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Life is too short to wait. Every moment is an opportunity to explore, learn, and grow. Don’t let fear hold you back from the adventures that could change your life
I have made two work-related trips to Brazil, and though I never got to explore the country on my terms, I was fortunate enough to
When Soul Session announced their Malta takeover, I knew I had to be there. The small island of Malta, situated in the Mediterranean Sea, is
One of Brazil’s most paradisiacal remote islands off the beaten track. 🏝 ⛱️ 🇧🇷 ✨️
Simple, rustic, car-free living.
Riding the dirt road on quads or walking the sandy streets, palm trees, pristine wide stretches of beaches, drinking caipirinhas out of cocoa, delicious food (pastel com polvo, queijo e banana 😋), no mass tourism and laidback Bahian lifestyle.
Minimal clothing needed - a pair of flip-flops and a swimsuit will do.
I get emotional each time I leave.
The retirement plan - GoFundMe link in the bio 😆
#boipeba #bahia #brazil #islandlife🌴 #simpleliving
A spiritual core ✨️🪘🥁🫶🏾🇧🇷
Salvador, the capital of Bahia, Brazil’s first capital and the beating heart of Afro-Brazilian identity. Africa outside of Africa.
There’s no other place in the Western Hemisphere where the culture of those brought as enslaved people from Africa has been preserved as it has in Salvador, from music and religion to food, dance, and martial arts traditions.
A city born from a history of resistance and the preservation of West African traditions.
Salvador is the global centre for Candomblé and is a city of constant rhythm with numerous Afro-Blocos, one of the most famous being Olodum, which uses heavy percussion to celebrate African heritage and fight social discrimination. Their rehearsals in the historic centre, Pelourinho, are legendary, and I feel blessed to have witnessed one of them. The energy was unreal ✨️
Samba, Capoeira, and Candomblé are three Brazilian cultural staples from Black Brazilians, and drums are the heartbeat of Salvador, especially in the Pelourinho area, where you will hear the beat of the drum 🥁 late into the night.
The Pelourinho is a UNESCO World Heritage site. While its pastel-coloured buildings are beautiful, its history is heavy—the name comes from the "pillory" (whipping post) where enslaved people were publicly punished. The area is the old slave auction location, but the energy has been transformed, and today, it has been reclaimed as a centre for Afro-Brazilian art, music schools, and community activism where every beat of the drum is for the Ancestors. 🪘🥁
#brazil #salvador #drums #afrobrazilianculture #energy
The ultimate bloco - the voice of the people! 🥁 🪘 🖤❤️💛💚 ✨️
I paid to see Olodum perform before going to Boipeba as I didn’t think I was going to get back in time for the last free rehearsal of the season, but I managed to catch the last hour and - Wow! I was blown away by the energy that cannot be captured on video.
The sounds of the drums and energy echoing through Pelo had it shaking. Resistance vibrating in every beat of the drum.
It was hectic because it was rammed and not everyone could get in. Police have it cordoned off to control the people traffic but I squeezed my mawga body through every nook and cranny. 😆
They gave a great performance at their show but nothing can top the energy in the middle of Pelo, playing for the people and the ancestors. Incredible - a real blessing!
I can`t put the feeling into words!🫶🏾✨️🪘🥁🇧🇷
#olodum #pelourinho #bloco #salvador #bahia
Festa de Yemanjá
On 2 February, the Festival of Yemanjá honours the Mother of all Orixás, protector of the Fishermen and Goddess of the sea.
It`s an important day for Afro-Brazilians, especially practitioners of Candomblé.
Giving gifts and giving thankhs.
Considering Candomblé was once forbidden to practice this has now become a huge festival celebrated throughout Brazil but has its roots in Salvador. It`s a massive celebration held in Rio Vermhelo.
Some go for the culture, some culture vultures, some purely for the p!ss up.
Exiting at 5pm was kinda mad. Like trying to leave Notting Hill Carnival going against the flow of traffic in peak hours. That said, I`m really glad to have experienced this and give an offering.
I was wondering when would be a good time to go but as a Baiana local to the area told me "Anything you do ..Yemanjá Will receive with ❤️" - I get it now!
