Brazilian orchestra established in 1942 by Abigail Moura in Rio de Janeiro. Operating for almost thirty years until 1970, they released just two albums.
A self-taught conductor and arranger, Abigail assembled Orquestra Afro-Brasileira in order to tell stories of Afro-Brazilian heritage and speak of the “dramas and tragedies experienced by my race”. The Orquestra celebrated significant dates and influential Black Brazilian historical figures in its performances, with a repertoire that moved between folk tales, Candomblé chants and macumbas (or invocations) of orixá - the Yoruba deities sent by Olodumare to provide guidance for life on earth.
Comprised of around twenty musicians, the Orquestra combined traditional Brazilian and West African percussion instruments such as Agogô, Afoxé, Ganzá, Atabaques and Angona-puíta, with the sounds of saxophones, trombones, clarinets and the piano from the big band jazz tradition.