Samba Fest is an annual festival celebrating Brazilian and Latin American culture in Hartford, Connecticut, affiliated with Trinity College. Samba Fest strives to bring attention to Hartford’s cultural diversity throughout Central Connecticut by featuring music, food, family activities and merchandise from the Greater Hartford region’s Brazilian, Carribean and Latinx, as well as international performers and cultural experiences.

This year, Samba Fest will take place on the 28th of April, following a two day conference and cultural exchange focusing on the Congado Mineiro, an Afro-Brazilian cultural and religious ritual.

Samba Fest was started in 2007 by Prof. Eric Galm, Professor of Ethnomusicology and current chair of the Trinity College Department of Music. Galm, who also directs the Trinity Samba Ensemble, has lived, studied and conducted research in Brazil as well as Trinidad and Cuba, and is passionate about Brazilian culture.

After starting as a Trinity College event 11 years ago, Samba Fest has become one of Hartford’s biggest annual cultural events, receiving coverage in newspapers including the Hartford Courant, Brazilian Times, and the New York Times.

Past highlights have included performances by Ivan Vilela and the Meninos de Minas.

This year, Samba Fest is taking to social media to grow within and beyond the Hartford area. We’re excited to be blogging here on Steemit. Please upvote, and resteem this if you’re as enthusiastic as we are. Samba Fest is a non profit undertaking, and all proceeds from your upvotes will go towards event expenses.