Festival Events

AfroBrazilFest 2011 is a week-long event from June 6 -12 in Washington, DC. The events below are subject to change at any time.

Event Types

Events by Venue

Rhythms, Rhymes, and Resistance - Part I / Novo Fogo Cachaça Tasting — Wednesday, June 8

Rhythms, Rhymes, and Resistance - Part I / Novo Fogo Cachaça Tasting

Event Time: Wednesday, June 8 - 6:30 pm - 1:00 am

Event Venue: Bossa Bistro & Lounge

Event Price: $10 cover (entire evening)

Come out for a jam session with accomplished musicians performing musical styles of the African diaspora. All the styles of music performed will combine a fusion of rhythms and lyrics driven by a desire for social change. Come swing your hips with Tohno Matéria who will be performing Samba Reggae, nod your head to some hip hop beats from Word of Light and step it out with Sahel who will be performing Jamaican Reggae, Zouk, and Mbalax.

Start the evening off with a complimentary cachaça tasting and demonstration by Novo Fogo. Cachaça, pronounced (ka-SHAH-sa), is a Brazilian spirit made from fermented and distilled cane juice. Learn to make caipirinhas, Brazil's national cocktail, a blend of cachaça, lime, and sugar.

In addition to the cachaça tastings, there will be special discounts on Brazilian cocktails and tapas throughout the night.

Culinary Tasting & Afro-Brazilian Drumming Performance — Friday, June 10

Culinary Tasting & Afro-Brazilian Drumming Performance

Event Time: Friday, June 10 - 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm

Event Venue: Josephine Butler Parks Center

Event Price: This event is FREE and open to the public.

You're invited to a complimentary culinary tasting and demonstration. Sample crispy mandioca frita and chocolatey brigadeiros and learn how to make nonalcoholic caipirinhas.

Batala, an all-female samba-reggae band, will entertain you with rhythms typical of the northeastern region of Brazil. The heavily syncopated music is rooted in traditional African drumming, and is accented with a heavy dose of Brazilian samba.

Taste of Brazil — Friday, June 10

Event Time: Friday, June 10 - 7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Venue: Josephine Butler Parks Center

Event Price: $40 online, $50 at the door, 21+

Experience the flavor of Brazil through the culinary expertise of Sonia Pessoa, a registered nutritionist and native of Bahia. Ms. Pessoa will take you to her homeland with African influenced cuisine prepared with dende palm oil, malagueta peppers, coconut milk, and other rich spices. The tasting will feature a four-course pre-fixe menu.

—MENU—

1st Course
Bolinhos de bacalhau (Codfish croquettes) and Pãozinhos de queijo (Cheese bread)

2nd Course
Salada Samba (Samba Salad - a mixture of watercress, spinach, diced mangoes, green peppers, tomatoes, cucumber, Brazil nuts and coconut with passion fruit dressing)

3rd Course (Entrée 1)
Xinxin de galinha (Spicy braised chicken)
Arroz de coco (Coconut rice)
Farofa de azeite (Yucca flour sautéed in palm oil)

OR

3rd Course (Entrée 2)
Moqueca de Camarão (Shrimp and coconut stew)
Vatapá (Yucca flour, nuts, dried shrimp and coconut milk sautéed in palm oil)
Arroz de coco (Coconut rice)

4th Course
Flan de coco (Coconut Flan)

*Warning the meals are made with cashews, shrimp, coconut milk, and palm oil.

We recommend that you purchase your tickets online before the event.

Tickets are a suggested donation of $40 + tax and gratuity before the event, and $50 + tax and gratuity at the door.

*Tickets are nonrefundable.