A small-group immersion in Salvador, led by Bahian mestres
Class in the morning, the city in the afternoon, a rehearsal or a festival at night — everything arranged and explained as you go. You bring your hands and your attention.
Duration7 or 12 daysWho teachesSalvador mestresGroupSmall — places limited each season
SeasonNext immersion: Nov 9 – Feb 13, 2027
02
02
Why Bahia
The Blackest city outside Africa
Salvador is not a vacation stop — it is a homecoming. Brazil's first capital, heart of the Recôncavo: samba has its roots here, and the pulse of Africa carries on unbroken.
You won't watch this culture through a bus window. You learn the toques in the communities where they were born, hear what music of resistance means, and live the festivals beside the people who make them.
The people are the experience. You learn from Salvador artists who have carried this culture since childhood.
Adson Junior "Pai de Santo"
Bahian mestre · lead teacher
One of Salvador's best-known percussionists: he began playing professionally at fourteen, in the Garcia neighbourhood, and has toured more than twenty countries. A reference in percussion technique, Brazilian and world music.
Vanderson "Macumbinha"
Percussionist
A professional musician and percussion teacher from Salvador's Federação neighbourhood, he earned the name Macumbinha playing with Timbalada. He teaches in his own community through the Dendê Project.
Recognition
Prêmio Cultura Viva · 2025IPHAN institutional partnershipFestival Sur le Niger · Mali · 2024Ghana Embassy performance · 2023Instructor credits: Timbalada · Carlinhos Brown · Olodum
04
04
The journey
From observer to participant
Three movements — access, context, celebration — deep immersion balanced by real decompression.
Movement 1
The access
You don't watch the mestres from a distance — you play with them. Classes in the neighbourhoods where your teachers were born, shared meals, and the rehearsals of the blocos that put Bahia on the map.
Movement 2
The context
Pelourinho — a UNESCO World Heritage site — the sacred polyrhythms of Ijexá, the open circle of samba de roda, and the stalls of the Feira de São Joaquim: history taken in through the senses.
Movement 3
The celebration
The real Salvador at night — always with your guides — and a boat day out to Ilha dos Frades and Itaparica: calm water, fresh seafood, time to let it all land.
05
05
The weekly rhythm
How the days are structured
Intense days alternate with real pauses. Below is the immersion's rhythm as it actually runs — exact dates are confirmed each season.
7-day immersion
The festival week
Next immersion: Nov 9 – Feb 13, 2027
Day 1Arrival & welcome dinner — Santo Antônio Além do Carmo.
Day 2History, dance & Olodum — a walk through Pelourinho, your first Afro-Brazilian dance class, Olodum's rehearsal at night.
Day 3Percussion & the market — an Afro-Brazilian percussion class and the Feira de São Joaquim.
Day 4Festival day — a real celebration, lived from the inside (Lavagem do Bonfim or Festa de Iemanjá, depending on the season).
Day 5Island decompression — a boat day to Ilha dos Frades and Itaparica.
Day 6Percussion, dance & Ilê Aiyê — classes in the morning; at night, the rehearsal of Brazil's first bloco afro, in Curuzu.
Day 7Farewell breakfast & departure — airport transfer.
12-day extension
The full immersion
Next immersion: Nov 9 – Feb 13, 2027
Everything in the 7-day week, plus deeper percussion and dance classes, more time in the communities and a second festival window — the final shape is set in your consult.
Days 1–7The festival week
Days 8–12Going deeper — more classes, more community, more city — at your pace.
Where you'll live and play
Where you'll live and play
06
06
The practical side
How you're supported
Private transport
Airport pickup and every daily group transfer, handled privately.
Language bridge
Your guides translate the language and the cultural context in real time — you understand what you're living, not just watching it.
Small group
Each season is capped at a small group, so the experience stays personal.
Local support
Real people on the team, reachable for the whole immersion.
Questions, answered
01“I don't speak Portuguese”
Your guides translate everything, all day. You take part fully — never lost, never just watching.
02“Is Salvador safe?”
You move in a small group, with local guides, private transport, and honest advice about where to go and how to get around.
03"I'm not musical, and I can't dance"
Perfect. This isn't a performance — it's an invitation. You learn by being present, with zero pressure.
The next step
Let's design your immersion
Start with a free consultation — no commitment. We'll understand where you are, answer everything, and shape the right path for you.
One simple promise: you have 14 days to cancel for any reason — full refund, no guilt.
Prefer email?
Get the itinerary by email
Leave your best email and we'll send the immersion itinerary and the next steps.
Your privacy
We use essential cookies to run this site and, with your consent, analytics cookies to understand how it is used. You can accept or decline analytics cookies. Learn more
