In 2024, the renowned Ilê Aiyê (House of Life) carnival bloco from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, will celebrate its 50th anniversary. Its history, originally linked to Afro-Brazilian dance and music, is deeply rooted in Brazil’s struggle for Black rights. In its early years, Ilê faced persecution from both the police and the press, but it ultimately transformed the Afro-Brazilian community’s relationship with culture, aesthetics, body expression, and self-esteem. Today, it is widely recognized for its significant cultural and social legacy.

Dandha da Hora has been a member of Ilê Aiyê since she was six years old. She rose to become its lead dancer and has traveled the world with the bloco. Now living in Santa Cruz, Dandha leads the Sambada group and continues to carry forward this legacy through music, dance, and the sharing of knowledge that underpins Afro-Brazilian culture.

In this gathering, Dandha, accompanied by her musicians, will share her experiences and insights with the audience. Body, rhythm, and orality are the fundamental pillars that have supported the Afro-Brazilian population’s fight for freedom and equity throughout history—a struggle that continues today.

The event is part of Explode! Platform’s artwork, Passagem, 2024, currently on view in Seeing through Stone.

The Institute of the Arts and Sciences is pleased to participate in Santa Cruz’s First Friday Art Tour.

Image credit: Dandha da Hora.

Dandha da Hora, born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, has been a member of Ilê Aiyê, one of Brazil’s most important musical and cultural institutions, since she was 6 years old. A master dancer, as well as vocalist and percussionist, Dandha invokes the incredible spirit of Ilê Aiyê and Salvador, Bahia, each time she steps onstage.

As a lead dancer with Ilê Aiyê, Dandha toured internationally and has shared the stage with many of Brazil’s most renowned artists such as Caetano Veloso, Gilberto Gil and Daniela Mercury. In addition to performing with Ilê Aiyê and SambaDá, Dandha has performed with Casa Samba (New Orleans, LA), SambaDendê and Bateria Alegria (Boulder, CO), Banda Remelexo and Bahia Soul (Bay Area, CA).

Alongside a full touring schedule, Dandha also is a master dance teacher and teaches ongoing dance classes in Santa Cruz and the San Francisco Bay Area, as well as giving special workshops across the country. Whether she is teaching, dancing, singing, or playing an instrument, Dandha’s art always reflects her passion for sharing Afro-Brazilian culture, and she brings a message of hope, love, equality and freedom every time she performs. Biography from sambada.com.

About Explode! Platform

Founded by Cláudio Bueno and João Simões in Brazil, Explode! Platform operates at the intersections of art, pedagogy, and social justice. Cláudio Bueno, from São Paulo, Brazil, is a professor in the Art Department at the University of California, Santa Cruz. João Simões, from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, is an artist, curator, researcher, and designer.