Jongo festival in Rio calls for cultural preservation
The festival in Tiradentes Square ran for three days, with drumming, songs and dance steps passed on from enslaved ancestors from Congo and Angola. Once a secret form of communication, Jongo is recognised as part of Brazil’s cultural heritage and a predecessor of samba. Organisers said the event aimed to raise awareness of the dance and to press for better resources in the communities that practise Jongo. The event also displayed 200-year-old Jongo drums, preserved by quilombo groups in Rio State.
