Samba Made in Berlin: Brazilian Music and Dance Festival
Berlin is hosting its celebration of Brazilian music and culture with the Samba Made in Berlin festival, featuring performances at the ufaFabrik. The multi-day event showcases local Berlin formations rooted in traditional Brazilian rhythms alongside international guest artists making their German debuts.
Festival Schedule and Featured Berlin Formations
The festival runs across the weekend of Nov. 6 and Nov. 7, bringing together established ensembles and fresh acts. Friday night’s program kicks off at 7:30 p.m. at the ufaFabrik, featuring Banda Furiosa and the contemporary dance company Faces Ocultas. Banda Furiosa is well known across Berlin for its regular appearances at major city events like the Karneval der Kulturen, the Berlin-Marathon, the IFA, the International Children’s Festival, and the Fete de la Musique. The ensemble consists of six to twelve musicians playing Samba, Afro-Brasil, and Samba Reggae without electrical amplifiers, allowing them to move freely among the audience.
Saturday’s events begin at 8:00 p.m. with performances by Dudu Tucci’s Afoxé Berlin and the host group Terra Brasilis. Dudu Tucci, a percussion master and pioneer of afro-Brazilian rhythms in Europe who has lived in Berlin for over 40 years following an invitation to the JazzFest Berlin, presents a purely percussive repertoire with his band. Meanwhile, Terra Brasilis—led by Manfred Spaniol—brings a 38-year history at the ufaFabrik, performing mostly original compositions based on Brazilian percussion grooves.
Faces Ocultas Brings Award-Winning Contemporary Dance from Brazil
The edition of Samba Made in Berlin is expanded by the inclusion of Faces Ocultas, a contemporary dance company from Salto, São Paulo, making its first-ever presentation in Germany. The award-winning troupe focuses on sociocultural themes, exploring hidden human faces through expressive choreography and emotional movement. Their program features two distinct pieces addressing identity, resistance, and historical struggles.
In the piece Moça Bonita, the company pays tribute to Brazilian music icon Elza Soares, who lived from 1930 to 2022. The choreography chronicles Soares’s journey from poverty and violence to international acclaim as a voice of samba, soul, and Brazilian pop music. A second piece, Donos da Terra, examines the history, deep environmental connection, and cultural richness of Brazil’s indigenous peoples while addressing colonization, oppression, and ongoing struggles for rights and self-determination.