Juba do Leão

Juba do Leão specialise in the rhythms of the Northeast of Brazil. One of these native rhythms of Pernambuco is Maracatu; one of Brazil’s oldest traditions. There are two styles of Maracatu; Maracatu Nação and Maracatu Rural.

Maracatu Nação:

Juba do Leão focus on the intoxicating and powerful Maracatu Nação (‘Nation’) style, also known as Baque Virado. The name Nação reflects the African and tribal heritage of the tradition. This type of Maracatu sets its origins in the time of slavery in Brazil, where groups of slaves would appoint one slave to be responsible for the others. They would be ‘crowned’ as a Rei do Congo (‘King of Congo’) at something resembling a coronation ceremony organised by the slaves and music would be played. Maracatu has links to Afro-Brazilian religions such as Candomblé and Jurema and these traditional Nação groups are based in a terreiro (where such religions are typically based).The principles of these religions combine with the Maracatu crowning practices. When slavery was abolished in 1888, these Kings of Congo ceased to exist, but the Nação groups of Recife and Olinda continue the traditions of the Maracatu ceremony until the present day.

The typical formation of a Maracatu procession (or cortejo) includes a Corte (or ‘court’) consisting of a number of royal characters wearing colonial style costumes representative of the Baroque period. The parade represents African traditions by including several elements such as the Calunga doll (or boneca) which represents the Afro-Brazilian deities and the spirit of the group; this doll is made from a mixture of wax, wood and cloth and is kept in a kind of shrine at the Maracatu group’s sede (or headquarters). This sacred doll (dressed like the rest of the corte) is carried at the front of the procession by the Dama de Paço (a type of lady-in-waiting). The Embaixador or Porta-Estandarte (ambassador or flag-bearer respectively) precedes the parade carrying the bandeira (flag) which shows the group’s name, when they were founded, and occasionally which the community the group comes from. The Dama de Paço follows with the Calunga, then the Bahianas (usually female but are commonly men in drag) dance along wearing their beautiful flowing dresses. The most important characters featured are the Rei and Rainha (King and Queen), who strut by majestically dressed in fine robes, and are sheltered by a large umbrella carried by the Escravo (slave).

At the back of the procession come the Batuqueiros (percussionists) playing a furious blend of low-end bass drum rhythms with slicing snare lines and a driving bell pattern, all lead by the Mestre (master or director) singing the Toadas (songs). In some groups, the Batuqueiros are all men while women are confined to the corte as dancers and singers. In other groups, only members of the surrounding community are allowed to take part, most likely because they are direct descendants of the slaves who founded the older Maracatus. Nowadays it is quite common to see men and women playing drums side by side where others may adhere more strictly to the older traditions of Maracatu.

Juba do Leão are a modern group who deeply appreciate and respect the music of Maracatu and other Northeastern rhythms. Our group is open to men and women, children and adults. If you would like any information about our group or would like to attend our beginner’s class, please use the contact page to get in touch.

A typical Maracatu features the following instruments:
Alfaia/Bombo: Rope-tuned bass drums of varying sizes playing a mixture of complimenting, powerful rhythms.

Caixa/Tarol: Snare drum which often introduces the ensemble with a chamada (introduction).

Gonguê: a type of metal cowbell, can be handheld or several feet long on a rope harness.

Abê: also called ‘shekere’. A gourd shaker covered in brightly coloured plastic or ceramic beads.

Mineiro: a metal cylindrical shaker filled with metal shot or seeds for a sharp cutting sound.

Today there are around 14 Maracatu Nações playing in Recife and Olinda, the oldest of which being Maracatu Nação Elefante founded in 1800. Other groups include Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante do Recife (founded by former slaves in 1906), Maracatu Nação Cambinda Estrela and Maracatu Nação Almirante do Forte (both founded in 1935), and more recently Maracatu Nação Encanto da Alegria (1998).

In the 1990s artists such as ‘Chico Science & Nação Zumbi’ and ‘Mundo Livre S/A’ fronted a movement where traditional Brazilian rhythms such as Maracatu, Forró, Coco and Baião were mixed with modern styles such as dub, reggae and rock to create manguebeat. Maracatu continues to evolve today, with a number of modern percussion and rock groups using the traditional instruments to create a fresh modern sound.

Maracatu Rural:

Maracatu Rural (also known as Baque Solto), by contrast, seems an entirely different entity. It originated in the sugarcane areas of Brazil’s interior in the early 20th Century and is commonly played by farmers and local inhabitants of the Zona da Mata (the ironically named forest zone of Pernambuco). The music is exhilarating and features frantic percussion, skilful vocal duels and exciting movements where the dancers ‘charge’ at the crowd wearing extravagant intricate costumes. The dancers form complex choreographies where they run around in long lines and respond to the starts and stops from the terno (small band and mestre). These Caboclos de Lança resemble native indigenous Indian warrior figures and the style reflects the native Catimbó religion.

The costumes of the Caboclos include floral shirts, pulled up socks, trainers and brightly coloured knee length cotton trousers with tassles around the base. Next comes the heavy surrão (a large type of foam pad) which is worn on the back and has a row of large bells attached to the bottom which jangle loudly when the Caboclo moves. On top of this goes the gola, a type of cape which covers the front and back of the Caboclo and is adorned with sequins in beautiful colours and combinations. To complete the costume, a large hat called the chapéu (covered in brightly coloured cellophane strips which swish around in the wind) and the guia (a long stick covered in ribbons which the Caboclo uses like a spear).
The music features a small percussion emsemble consisting of poíca (a small friction drum with a distinctive low sound), tarol (snare drum which plays a very fast simple rhythm), bombinho (a small metal drum played on one side with a beater and the other side with a thin sticks to get a whipping sound), mineiro (a cylindrical shaker filled with metal shot or seeds) and gonguê (a double bell version carried with a shoulder strap and played with sticks in both hands). The percussionists start and stop on whistle cues by the mestre, which then introduce strong repetitive melodies by the brass section. In the pauses, vocal duels occur where the opposing mestres of each group create improvised verses.