Salvador has the largest Afro-Brazilian population in the country. Even when Afro-Brazilian Carnival bands were forbidden from participating in the elite or bourgeois Carnival, those groups strengthened in numbers and organization. According to Scott Ickes, the participation of working-class Afro-Brazilians in Salvador's Carnival increased during the years of depression, when the elite suffered financial setbacks that prevented their clubs from celebrating in great style; meanwhile, the number of black groups dancing in the streets to the sound of the drums increased (Ickes, 2013).  
The history of Carnival in Salvador was marked by the creation of the group Ilê Aiyê (whose name comes from the Yoruba language) in 1974, in response to racial discrimination and exclusion. The Carnival band, self-denominated as Afro-Bloco, began as a cultural association in Liberdade, one of the largest and poorest neighbourhoods in Salvador, with about 600,000 inhabitants, mostly Afro-Brazilians, who at that time were not allowed in 'quality' clubs because of their colour and poverty. Focusing on promoting African and Afro-Brazilian culture and traditions, the organization today has more than 3,000 members and is heavily influenced by political developments in the United States of America, Jamaica, and African countries, and by Afro-Brazilian traditions, such as Candomblé, capoeira, samba and batuques. The main objective of Ilê Aiyê is to promote racial identity and self-esteem among young people. After the success of Ilê Aiyê, many other Afro-Blocos were formed in Salvador and even in other regions, focusing on denouncing racism and promoting Afro-Brazilian and African culture.