Casa de Brazilian Folkloric Arts of Sacramento

Casa de Brazilian Folkloric Arts of Sacramento is dedicated to engaging diverse communities in high quality cultural folkloric arts and creating a greater understanding and support for cultural arts in Sacramento and California. The organization’s projects and programming are focused on using arts to inspire innovation in people, creating opportunities to support diverse folkloric artists, increasing access to arts for all communities, and supporting the growth of Sacramento’s local economy through the arts.

The organization was founded in 2000 by Artistic Director Mestre Caboclinho Aruanda. Mestre is a world-renowned artist who has been performing practicing and teaching Brazilian Folkloric Capoeira and Brazilian arts for over 40 years. Mestre’s vision is to bring the heart of Brazilian arts, music and folkloric Capoeira to the eyes of the community the way he experienced them bring happiness to his poor neighborhood in Salvador Brazil.  Since its founding, the organization has created hundreds of performances and projects with diverse partnerships and supported the work of hundreds of amazing folkloric diverse cultural artists.  Our performances and programs represent various aspects of the diaspora of Brazil such as Samba Reggae, Maculele (dance of sugarcane workers), Afoxe (folkloric Brazilian rhythm), Batucada (traditional Brazilian samba percussion) and more. We focus much of our efforts on the folkloric Brazilian art of Capoeira Angola. 

Our most recent collaborations include the Rosa Parks K-8 program in south Sacramento, midtown’s Courtyard elementary school, Oak Park community center after school program, Latino Heritage Festival in South Sacramento, All Hallow’s Church, Sutterville Elementary School, Crocker Art Museum, African World Festival, California’s National Day of Dance and the organization’s annual Brazilian Day Sacramento Street Festival launched in 2013. This is a free public festival that displays the beautiful folkloric arts and music of Brazil. The festival provides opportunities for participants from its various community programs to perform with professional artists at the festival.

Each year, the organization strives to infuse exposure to diverse Brazilian folkloric arts to various communities across Sacramento and Northern California. Our hope is the more lives we reach, the more people connect to their own stories and see their capacity.