Today, Ondara received the Olodum group, recognized as the largest percussion band in the world, at the City Hall facilities. The group is one of the main protagonists of the Arerê Festival, an international event of Afro-Brazilian culture and around the world of the drum, which is celebrated from today, Friday, April 5 to Sunday, April 7 in the town.
This festival has the collaboration of the Culture Department of the Ondara City Council and will include performances by prominent groups such as Olodum, Afrosideral, Pan de Azúcar or Carimbolada Soul. In addition, two parades will be held with the participation of numerous musicians; on Saturday at 19:00 p.m. from Plaza Picornell to Plaza Vicent Andrés Estellés, and on Sunday at 13:00 p.m. from Plaza del País Valencià to the Plaza de Toros.
The Olodum band, with a wide participation of members, brings a piece of the heart of Pelourinho (Salvador de Bahía) to the Arerê festival, with a unique show in Spain scheduled for tomorrow, Saturday, April 6 at 23:00 p.m. in the Plaza de Bulls.
Created as an alternative to the celebrations in the city of Salvador, the Olodum group is a reference for Afro-Brazilian culture, contributing to its dissemination in countries on all continents. In Bahia, until the 1970s, large carnival groups were mostly made up of whites. To ensure their participation in the festival and confront racism, black communities began to establish their own groups. However, none would achieve the national projection of Olodum, created in 1979 in the Pelourinho neighborhood. There, the community transformed music, religion and language into expressions of resistance. By bringing all these elements together, Olodum emerged as a cultural and political project to combat prejudice.
Today, its members have been received and honored at the Ondara City Hall. The delegation that received them, led by the acting mayor, Jordi Dominguis, welcomed them and gave them a gift commemorating their visit to the town, consisting of a plaque with a sculpture of the Bullring. Likewise, the director of the Arerê festival, Albert Llobell, who acted as a performer alongside the members of the group, gave them a gift about their participation in said festival.
We are looking forward to seeing them! They asked us 50 euros per person to enter when the price was not announced anywhere throughout the week.