Pedra do Sal, at Conceição hill, makes part of the region historically known as small Africa, that stretched from around Praça Mauá to Cidade Nova. On the slave’s houses and forrós it has played the “choro with flute”, small guitarand guitar. On the backyard, it has happened the rural samba, played with the hands, with tambourine, plate and knifes; and dancing with tap dancing, sieved and “umbigadas”. It was there that was born the urban carioca samba, that came from “popular sambistas” and old ranches of the carnival.

Pedra do Sal was also considered as a sacred place to orders and offerings from the African religions. As historical and religious heritage, from there, it was extracted by the slaves, in the XIX century, stone cuts for the building of roads and the Rio de Janeiro port. The place, that was very close to the sea, served as salt departure and arrivals, using to the leather manufacturing and meat preserves.

Today, Pedra do Sal is an animated samba stage of Roda de Pedra group. The place has sympathetic colorful casarios, flanked by a staircase and the historical slope of rock. The party attracts tourists and youth from many neighborhood of the city. In the international day of Samba, December 2nd, members of the Pedra do Sal’s “quilombo” celebrated the washing stone. Who works hard on the groups are the candomblé groups and the members of the carnival block Afoxé Filhos de Gandhi. There are some samba groups, capoeira, themed cuisine, exhibition of films and lectures.