food History Iemanja iyalorixa mae de santo movimento negro music Olodum Omolu orixa orixas recipe recipes Reconcavo reggae religion roda Salvador Samba samba reggae social resistance women Yemanja
  • Batalá
  • About Us
  • Media
  • Calendar
  • Contact Us
  • Book Us
  • Blog

BatalaWashington.com © 2007–2023 All Rights Reserved.

No photos, graphics, videos, or content in general of this website may be reproduced without Batala Washington's express consent.


Handcrafted with by District Creative Studio | Powered by Genesis Framework.