• 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

Leave a Comment

Festa Junina- São João/St. John Festival

Festa Junina continues with the celebration of São João (Saint John the Baptist) on June 24 all the way until June 29 with the celebration of São Pedro (Saint Peter). It is a state holiday throughout Bahia and, typically, baianos travel to the rural small towns for festivities as it is a celebration of  the countryside with forró (country style music), quadrilha dancing (similar to square dancing), and bonfires lit for the summer solstice (“winter” in Brazil). The most popular celebrations are in the Recôncavo cities of Cachoeira, Santo Amaro, and Santo Antonio de Jesus. Orixá Xangô, the deity of fire and thunder, is syncretized with Saints John and Peter and is celebrated with the jumping of the bonfires and venerated for peace and justice.

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Leave a Comment

Bembê do Mercado and the Abolition of Slavery

On May 13, 1888, the Lei Áurea (Golden Law) was signed by Princess Isabela of Brazil which finally abolished slavery in Brazil, making Brazil the last nation in the western hemisphere to free its enslaved people.

In Santo Amaro, a Bahian Recôncavo town, Bembê do Mercado is a festival that commemorates this event every May 13. Candomblé rites are practiced under a barracão (a big tent) with religious icons and symbols set up in front of the town’s mercado (market). Musical shows, capoeira, samba de roda and maculelê are some of the highlights of the celebration. Nego Fugido, a reenactment of a slave escape attempt that resulted in recapture and the purchase of manumission, takes place in the streets. At the end of the celebrations, a fireworks display is followed by a ritual offering to Iemanjá at nearby Itapema Beach.

It should also be noted that many other Afro-Brazilians do not commemorate this day and have branded it as the Day of “Falsa Abolição” (False Abolition) because the law did nothing to guarantee a better life for the hundreds of thousands of slaves in Brazil, like providing education, land, or monetary grants, which effectively kept them from advancing and participating equally in Brazilian society. Afro-Brazilians fought for their freedom, and continue to fight to this day, for political, social, and economic justice.
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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

Leave a Comment

Samba de Roda

Samba de Roda, which involves festive music, dance and singing, was developed in the state of Bahia, in the region of  the Recôncavo during the 17th century. It evolved from the dances, rhythms, and cultural traditions from different regions in Africa where enslaved Africans brought to Brazil were from. One of the defining characteristics of the dance is the gathering of participants in a circle (roda) while each one takies turns dancing in the center of the ring while the others clap their hands and sing. At first, a major component of regional popular culture among Afro-Bahians, the Samba de Roda was eventually taken by migrants to Rio de Janeiro, where it influenced the evolution of the urban samba that became a symbol of Brazilian national identity in the 20th century.

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

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook

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.