Rafael Cesar examines the constant negotiation between Bantu and Western traditions present in the work of Angolan Boaventura Cardoso, at the same time as he discusses the formation of his own black-Brazilian racial identity. “Kuatiça o ngoma!” (“Play the batuques!”) – an expression that animates the rites and ultimately symbolizes the energy of the life cycle – becomes a motto for the strength of Boaventura Cardoso’s words, which move and recreate Angolan and Afro-diasporic identities.