Olodum

Olodum originated on April 25, 1979, in Salvador, BA, as a cultural activism organization dedicated to combating racial discrimination and socioeconomic inequality. Taking its name from the Yoruba deity Olodumaré, translated as “God of Gods” in the Yoruba language, the collective began as a bloco afro devoted to researching and celebrating black culture. In its debut Carnival appearance in 1980 the group attracted 800 participants to the streets; by the following year membership had reached 2,000. In 1983 it formally organized as Grupo Cultural Olodum, the same year Neguinho do Samba joined as mestre and introduced the signature fusion of samba and reggae that defines its sound.

By 1984 Olodum had been recognized as a state public utility organization, fielded a bloco of 3,000 paraders, and appeared in the documentary Carnival Bahia. Its first album, Egito, Madagascar, arrived in 1987 and scored a major success with Luciano Gomes dos Santos’s “Faraó,” which sold more than 50,000 copies. The collective made its initial European appearances in 1989 and returned the next year to additional venues across Europe as well as Japan, Argentina, and Chile.

Between 1990 and 1994 Olodum received the Sharp prize for Best Regional Group on four occasions. Paul Simon featured the ensemble on his 1988 album The Rhythm of the Saints and took them on tour; the accompanying video reached audiences in 140 countries and paved the way for a first U.S. visit in 1991 that culminated in a Central Park concert drawing 750,000 spectators. The Ford Foundation later invited the group’s president to Atlanta and conferred honorary citizenship. Its 1992 release A Música do Olodum yielded the hit “Nossa Gente” (Roque Carvalho), later covered by Caetano Veloso and Gilberto Gil on Tropicália 2, while an extensive European itinerary that year set a record for the longest tour undertaken by any Brazilian band on the continent.

The 1993 album O Movimento delivered the gold-certified single “Requebra” (Pierre Onassis/Nego), which surpassed 100,000 units, and the 1994 follow-up Children of the Sun achieved platinum status after selling more than 250,000 copies. Olodum performed multiple times in the United States, notably at the 1994 World Cup final matches where Brazil secured its fourth title. That same year the organization expanded into publishing with the release of the first book chronicling its history, authored by Marcelo Dantas. In 1995 it captured the live set Sol e Mar at the Montreux Jazz Festival. Across its career the group has appeared in 18 countries, among them Cuba, Senegal, and Angola. It has issued ten LPs/CDs and collaborated with Wayne Shorter, Jimmy Cliff, Herbie Hancock, Michael Jackson, Paul Simon, and Spike Lee. At Salvador BA carnival its bloco, comprising roughly 200 musicians, regularly draws 4,000 participants. The collective also conducts lectures on social and political topics, issues the monthly journal Bantu Nagô, operates a factory producing clothing and instruments for public sale, and maintains a school serving underprivileged children in Salvador.