" 'Axé' is a word that means 'positive energy or life force' in the Yoruba language of West Africa, an important concept in the Afro-Brazilian 'candomblé' religion," Fabiana Frayssinet writes in her article "African Rhythms Open Prospects for High-Risk Youngsters" for the IPS news service. "For hundreds of children and young people involved in the Axé Project, it is indeed a force for life.

"This non-governmental organization working in Salvador da Bahia, 1,200 kilometers north of Rio de Janeiro, is bent on recovering traditional rhythms in this city where over 90 percent of people are Afro-descendants....

" 'Bahian music has grown from several different roots and is based on the culture of many peoples, especially Afro-descendants who arrived in Brazil in colonial times. This tradition intertwined with European music, brought by the Portuguese and others, creating a style that is unique to this city,' [the project's musical coordinator Fernando Cerqueira] said.

"The Axé Project is trying to bring prestige and distinction to this style through its social programs with young people in high-risk situations, many of whom are former street children. The bands give professional performances and provide the young people with an opportunity to make a living.

" 'The young people we work with are mainly Afro-descendants, and the project is precisely about increasing the prestige of their culture on the basis of its musical creativity,' Cerqueira said."