Marcus Santos & aNova Brazil
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About
Marcus
Santos & aNova Brazil is a Boston-area ensemble dedicated to the
preservation and promotion of the vibrant Afro-Brazilian Carnival traditions of
Bahía, a state in northern Brazil where 90 percent of the population is of
African descent. The region's Carnival music is rooted in the Axé rhythms, which emerged from Candomblé, a religion practiced by
Brazilian slaves.
Carnival
in Bahía's capital city of Salvador centers around the blocos afros, or carnival clubs, that provide the musical "voice"
of this celebration. Unlike the better-known Carnival traditions of Rio de Janeiro
with its huge floats, parading samba schools, and thousands of spectators,
Carnival in Bahía is far more inclusive and participatory. As the blocos afros
parade throughout Salvador, they pick up revelers promoting the traditional
notion that Carnival is a time to join in, a time when rules can be broken and
social barriers crossed. In some years, Carnival parades in Salvador have
included up to 340,000 participants.
The blocos
afros ensembles are usually very large, consisting of vocalists and
percussionists parading together. Although rooted in African percussion, the
blocos afros have also incorporated the sounds of R & B, funk, rock and
Calypso. Lyrics of social involvement and empowerment accompany these rhythms.
The
energetic and award-winning Marcus Santos leads aNova Brazil, which delivers
captivating performances to its audiences. Born and raised in the city of
Salvador, Santos grew up in the blocos afros tradition. After performing with
Brazilian groups like Mambolada and Jheremmias, he won a scholarship to attend
Berklee College of Music in Boston. Marcus has performed with artists such as
the Gypsy Kings and Paquito D'Riveira. He is the director of the Grooversity
network, a drumming project that promotes music as an educational resource and
catalyst for social change, as well as for entertainment. Grooversity network
drum groups are found in communities around the U.S., Canada, and Europe.
Website: https://marcussantos.com/
