2023
A Festa da Boa Morte
Salvador, Bahia
© Kenneth Dossar 2013
The Festival of the Good Death August 10 thru 18, 2023
Salvador, Bahia - the city of magic and music - is the cultural cradle of Brazil. Salvador, the matrix of Afro-Brazilian spiritual traditions, is also home to beautiful and majestic Afro-Brazilian religious festivals.
For eight days travel with Ken Dossar and Mandinga Culture to Salvador to participate in a Festa da Boa Morte, and other deeply enriching events and activities highlighting Afro-Brazilian culture.
Tour coordinator and Leader
Dr. Kennneth Dossar is a cultural historian who creates, coordinates and leads uniquely rich cultural exchanges in Bahia. To provide travelers with profound understanding of Afro-Brazilian cultural and history, he designs experiences through which travelers fully immerse themselves in local communities and naturally take in Salvador’s magic and music.
São Felix & Cachoeira
The Boa Morte Sisterhood and Festival Background
Established in 1823 by free African-descended women in Bahia, the Irmandade da Boa Morte – the Boa Morte Sisterhood is the oldest African-derived female benevolent society in the Americas. For nearly 200 years these women have celebrated the Festival of the Good Death in the small colonial town of Cachoeira – in Bahia’s countryside. To ensure that community members have a boa morte - a good death, the sisterhood as part of their benevolent work, strove to improve the quality of burials by contributing to funeral expenses and related needs of community members. The festival annually renews the sisters’ promises made to the Virgin in return for her benevolence to their ancestors during enslavement. The irmandade is one of the most respected worship groups that has mantained Candomblé - African-based religious traditions of Brazil. Celebrating the Boa Morte Festival is an important contemporary manifestation of religious syncretism, and Afro-Brazilian cultural resistance.
To hear partipants share their festival experiences, click the video below.
"My Bahian cultural group experience was awesome.The cuisine, the social interactions, the cultural/spiritual events and musical exposures were illuminating! Go and explore the magic of Bahia!"
D.S. Cachoeira & Salvador 2019
"What stood out for me most: the beautiful and welcoming Bahian people; consistently delicious food; gorgeous landscapes and sunsets; the work of the Irmandade da Boa Morte and their luminous festival. It was a magical trip filled with unique surprises that only Dr. Dossar and his team could provide!"
Y.G. Cachoeira & Salvador 2019
For complete information and reservations contact:
Dr. Ken Dossar
215-473-6495
Email: kenneth.dossar@gmail.com