A proposal to bring Afro-Brazilian Yoruba music to Lagos has drawn attention after Brazil’s Consul General in Lagos, Ronaldo Vieira, invited Nigerian soprano Funmi Bucknor to collaborate with Brazilian musicians and researchers. The suggestion was reported on 10 October 2026 following her Global Melodies concert in Lagos, and it highlights the deep and living link between Brazil and Yorubaland.
What Was Announced
According to the report, the Consul General said enslaved Africans in Brazil kept Yoruba language and culture alive through religion and music, and that researchers recently uncovered songs written in both Yoruba and Portuguese in a church basement in Brazil. He proposed a collaboration that could bring Afro-Brazilian Yoruba music to Lagos next year. The same concert also featured operatic works alongside indigenous Nigerian music, and Bucknor said she plans to stage a play next year with the aim of turning it into an African opera. Read the original report at The Guardian Nigeria.
Why Brazil and Yoruba Are Linked
Many Yoruba-speaking people were taken to Brazil during the Atlantic slave trade, especially to Bahia. They kept their faith and songs, which shaped Candomblé and other Afro-Brazilian traditions, and Yoruba words are still sung in ritual music today. Learn more in our guides to the Museu Afro-Brasileiro in Salvador and the Yoruba diaspora.
What It Means for Yoruba Music
The proposal shows growing interest in reconnecting Nigerian and Brazilian artists. The sound world behind it is explained in our guide to Yoruba music, and the sacred side in Yoruba religion explained. For the hymns and chants that carry the language, see oríkì, Yoruba praise poetry.
What to Watch
No dates or venues for a collaboration have been announced, so this is a proposal for now. We will follow developments in our News & Trends section.
FAQs
Is Yoruba spoken in Brazil?
Yoruba is not a main language in Brazil, but Yoruba words and songs survive in religious and musical traditions, especially in Bahia.
Has the collaboration been confirmed?
No. It was proposed by the Consul General, and no schedule has been announced.
