2025 North Country Fair Samba Parade Theme Summary

 

Background/Inspiration:

Gathering inspiration from the Blocos Afro of Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, the 2025 Samba Parade arrangement and choreography will be based in Afro-Brazilian music and dance. Playing in the style of Samba Reggae, created by Olodum as well as Ijexá, a traditional Candomblé rhythm. Olodum, one of the longest standing Blocos Afro, is named after Olodumare, a supreme deity in the Afro-Brazilian religion of Candomblé, who created the universe and is an ultimate source of power. Candomblé is a religion created by enslaved Africans who were brought to Brazil and is a mixture of traditional Yoruba, Fon and Bantu beliefs from different regions of Africa.

​

Blocos Afro are neighborhood-based communities in Bahia that encourage cultural activities that are rooted in political and social activism, encouraging race consciousness and the preservation of African history. By bringing music, dance, race, religion and language together, Blocos Afro create expressions of resistance to combat racial, gender and economic injustices. They also serve their community members through promoting racial awareness, self-esteem, education, and general wellness of the neighborhood. Uplifting their communities, especially in times of hardship.

 

With extreme challenges and uncertainty in our local community and beyond, we must come together, find our strength, invoke our higher selves and rise up for a better future. Creating North Country Fair 2025 “STILL WE RISE”, we challenge our community to be brave and powerful enough to reach the stars.

 

References:

History of Candomblé. (2009, September 15). BBC. https://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/candomble/history/history.shtml#:~:text=It%20was%20born%20of%20a,Brazil%20during%20the%20slave%20trade.&text=The%20religion%20is%20a%20mixture,the%20Catholic%20faith%20over%20time.

 

Fogo Azul website, Samba Reggae History: https://fogoazulnyc.com/samba-reggae-history/