Dance Zumba

‘Part of the Cinema Novo project involved debunking the myth of the inherently peaceful Brazilian by bringing stories of resistance and revolt back into the spotlight. Ganga Zumba, Cacá Diegues’ first feature film, is based on the book of the same name by João Felício dos Santos and tells the story of a group of enslaved people who flee to Palmares, the largest of the Brazilian quilombos (autonomous settlements founded by escaped slaves during the colonial era). The film brings the experiences of Black people to the fore (…) and thus represents something of an exception within Cinema Novo, which was criticised for sidestepping racial issues.” (Tiago de Luca, BFI, May 2026)

‘The soundtrack to Ganga Zumba can be regarded as one of the most significant works created for film by the Brazilian music legend Moacir Santos, for various reasons. First and foremost, because the music served as the inspiration for ‹Coisas›, allowing the composer to experiment with melodies and sounds that later found their definitive expression in this groundbreaking 1965 album. ‘I believe that the music for Ganga Zumba is my best work to date. Not only because I was in a phase of musical maturity, but also because of the connection I felt with the film’s theme and spirit. What’s more, it was a major project – exactly what I’d been longing for for a long time’ [M. Santos].’ (Ronaldo Evangelista, trilhasmoacirsantos.com, 2015)