More Carnival - Recife & Olinda 2006

Recife, Olinda and other cities in the state of Pernambuco are transformed at carnival time with a rich mix of Brazilian dances, from the belly-bumping bate-coxa to the umbrella-wielding frevo, the regal maracatú and the extremely agile caboclinho.

The UNESCO World Heritage City of Olinda is renowned as one of the most carefree of Brazil's carnivals, while some of the smaller celebrations include: Bezerros, with ten days of parades by blocos (Afro-Brazilian drumming groups); Nazaré, which has 11 maracatus, as well as many cavalos marinhos (coco and forré bands); Triunfo, where everyone carries and slaps a harmless whip, travelling from house to house, eating and drinking; and Vitória de Santo Antão, where rival "clubs" vie for attention, dressed in their respective colours (the biggest clash is between O Camelo and O Leão, dressed in red and green, and yellow and blue, respectively).

Another of the local highlights is the maracatú dancing troupe in Recife, who enact a slave dancing tradition that goes back over the centuries to when their slave masters allowed them to administer their own coronations and elections. The head float bears the figure of an animal, followed closely by a float carrying the king and queen, the dama de passo, a doll that brings cheers from all members of the crowd, and the tirador de loas, who faces the crowd and chants in African dialect.

posted by nscafuro @ 2:21 PM