Who feels it knows it..🤍💙
#festadeyemanjá #yemanjá #condomblé #afrobrazilianculture #bahia
Boipeba - Paraiso! 🇧🇷🫶🏾✨️
#boipeba #paraíso #paradise #bahia #brazil
Chasing waterfalls ...
A seven hour bus trip from Salvador to Lençois to explore Chapada Diamantina National Park.
You know when you just in awe of nature.
Chapada is a massive area in Bahia famous for its dramatic landscapes, canyons, waterfalls, caves, hiking trails and exploring untouched nature and is most popular among Brazilian tourists.
It`s former diamond-mining hub where enslaved Africans were the primary workforce during the Chapada Diamantina diamond rush. 💎
There are still diamonds here but the use machines to excavate them is prohibited.
I only did a couple of days touring Chapada so there`s still lots more to see but this waterfall (cachoeira do mosquito) was a highlight. It`s named after the small diamonds that were found here. I didn`t find any diamonds but I saw a snake and exited quickly 😅
#chapadadiamantina #lençóis #cachoeiradomosquito #bahia #chasingwaterfalls
It was a must that I returned to the magical city of Salvador da Bahia.
This time I`m really getting stuck in and took an Afro-Brazilian dance class connecting body, ancestry and musicality. An amazing experience with beautiful free-flowing palpable energy. ✨️
Obrigada Tati @campeloafrodance Foi otimo! 🫶🏾👑🇧🇷
Axé
#salvador #bahia #afrobraziliandance #afrobrazilianculture #axe
Happy World Afro Day!
My hair is my crown, identity, a journey, and self-expression. Just over 20 years ago, I went on a mad one after reading "Breaking the chains of psychological slavery", a book by Na`im Akbar. I shaved my relaxed hair off and returned to my roots. It`s a book that changed my life in more ways than one!
Rocking your natural was nowhere near as common as it is today, and hair products not as easily accessible.
Shaving my hair off was liberating, and I rocked it for a while. Growing my hair back from scratch and liking what I saw was harder, with the earlier part of the journey being hardest.
As a kid, I had my hair done for me and wanting to fit in, after begging my mum, my hair was relaxed at 13. Therefore, it was my first time dealing with my natural hair, and I didn`t know what to do.
The journey from the days of my shaved head to now is one I made with minimal protective styling (I`ve never had a weave and rarely wore extensions, etc). Along the way, I have had hair discrimination not just in the corporate world but also early in my journey received negative comments from friends and even some family.
The growth throughout my hair journey has not just been in length but, most importantly, in confidence and self-love. My hair is my crown, and I am the jewel.
That said, for some, it may be "just hair" and it should be. However, the way our hair naturally grows out of our head has long been and is still too often under attack with damning effects on the psyche.
What does afro hair mean to you?
#worldafroday #afrohair #afrohairjourney #naturalbeauty #naturalistasista #breakingthechains
A few snaps while roaming the streets of NHC 📷
Ready fi di road 🇰🇳 🇧🇧 🇬🇭
#carni #carnival #nottinghillcarnival #rumdance
And just like that, it’s over!
Well done, @wearesoulsession, for delivering a good and solid start to their first year in Malta. The first year of a festival is always something special. Here are some memories of the moments that I’m appreciating even more now, as I’m currently tied to a desk
Niche, grown, and high vibrations! 🌞🍸👙🎶 💃🏾
#malta #wearesoulsession #soulsessionmalta2025 #festivals #music #sunshine #housemusicfamily #goodvibesonly✨
Sun shining 🌞
Pollen pollening
Hamper hampering
Hammock hammocking
London Londoning
Friday Fridaying 🥂✨️
Does anyone watch Narrow Escapes? I want a narrowboat and have just met a guy on the towpath while on my way to Vicky Park to help me when the time is right. Boatwarming party incoming 😆
Toodles
It`s easy to blow the budget at @afrohairandbeautylive, and I did!
I`m looking forward to trying my moisture cream hair butter from Inspirational Young Entrepreneur @thatgoodhairuk
LOVE my new choker from @proud2bafricanwoman
A 🔥 suit from @ankarastyles - loving handmade tribal fusion.
All things natural from @dicksonsnaturalbeauty
Cards that represent from @allshadescards.It was lovely to see you. Keep doing great things.💖
And just as I was leaving because I had spent too much, I couldn`t resist a bargain bomber from @ethnicityclothing - wrapped in culture.
