A portrait of festival that is hardly known outside Brazil: the festas juninas -very popular all throughout Brazil- they way they are lived in São Luís, capital of the state of Maranhão. The video presents three different folk displays: - the tambor de crioula, an Afro-Brazilian dance practiced mainly by descendents of African slaves. Three drums, each one with a specific function, dictate the rhythm. - the quadrilha, a dance of English origin, present in the festas juninas of all Brazil. - and the bumba-meu-boi, one of the most outstanding folk performances of all Brazil. The soundtrack for each of the three blocks corresponds to the music played during the events.