GATHER / LISTEN / MOVE
Culture comes
alive.
Gatherings, workshops, and experiences rooted in Afro-Brazilian culture and the joy of sharing it.
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Jongo
Ancestral rhythms. Living circle.
An Afro-Brazilian tradition of dance, drums, and call-and-response singing. Jongo invites us into a circle of community, memory, and connection.
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ROOTS & RITUAL
The roots of samba.
The spirit of community.
Jongo emerged among enslaved African communities in southeastern Brazil, with deep connections to the Congo–Angola regions. Its songs, dances, and circle became expressions of connection, devotion, and resistance.
The roda
A human circle forms around the dancers. The community claps and sings as pairs enter the centre.
The drums
The low caxambu and the smaller candongueiro carry the rhythm.
Pontos
Call-and-response chants carry metaphor, memory, and a history of communication and resistance.
The umbigada
A symbolic belly-to-belly gesture offers an invitation or salute, without physical contact.
Recognised by IPHAN as Brazilian intangible cultural heritage in 2005, Jongo continues through community groups, workshops, and festivals.