Brasil & Arte Popular

Lesson Plan

O Criador de Porco (The Pig Farmer) by José Francisco Borges, Bezerros, , , 1995. Gift from the Dr. James Bert Smith and Dr. Beej Nierengarten-Smith Collection. Photo by Jim Chandler.

Museum of International Folk Art P.O. Box 2087 Santa Fe, NM 87504-2087 (505) 476-1200, FAX (505) 476-1300 www.internationalfolkart.org Brasil & Arte Popular

The varied cultural mix found throughout the vast region of Brazil not only draws from the original indigenous inhabitants, but also from the Portuguese colonists, who began to settle there in the 16th century. Enslaved Africans brought by the Europeans contributed their own religions and rituals, as well as vibrant arts, music, and dance. Eventually merging traditions created the dynamic cultural fusion that is so uniquely Brazilian.

During the 20th century folk artists found that they had more freedom to portray their history, folklore, and daily life. At last religious practitioners could carry out their rituals openly, and festival performers were able to draw from old traditions and use contemporary issues to create lively pageants and dramas.

Folk Festivals of Brazil

Brazil’s folk festivals represent one of the richest and most interesting forms of popular expression. The subjects, costumes, rhythm, and choreography draw from European, African, and indigenous traditions. Much of Brazilian festival is focused on pre-Lenten carnival, when large groups, called clubs, perform dances, folk dramas, and pageants in the city streets. Festival performances also take place at other times of the year, such as Christmas, the Epiphany, Easter and the feast day of St. John in late June.

Guerreiros festival drama in Maceió and other cities in

Photo courtesy Museum of International Folk Art

The guerreiros (warriors) drama is performed in December and January in Maceió and other cities in the northeastern state of Alagoas. It grew out of the reisado, or epiphany pageant, used by colonial Catholic priests at Christmas time to teach converts about the birth of Christ and the visit of the Three Kings. Over the centuries the Christmas drama evolved into a secular play, involving warriors, royal courts, as well as clowns, a bull, and various monsters. The male guerreiros wear large, elaborately decorated crowns that represent the facades of local cathedrals. Maracatu Nation Carnival Clubs in , Pernambuco

The origin of maracatu nation carnival clubs in Recife, Pernambuco, can be traced to the early 19th century, when plantation owners organized their African slaves into “nations” according to their tribal origins. As part of the Christmas season entertainment, these groups performed dance pageants for the plantation, dressed as kings, queens, and other members of the Portuguese royal court. They were accompanied by drummers playing African polyrhythms, known as maracatus.

After the abolition of in Brazil in the late 19th century, the “nations” moved into Recife and established Afro-Brazilian religious organizations. Now they serve as a base for the maracatu nation carnival clubs, who continue to dress up in elaborate costumes of a royal court and dance to distinctive African rhythms played by their drummers.

Rural Maracatu Carnival Groups in Recife and , Pernambuco

Some of the most extraordinary groups found in Recife and Olinda carnivals are known as rural maracatu de baque solto, referring to the loose-style rhythms played by their small orchestras. The performances of these groups originated in the 18th and 19th centuries on rural sugar plantations in the interior region northwest of Recife, where enslaved Africans worked alongside Brazilian Indians.

The most spectacular figures are the caboclos de lança (Afro-Indian dancers), who represent warriors possessed by Amerindian or African spirits. They dance, leap, drop to the ground, and sometimes duel with one another by slashing out with their long lances. Large cowbells worn on the dancers’ backs make a clanking noise as they run and dance.

Bumba-Meu-Boi Festival Drama in São Luís, Bumba-Meu-Boi is a comical and very popular Maranhão folk drama, brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers in the 18th century. The original plot centers around the death and resurrection of a prized bull. The story has been adapted, however, to reflect typical northeast Brazilian rural life, involving many different costumed characters in a series of comic episodes. Today it is performed throughout Brazil during the Christmas holidays, carnival, and other festival celebrations. São Luís, in the northern state of Maranhão, is particularly known for its version of the bull drama, performed in late June for

Photo courtesy Museum of International Folk Art the feast day of St. John.

Dancing Bear Carnival Clubs in Recife and Rural Towns in Pernambuco

The origin of ursos, or carnival bear clubs, in Pernambuco can be traced to the 19th century when Italian gypsies arrived in northeastern Brazil to work in the sugar mills. Some of them brought specially trained bears that performed in small traveling circuses where they captivated the local populace. The displaced European animals did not survive long in the tropical climate. However, people kept the tradition alive by creating urso de carnaval clubs that feature a dancing bear, his Italian trainer, and a hunter. Small orchestras playing European-derived march, polka, and schottische music accompany each group as they perform on the streets during carnival.

