LITTLE AFRICAS

Tia Dodô and Tia Lúcia brought the spirit of the great Afro-Brazilian leaders into the 21st century. Maria das Dores Alves Rodrigues (1920-2015), or Tia Dodô, was born in the Paraiba Valley, the region where jongo, one of the founding influences of samba, originated, and grew up in Morro da Providência neighborhood. She partook in the Portela Samba School’s parade for the first time in 1935 and was its lead flag-bearer for decades. At the age of 3, Lúcia Maria dos Santos (1933-2018) moved from Bahia to Rio de Janeiro’s Morro do Pinto neighborhood. She drew, painted and was Little Africa’s living memory. The Rio Museum of Art (MAR), which Tia Lúcia frequented, dedicated an exhibition to her the year she died.