Viva Brasil! – Carnival Dance Party

Our annual mid-winter Carnival celebration is back, featuring concerts, dancers, dance lessons, and more! Carnival dates back to the 1600s and is a celebration of Brazilian life and culture. Learn more about the origins of Carnival here.

JP Silva

JP Silva joins us directly from Carnival in Rio de Janeiro! JP will perform classic samba and carnival songs with band members Pablo Regis, André Coelho, Lucas Ashby, Filipe Brandão, and more. Born in Rio de Janeiro, JP Silva is a singer, composer, and instrumentalist who professionally entered the world of music through choro at the Escola Portátil de Música da Universidade Federal do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UNIRIO). He has played with renowned musicians Diogo Nogeira, Elza Soares, Toninho Gerais, Barbeirinho, Marquinhos de Oswaldo Cruz, Délcio Carvalho, Maurício Carrilho, Elton Medeiros, Paulão 7 Cordas, Ademilde Fonseca, Velha Guarda Império Serrano, Velha Guarda Mangueira, Velha Guarda Portela, Mario Broder, Neguinho da Beija-Flor, B Negão, Wilson Moreira, Wilson das Neves, Dudu Nobre, Fernanda Abreu, Jorge Aragão, and Luiz Melodia.

JP has played the DC/Baltimore area various times in the past, representing the genres of samba, choro, and MPB. He previously performed at Creative Alliance’s Viva Brasil party in 2019 and 2020.

Samba Trovão

Samba Trovão is a Samba reggae percussion group in the traditional style of the Bloco Afros from Brazil. They have been in the Washington, DC, area since 2004, developing programs, workshops, and projects for children and adults interested in the African roots of Brazilian culture. Their sound comes from Bahia, a northeast state of Brazil.

​Samba reggae is a percussive style that characterizes, in conceptual terms, the glorification of Blacks and, in musical terms, the re-foundation of sounds of Afro-Americans. The rhythm was drawn from the dialogue between percussion instruments and vocals. Samba reggae comes together in drums with surdos, repiniques, timbal, and more. The rhythm has been designed with core elements—a band formed by various kinds of drums, where each performer enhances their instruments, the choreography of the drummers, and the themes of the songs that plunge into the joys and pitfalls of the world community.

Rose Moraes

Singer and poet Rose Moraes brings the soul of Brazilian music to the world. Born in the south of Brazil near Sao Paulo, she has performed in Switzerland, Poland, Brazil, and the US, where she now resides. She recorded her first album, Brejeira and launched her show enCANTO do Poema (enchantment of poetry), which is presented in many capitals in Brazil. In the US, she has opened for Diana Ross at BET’s Walk of Fame in Washington, DC, and performed at The Library of Congress, The Chamber of Commerce (Brazil-USA), The National Zoo, Adams Morgan Day Festival, Artscape (Baltimore), Zinc Bar, and The Iridium. She performed in Roots of Brazil and Tribute to Antonio Carlos Jobim at Creative Alliance in Baltimore. She has also opened for Thievery Corporation at Eighteenth Street Lounge in Washington, DC, with her band, Soul Brazil.

Join us during the day for capoeira, samba, and bateria workshops!

9AM Intro to Capoeira for Children |

10AM Intro to Capoeira for Adults

1PM Brazilian Bateria |

2:30PM Samba with Ilheuma Zezeh