Adriana Portela

Origin

Salvador, BA

Years active

1992

Genres

samba-reggae, percussion, afro-brazilian music

Instruments

percussion, drums

Biography

Adriana Portela is a Brazilian percussionist, conductor, and cultural producer, born in Salvador, Bahia. She began her musical career in 1992, under the guidance of Maestro Neguinho do Samba, creator of samba-reggae and founder of the Didá Cultural and Educational Association and the Didá Band. Portela stood out as the first woman to conduct a female samba-reggae band in Brazil, Didá Banda Feminina, becoming a reference in the genre.

Throughout her career, Adriana Portela has collaborated with several renowned national and international music artists, such as Caetano Veloso, Gal Costa, Simone, Elza Soares, Carlinhos Brown, Shakira, Daniela Mercury, and Margareth Menezes. Her work as a percussionist and drummer for the Didá Band has led her to perform at important festivals and events, including the Salvador Carnival, the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and the Bahia-Madrid Festival in 2015. Her musicality has taken her to travel through countries such as France, the United States, Argentina, Uruguay, El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Spain, and Canada.

In addition to her musical career, Adriana Portela holds a degree in social work and a postgraduate degree in social project management, and is a master's student in social sciences at the Federal University of Bahia. She sees music as a driving force for social construction and a tool for cultural exchange, promoting resistance against racism and antifeminism through her art, community, and education.