Jamaican Heroes Celebrated in Brazil

Jamaican national heroes Nanny of the Maroons, Paul Bogle, George William Gordon, and Marcus Garvey, as well as reggae icon Bob Marley were celebrated at this year’s staging of 2015 Carnival in in Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.

Photo of Desreine Taylor, Counsellor at the Embassy of Jamaica in Brazil (centre), with revellers at carnival.

The Salvador Carnival took place over four days of Carnival from 14 to 17 February with the theme, ‘A Diaspora Africana – Jamaica – Os Afrodescendentes’ (The African Diaspora – Jamaica – The Afro-Descendants).

The theme was inspired by the International Decade of African Descent, declared by the United Nations. It recognises Jamaica’s activism and leadership in fighting against racial prejudice, intolerance, discrimination and xenophobia.

Guests of honour included the Jamaican Ambassador and Minister Counsellor in the Embassy as well as the Ambassadors of other CARICOM countries.

In May 2014, the Jamaican embassy spearheaded the twinning of the cities of Kingston and Salvador, the capital of Bahia, based on their similar histories and cultures. The move was designed to find markets for Jamaican products and promote tourism in Bahia.