You are here: Home / Bahian Culture

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.

Leave a Comment

Samba-Reggae

Samba-Reggae is a music genre that was created in Salvador, Bahia by Afro-Brazilians during the 1970s and 80s as an extension of the Black Pride movement. Through a mixture of Jamaican reggae and Brazilian samba, samba-reggae was born. The first bloco-afro to showcase samba-reggae was Ilê Aiyê, which was created in 1974 and was significant in returning samba to its African roots and identity while establishing a carnival parade in Salvador that Afro-Brazilians could call their own since Black Brazilians were not allowed to participate in many of the Rio samba schools for carnival in Rio de Janeiro.

In 1979, the second bloco, Olodum, was led by Mestre Neguinho do Samba. Mestre Neguinho do Samba was also a former drum leader of Ilê Aiyê and he he eliminated the old-style hand and stick style of playing the repinique drum which now plays fast beats with two sticks like the style played in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé. Following Olodum was Timbalada, which is a bloco-afro-that was directed by Carlinhos Brown who brought back the playing of the timbal drum, which was nearly extinct.

Because of these three groups, samba reggae bands such as Didá, Cortejo Afro, of course Batalá, and many others came into existence and created their own samba-reggae rhythms. Through samba-reggae (also known as Afro-Reggae), music genres such as Axé came along and until this very day samba-reggae inspires many people to create, live, and love.

Listen to the sounds and watch the images in this documentary about the birth of samba-reggae. There are no English subtitles, but the music speaks for itself.

Leave a Comment

Bobó de Camarão

To get a taste of Bahia, try making this classic dish. Let us know how it turned out.

Bobó de camarão, translated as shrimp bobó in English, is a Brazilian dish of shrimp, puréed manioc (a.k.a. cassava or yuca), coconut milk, and other ingredients. Like many Bahian dishes, it is flavored with palm oil, called dendê in Brazilian Portuguese, and is traditionally served with white rice, but may also be served by itself. Bobó de camarão is nearly identical to the West African dish Ipetê, and is one of the many iconic recipes from the Bahia region.

RECIPE – Serves 8

For the manioc purée:
2 lbs (1 kg) cooking onions, peeled and chopped
2 lbs (1 kg) firm, ripe tomatoes, seeded and chopped
2 green bell peppers, seeded and chopped
4 Tbsp finely cilantro, finely chopped
2 lbs (1 kgs) manioc/cassava/yuca root, peeled, boiled and mashed
2 cups (500 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 liter) coconut milk

For the shrimp:
4 lbs (4 kgs) medium or large shrimp, peeled, deheaded and deveined, with tails left on
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp salt
2 Tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
3 medium tomatoes, seeded and chopped
3 medium onions, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) extra-virgin olive oil
4 cups (1 liter) coconut milk
2 Tbsp dendê oil

Prepare the manioc purée:  In a large heavy saucepan, combine the onion, tomatoes, green pepper and cilantro with the mashed manioc. Stir in the olive oil and coconut milk, then heat over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the cream begins to pull away from the bottom of the pan when you stir. Remove from the heat and reserve.

Prepare the shrimp: Rinse the shrimp well in plenty of cold running water. Drain. In a large, deep saucepan combine the drained shrimp, chopped garlic, salt, cilantro, tomatoes, onions, green pepper and the olive oil. Heat over medium high heat, stirring frequently. When hot, add the coconut milk in 1/2 cup amounts, stirring after each addition to completely mix. Continue to cook for 5 minutes more, stirring constantly.

Add the reserved manioc puree to the shrimps and continue to cook for 5 more minutes, stirring frequently. Just before removing from the heat, add the dendê oil and mix it in completely. Remove from heat, pour into a decorative deep serving platter, sprinkle with additional cilantro if desired and serve immediately.

Leave a Comment

Maculelê

Maculele

Maculelê, a mock stick fighting dance, is danced within a roda (circle) of people. The atabaque drum is played and Maculelê songs are sung. People in the roda each have a pair or wooden sticks traditionally made from biriba wood from Brazil. The sticks, called grimas, are used to hit to the beat of the drum. The two people in the roda play and dance to the rhythm. They hit their sticks together for three beats and on every fourth beat, they hit each other’s sticks held by the right hand. The dance is a part of  the tradition of Capoeira.

During performances, performers traditionally wear grass skirts and some dancers play with machetes instead of wooden sticks. This dance was developed by enslaved Afro-Brazilians cutting down sugar cane in the field.