Grupo Bongar is made up of 6 young musicians from the Xambá candomble tradition, at the Quilombo Portão do Gelo (http://www.xamba.com.br/), Olinda, Pernambuco. The group was formed in 2001 with the objective of bringing back the traditional coco from Xambá, which had been performed in the community for more than 40 years and had all but disappeared, for community festivities on June 29, an auspicious day of the Xambá calender.

The group’s work is focused on the preservation and promotion of culture from Pernambuco. The musical formation of its members has its origin in the religious community, Xambá. Bongar represents the musicality of Xambá, in the form of coco, a very common rhythm in the north east of Brazil, along with ciranda, maracatu, candomblé, as well as other popular roots rhythms.

The group also gives workshops on percussion and popular dance, making of instruments, class/shows and talks. The audience will have the opportunity to get to know not only the music and dance of this very unique form of coco, but also understand the historic and cultural formation of Xambá. Bongar has a very strong musical connection with the afro-brazilian cults of the Xambá lineage. The members of the group inherited this musicality in their childhood, listening to their elders and learning from them the different rhythms, songs and dances during the frequent events at the house of Xambá.