CULTNE - Olodum em Afro Memória - Salvador - Bahia

Cultne, with images by Ras Adauto and Vik Brkbeck for Enugbaijô Comunicaçoes in the 1980s, chronicles the trajectory of the Bloco Afro Olodum. Olodum is an Afro-Brazilian Carnival bloco in the city of Salvador, Bahia. It was founded on April 25, 1979, during the Carnival season as a leisure option for residents of Maciel-Pelourinho, thus guaranteeing them the right to celebrate Carnival in a bloco and in an organized manner. It is a non-governmental organization (NGO) of the Brazilian Black movement. Olodum develops actions to combat racial discrimination, fosters self-esteem and pride among Afro-Brazilians, and advocates for and fights to ensure the civil and human rights of marginalized people in Bahia and Brazil. Bando de Teatro The Olodum Theater Group is a theater group formed by Black actors and linked to the Bloco-Afro in 1990. Over the years, the Bando de Teatro Olodum separated from the Bloco-Afro and moved to the Vila Velha Theater. Thanks to the Bando's occupation, the space was revitalized. Renovations began in 1994 and reopened in 1998. The Bando remains at the Vila Velha Theater to this day, and has hosted major names, such as actor Lázaro Ramos. Focused on the diverse aspects of Black Brazilian culture, the Bando, as it is more commonly known, develops its own language through a Black Experimental Theater format. The Olodum School's mission is to develop citizenship and preserve Black culture, offering Afro-Brazilian knowledge and new forms of knowledge in addition to those acquired in the formal education system. This pioneering Afro-Brazilian popular education project originated from the Rufar dos Tambores (Drum Beat) project, developed in 1984 by Olodum, which consisted of free Afro-Brazilian percussion classes and short-term Afro-Brazilian courses. It initially aimed to fulfill a request from the Maciel/Pelourinho community for a percussion band made up of children and adolescents from the neighborhood. They lived in a situation of risk and social vulnerability, with no prospects for social integration due to the marginalized stigma that existed against the area's residents at the time. The Olodum School became a true space for participation and expression for the Black community. Today, it is a national and international reference for its innovative work with art, education, and cultural diversity. It stimulated the emergence of similar initiatives, such as: Afro Reggae Group (RJ) Unidos do Quilombos Group (SE) Rule and Compass Project Arte no Dique (SP) And in Salvador: Bagunçaco Pracatum Mother Hilda School AraKetu Institute Axé Project In 1996, during the HIStory World Tour, pop singer Michael Jackson recorded the song "They Don't Care About Us" with Olodum. The music video, filmed in the Santa Marta Favela in Rio de Janeiro and Pelourinho in Salvador, brought Olodum worldwide fame and recognition.