Salvador da Bahia was Brazil's first political center (from 1549 to 1763), but remains its musical capital. For centuries, Bahia was the epicenter of the Portuguese sugar industry and slave trade in the New World. As a result, today Salvador is the largest center of African culture in the Americas. The city looks, sounds and smells like Africa. You can taste it in the palm-oil-and -coconut-milk-drenched seafood dishes, and of course hear it through the music. Amidst the colonial architecture and cobblestone streets, there is an unmistakable beat of African rhythms.

The best known Bahian percussion ensemble is Olodum. The name OLODUM comes from the Yoruba word, "OLODUMARE" which means "God of Gods". The group was launched two decades ago as part of the "Negritude" movement, initiated in Bahia to inspire black pride. "For many years during that time, black people were ashamed of their skin," explains musical director Billy Arquimimo. "We understood it was necessary to do something to make black people proud. We decided to do something to develop African culture in Bahia; as Salvador has the largest black population in Brazil, it was necessary to maintain our culture, our religion, our music, and our celebrations: all of which came from Africa through slavery."

The group was first launched during carnival as part of the bloco-afro movement. It was primarily a drum and vocal group which soon caught the attention of American pop star Paul Simon. Simon invited Olodum to play on his "Rhythm of the Saints" album and subsequent tour, which helped bring Olodum international attention. In the years since, Olodum has added more of a pop element, including a brass section, keyboards, electric guitars and bass to try to gain a more widespread pop appeal in Brazil. The group still plays every week in the heart of Salvador's historic district, Pelourinho Square. When the group takes to the streets for carnival every spring, literally millions join the Olodum street parade - imagine a sea of revelers singing and dancing along to Olodum's every move for as far as the eyes can see. Olodum, like many of Bahia's blocos-afros, is much more than just a musical group, it is also one of the region's leading community organizations. Brazil has no social safety net, and the country has the largest gap between rich and poor in the hemisphere, with millions lacking housing, education, and access to health care. Olodum's social mission includes educational projects, programs geared toward helping Brazil's street children, and the fight against AIDS.