But Brazilian culture has Indian and African roots, which remains today a vital force in all aspects of Brazilian life. The African influence is seen in all the arts but closest to the heart of Brazilian culture is the the Samba, with its distinctive syncopated drum beat and fast action dancing. A fast samba mimics that of a beating of a heart on fire. And from the period of slavery comes the traditional dish, feijoada, which is made up of the left over pieces of the pig, namely the ears, hooves and tail, pieces that were discarded by the Portuguese. The US imported millions of slaves, and yet they did not have the same impact as in Brazil.
T here are many factors involved.
The mixing of races gave acceptance to the African culture as I discuss below. A final factor was that during the gold boom, the number of slaves greatly outnumbered the white Portuguese community. Vital to the preservation of the African culture within Brazil was the re-uniting of the escaped slave in villages or Quilombos where the traditional values and culture could be restored. The largest was Palmares, which is the subject of the film by Diegues. The African slave in Brazil fought against their Portuguese masters, creating a high sense of unity.