Workshops, goodie bags, discounted hairdos, fashion shows, the beautiful @estelledarlings doing a meet and greet 👑 - a celebration of black excellence. It`s always a pleasure to support.
#afrohairandbeauty #london #afrohair #naturalista #afrohairandbeautylive #blackownedbusinesses #africanstyle #dontforgetwhoyouare #blackexcellence✊🏾
The adventures of Reyna, sponsored by raki (thanks, Lianne) 😆🤪
I went from having a 💩 time to having a great time.
The weather was abysmal for the first few days, and what made it worse is that it was hotter in the UK, but life is not always sunshine and roses, so it made me see the beauty on offer, come rain or shine.
Though the weather was initially inclement, the people of Koutouloufari Village warmed me with their friendliness. They were a vibe, kind, welcoming, and always giving me something free - dessert, Cretan wine, and raki.
By the end of the trip, I was thinking I should have booked to stay an extra day, and then lo and behold, my flight got cancelled, and I had another day in the sun and continued to eat and drink my way through the village. The power of the mind is real!
Koutouloufari is definitely for those who are too old and/or sophisticated (first pic is my sophisticated pose 😆) for the strip in Hersonissos town and who want to experience Crete and Greece in its authenticity.
Though Crete has several beaches, I don`t think that was ever going to be the main draw for me after strolling the beaches in Boipeba, aka Paraiso. However, I did want to visit Elafonisi in Chania, the north of the island, but the inclement weather hampered that, so it could be an excuse to visit again.
Oh, and I`ve added a new word to my vocabulary - Malakas 😆
Yamas 🥂
The power of the mind! ✨️
Be careful what you wish for. You might just get it.
My manifestation game is strong of late.
I sat here yesterday thinking I should have stayed another day, but it may be too expensive or not possible to change my flight.
Then, piff paff poof - my flight gets cancelled. My flight will be refunded and I will get compensation.
So, another day to eat and drink my way through the beautiful village of Koutouloufari.
Happy Bank Holiday! 🇬🇷 💙
The sun shines 🌞
The wind blows 💨 🚢
And the fro fro`s (where is the afro emoji?!) 👑
27° in London. Meanwhile, in Crete ... 🌧 😆🤷🏾♀️
#crete #greece #whatkindoffuckeryisthis🤔
I feel like I`ve been grounded for a while. Life has been lifing, and to be honest, Brasil humbled me. It was like the type of trip of a lifetime - stretching the comfort zone, culturally rich, wholesome, and transformative.
I`m now in Crete, which was booked before I went to Brasil. I don`t think I`ve ever been so unenthusiastic about a holiday. To the point that I didn’t even pack my case until a few hours before my flight.
To top it off, it`s currently hotter in England than it is here. Fulljoy the sunshine 🌞 people.
So far, the most heat I`ve felt here has been at the spa in the sauna and steam room.
PMA - It`s only day one, and I will make the most of it. I`m celebrating me and the positive shift that has taken place over the past year, taking me to the next level in the becoming of ReyRey. Currently sipping on a large glass of Cretan rosé.
Have you visited Crete before? Recommendations welcome.
You`ve got until 5 May to see @mickalenethomas` All About Love.
An exhibition `rooted in self-discovery, celebration, joy, sensuality, and a need to see positive images of Black women in the world`.
Bold, vibrant, empowering portraits of Black women that celebrate love, radical repose, and reclaim space and representation in art history.
My heart is full! An excellent and much needed exhibition - Black Women taking up space. Highly recommended 🖤
#mickalenethomas #blackwoman #expression #exhibition #art #southbankcentre #londonexhibitions #artlovers #blackgirlmagic✨ #queenonajourney
I`m missing Brazil, so I returned to @akara.london
I love this restaurant. Have you been?
Try the reimagined version of West African Akara packed with the flavour of Brazilian Acaraje.
Cocktail 🍸
Kojo
Snack 🥞
Sinasir Rice Pancake & black-eyed bean hummus
Akara
BBQ prawn Akara
Crab KuliKuli Akara
Dessert 🍨
Guava sorbet and yoghurt meringue
All delicious and perfectly executed! Who`s coming with me next time?
#akara #acarajé #africa #brasil #londonrestaurants #blackownedrestaurants #londondining #foodie
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