@itravelforculture S2025 E26 You don’t find Little Africa on most tourist maps. But if you want to understand Rio — really understand it — this is where the journey begins.
In this episode of I Travel for Culture, I step beyond the beaches and postcard views to explore the heart of Afro-Brazilian history in Rio de Janeiro. Guided by Marianne from Original From Brazil Tours, I walk through Pedra do Sal, known as the birthplace of samba, and uncover the stories etched into every mural and every stone.
From the Museum of Afro-Brazilian History and Culture (MUHCAB) to the haunting quiet of the New Black Cemetery, this isn’t just a tour — it’s a reckoning. Each stop is a reminder that Rio’s beauty was built on resilience, resistance, and remembrance.
At Valongo Wharf, once the largest slave port in the Americas, I confront the untold truths that shaped Brazil’s identity. Through Yoruba rituals, local music, and living art, I discover that culture here isn’t merely preserved — it’s fought for every single day.
This is the soul of Rio de Janeiro — raw, spiritual, and unfiltered.
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00:45 – 00:45 Introduction
00:45 – 01:03 iTravel Prelude
01:03 – 03:50 Pedra do Sal
03:50 – 09:35 MUHCAB Museum
09:35 – 13:15 Pretos Novos Institute
13:15 – 16:00 Valongo Wharf
16:00 – 17:00 Street Walk in Little Africa
17:00 – 35:00 Ilê da Oxum Apará | Afro Brazilian Culture
35:00 – 35:30 Wrapping Up the Day
35:30 – 36:07 CreditsAfro-Brazilian and Yoruba Culture: The Real Roots of Rio
