Embedded in the pillars Culture and Joy and Culture and Climate of the UK/Brazil Season of Culture, this project celebrates and safeguards the African heritage present in Brazilian, Caribbean and British cultures. The initiative promotes international collaboration among artists, research into Afro-diasporic expressions and rhythms, and highlights the role of these movements in the creation and innovation of Carnivals in Brazil, the Caribbean and the United Kingdom.
One of the highlights is the recognition of the historical importance of Salvador and the Windrush Generation – the Caribbean community that migrated to the United Kingdom in the 1960s and profoundly transformed British culture.
Artistic exchange
Residencies in Salvador and London connected musicians from both countries in a collaborative process.
In Salvador, British artists from the bands Mangrove Steelband (Andrew Facey, Kishan Shorter-Ashmeil, Mia Morgan and Joselyn Iwunze), Channel One Sound System (Mikey Dread & Ras Sherby) and Triniboi Joocie (Rodell Sorzano) joined BaianaSystem for an immersion in the local culture and the co-creation of a collaborative repertoire.
The result was presented at BaianaSystem’s official Carnival parade in Salvador, on 14 February, with free public access.
BaianaSystem, recognised for renewing Salvador’s Carnival with its blend of Afro-Brazilian culture, samba-reggae, electronic music and strong social engagement, draws crowds with its Navio Pirata trio elétrico. In 2025, the band won the Latin Grammy in the category Best Rock or Alternative Album in Portuguese with O Mundo Dá Voltas.
In August 2026, the movement gains a new chapter: BaianaSystem musicians travel to London to co-create a brand-new set with British artists, which will be presented during the official parade of London’s Carnival.
Notting Hill Carnival is one of Europe’s largest cultural celebrations, born from Caribbean heritage in London. More than just a parade, the event brings together rhythms such as soca, calypso, reggae, dancehall and hip hop, alongside the traditional steel bands – groups performing on percussion instruments made from steel drums, originating in Trinidad and Tobago – and the powerful sound systems, collectives of DJs and speakers that transform the streets into open-air dance floors. Closing the programme, the grand parade of the Mas Bands fills Notting Hill with costumes and contagious energy, reaffirming the Carnival as a living symbol of diversity, cultural resistance and the strength of Caribbean music within British identity.
Sustainable Carnival: innovation and responsibility
Amid the country’s largest street festival, the event marked an unprecedented achievement: the first decarbonised parade in the history of the city’s Carnival. A total of 23 initiatives were carried out across the Environmental, Social and Governance pillars, turning the trio into a living laboratory of innovation and positive impact. The initiative, organised by the British Council in partnership with LAJE Sustentabilidade, mitigated the emission of 2.28 tonnes of CO₂ during the passage of the Navio Pirata, the electric trio of the band BaianaSystem, in the capital of Bahia on 14 February.
With the planting of 1,100 saplings, alongside maintenance and monitoring actions, the consultancy estimates the capture of 50 tonnes of CO₂ over the next five years. A total of 194 kilograms of recyclable materials, such as PET and aluminium, were collected, in addition to 234 kilograms of polystyrene – 103% above the target set. Furthermore, 210 litres of used cooking oil and palm oil were collected, an action that could prevent the contamination of approximately 5 million litres of water. The oils collected were destined for biodiesel production.
In all, 213 people benefited directly, including 94 street vendors, 42 baianas de acarajé, 30 waste pickers, 38 security guards (the Cordeiros da Paz), and a welcoming team. The latter three groups took part in training activities focused on accessibility for people with disabilities. The project delivered five hours of training and workshops, including specific capacity-building for waste pickers, accessibility training, preparation of the welcoming team, and an urban composting workshop.
As a legacy for traditional communities, the project donated four urban composters made from recycled polystyrene to three Quilombola communities – Rio do Macaco, Areia Branca and Dandá – extending the positive environmental impact beyond the Carnival period.
The initiative had support the Salvador City Hall and the Secretariats of Culture and Tourism and of Sustainability. The impact was direct: waste pickers, street vendors, baianas de acarajé, cordeiros, people with disabilities, children and traditional communities benefit in concrete ways. More than music, the project invited to celebrate diversity, strengthen cultural ties and build sustainable futures between Brazil and the United Kingdom.