Rafa Pondé and the Brazilian Reggae Experience

A powerful and charismatic band, delivering their best energy on stage!

The artist, who lists five CDs and the documentary “O novíssimo baiano" (2011) in his discography, is representative of the new generation of artists who make music without labels and categories. Influences range from Bossa Nova, Samba Exaltation and beyond, through Afoxé, to the closely related culture of Reggae - which in Bahia merged with Samba, known as Samba Reggae. It's all part of his work, which is also characterized by activism around the dissemination of Bahian Afro culture.

As a child, Rafael Pondé did not understand why Maria, his grandmother, lovingly kept a trunk next to the closet. At age 11, with the death of his grandmother, he inherited this trunk and found that it was a musical message: an accordion, which she had played in youth. Rafa never learned to play it, but got the message... In adolescence he chose the guitar, and started to express the flow of the lyrics that appeared in his mind. On joining the School of Management UFBA, he formed with colleagues The Diamba Band, with which he toured the country from 1996 to 2002. Rafael's musical heritage was founded in a previous generation, by his great-uncle Humberto Porto, composer of the radio era, who wrote of the African-Bahian culture in songs as "Na Bahia" and "História de amor". Humberto's works were recorded in the '30s by Carmen Miranda, Dalva de Oliveira, Orlando Silva, Chico Alves, among other great interpreters of the time. He was also a pioneer in the genre known as Lamento, and had written the carnival hit "A Jardineira", its greatest success. This song has been covered by Rafa in the album, "Afrika Bahia."

If needed we have our own sound equipment