Brazil has especially strong ties with many of Africa's cultures and heritages - in fact, first due to the practice of the Atlantic commerce of enslaved people between the XVI and XIX centuries, and then later as a result of free commerce and migration, Brazil developed a wide range of significant and valuable african traits in its culture and religions, expressed in language, music, dance, food, clothing, personal and social relationships among many other aspects of daily life.

The importance and significance of the african people in the making of Brazil is such that schools nowadays are required by law to teach students about the african culture and history, so that all citizens can learn about their heritage and properly value it.