Rufino Alufá

Abuncare by name, Rufino José Maria was a Muslim Yoruba born in the kingdom of Oyo, modern-day Nigeria. He was enslaved and sold to be brought to Brazil, arriving in Salvador in 1822. In 1831, he was traded to Porto Alegre, where he worked until he gained his freedom, in 1835. As a freedman, he traveled to Rio de Janeiro and worked as a cook on slave ships. He made several trips to the African coast on the ship Ermelinda until he was arrested on charges of illegal trafficking. After a brief stay in Salvador, Rufino moved to Recife, the city where he was eventually imprisoned in 1853, accused of making “spells” and being involved in rumored insurrections.