BY DIANE JEANTET
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Residents danced and chanted Wednesday in a community descended from runaway slaves in Rio de Janeiro as they welcomed the visiting monarch of the Bailundo kingdom in Angola where many of the residents trace their ancestry.
King Tchongolola Tchongonga Ekuikui VI visited the community of Camorim as part of a trip to Brazil that began three weeks ago. Camorim dates back to 1614 when it would have been forested land and is Rio’s oldest “quilombo,” or community descended from escaped slaves. Nearly 100 people live there today, maintaining their traditional religion and medicinal plants.
“This visit has been on the agenda for a long time,” the king told the crowd. “Our presence here is to say to Afro-descendents, to our brothers, here in Brazil and especially in this quilombo, that we are here as roots that are alive, roots that keep this
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