This region of northeast Brazil owes everything, including its name, to the natural harbor of Baia de Todos os Santos (Bay of All Saints). This, the fourth-most populous of the 26 states of Brazil is known as Bahia (Bay), while its people, its cuisine, its music and its traditional costumes are collectively known as Bahian.

Centered on the cultural melting pot of Salvador, the state capital, Bahian culture has played a vital role in the evolution of the modern Brazilian identity. This was the birthplace of the country’s most infectious genre of music, samba. It was here that the acrobatic martial art of capoeira emerged. And it was this state that gave rise to the spiritual rituals of Candomblé.

The Bahian folkloric traditions remain a vibrant part of everyday life. In old Salvador, you’ll often see Baianas — women wearing traditional layered skirts, flamboyant turbans and bead necklaces. You’ll hear the drums of the local street bands. You’ll see men executing the nimble moves of capoeira.

To witness it all in a more formal context, be sure to catch a Bahian folkloric show performed in Salvador’s Teatro Miguel Santana by Balé Folclórico da Bahia.