VITORIA DE SANTO ANTÃO A REMEMBRANCE OF THE PAST IN MEMORY OF A PEOPLE

Vitoria de Santo Antão June 3, 2020 where we can remember a little of the past that stayed in our memories of the past as here I explained the true story I went through in my adolescence when I was 28 years old in 1992 when it was a very fantastic time in which everything happened like a dream in which I describe here that I lived in the main square known as Praça Dom Luiz de Brito No. 279 where I spent my whole life in my aunt Arlinda de Barros Xavier's house when I lived with my parents in the house of my aunt and I always used to buy ice cream, popsicles, beers, whiskey, caramels at Aylton's Maguari, at Matuto's tent, Zequinha's tent, Bila's tent at those stalls in the squarewho always used to talk at that time in the matrix square where we spent the best street carnivals right when the pitu's electric trio, Assas da América held parties in the matrix square playing various Pernambuco frevos and maracatus with Pierre and the band he always played with. infected the square with a very large number of people who dressed up as clowns and many other costumes and played with the club shakers the lion that left the matrix square with their floats showing all fantastic allegory and brilliant stories of beautiful people with beautiful themes and costumes in which they passed in front of my aunt Arlinda's house showing how the magnificent and brilliant carnival was through the streets of the city with a very beautiful instrumental orchestra that always attracted all the inhabitants of the city with the old lion flags showing the bravery of a time with its tradition and citizenship that wrap themselves in the true history of the people and the battle of tabocas celebrating the honor and gl a real victorian people and the camel, the giraffe, the rabbit and the swan club always passed with their floats, which was a very good club known as the drivers' club based in Cajá as others who always had the best carnival from the street playing various frevos in which tradition mixes qualifiedly with the people who have always been revelers and have always followed the tradition of playing in the streets of the old city the best street carnival known as today VitoriaFest where several electric trios gather through the city's streets making the best carnival in the city showing the whole story that victory is not a joke, but an old city built and was called Cidade de Braga.

In 1626, the Portuguese Antônio Diogo de Braga, coming from the island of Santo Antão, of the Cape Verde archipelago (former colony of Portugal), took up residence with his relatives and built a chapel in honor of Santo Antão da Mata.

In 1774, the city of Braga was called Santo Antão da Mata, when it already had an estimated population of 4,866 inhabitants. On Saturdays, open markets were held where residents manufactured their products by hand to meet convoys that came from the hinterland of Minas to buy these items.

Santo Antão da Mata, in addition to its privileged situation in terms of watercourses, was located as a crossing point on the path that was destined for São Francisco through the Mocotó Valley. The village, in this condition, must have had an important commercial role, in which the fact that "in their weekly fairs, the drovers sold cattle to supply Olinda and Recife, as well as brown sugar and honey (made in the contraptions of the parish), cotton cloth, fabrics (in modest domestic workshops)", among other products.

The traditional victory clubs have always shown a fertility and tradition throughout the city, like several that we have shown and that have always contributed to the best carnival in the interior of Pernambuco.

Lions, camels, giraffes, rabbits and swans. In Vitória de Santo Antão's carnival, the “faggot” is loose. More than 150 troças, blocks and clubs, most named after animals, make Momo's revelry in the city of Mata Sul. Of the glorious club and parade carnivals with floats in the streets, much has been lost, but one group is determined to rescue the carnival of yesteryear. Clube Abanadores – O Leão, from 1902, had not shown a parade since 2010. In Carnival 2019, the association will return to the streets with a parade at 7 pm on Sunday.

The club is proud to claim to be older than frevo, a rhythm considered an Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2012 by Unesco, and made official since 1907. The Lion was already five years old. “As music, frevo already existed, of course, but not made official and with that name”, explains the president of the club, Paulo Roberto Arruda.

The club's directors guarantee that the carnivals in Rio de Janeiro have learned to make parades with floats in the city. In the 1920s, the carnival ranches were the biggest attraction of the street carnival in Rio. A precursor of the samba school, the ranch had the first association “Reis de Ouro”, from 1893, created by the Pernambuco native Hilário Jovino Ferreira. He was responsible for introducing new things to cariocas, such as the creation of plots, the use of string and wind instruments.

Afterwards, say the directors of Abanadores, a group of carnival artists from Rio spent a season of immersion in the Vitória carnival to understand the technology of floats. Car sketches from the 1960s and 1970s are guarded and proudly displayed in the club's archive. “The parade was like in Rio de Janeiro. There was a theme, open doors, cars”, says Arruda.

In the 1960s, the Vitória carnival reached its peak. ” We were the biggest carnival in the interior of the state. At that time, TVs were opening the local news here. Reports about the party were shown in national programs ” , says the social director of the O Leão club, Roberto de Deus. In addition to the parades with floats, there were parties at the club with costumes, marches, confetti and streamers.

