Category Archives: Carnival

April 11, 2013 · 3:36 pm

Costs of 2013 Carnival in Recife

carnavalrecife

This week, Diário Oficial do Recife published the costs involved in hiring certain performers from playing their music in Recife’s recent Carnival. The non-local Brazilian artists received significantly more, of course, than the local ones invited to play.

First, it’s always important to keep in mind that the minimum wage in Brazil, as of this year, will reach R$678 (per month) and that one-third of all Brazilians earn just this amount. Now, on to the figures…

Alcione - R$195,000 for one show.
Titãs – R$180,000 for two shows.
Jorge Aragão – R$137,500 for one show.
Devotos (local) – R$12,000 for one show.
Maracatus (local) – R$2,000 to R$3,000 per show.

By the way, that means for a few hours of work Alcione got paid the minimum wage 288 times over (or, R$678 x 288). Looking through the official finances that the gov’t put out, most performers were paid around R$1,500 to R$2,000 per show, and there were a total of 1,500 performances during the four days of Carnival. Doing a little math tells me that the city paid around R$3 million total to local performers.

In total, Recife’s Carnival (including publicity) cost the city close to R$32 million (of that, R$400,000 in prizes were given out over 11 contests). Other figures, according to the mayor’s office, state that 718,000 tourists came to the city, they accounted for 95% hotel occupancy and spent on average R$485 (I’m not sure if that’s daily or if it even includes hotel but it very likely includes Brazilians from other cities). All in all, Recife’s Carnival generated R$603 million in financial transactions.

- Source 1
- Source 2
- Diário Oficial (boring gov’t numbers)

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December 4, 2012 · 4:11 pm

Caboclo de Lança – The Warrior

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The caboclo de lança (mestizo with a spear) is a folkloric warrior figure from Pernambuco, tied to the cultural manifestations of Carnival and of Maracatu Rural. It is considered by many to be one of the principal symbols of Pernambucan culture. The other lesser-known names one might hear are lanceiro africano (African spear thrower), caboclo de guiada (another name for lança is guiada) or guerreiro de Ogum (an Ogum warrior).

Its origin is the result of a mixture of Afro-indigenous cultures with other popular manifestations, like Bumba-meu-boi, Caboclinhos, Cavalo-marinho, and Folia de Reis, which can all be found in Pernambuco.

Until the 1920s, the caboclos de lança, mostly workers in sugarcane plantations, did not arouse much interest or fascination since they lived and paraded in the inner cities of Pernambuco. In the 1930s, there was a the decline of the sugarcane mills and, with it, the growth of industrialization and modernization of the economy. This resulted from the Revolution of 1930 and thus brought about the displacement of people from the countryside to the cities and the coast. With those people, the rich traditions of the Zona da Mata (sugarcane region) arrived in Recife, including (and especially during Carnival), Maracatu Rural and its colorful characters.

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(Source)

The ritual that precedes the presentation of the caboclo de lança, whether in the countryside or in the city, involves ceremonies that happen on sacred land (terreiros). They include the blessing of the spears and the flower that goes in the caboclo’s mouth, the consecration of the calunga (a doll representing divinity, held by the Bahian figure in the parade), and also a promise (by the man) of sexual abstinence, which starts a few days before Carnival.

For more info, here is a great blog (in PT) by Anna Anjos called Cocada Preta which, towards the bottom, speaks about Maracatu, including how it ties into African religions. Each post of hers is like a dissertation, and only for those who really want to dig in. Also, if you want to learn about the making of the outfit, you can check out a very small section (from 22:10 – 23:30) of this documentary (PT).

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November 12, 2011 · 12:57 pm

Italy in Pernambuco

Too early for Carnival? Afraid so. Too early to dream (and possibly plan)? Of course not!

My last mention of the party of all parties revolved around the city of Recife but I´d bet that few have heard of the Italianesque Carnival of inland Pernambuco. A little more than 60 miles from Recife lies the city of Bezerros, often called the Land of Papangus. A Pap-what, you ask? A Papangu! Its a person that disguises themself with a Venetian-like mask and a long tunic, among other things, during Carnival-time across Pernambuco, especially in the city of Bezerros where such traditions are strongest.

The unique custom dates back to around 1880´s when the “papa-angu” was born from tomfoolery instigated by the relatives of sugar cane barons during Carnival celebrations. There, they would eat “angu”, (a coarse polenta) which is a typical food of the semi-arid regions of the Northeast. The verb papar, in kid-speak, means to eat, thus the name papa-angu. Tiny tikes, as it turns out, don´t always take a liking to the costumed crowd. Looking at the picture below, I can see why.

Generally, nothing can be discerned from seeing a papangu on the street, aside from their height and manner of movement. Who they are, whether they be male or female, old or young, is unknown. The revelers even go so far as to hide their costumes as they are being created in order to provide complete anonymity. One would think that such secrecy would presumably make it hard for groups to form, or in the very least, to know who is who, though hitting the streets with friends and family is quite popular..

If you´re interested in a visit next year, be mindful that the 2011 version attracted 200,000 people just on Carnival Sunday, the most popular day during the festivities and also when best costumes are chosen. Although it is likely you´d never be able to tell in the midst of all the costumed fun, residents of Recife are said to “religiously” attend during the weekend and it´s not even uncommon for some families to have a country house there as well.

Hopefully, Carnival revelry isn´t all you carve out for your trip inland. The beautiful vistas of the Serra Negra Ecological Park can be appreciated nearby, too.

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April 4, 2011 · 3:20 pm

Roosters in Recife Sing Frevo

The largest Carnival bloco in the world is said to be in Recife and you can find it on Saturday during the week of Carnival in the central neighborhood of São José. It goes by the name of the Galo da Madrugada (The Early Morning Rooster) and it’s pretty hard to miss, just find the giant shiny rooster towering above thousands of people. If you’re more of an observer, perhaps you can find a seafaring local to let you board their boat to watch from the sidelines on the Capibaribe River. However, it’s wise to be aware of what you’ll be missing out on.

The passo is the dance of the frevo, an accelerated polka-like dance best associated with Recife’s Carnival. While there’s no fighting involved in the modern-day frevo-de-rua, its origins point back to the time when knife-carrying capoeiristas traded fighting for dancing and knives for umbrellas. The frevo then spent an entire century marinating under the Pernambucan sun and eventually amalgamating with other styles such as the maxixe, the marcha and elements of capoeira.

If you find luck on your side and end up in Recife during Carnival this year, welcome the weekend with a different kind of rooster and let the frevo give you fervor…which should be easy enough since the two words are related.

Originally written for Street Smart Brazil.

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