Olodum

Olodum is a bloco-afro from Salvador's carnival, in Bahia, Brazil. It was founded by the percussionist Neguinho do Samba. The musical group's album Pela Vida (meaning "For Life" in Portuguese) was nominated for Best Brazilian Roots/Regional Album at the 4th Annual Latin Grammy Awards in 2003.

== Banda Olodum (Olodum's Band) == The name comes from the Yoruba word Olodumare. Olodum is widely credited with developing the music style known as samba reggae and for its active participation in carnaval each year. Neguinho do Samba, the lead percussionist, created a mix of the traditional Brazilian samba beat with merengue, salsa, and reggae rhythms for the Bahian Carnival of 1986; this became known as samba reggae. This "bloco afro" music is closely tied to its African roots, as seen through its percussion instruments, participatory dancing and unique rhythm. It also directly draws from many Caribbean cultures, like Cuba and Puerto Rico. Olodum gained worldwide notoriety as an African-Brazilian percussive group and performed in Europe, Japan, and almost all of South America. Olodum's performing band (or Banda) has released records in its own right and has been featured on recordings by Brazilian stars such as Simone and Daniela Mercury. In 1988, Simone recorded "Me ama mô" live, in Pelourinho, featuring Neguinho do Samba and Olodum, for Simone's album, Simone.