For 2019, the group promises a return to make the most homesick remember the carnival of yesteryear. Leão will parade with a float, orchestra and banner through the streets of Vitória from 7 pm on Sunday.

OTHER PETS

After the Abanador club won the O Leão complement, most of Vitória's associations were named after animals. The competition between them is fierce, especially at carnival. Few, however, survived the influence of Bahian axé, which replaced frevo in some of the city's most traditional festivals.

The traditional carnival party of Vitória de São Antão is known as one of the liveliest in the state, with around 100 groups that happily compete for the attention of revelers who seek the streets of the city every year to play carnival.

The blocks parade mainly in Praça Duque de Caxias, has the characteristic of the names of animals such as: Clube Vassouras o Camelo, Girafa, Coelho and Leão. The dispute between the clubs is old and almost follows the history of the city's carnival. One of the oldest is O Clube Abanadores O Leão which was founded in 1902 by a group of young men. In the beginning, the name was Clube Carnavalesco Abanadores. The first orchestras accompanied the songs sung by the revelers' cordões. In 1925, the name of the block was renamed “O Leão”, because of the enthusiasm of the fans. The carnival tradition in the municipality of Vitória de Santo Antão, 51 kilometers from Recife, is in the rivalry between the carnival clubs. Considered one of the liveliest parties in the interior of the state, the party brings together around 100 associations. The fight between the clubs is old and almost follows the history of the city's carnival. The biggest dispute occurs between O Camelo and O Leão. Anyone who lives in the city knows that the yellow and blue of the Lion and the red and green of the Camel do not mix. All the material for the carnival starts to be prepared three months before. The parade themes are hidden under lock and key. From the decoration of the floats, to the costumes - made with velvet, feathers, sequins and lots of shine - everything is a secret. When it comes to saying who is the best and most beautiful club, everything counts: theme, floats, car size and choreographies. At the party, residents share opinions and become true fanatical fans. There are those who paint, dress or decorate the façade of the house with the color of their favorite club. The parades take place on Sunday and Carnival Tuesday. Learn a little more about them: Clube Abanadores O Leão was founded in 1902 by a group of young men. In the beginning, the name was Clube Carnavalescos Abanadores. The first orchestras accompanied the songs sung by the revelers' cordões. In 1925, the name of the block was renamed "O Leão" (The Lion), because of the enthusiasm of the fans. Today, it is the oldest carnival club in the city. The Clube Vassouras O Camelo was founded in 1921. The initial name was Clube Carnavalesco Vassouras. As soon as its main rival, the Shakers, received the title of O Leão, the followers of Vassouras named it O Camelo, a symbol of strength and endurance. The main point of revelry is Praça Duque de Caxias, the best known in the city, which has 100 beds in inns with breakfast and air conditioning, as well as restaurants and other services. To get into the fun, just choose the animal that you like the most and get caught up in the gang. The city, 53 km from Recife, in Zona da Mata Sul, is known for the “buggers” that take over the streets during the Momo festivities, on Carnival Monday. Camels, giraffes, lions, zebras and oxen meet at the Carnival of Vitória de Santo Antão, which has 150 groups, including blocks, troca and float clubs. The reference to animals is a tradition and is present in the props and costumes of the revelers, who also play amidst electric trios and floats. The beginning of the Carnival festivities always takes place on the Saturday of the pre-Carnival week, with the Municipal Ball of Vitória as a landmark. But the official opening takes place on the Saturday of Zé Pereira. In the 1990s, all these groups began to change their style, influenced by the Bahian Carnival, adopting cordão de isolation, abada and playing basically axé.

The eclipse of other maneuver clubs, such as Kettles and Espanadores, swallowed up by “O Leão”, left a void in the Victorian carnival, so that “Abanadores” had a rival to match, it was imperative for the greatest increase and warmth of the parties dedicated to Momo.

Discontented revelers got together in 1921 and founded the “Clube Carnavalesco Vassoura”, received with unusual enthusiasm and having great penetration in all social strata.

On October 16 of that year, the weekly “Gazeta da Vitória” reported that “Vassouras”, leaving its headquarters, would perform the first rehearsal, accompanied by six other carnival associations.

It was shown for the first time at the 1922 carnival (26,17 and 28 February), with resounding success.

As soon as its main rival, the “Abanadores”, received the nickname of “O Leão”, the followers of “Brooms” christened it “O Camelo”, symbol of strength and endurance.

The new association began to compete, on an equal level, in initiatives and undertakings, with "Abanadores", for the greatest brilliance of the Victorian carnival, rivaling its counterpart, in the exhibition of squads, floats, costumes, strings, blocks and orchestras.

