Ten Events to Love in São Paulo

This is the city of graffiti, rap battles, poetry slams in the favelas and samba. It is also home to the bailes de favela and the famous fluxosMy, spontaneous street parties where booming speakers and motorbike stunts take over each corner. More than anything, its a city of migrants seeking a better life, like my father, who left the northeastern part of Natal, Brazil, as a child. Here’s a musical journey through the sounds of the diaspora in São Paulo, the one I lived, the one I still carry, and the one that keeps dancing, even when it rains.

by Gabriela Vallim

Sintonia – Created by KL Jay from Racionais MCs, this iconic São Paulo baile (party in English) has promoted Black music for over two decades, blending soul, jazz, MPB, rap and samba-rock. With resident DJs like KL Jay, Ajamu, Marco and Will, Sintonia is more than a party; it’s a cultural community. @sintoniafesta

Discopédia - Founded in 2012 by DJs Dandan, Marco, and Nyack, this event celebrates vinyl culture, the art of the DJ, and Black music in all its forms, including rap, soul, funk, jazz, and beyond, right in the heart of downtown São Paulo.
@discopedia

Samba do Cruz – A Sunday samba circle held at Cruz da Esperança, an old community sports club in Casa Verde (north São Paulo). It’s more than a musical gathering it’s an urban quilombo that keeps the spirit of samba and community alive.
@samba_do_cruzz

A Domingueira – Created by two friends who turned their passion for music and community into a celebration of Black culture. With its welcoming atmosphere, diverse line-up and warm hospitality, the event brings people of all ages together to dance, connect and celebrate the joy of Brazilian identity every Sunday.
@adomingueira

Quintal dos Pretos – one of Brazil’s largest samba circles, created in 2018 by brothers Magnu Sousá and Maurílio de Oliveira, in partnership with Margareth Valentim. The audience becomes part of the show in four uninterrupted hours of live samba, acoustic and intimate.
@quintaldosprettos

Baile da Luxury – For over 12 years, this party has been one of São Paulo’s most iconic celebrations of Black music, empowerment and community. With Afrobeat, hip hop and Black charm, it brings together the city’s top DJs in the heart of downtown.
https://www.instagram.com/baile_da_luxury?igsh=d3B6ejJ2ODFzMnF4

Aparelha Luzia is an urban quilombo founded by Érica Malunguinho. It mixes popular and fine arts while amplifying Black and queer voices. The venue hosts exhibitions, performances, and discussions, featuring works by artists like Dona Jacira, the mother of rapper Emicida, a living link to ancestry and resistance.
@aparelhaluzia

Afrolovers – A celebration of Afrocentric love, dance and rhythm that connects diasporic communities through music, style and togetherness.
@afroloversoficial

Fresh! Dancehall – Founded in 2010, this collective is a leading force in São Paulo’s reggae and sound system culture. Their parties bring Jamaican energy to Brazilian dancefloors, a complete celebration of vinyl, bass and Black sound.
@freshdancehall

Musicaliando is a traditional party in the Liberdade neighbourhood that celebrates música preta dançante, dancing to Black music like soul, original funk, samba-rock, and brasilidades. It brings generations together in rhythm and nostalgia.
@equipemusicaliando

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