The 4-day festival, the first of its kind in Canada, gathered 100+ samba reggae drummers, including artists from across Canada, Brazil, the United States and Bermuda, to transform the streets of Toronto into Brazil’s Bahian Carnival! 

 

The opening night of the festival took place at Lula Lounge, a venue that has served Toronto communities providing a home to local & international salsa, jazz & global music for the past twenty years. 

 

The opening evening featured leading figures in the international samba reggae movement including Mestre Memeu (leader of Olodum for more than twenty-five years), Adriana Portela (the first woman to lead an all female samba reggae ensemble, Banda Didá), Mateus Vidal (Olodum) abd Marcos Costa (Ilê Aiyê) alongside local artists such as Tdot Batu and celebrated samba vocalist CIbele Iglesisas.