In 1941, on the 4th of October , “Vassouras” held the foundation stone of its headquarters, at Praça 03 de Agosto, whose inauguration took place three years later.

Eager for something different and motivating to play the 1950's carnival, a group of “ corro potters ” (friends) had the unusual idea of “stealing” the allegorical giraffe used as a symbol of the Northeast Warehouse – A Girafa Fabrics (commercial house located in the Flag Square). Discreetly, the mission was successfully accomplished, and the proceeds of the illicit were secretly collected at the Atomic Workshop, owned by Zé Palito.

Meeting scheduled, morning glory gathered, drinks served, speeches given: the Mixed Carnival Troça A Girafa was founded. Officially the date of foundation is 16/01/1950, as stated in the Minutes drawn up at the time.

After the carnival, once the edges generated by the "theft" of the symbol animal from Armazém Nordeste had been corrected, it was duly agreed between the parties that the allegory in question would be lent annually by the aforementioned store and later returned in perfect condition. Years later, the board ordered the manufacture of its own Giraffe, the greatest symbol and trademark of Girafistas to this day. It is worth emphasizing that Giraffe is the only association in the city to participate in all carnivals since its foundation.

For years and already as a Club, selfless revelers led the destinies of the Girafista festivities and their allegories were mounted in various places in the city, until 1986, the construction of a modern and large shed, located at Rua Eurico Valois (Road) was completed. New). The aforementioned shed was not festively inaugurated, due to the death of Dona Jura. As Girafista as her husband Mané Mizura .

In another festivity I want to remember a very glorious time of a party held in the parish square of the patron saint Antão that was always prayed by Father Renato in the church of the matrix with great prosperity to Catholicism and the tradition of the Victorian people who always honors the patron saint of city called Santo Antão that I also remember the arrival of the caruaru amusement park that always played with my friends when I was 28 years old and would run around the square running on a ferris wheel, riding the carousel, riding the roller coaster with my brothers and friends who spent most of the afternoon and all night having fun in this park that remained as a reminder of our teenage years.

The tributes dedicated to Santo Antão, patron saint of Vitória, continue until this Friday, January 17, a municipal holiday. This year, the novenário reaches its 395th edition and has as its theme “Bread on all tables”.

As in all editions of the event, in addition to the religious grid, with masses, rosary and recitation of the novena, the party also has cultural activities and an amusement park at Praça da Matriz.

Check the closing schedule:

January 16 – 7:00 am Holy Parish Mass; 8 am Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament; 6 pm Recitation of the Rosary; 6:30 pm Novena; 7:00 pm Holy Mass.

January 17 – Closing – 10 am Solemn Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Dom Antônio Fernando Saburido , Metropolitan Archbishop of Olinda and Recife; 17:00 Solemn Procession with images of Santo Antão and São Sebastião; 6:00 pm Closing Mass presided over by Father Renato Matheus Sales de Deus e Melo, from Nossa Senhora das Graças Parish, Curado IV, Recife.

I believe that we are going through a reform that during 246 years ago, victory was not fully a well-populated city that, with the arrival of the Portuguese Antônio Diogo de Braga from Santo Antão Island, from the Cape Verde archipelago (former colony of Portugal), he took up residence with his relatives and built a chapel in honor of Santo Antão da Mata.

Santo Antao da Mata

On August 3, 1645, it was the scene of a famous battle between the Portuguese-Brazilians and the Dutch. The first, led by Antônio Dias Cardoso and João Fernandes Vieira, entrenched in the upper parts and protected by tabocais, defeated the Flemings.

Fulfilling the promise made by Fernandes Vieira, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Nazaré, built with local stones, was inaugurated on August 3, 1945, the day of the tercentenary of the Battle of Monte das Tabocas.

On November 9, 1978, a deed of expropriation of part of the area surrounding the main spire was signed. At the time of the battle, the vegetation was made up of huge bamboo groves, synonymous with bamboo, hence its name. Another richness in the place was the brazilwood.

On March 11, 1986, the state government approved the listing of the historic site known as Monte das Tabocas.

