ARERÊ, International Afro Brazilian Culture Fest 2025

BANDA BAHIA

CARNIVAL PARTY - 40 YEARS OF Axé Music

On Friday the 25th, come experience Carnival in its purest form. We'll celebrate the 40th anniversary of Axé Music, the theme of this year's Salvador de Bahia Carnival.

Bring that headdress, your laser glasses, your favorite wig, your inflatable dinosaur, or that prop you love to wear, or why not, come dressed up as a group? It's Carnival at Arerê Fest.

And we'll celebrate with one of the bands that got us dancing the most at our first edition, led by the talented Bahian singer Leco Bahia and composed of excellent musicians like Albertito Romero on percussion. We'll also have very special guests who will offer a unique show, lovingly prepared for this occasion to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Axé Music.

Good vibes, good shoes to keep dancing, and lots and lots of desire to have nonstop fun. Smile, Banda Bahía is here!

CORTEJO AFRO

Elegantly Sophisticated

On the shores of the Copper Basin, in the São Bartolomeu Park, in Salvador – BA, on the borders of Ilê Axé Oyá, the Cortejo Afro Cultural Entity was born on July 2, 1998.

The group was created by the artist Alberto Pitta who, for more than 40 years, has been developing works linked to African aesthetics and culture. In the social area they carry out work throughout the year, such as Seminars and Exhibitions; Vocational training courses; Cultural exchanges and fairs to promote entrepreneurship, respecting diversity and aiming at development, which result in the Bloco Cortejo parades, which have generated work and income for our community for 25 years.

Its musical side is the Cortejo Afro Band, which combines dance, music and visual arts in the same show. In performances, the group highlights the authenticity of African influences in their music, promoting aesthetic experiences and innovative musical reinterpretations, while transmitting good humor through their exuberant, elegant and sophisticated clothing, and through choreography rich in movements linked to Afro culture.

At Carnival 2025, Bloco Cortejo Afro will present the theme “Joias de Crioula – Centenário de Mãe Santinha de Oyá”, promoting a reflection on the signs and symbols of black culture and aesthetics, historically denied by society through structural racism. The objective is to exalt this cultural legacy as true jewels that contributed - and contribute - to the formation of contemporary societies.