Rio de Janeiro is the second-largest city in Brazil and has a large Afro-Brazilian population and cultural heritage, especially in its music, dance, and religion. Rio de Janeiro was also a major destination for the transatlantic slave trade and the site of many slave rebellions and resistance movements.
Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco and one of the oldest cities in Brazil. It has a rich and diverse Afro-Brazilian culture, influenced by the indigenous, Portuguese, Dutch, and Jewish communities that settled there. Recife is known for its carnival, frevo, maracatu, and mangue beat music genres, as well as its cuisine and architecture.
São Luís is the capital of the state of Maranhão and the only Brazilian city founded by the French. It has a strong Afro-Brazilian identity, expressed in its bumba-meu-boi, tambor de crioula, and reggae music and dance traditions. São Luís also has a remarkable colonial architecture, influenced by the Portuguese, French, and Dutch styles.
Belo Horizonte is the capital of the state of Minas Gerais and the third-largest city in Brazil. It has a significant Afro-Brazilian population and culture, especially in its arts, literature, and music. Belo Horizonte is home to many prominent Afro-Brazilian artists and intellectuals, such as Aleijadinho, Carlos Drummond de Andrade, and Milton Nascimento. It is also the birthplace of the Clube da Esquina musical movement and the Congado religious festival.
São Paulo is the largest and most populous city in Brazil and the Americas. It has a diverse and cosmopolitan Afro-Brazilian culture, influenced by the migrations of people from different regions of Brazil and abroad. São Paulo is a center of Afro-Brazilian music, theater, cinema, literature, and activism. It hosts the largest Black Pride parade in the world and the Afro-Brazilian Museum.