Brazilian-born dancer Marta Santos first came to California in 2000 and immediately started to promote Brazilian culture in Sacramento with events and dance classes. Additionally, she also runs a professional dance group – Samba da Terra – which has performed at countless
venues and festivals all over the region.
Not one to sit idle, Marta has also traveled through a handful of different states and cities doing various dance workshops. At present, she also teaches a dance class on Thursday nights at Faces nightclub. Santos is often hired to perform at private parties and has participated in numerous parades hosted by Sacramento.
Her upcoming event – ‘A Brazilian Carnaval in Sacramento’ – has been in the works for quite some time. For those not in the know, her last full-fledged event of this magnitude was held over 15 years ago.
We caught up with Marta in preparation for her big South American cultural soiree which will take place both inside and outside of CLARA Studios.
Rio Linda Online: How many members will perform with your Samba da Terra troupe this coming weekend?
Santos: Samba da Terra typically has six drummers and anywhere from four to twelve dancers. I’m still organizing our performance, but I think I will have five drummers and six dancers.
Rio Linda Online: Who are the other featured acts?
Santos: I’m pleased to announce we’ll have two bands: Santa Cruz’s own SambaDá and Davis’ own Boca Do Rio. Other special guests include Marcia Almeida Jácomo (traditional Brazilian Bossa Nova) and Nilo Ayele (from the Namorados da Lua band). There will also be a Samba show with Samba Queen Maisa Duke, a Samba dance class with Valeria RioBela, and our very own Samba da Terra show. DJ RDM will be spinning throughout the event.
Rio Linda Online: What other cities have you performed outside of Sacramento in California?
Santos: I’ve done Brazilian workshops including Samba, Samba-Reggae, and African-Brazilian dance with live performances in Berkeley, Humboldt, Santa Barbara, and San Diego. Also, I have performed in various states including Colorado, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Illinois and Hawaii.
Rio Linda Online: Will there be food & drink available?
Santos: Definitely! We will have traditional Brazilian and Ethiopian food, wine and beer, a lemonade truck, and even more surprises.
Rio Linda Online: Will you be doing this event every year from now on?
Santos: That is the hope. My goal is to continue to keep promoting Brazilian culture in Sacramento and at our events whenever possible. ‘A Brazilian Carnaval in Sacramento’ is such a great opportunity for the community at large to see and hear the dance, music, language, and culture of my native Brazil.
Samba da Terra presents ‘A Brazilian Carnaval in Sacramento’ at CLARA Studios located at 1425 24 th street in Sacramento. Doors open at 1pm and the show kicks off at 2pm. Tickets are $22 in advance and can be purchased at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/brazilian-carnaval-
in-sacramento-2024-tickets-846603853917 and at the door day of show for $30. All ages are welcome. Children ages 13 and under are free with paid parent admission.
