Anitta and Mestre Fafá Tattoo Sankofa Symbol Ahead of Grande Rio's 2027 Parade

By Elena Vasquez

Singer Anitta, named rainha de bateria of Acadêmicos do Grande Rio on September 21, has tattooed the Sankofa symbol on her body in tribute to the school's 2027 parade theme at the Marquês de Sapucaí. Fabrício Machado, known as Mestre Fafá, who leads the school's 270 percussionists, got the same tattoo.

The image represents a sacred bird. It corresponds to the school's theme, "Sankofa Tabon – Os Retornados da Costa do Ouro e a Estrela Negra da Liberdade" (The Returnees of the Gold Coast and the Black Star of Liberty).

What does the symbol mean?

Anitta explained the design's meaning in her own words. She said the symbol signifies keeping one's feet in the present, the chest open to the future, and the gaze turned toward the past. The singer stated that the tattoo evokes concepts of ancestry, faith and a return home.

The Sankofa bird, rooted in Akan tradition, carries a message the school will carry down the avenue: honoring what came before while moving forward. That duality anchors the entire 2027 narrative.

Where did the meeting take place?

The two got their tattoos during an encounter at the school's rehearsal hall, its quadra, located in the Baixada Fluminense, the working-class region outside Rio where Grande Rio is based. The meeting was filmed for the channel of actress Valentina Bandeira.

During the recording, Anitta joked about rumors of a possible romantic relationship with the drum master. The exchange added a lighter note to a moment otherwise centered on the school's theme.

Who is Mestre Fafá?

Fafá commands 270 ritmistas, the percussionists who form the rhythmic engine of any samba school. He is the son of Du Gás, one of the founders of the institution and a former mestre of its bateria.

The family connection runs deep. Fafá said his mother played in the drum section and his brother currently works alongside him at the school.

The mestre described Grande Rio as a welcoming institution. He said the school offers free projects and costumes to the community. His stated goal for the parade is simple: to make the school sing and dance throughout the celebrations.

What comes next?

Anitta assumed the rainha de bateria role on September 21. The Sankofa tattoos now bind the school's two most visible figures — its queen and its drum master — to the theme more than two years before the 2027 procession, an early signal of how central the narrative of return and ancestry will be to Grande Rio's campaign.