Ceramic and Wood Folk Sculpture in Brazil

scenes from daily life. Men and women at work in various situations provide inspiration, as do subjects as diverse as brides, athletes, and characters from legends and history. Animals, both domestic and impressively wild, also are a source of artistic interest, whether found in their natural environments or in an exotic traveling circus.

Family Escaping the Drought (Retirantes) by Manoel Eudócio, Alto A very popular theme is the portrayal of do Moura, Pernambuco, Brazil, 1995. entertainment from festivals and folk dramas. Gift from the Dr. James Bert Smith and Dr. Beej Nierengarten- Smith Collection. Traditional characters in colorful costumes are shown participating in musical and dramatic activities. These lively events bring together a The majority of the museum’s Brazilian typical Brazilian mixture of races and cultures. collection consists of ceramic and wood folk Portrayals of Afro-Brazilian gods and Catholic sculpture. Many of the artists represented saints present religious imagery and practices. started out making simple toys and then Together, all of this captivating sculptural work nurtured the skills necessary to produce larger presents an expansive view of Brazil’s extremely and more sophisticated sculptural forms. These rich folk culture and artistic potency. are mostly figural, often depicting people and

Rag Dolls of Northeastern Brazil

Assorted Brazilian Dolls, photo by Ruth LaNore.

Rag dolls are sold in markets throughout northeastern Brazil, especially in the states of and Pernambuco. They are generally made by women, who have learned the craft from their mothers or grandmothers and pass it on to their own daughters. Many of the dolls from Bahia portray Afro- Brazilian women clothed in the traditional dresses, head wraps, and jewelry worn in that region. The rag dolls from Pernambuco wear typical clothing made from selected scraps of fabric and come in all shapes and sizes.

Puppets from various towns in Pernambuco

Photo courtesy of Museum of International Folk Art

Mamulengo is a type of puppet performance popular in northeastern Brazil, particularly in the state of Pernambuco. The hand-made puppets are created by folk artists living in Recife and neighboring towns. Their heads are made from papier-mâché or carved from light wood, and the bodies are clothed in bright printed fabric. Most are manipulated by a hand inside the form, but some are controlled from above by strings. They appear on miniature stages to enact biblical stories or humorous political and social satire. Voice alterations, improvisations, singing, and dancing all provide general fun. Sílvio Botelho and the Giant Puppets of Olinda, Pernambuco

Residents in the colonial town of Olinda, Pernambuco, took the art of mamulengo, or puppet performance, to a new level when they introduced giant puppets into their annual carnival parades. Artist Sílvio Botelho was born in Olinda and began making papier-mâché carnival masks when he was nine. In 1974 two giant puppet characters appeared in the festival processions, and Sílvio was asked to create a third. Everyone loved his figure, so he was encouraged to make more. Sílvio found his life’s calling and continues to produce giant puppets every year for the parade.

Today there are dozens of the huge figures that dance along the cobblestone streets during carnival. The large papier-mâché head and torso of the puppet is attached to a frame carried on the shoulders of a young man. He looks out through a peephole in the front of the skirt or pantaloons as he dances and spins, bringing life to the giant figure. Most of these puppets represent special historical, comical, or satirical figures familiar to the people of Olinda.

Afro-Brazilian Religions

overwhelming adverse conditions. Of particular importance to the slaves were the West African religions of peoples such as the Yoruba in Nigeria. The modern forms of these religions in Brazil have different names, such as Xangô in Pernambuco, Candomblé in Bahia, and Umbanda in and further south.

The pantheon of Afro-Brazilian deities, known as orixás, are associated with natural phenomena, such as thunder, rivers, the sea, iron, and plants. As with the Catholic saints, the orixás, are invoked to help followers overcome their problems. The religious rituals generally take place in terreiros (temples), frequently directed by female priests. The worshippers dance and sing to call forth the orixás or other spirits. They eventually go into a trance, allowing a deity to “inhabit” their body for the Photo courtesy Museum of International Folk Art remainder of the ceremony. Elaborate costumes and jewelry worn by each worshipper Religious traditions brought to the represent the specific orixá to which they are by enslaved Africans have survived despite devoted.

Orixás Syncretized with Catholic Saints and Other European Images

Catholic priests, working to convert the African slaves in Brazil, would not tolerate the “pagan” practices of the African religions. Confronted with this attitude, the Africans disguised their beliefs and rituals, adopting the outward appearances of Catholicism. One aspect of this was the pairing of African orixás (deities) with Catholic saints (or other European mythical beings) on the basis of similar iconography or historical attributes.

