THE GO-GO MUSEUM PRESENTS. CHOCOLATE CITY ... - Medium

Title: Chocolate City Playdate 2024: Exploring the Connections Between Go-Go Music and Afro-Brazilian Culture

The Go-Go Museum & Cafe recently hosted an event in Salvador, Brazil as part of their Chocolate City Playdate series. This event aimed to explore the connections between go-go music and Afro-Brazilian culture. The delegation from Washington D.C., which included DC filmmaker Will McKinley II and celebrated photographer Dee Dwyer, participated in the International African Diaspora Dance Traditions Conference.

During their time in Salvador, the delegates experienced various aspects of Brazilian culture, including a visit to the farm of acclaimed Brazilian chef Solange Borges, where they learned how to make cassava bread from scratch. This culinary exchange will inspire the Go-Go Museum's diaspora street food menu when it opens its Anacostia location in November 2024.

The group also hiked through Parque S o Bartolomeu, a park filled with pop-up barbecues and bars that stretched for nearly two miles. They attended samba parties reminiscent of Washington D.C.'s famous street music festivals, such as Unifest and the Georgia Avenue Day Parade. The event concluded with a scrimmage between Brazilian professional basketball team Esporte Clube Vitoria against Howard University's men's basketball team.

The Chocolate City Playdate 2024 demonstrated the strong connections between go-go music and Afro-Brazilian culture, highlighting the importance of cultural exchange and preservation.