While the Lavagem do Bonfim isn’t known nearly as well as Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival, the massive parade-cum-street-party rivals its southern cousin when it comes to sheer cornucopian musical celebration.
Held in the northeastern city of Salvador da Bahia, the heart of Afro-Brazilian culture, the Lavagem is an annual ritual that brings millions of people onto the streets for a percussion-driven procession featuring bands and social clubs navigating the route on truck bed. But revelry isn’t the only point of the party. The massive parade ends at the steps of the 18th-century Church of Nosso Senhor do Bonfim, where white-clad Baianas, Afro-Brazilian women who are devotees of the syncretic Candomblé faith, wash the stairs, dance, chant and offer Yoruban blessings to those in attendance.
On Sunday, Sept. 2, Berkeley’s Brazilian cultural center Casa de Cultura hosts a festival marking Brazilian Independence Day with its 14th annual Lavagem celebration. A noncommercial community event with no corporate sponsors, the Lavagem regularly attracts some of Brazil’s most celebrated artists.
The event opens in the morning with free dance classes and features performances on the main stage beginning at 11 a.m.; the Lavagem procession and blessing take place at 2 p.m.
This year’s musical roster features a stellar cast of musicians, including an all-star ensemble gleaned from the faculty of just-concluded Brazil Camp with guitar great Alessandro Penezzi, mandolin master Danilo Brito, cavaquinho expert Alessandro Cardoso and percussionist Brian Rice. Other acts include Maracatu Pacifico, with special guest percussionist Pitoco de Airá (from the city of Recife, another vital northeastern center of Afro-Brazilian culture), Santa Cruz samba band SambaDá, Xaxado Mission with special guest Vitor Gonçalves on accordion and vocalist Catia Lund.
Details: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Casa de Cultura, Berkeley; free; 510-847-2595, www.brasarte.com.