I want to say that we are perhaps improving on a beautiful history that formalizes us between various aspects and cultures of a traditional people who have always kept as a personal magnitude their origin and tradition that today we seek in the depths of our familiarities a more formalized and preserved context that we classify and we always look for new ideas and we always remember the old friends from before who always showed in their most ending and transforming role a relationship of habits that lies between our origins that we still reflect today as true heroes and costumers who always stood out on a more categorical and exploring the past that today we can better appreciate the future and see today's young people simplify and accompany their parents as a producer of certain social habits that we should always never forget about what we were and what we are because time makes us say how much we are the product of a generation that in theory we can identify ourselves staying in the socialist milieu maybe a more traditionalist plenitude that we always put into practice of beautiful actions that today makes us conceal various purposes of being like before in which our customs will not be left behind as well as we can always dedicate ourselves to our dreams as an emanation in that maybe tomorrow we will be facts and ideals as an attribute of generalizing the young people who are to come and that the future can be more effective in our traditions that you arrived at the thought of always overcoming all the circumstances of life and that the best instrument would be the feeling that can be perfected on great fascinating ideas in which we can identify with the past that always transcended old memories as a lesson that we transcribed about what passed between us and today we can remake ourselves on such memories that always revealed the future to us even more that we are inflected to the past that we always remember old stories that always stayed g saved in time.

São João de Vitoria de Santo Antão always showed a great party for all victorians and I always remembered that I used to go by bus to various interiors of Pernambuco such as pigeons, tie, calves, caruaru, Garanhuns and many others who took bus tours leaving Vitoria for these interiors, I returned sleeping on the bus with my friends from Vitória and all the people in the city that I remembered from a very festive past in São João.

The cities of Caruaru, in Pernambuco, and Campina Grande, in Paraíba, have been vying for the title of the largest June festival in the country for decades. The tradition, brought by Europeans in the colonial period and which celebrated the results of agriculture, still gathers millions of people today. throughout the month of June to celebrate the three Christian saints: Santo Antônio, on the 13th, São João, on the 24th, and São Pedro, on the 29th.

Influenced by Brazilian indigenous and African communities, European customs gained characteristics that became the São João as it is known today: with giant bonfires, tallow wood, elegant mail, country wedding and, mainly, typical foods, since June is the harvest time of corn. Balloons, another element of the party, have been prohibited by law since 1998 due to the risk of fire.

In Campina Grande, São João has been taking place for 29 years and brings together traditional dance performances, forró pé de serra trios, suprises, cordel exhibitions and folklore groups. The highlight is also the scenic fire that measures 18 meters in height and the alternative programming, such as the Expresso Forrozeiro, a train that travels between Galante and Estação Velha with a different regional sound in each car.

In Caruaru, in addition to more than 300 free musical attractions on the official stages, the square dances are also a hit with the public. Since 1989, gang groups have organized themselves in a similar way to Salvador's carnival blocks and present themselves in costume, following the electric trio to the sound of forró, always in the afternoon, on Avenida Agamenon Magalhães. In Alto do Moura, another tourist spot in the city, the movement is on account of bars and restaurants where local bands cheer tourists up all day.

Vitoria de Santo Antão June 3, 2020 where we can remember a little of the past that stayed in our memories of the past as here I explained the true story I went through in my adolescence when I was 28 years old in 1992 when it was a very fantastic time where everything happened like a dream in which I describe here that I lived in the square of the matrix known as Praça Dom Luiz de Brito No. 279 where I spent my whole life in my aunt Arlinda de Barros Xavier's house when I lived with my parents at my aunt's house and I always used to buy ice cream, popsicles, beers, whiskey, caramels at Aylton's Maguari, at Matuto's tent, Zequinha's tent, Bila's tent, who always used to talk at that time. in the matrix square where we spent the best street carnivals right when the pitu electric trio Assas da América held parties in the matrix square playing various Pernambuco frevos and maracatus with Pierre and a band in which he always infected the square with a very large number of people who dressed up as clowns and many other costumes and played with the club shakers the lion that left the matrix square with their floats showing all the fantastic allegory and brilliant stories of beautiful people with beautiful themes and costumes that passed in front of my aunt Arlinda's house showing how the magnificent and brilliant carnival was through the city streets with a very beautiful instrumental orchestra that attracted all the city's residents with the ancient lion flags showing the bravery of a time with its tradition and citizenship that are entwined in the true history of the people and the battle of tabocas celebrating the honor and glory of a true Victorian people and also always passing with their floats the club the camel, the giraffe , the rabbit and the swan which was a very good club known as the drivers' club based in Cajá like others who always made the best car naval street playing various frevos in which tradition mixes qualifiedly with the people who have always been revelers and have always followed the tradition of playing in the streets of the old city the best street carnival known as today Vitoria Fest, in which several electric trios gather by the streets of the city doing the best carnival in the city showing all history that victory is not a joke, but an old city built by Cidade de Braga.

We must never forget the past that today can be like a memory in which we keep our memories of a good time when we played and felt the spirit tell us how much we can believe and always dream of a night of St. John and that we will always show the how much we were and what we are forever. I dedicate this story to my hometown called Vitoria de santo Antão as a reminder of a past that became a tale of Saint John.

By: Roberto Barros