Doni Clemons
Located in an area dubbed Little Africa for being a community formed by slaves and former slaves from the continent, this Samba circle is probably the most soulful that the city has to offer. The area is credited by many as being the birthplace of Carioca Samba. There were Samba parties in peoples homes with impromptu bands playing makeshift instruments using household items like plates, knives, palm, and gourds. These days the Samba circle has grown exponentially, it is still free, and the band is still composed of individual musicians coming together for an impromptu jam session, but now it's outdoors and the audience is a lot bigger. Now people from all over the world come to grab a beer or caipirinha, and acarajé from street vendors, and move their feet to Samba tunes. The gatherings are Mondays and Fridays from 20h-00 unless there is heavy rain. And the location is very close to Praça Mauá. Most taxi drivers know Praça Mauá, but not necessarily the exact location of Pedra do Sal, so a good alternative is to have them take you to Praça Mauá and walk a few streets to Pedra do Sal.
