Maracatu
According to historian Leonardo Dantas, in order to coordinate the management of Africans brought to Brazil as slaves on the first half of the 16th century, Portuguese settlers encouraged the institution of black kings and queens protected by catholic fraternities. The coronation pageants are believed to have originated maracatu’s frolic music. Slavery abolition (in 1888) caused the disappearance of the King of the Congo (Muchino Riá Congo) and the maracatus were turned into music groups, parading on holidays and in Carnival.
Another historian, Pereira da Costa, describes the sumptuousness of centennial maracatu nations like that of Cambinda Velha, which anticipates the luxury boasted by samba schools: "The velvet banner was embroidered in gold, like the costumes wore by court members (...)". There were even thrones with canopy seats for the monarchs at fraternities’ headquarters like Nação Elefante (from 1800), Leão Coroado (1863), Estrela Brilhante (1910), Indiano (1949) and Cambinda Estrela (1953).
Through field work realized between 1949 and 1952 and assembled in the book Maracatus do Recife (Irmãos Vitale, 1980), conductor Guerra-Peixe detailed the percussion layers: "the snare drum announces a slight roll beat, intertwined with pauses. At about the same time, the gonguê (or agogô, a metalic, sharp percussion instrument) comes into the rhythm, preceding the war drums. The snare drum has then moved from the initial scheme to its variations when the zabumbas (bass drums) begin. Random and violent baques (synonym for bangs, which follow two mainlines in maracatu: the loose bang and the twisted bang) are added, as well as the repiques (tiny tambourine played with a small stick), increasing the intensity of the set". The specific cadence has fascinated classical composers like Guerra-Peixe and Marlos Nobre, besides pop composers like frevo experts Capiba and Antônio Nóbrega.
Trails on BPM
During a brief stay in Recife, Dorival Caymmi created the epic Dora ("queen of frevo and maracatu/no one can dance better than you") in 1945. Debuting in the bossa nova bunker (Beco das Garrafas) in 1963, Jorge Ben sang his samba "mixed with maracatu" in Mas Que Nada. In 1973, Gilberto Gil hit the top of the charts with the single Maracatu Atômico (Jorge Mautner and Nelson Jacobina), also a hit track from Chico Science & Nação Zumbi’s Afrociberdelia.
From the northeastern generation that headed south in the 70s, Alceu Valença explored the most of pure and/or customized maracatu, including the style in albums such as Cavalo de Pau (1982) and Maracatus, Batuques e Ladeiras (1994). Egberto Gismonte also experimented with the style in his album Alma (1986) and Lenine and Lula Queiroga opted for a more didactic approach on the LP Baque Solto (1983). But the credit for putting maracatu on the spotlight goes to the mangue beat movement – an attempt of renovation of the local tradition through updated filters -, and more specifically to Chico Science & Nação Zumbi.
Even the ancient rural maracatu was rescued, when 75 groups met at Cidade Tabajara, outside of Olinda (north of Recife), during Carnival in 2000. Today, groups like the orthodox Maracatu Nação Pernambuco (recorded by Velas in 1993) and the progressive Mestre Ambrósio help promote the style. Today, the invention of African slaves – who had a "governor for the niggers, blacks and mulattos", Henrique Dias, assigned by the Portuguese in 1639 – can be appreciated on the percussive wall built by Pedro Luís & A Parede and in Lenine’s electronic explorations.
Songs
Coroa Imperial (Paulo Lopes/ Sebastião Lopes) – Maracatu Nação Pernambuco
Verde Mar de Navegar (Capiba) – Claudionor Germano
Maracatu Elegante (José Prates) – Inezita Barroso
Pai Joaquim (Geraldo Medeiros) – Jamelão
Mas Que Nada (Jorge Ben) – Jorge Ben
Maracatu Atômico (Nelson Jacobina/ Jorge Mautner) – Gilberto Gil
Maracatu (Egberto Gismonti) – Egberto Gismonti
Maracatu (Alceu Valença/ Ascenso Ferreira) – Alceu Valença
Mateus Embaixador (Antonio Nóbrega) – Antonio Nóbrega
Três Vendas (Siba) – Mestre Ambrósio
Maracatu Silêncio (Zé Rocha/ Erasto Vasconcellos) – Lenine
Maracatu Indiano (Antúlio Madureira) – Antúlio Madureira
Fazê o Quê? (Pedro Luis) – Pedro Luis e a Parede
A Praieira (Chico Science) – Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Candeeiro Encantado (Lenine/ Paulo Cesar Pinheiro) – Lenine
Another historian, Pereira da Costa, describes the sumptuousness of centennial maracatu nations like that of Cambinda Velha, which anticipates the luxury boasted by samba schools: "The velvet banner was embroidered in gold, like the costumes wore by court members (...)". There were even thrones with canopy seats for the monarchs at fraternities’ headquarters like Nação Elefante (from 1800), Leão Coroado (1863), Estrela Brilhante (1910), Indiano (1949) and Cambinda Estrela (1953).
