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 connect 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 Triniboy Joocie (Rodell Sorzano) join BaianaSystem for an immersion in the local culture and the co-creation of a collaborative repertoire.
The result will be 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
In 2026, history will be made at Salvador’s Carnival. For the first time, an artist will parade with a structured ESG Plan to decarbonise the parade. The BaianaSystem Trio – Navio Pirata, in partnership with the British Council and Consultoria Laje, launches a pioneering project that places sustainability at the heart of Brazil’s most vibrant popular festival.
There are 23 actions distributed across the Environmental, Social and Governance axes, transforming the trio into a living laboratory of innovation and positive impact.
Environmental axis
- Carbon inventory and real-time monitoring of emissions, air quality and noise
- Waste management with cooperatives
- Collection of used oil and palm oil
- Waste recycling and composting
- Restoration of 1,500 m² of Atlantic Forest in local quilombo communities
Social axis
- Valuing and protecting Carnival workers
- Hiring and supporting waste pickers, with provision of PPE
- Initiatives for street vendors and baianas de acarajé
- Nutritional reinforcement for cordeiros (rope holders)
- Qualified support for people with disabilities and children
Governance axis
- Educational and transparent communication of results
- Public Impact Report
- International technical workshop on electric batteries for trios elétricos
The initiative is supported by the Salvador City Hall and the Secretariats of Culture and Tourism and of Sustainability. The impact is 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 is an invitation to celebrate diversity, strengthen cultural ties and build sustainable futures between Brazil and the United Kingdom.