Brazil 1695

The entirety of Song for Almeyda and Song for Anninho is set in Brazil in the late 1600s. The South American country was colonized by Portugal in 1532. The European country established sugar plantations and actively participated in the slave trade to support their economic success. Over the course of three centuries, an estimated five million enslaved people were taken from Africa and forcibly brought to Brazil. Those who escaped slavery formed quilombos and actively fought against both Dutch and Portuguese armies to maintain their sovereignty.

Palmares

Before the narrative present, Palmares was a sovereign settlement formed by people who escaped slavery. Led by Ganga Zumba, the community grew exponentially over the course of the century. After Ganga Zumba made a pact with the Portuguese, the European army killed Palmaristas who moved closer to Brazilian settlements. Zumbi, Ganga Zumba’s uncle, killed his uncle and resumed the role of...