Free Africans specialized in certain trades. They integrated into society, having learned profit-making activities, the imposed rules, prices and forms of relationship, thus achieving membership in Portuguese society. Integrated into all wealth-building sectors, Africans were a structuring element of the country's urban life. If economic activity constituted the main participation of Africans in Portuguese daily life, they were also organized around many other events of a social nature, especially ludic religious festive ceremonies where they found a privileged space of integration. Africans of various social statuses - although most were enslaved or sailors, it is important to emphasize the presence of other Africans as diplomatic representatives or senior religious dignitaries - participated intensely in Portuguese public and private life. Processions, bull-fighting, collective shows, celebrations associating the religious and the profane highlighted the strong African involvement, through dance, music and its religious manifestations. This range of activities lead to the creation and consolidation of religious and cultural forms that persisted in Portuguese imagination and practices.