Tag: frevo

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Concurso de Passistas

It was great to see the second day of the frevo passista competition! I saw the adult male competitors and the female competitors for the “frevo de rua folião” category (or “street frevo”). I saw a lot of really impressive and polished dancers, and I also saw a lot of creativity in the movement that I hadn’t seen before. It was quite a spectacle, with some very bright and glittery costumes. The Pátio de São Pedro was almost empty, however, much to the chagrin of some audience members who are concerned about how much longer the competition will continue.

Presentation by the winners of the second day of the passista competition / Apresentação dos vencedores do segundo dia do Concurso de Passistas:

Pátio de Santa Isabel, Recife. 27 de janeiro de 2018.

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Concurso de Rei Momo e Rainha do Carnaval 2018 – Recife

It was quite an experience to witness the competition for Recife’s Rei Momo and Rainha (Queen) of Carnival 2018. The Pátio de São Pedro was completely packed and there was excitement in the air. It was very difficult to see the stage, but I was able to watch through some people’s cellphone cameras. The competition had a bit of a beauty pageant feel, starting with a short 1-minute demonstration of frevo by each candidate, one after another, and then an interview/presentation section afterwards. I was truly impressed by the costumes, especially by the rainha candidate who came out with her sombrinha lit on fire, or the rei candidate who had a full golden wig and lights on his costume!


Pátio de São Pedro, Recife. 25 de janeiro de 2018.

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Prévias do Carnaval – Olinda

This was the first of what I hope will be many times experiencing the prévias in Olinda. We got there early so we watched as people filled in the space and groups began rehearsing. After a few hours, they finally started marching through the streets and we joined the crowd to follow them. We heard lots of maracatu, like the group Batuques de Pernambuco, and I was transfixed by the way the women danced with their shekeres. We also heard the brass sounds of the Pitombeira dos Quatro Cantos, who were accompanied by young frevo dancers from the group Frevança. By this time, we were packed shoulder to shoulder and were no longer walking, but instead being pushed from side to side and eventually moving forward.

Olinda, Brasil. 21 de janeiro de 2018.

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Bloco da Saudade – VII Noite dos Flabelos

I have a lot of work to do to learn the lyrics of the songs that the frevo de bloco groups sing! This Bloco da Saudade event was filled with people in elaborate costumes and holding decorated flabelos to represent their group. The dancing to this slower style of frevo was more staid, but the energy came from everyone belting out the lyrics to the songs.

Later in the event, Mestre Lessa came out to lead the band in some exciting frevo de rua and frevo canção (the faster styles of frevo, the latter having lyrics). This was my moment to try some of the steps I’d been learning at classes with the Guerreiros do Passo. I think I still have some practicing to do! Luckily there will be countless opportunities this carnival season.

AABB (Associação Atlética Banco do Brasil, Graças, Recife). 19 de janeiro de 2018.

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Companhia do Frevo de Recife

After nearly two weeks in Recife, this was finally my first opportunity to see a live frevo performance. Wow! The Companhia do Frevo dancers come from the Escola Municipal do Frevo and they have some impressive chops: high kicks, impossible feats on the ground, boundless energy, and huge smiles. They opened with a piece that looked influenced by ballet, as the music was slow and they stepped out smoothly and gracefully. But after that brief opening, the music picked up and they started dancing full out. They had some organized choreography, but also opportunities to shine with some incredible solos.

The Paço do Frevo is a beautiful space. I have never seen a museum entirely dedicated to a dance/music tradition, with exhibits, workshops, lectures, discussions, classes, a library, and a research center. I feel very fortunate to have this resource!

Companhia do Frevo de Recife. Paço do Frevo. 13 de janeiro de 2018.

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