Through field work realized between 1949 and 1952 and assembled in the book Maracatus do Recife (Irmãos Vitale, 1980), conductor Guerra-Peixe detailed the percussion layers: "the snare drum announces a slight roll beat, intertwined with pauses. At about the same time, the gonguê (or agogô, a metalic, sharp percussion instrument) comes into the rhythm, preceding the war drums. The snare drum has then moved from the initial scheme to its variations when the zabumbas (bass drums) begin. Random and violent baques (synonym for bangs, which follow two mainlines in maracatu: the loose bang and the twisted bang) are added, as well as the repiques (tiny tambourine played with a small stick), increasing the intensity of the set". The specific cadence has fascinated classical composers like Guerra-Peixe and Marlos Nobre, besides pop composers like frevo experts Capiba and Antônio Nóbrega.
Trails on BPM
During a brief stay in Recife, Dorival Caymmi created the epic Dora ("queen of frevo and maracatu/no one can dance better than you") in 1945. Debuting in the bossa nova bunker (Beco das Garrafas) in 1963, Jorge Ben sang his samba "mixed with maracatu" in Mas Que Nada. In 1973, Gilberto Gil hit the top of the charts with the single Maracatu Atômico (Jorge Mautner and Nelson Jacobina), also a hit track from Chico Science & Nação Zumbi’s Afrociberdelia.
From the northeastern generation that headed south in the 70s, Alceu Valença explored the most of pure and/or customized maracatu, including the style in albums such as Cavalo de Pau (1982) and Maracatus, Batuques e Ladeiras (1994). Egberto Gismonte also experimented with the style in his album Alma (1986) and Lenine and Lula Queiroga opted for a more didactic approach on the LP Baque Solto (1983). But the credit for putting maracatu on the spotlight goes to the mangue beat movement – an attempt of renovation of the local tradition through updated filters -, and more specifically to Chico Science & Nação Zumbi.
Even the ancient rural maracatu was rescued, when 75 groups met at Cidade Tabajara, outside of Olinda (north of Recife), during Carnival in 2000. Today, groups like the orthodox Maracatu Nação Pernambuco (recorded by Velas in 1993) and the progressive Mestre Ambrósio help promote the style. Today, the invention of African slaves – who had a "governor for the niggers, blacks and mulattos", Henrique Dias, assigned by the Portuguese in 1639 – can be appreciated on the percussive wall built by Pedro Luís & A Parede and in Lenine’s electronic explorations.
Songs
Coroa Imperial (Paulo Lopes/ Sebastião Lopes) – Maracatu Nação Pernambuco
Verde Mar de Navegar (Capiba) – Claudionor Germano
Maracatu Elegante (José Prates) – Inezita Barroso
Pai Joaquim (Geraldo Medeiros) – Jamelão
Mas Que Nada (Jorge Ben) – Jorge Ben
Maracatu Atômico (Nelson Jacobina/ Jorge Mautner) – Gilberto Gil
Maracatu (Egberto Gismonti) – Egberto Gismonti
Maracatu (Alceu Valença/ Ascenso Ferreira) – Alceu Valença
Mateus Embaixador (Antonio Nóbrega) – Antonio Nóbrega
Três Vendas (Siba) – Mestre Ambrósio
Maracatu Silêncio (Zé Rocha/ Erasto Vasconcellos) – Lenine
Maracatu Indiano (Antúlio Madureira) – Antúlio Madureira
Fazê o Quê? (Pedro Luis) – Pedro Luis e a Parede
A Praieira (Chico Science) – Chico Science & Nação Zumbi
Candeeiro Encantado (Lenine/ Paulo Cesar Pinheiro) – Lenine
Tárik de Souza
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