During three centuries of worship in this manner, the boundaries between the orixás and Catholic saints dissolved, and they became syncretized. Traditional images of Catholic divinities or exotic beings from Western mythology, identified with the orixás, are placed on the Afro-Brazilian altars or carried in rituals.

Catholic Folk Religion

Portuguese colonizers brought Roman Catholicism to Brazil along with a profound belief in miracles and miraculous saints. The saints were called upon to protect individuals and communities from bad luck, helping them in times of need. Their assistance was vital during ritual moments like baptisms, weddings, and funerals. Travelers carried small altars to maintain their practices away from home and to protect them along the road.

Jesuit missionaries working among the African slaves encouraged the formation of brotherhoods dedicated to dark-skinned saints such as St. Benedict. Promoting saints that the black slaves could relate to aided in religious instruction and encouraged piety. The Three Kings present at the Nativity were often portrayed with brown, black, and white skin, symbolizing the Indian, African, and European peoples of Brazil.

Pilgrimage Sites and Ex-Votos with specific images of these saints and are the focus of mass pilgrimages. In thanksgiving for supernatural intervention, objects known as ex- votos are deposited by individuals at the sacred sites, often in a place designated to receive the offerings. These gifts are usually wood carvings depicting parts of their body that have been healed miraculously. Ex-votos are also left at roadside shrines, where fatal accidents have occurred or victims of sudden death have been Hand Amulet – Figa Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, ca. 1960. Gift of the found. Believers profess that the souls of the Girard Foundation Collection, Photo courtesy Museum of International Folk Art. deceased act as intermediaries between humanity and God and, like the saints, can help In Brazil many people of European, African, and the faithful overcome health issues and other indigenous descent share a belief in the problems. miraculous powers of certain Catholic saints. Several churches and shrines are associated

Literatura de Cordel of Pernambuco sold at fairs and open markets in Recife and the interior of Pernambuco, displayed hanging from string. Following a medieval European troubadour tradition introduced by the Portuguese, the Brazilian poets were often the salesmen, singing the stories out loud to a mostly illiterate rural population. Some of the poets are also self-taught woodcut artists, and the covers of their chapbooks feature simple black-on-white images relating to the poems.

One of the most famous cordel poets and illustrators is José Francisco Borges, who likes to be called J. Borges. He was born in 1935 in the small town of Bezerros in the interior of Pernambuco and grew up helping his father in the fields. When he was 20 years old, he bought a set of chapbooks from a local poet and became an itinerant peddler, selling them in the plazas and markets of small towns. They sold Booklet – O Homem Gosta de Mulher e Mulher Gosta de Dinheiro (The Man Likes the Woman, The Woman Likes Money) by José well, so he decided to write his own. He paid a Soares, Olinda, Pernambuco, Brazil, 1995, Gift from the Dr. James woodcut artist to do a cover illustration for his Bert Smith and Dr. Beej Nierengarten-Smith Collection. Photo by Blair Clark. first booklet but soon taught himself to do the woodcuts. His images became popular with

Literatura de Cordel (Literature on a String) other poets who hired him to do the covers and refers to small hand-printed chapbooks of print the text for their cordel. Other well-known poetry, which address popular themes, authors and woodcut artists from Pernambuco folktales, and legends, native to the dry, are José Severino Cristóvão, José Ferreira da impoverished interior of northeastern Brazil. Silva (Dila), José Costa Leite, and Marcelo Up until recently these booklets were primarily Soares. Abraão Bezerra Batista, in Juazeiro do Norte, , has also been doing similar work.

Woodblock prints of Pernambuco and Ceará

In the 1960s, J. Borges realized that a market was developing just for the images on his literatura de cordel. By enlarging the black-and-white woodcut prints to folio-size or larger, he could create a freestanding art form. He began carving larger wood blocks to produce single sheet images of religious ceremonies, festivals, and social dances, as well as scenes from folklore and everyday life. This work caught the attention of publishers, art collectors, and gallery owners. Since the 1970s, Borges has received increasing orders for the prints. By the late 1980s, he was experimenting with colored ink to enliven the scenes. This style has continued along with the traditional black-on-white images.

With the success of the larger woodcut prints, other cordel artists, such as José Costa Leite, Marcelo Soares, and Abraão Bezerra Batista, began producing single sheet images as well. J. Borges also encouraged members of his family to get involved in the work. His brother Amaro Francisco and Amaro’s wife, Nena, became skilled woodcut artists developing their own styles. Borges brought his adopted son, J. Miguel da Silva, into his workshop to assist and learn the art form. He has become very respected in his own right. Borges’s younger son, Ivan, grew up in the workshop and is now producing beautiful, detailed images.

