The Samba Dance is an Afro-Brazilian dance, and as the name rightly suggests, it has African roots. During the period of enslavement of Africans to work in the Brazilian plantations and also to rebuild conquered states, Africans went along with their culture.
The contemporary Samba was birthed from Samba de Roda genre of Bahia. Salvador da Bahia witnessed the slave revolt in 1835.
A group of former slaves returned to Africa and settled in Badagry, Benin, Togo, and Ghana. In Ghana, they first settled in Jamestown Ussher Fort. They were named the Tabom people due to the usual response : T’abo to anything the locals asked them. They came with their cultures, inter-married, and had their cultures inter-marry also.
There was a Dance Drama to honor the Afrobrazilians who revolted and returned to Africa at the Christiansborg Castle Gardens at this year’s Chale Wote.
While the Dance Drama was ongoing at the historical Christiansborg Castle , the Samba dance group rode on the wings of the Movement from the Castle in flamboyant regalia and triumphant dance movements to the Black Star Square where they made the space a pulsating carnival ground.
The Samba Dance is characterized by group dancing, famous Belly Dance , the Umbigada, a homage to Bantu Heritage of Belly or navel dancing.
Apart from West Africans who populated the Bahia area and Brazil in general during the plantations days, there was a large population of Angolans that had much influence on the Samba Music and Dance. Congolese vibes are not downplayed in the Samba music and dance development which is infused with Portuguese language also.
This year’s theme, MAGNETO MOTHERLAND, is calling forth of new identities and sensitivities, Obscured by dominant habits of representation.
Afro-Brazilian surnames like Azumah, Nelson, Da Silva, De Souza, and Olympio are household names in Ghana and Africa. The Samba Dance which was a highlight of this year’s and past year’s Chale Wote continue to celebrate the Afro-Brazilian roots of these people and open up knowledge to Ghanaians and non-Ghanaians who are not privy to this musico-historical knowledge.