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Centering the immigrant experience<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Fogo Na Roupa has been part of Carnaval since 1989, when it was founded by Oakland-based dance instructor Carlos Aceituno. The passionate Guatemalan mestre quickly grew a community for a large group of Bay Area immigrants, many of them from Latin America. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe magic that Brazilian music brings is very contagious,\u201d said Metzi Henr\u00edquez, who joined in 1996 and now directs Fogo\u2019s dancers. \u201cWe know we\u2019re not authentic, but we\u2019re inspired. We\u2019ve studied it a lot, and we move forward with a lot of respect.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although rooted in Afro-Brazilian rhythms and dances, the group has blended sounds and practices from other Latin American and African diasporas in the Bay. Rivera, who is from Per\u00fa and leads the percussion section, said they\u2019ve even brought in Cuban sonero Fito Reinoso from Florida to guide vocals. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cWhat we\u2019re doing is expressing their joy and music,\u201d said Rivera. \u201cBut it\u2019s not 100% Brazilian, because we live in a place that has parts of all of us.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Aceituno passed away in 2006, but his memory is carried by Rivera and Henr\u00edquez, who now lead the award-winning contingent, and have centralized it in San Francisco, welcoming new generations from all walks of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne of the reasons why it feels so much like a home for me is because this is an immigrant community,\u201d said Henr\u00edquez, who was born in El Salvador but was raised in San Francisco. \u201cWe\u2019re in a space where everyone accepts each other and where most people are from other countries or have family from other countries.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n More than just a dance class<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Rafeeah Alexander, 49, said she discovered Fogo Na Roupa while taking West African dance classes at Oakland\u2019s Malonga Center in the late 90s. Every time she left class, she\u2019d hear drums and laughter echoing from another room \u2014 what sounded, to her, \u201clike a celebration.\u201d Whenever she looked into the room, she said Aceituno would always invite her to join. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cOne day I took the class and I was sold,\u201d said Alexander, who owns a catering company in the East Bay. \u201cIt’s so much more than just a dance class. It is a community space where we are all growing together.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Like Alexander, many of the performers in Fogo Na Roupa have stayed for decades, celebrating birthdays, weddings, babies and funerals with each other while preparing for the Mission\u2019s biggest parade. Over time, entire families have joined: Alexander\u2019s husband, for instance, is driving this year\u2019s parade float while her daughter and nine-year-old grandson are participating as dancers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rivera and Henr\u00edquez said they met through the group. Now married, they raise three children \u2014 all of whom participate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe best thing about it is that we\u2019re just one big family,\u201d said Sebasti\u00e1n Ram\u00edrez, 26, who joined in 2008 after taking summer drumming lessons at MCCLA. \u201cGrowing up with them just makes them feel like my cousins, you know? We hang out outside of Fogo. We go out, have dinner, go to the movies. We\u2019re always checking in on each other.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some members attend Fogo\u2019s classes year-round. Others start showing up in early spring, just in time for Carnaval season. Even those who\u2019ve moved away return to San Francisco in May in time for the parade. This year, about 350 people will march with Fogo in Sunday\u2019s parade \u2014 a mix of drummers, dancers, baianas, musicians and family members walking alongside the float. <\/p>\n\n\n\n A labor of love<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n For Fogo Na Roupa, Carnaval is a months-long endeavor. Planning for the 2025 festival began in late October, when the group\u2019s committee first met to choose a theme and costumes. By January, they were experimenting with choreography and rhythms. <\/p>\n\n\n\n This year\u2019s theme is \u201cEverybody Gone BAD!\u201d, inspired by the music of Michael Jackson and grounded in current events. The idea, several committee members explained, is to reject systems that criminalize people of color. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s acknowledging the bad and the good in all of us,\u201d said Louise Joanes-Allen, a member since 1990. \u201cRather than dividing, that should unite us.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Joanes-Allen is one of Fogo\u2019s lead costume designers. She crafts looks for dancers, making sure their outfits reflect the year\u2019s theme while celebrating the individual wearing it. After creating the costumes\u2019 base, Fogo hosts workshops where members can work on smaller pieces. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Meanwhile, as the end of May approaches, rehearsals kick into high gear. Each section \u2014 drummers, dancers, baianas, singers \u2014 trains separately with instructors, then unites in larger outdoor practices in places like the Presidio. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Now, on top of rehearsals, everyone is rushing to make last-minute, finishing touches. Alexander has been staying up late, personalizing her costume during Zoom calls with other members.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is why I’m up till two every day. I’m not tired. I am excited,\u201d she said. \u201cEven though we dance together all year round this is the pinnacle. We put on our regalia, we get into character, we channel our ancestors and our heritage and tell our story to everyone that\u2019s watching.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Although they rarely take breaks, Rivera and Henr\u00edquez say they remind students what matters most: the joy that they bring to 24th Street on Sunday morning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Early tomorrow morning, Rivera will be assembling drums and making sure the 63 percussionists get their sticks. There will be sound checks and float pickups underway, as dancers put on their costumes and adjust their hair. By the time they hit the street, Henr\u00edquez said, they\u2019ll be ready to give it their all. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI think it’s seeing everybody lose themselves in the music, you know?\u201d Henr\u00edquez said. \u201cYou can really see when the person just lets go and is just letting their spirit dance.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fogo Na Roupa blends dance and immigrant resilience into a Carnaval tradition that feels more like family than performance.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":88936,"featured_media":65833,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":false,"newspack_featured_image_position":"large","newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[25374],"tags":[],"coauthors":[25250],"class_list":["post-65834","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art-culture","entry"],"yoast_head":"\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/eltecolote.org\/content\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/05242025-CARNAVALFOGORANOUGA-ET-PU-19.jpg?resize=600%2C399&quality=89&ssl=1\")
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