Vocabulary

Colonists – people who settle in a new country

Ex – voto – a votive offering, an offering expressing a wish, a vow, or a desire

Festival – a time of celebration marked by special observances

Indigenous – originating in a particular region or environment

Literatura de cordel – stories on a string, Brazilian folk pamphlets with graphic covers and text inside

Orixás – orishas, a spirit or deity that reflects one of the manifestations of God in the Yoruba spiritual or religious system

Pageant – an elaborate, colorful exhibition or spectacle often with music, floats and tableaux

Papier – mâché – a light strong molding and sculpting material made of waste paper with glue and other additives

Sculpture – a three dimensional work of art

Syncretism – the combination of different forms of belief or practice

How to Make Literatura de Cordel Stories on a String

Objectives: 1. Students will understand how literatura de cordel is an art form used to tell stories, to entertain and to convey important information in Brazil. (historical and cultural understanding). 2. Students will learn about the materials used to create literatura de cordel (perceiving, analyzing and responding). 3. Students will find their own solutions in their process of creating stories on a string (creating and performing).

New Mexico State Content Standards Social Studies II Arts 1, 2, 3 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

Materials Styrofoam printing sheets 4” x 4½” , water soluble printing ink, brayers, cookie sheets, drawing or scrap paper 4” x 4 ½”, copy or lightweight paper 8 ½” x 5 ½”, newspaper cut larger than the drawing paper and placed in stacks, pencils, erasers, ballpoint pens or sharp clay tools, wipes or paper towels. String, clothes pins.

Motivation Discuss different ways that people communicate with your students. What are their favorite ways to get the message out? You can talk about newspapers, magazines, the internet, poetry slams, as many forms as possible. Introduce the way that Brazilian folk artists use literatura de cordel to tell stories, sing songs, make jokes and get important information out to people. Tell the students that they will be making their own literatura de cordel. They can write their own story or poem, make a case for a social issue or illustrate an existing story, poem or slogan. Students will think of an image to create for the cover. Remind them that letters and numbers need to be written in reverse to be read.

Procedure 1. Students draw ideas for the print on the drawing or scrap paper, then lay the paper on the styrofoam plates and press into the styrofoam with a pencil, pen or clay tool. 2. Roll out the printing ink onto a cookie sheet using a brayer. 3. Place the styrofoam with the engraved design facing up on a stack of newspaper pages. Roll the ink onto the styrofoam. 4. Fold the 5 ½” x 8 ½” paper in half for the cover. 5. Place the cover paper on top of the inked styrofoam so that the fold is on left hands side and rub. 6. Lift off the paper and admire. 7. Repeat as many times as materials and time allow. 8. Hang the prints on string with clothes pins.

Evaluation Display the prints on a bulletin board with descriptive labels made by the students.

Have a workshop day where your students teach other classes how to make relief prints. Have a print swap after many students have created prints.

Curricular Connections

Social Studies Have students visit a local newspaper or press where they can see how automatic presses operate. They can write about the differences between the types of printing when they return to class. Extend their writing or discuss the way that computer directed printers relate to the other methods.

Collect images of graphic arts from many countries. Have students compare the styles and uses of graphic arts.

Language Arts Have students make their own forms of literatura de cordel, rhyming forms of stories, current events and topics of interest to them. They can print them on computers and then xerox them to distribute.

Music Listen to selections of Brazilian music and study the instrumentation.

Geography José Borges uses a very hard wood which is not found outside of his country to carve his woodblocks. Have students research the types of trees that grow in Brazil and explore their qualities.

Bibliography

Books for Children

Ancona, George. Carnaval. San Diego, CA: Harcourt Brace & Company, 1999.

Aloian, Molly. Cultural Traditions in Brazil. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2012.

Hollander, Malika. Brazil: The Land. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2003.

Kalman, Bobbie. Spotlight on Brazíl. New York: Crabtree Publishing Company, 2011.

Books for Adults

Levitin, Alexis, ed. Brazil, A Treveller’s Literary Companion. Berkeley, CA: Whereabouts Press, 2010.

Meade, Teresa A. A Brief History of Brazil. New York: Checkmark Books, 2010.

Neale, Patrick & Damian Platt, Culture is Our Weapon: Making Music & Change in Rio de Janeiro. New York: Penguin Books, 2006

Rohter, Larry. Brazil on the Rise. New York: Palgrove Macmillan, 2012.

Skidmore, Thomas E. Brazil: Five Centuries of Change. New York: Oxford University Press, 2010.