Maracatu De Baque Solto Estrela De Ouro - Feb 24th, 2016 - Condado, Brazil
Channel: Remix ⟷ Culture
Date: 2018-11-20

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Recorded and filmed on Feb 24th, 2016 in Condado, Brazil

Recording engineer: Tyler Wood
Cameras: Hatim Belyamani, Antonin Bouvier, Pedro Branco, and Sya Warfield

Mixed & Mastered by Tyler Wood at Sauce Farm Studio, Catskill, NY

Video editor: Hatim Belyamani

Translations: Pedro Branco

Directed and Produced by Hatim Belyamani

Our deepest gratitude to 
• Diego Bis for generously hosting us 
• Lula Marcondes and Frank Sósthenes for their generous advice
• and finally of course to the band, their leader Nicinha Teles, and the community of Condado for receiving us so warmly and joyfully and for sharing their beautiful tradition with us.

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This video was filmed as part of a larger project seeking to create new links between traditional music and digital remix art. Go to...

remix-culture.org/maracatu-rural

...where you can check out remixes of this music, and - if you want to make your own remix of this music - download remix-friendly audio and video for free with a Creative Commons license.

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Maracatu is a music and performance tradition from the Brazilian state of Pernambuco. It evolved during the 16th century out of the practices of the African and indigenous slaves that were initially repressed under Portuguese colonial rule. To maintain order and control, the Portuguese administration encouraged slaves to appoint their own “kings” and “queens,” who enjoyed privileges of leadership roles - and a friendlier relationship with the Portuguese. Maracatu was born out of the coronation ceremonies of the black “royalty,” fusing pre-colonial indigenous and African traditions with Portuguese aesthetics and culture. The ceremonies involved festive parades and processions of drummers, dancers, and characters who dressed in elaborate costumes that mimicked the style of the Portuguese royal court.

The maracatu tradition continued after slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, and is now typically performed during carnival. Several styles of maracatu have since emerged.

Maracatu de Baque Solto Estrela De Ouro practices a particular style called Maracatu Rural (rural maracatu) or Maracatu de Baque Solto (maracatu of loose rhythm). The first of such Maracatu Rural ceremonies is believed to have taken place in 1918. It is specific to the countryside of Pernambuco and revolves around a celebration of the annual sugarcane harvest.

Maracatu de Baque Solto Estrela De Ouro was founded by Nice Teles in 1983 in Condado, a rural town in Pernambuco. Nice plays a central role in her community in promoting deep-rooted local traditions.