2025 Grand Marshal

danDha da hora

Born and raised in Salvador, Bahia, Dandha Da Hora has been a member of Ilê Aiyê, one of Brazil’s most important musical and cultural institutions, since she was 6 years old. In her teaching, as well as in her performances, Dandha invokes the incredible spirit of Salvaldor, Bahia, Brazil and of Ilê Aiyê. A master dancer and dance teacher, as well as vocalist and percussionist, Dandha honors the incredible gifts of her culture every time she performs. As a lead dancer with Ilê Aiyê and one of the lead vocalists of music group SambaDá (based in Santa Cruz, CA), Dandha has shared the stage with Brazilian stars such as Gilberto Gil, Caetano Veloso, Margareth Menezes, Angelique Kidjo, Daniela Mercury, Tammy Hall, Zakir Hussain, Michael Hart, and Giovanni Hidalgo.