CURATION
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from this page:
by Matrix
The Integrated Global Creative Economy
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Name:
Boi Unidos de Santa Fé
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City/Place:
São Luis, Maranhão
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Country:
Brazil
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Location & Map:
2ª Segunda Trav. D'Jard Ramos Martins, nº 05, Bairro de Fátima, São Luís, MA - 65.030-450 [open map]
Life
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Bio:
No Maranhão, a partir dos anos 40 do século XX, ocorreu uma intensa migração do interior do estado para a capital. Homens e mulheres, provenientes da baixada, começaram a se estabelecer nas margens de São Luís, especialmente no que hoje é conhecido como Bairro de Fátima, uma localidade próxima ao centro da capital. Apesar da mudança de cidade, as lembranças e alguns costumes dos conterrâneos permaneceram intactos. Ao deixarem sua terra natal, entes queridos e objetivos pessoais, levaram consigo as experiências vividas, suas tradições, crenças e cultura. Foi assim que surgiu o sotaque do Bumba-Meu-Boi da Baixada em São Luís.
A Fundação da Associação Cultural Santa Fé foi coordenada por José de Jesus Figueiredo, conhecido como 'Mestre Zé Olhinho', Raimundo Miguel Ferreira (Mestre Raimundinho) e João Madeira Ribeiro (falecido), boieiros dedicados e apaixonados pelo sotaque da Baixada. Juntos, decidiram criá-la com seus próprios esforços, investindo parte de seus salários, com grande empenho para garantir o melhor desempenho quando a brincadeira saía às ruas.
Atualmente, a diretoria é composta por 18 membros, o cordão conta com 40 integrantes, há 20 Índios, 35 Índias, 35 Cazumbás, 20 Batuqueiros e um grupo atuante de aproximadamente 25 pessoas de apoio.
Referência no Bairro de Fátima, onde está localizado seu Barracão Sede, o Boi Unidos de Santa Fé possui 8 CDs, 1 DVD e 1 participação em DVD gravados. Tem uma destacada participação nas festividades culturais do estado, sendo muito requisitado para apresentações em arraiais públicos e particulares, levando a beleza de seu espetáculo, com a batida vibrante e forte das matracas e pandeirões, ressoando com orgulho suas harmoniosas toadas.
O Boi Unidos de Santa Fé, assim como a maioria das festas populares nacionais, se desenvolve na forma de Brincada de Roda. O ritual inicia com a entrada dos Bois, Mãe Catirina, Pai Francisco, Burrinha e Cazumbás, estes últimos desempenhando a função de 'proteção de terreiro', seguidos pelos Cantadores acompanhados pelos Batuqueiros, Índios, Índias e Baiantes.
A brincadeira segue com o Cazumbá e seu chocalho, um personagem misterioso e engraçado, percorrendo o terreiro de forma ora espalhada, ora enfileirada. Os Índios e Índias evoluem dentro do cordão, destacando a força matriz da nação brasileira, pulando vigorosamente em seus trajes de penas, colares e lanças. Os Baiantes têm a função de delimitar as margens da brincadeira com seus imponentes chapéus de penas e fitas, além de suas roupas brilhantes, matracas estribilhantes e refrões animados.
Os Cantadores dão vida ao sotaque da brincadeira, entoando toadas e contando histórias, por vezes relembrando a baixada maranhense deixada para trás na infância e juventude. Os Batuqueiros mantêm o ritmo com a força e precisão das batidas dos pandeiros e o cadenciado ritmo do tambor onça.
E, finalmente, os Bois, personagens principais que dão nome ao folguedo, "rolam" com os vaqueiros em uma harmoniosa sincronia, apresentando sequências bailadas belas e envolventes, se aproximando e se afastando. Pai Francisco e Catirina observam de longe o precioso amo - o boi, escapando das chifradas do personagem/animal, enquanto a Burrinha, com seu trote acelerado e meio desajeitado, nos lembra de forma mais enfática a vida do nordestino e do amazônico, perambulando à margem e ajudando a conduzir a roda da brincadeira.
Por fim, ou por motivo de existir, temos a Assistência, verdadeira inspiração de uma atividade artística em qualquer modalidade. Acreditamos que a Assistência não deve ser limitada apenas à apreciação. Para uma atividade popular que se pretende "popular", ela deixa de ser verdadeiramente popular se o povo não tiver acesso a ela. Portanto, em nossas brincadeiras, é estritamente necessário um momento de interação entre brincantes e assistência, criando uma autêntica atitude de inclusão ao que é considerado pertencente ao povo.
English:
In Maranhão, from the 1940s onwards, there was a strong migration from the state to the capital. Coming from the lowlands, people from different cities and villages started settling on the outskirts of São Luís, especially in what is now known as the Fátima neighborhood, a location close to the center of the capital. As is customary, compatriots change cities, but not their memories and some customs. They leave their land, loved ones, and personal goals but carry with them what they experienced— their customs, beliefs, and culture. This is how the accent of the Bumba-Meu-Boi from the Lowlands emerged in São Luís.
The Foundation of the Santa Fé Cultural Association took place under the coordination of José de Jesus Figueiredo, popularly known as 'Mestre Zé Olhinho,' Raimundo Miguel Ferreira (Mestre Raimundinho), and João Madeira Ribeiro (deceased). These dedicated and passionate boieiros of the Lowlands, gathered together, decided to create it at their own expense, spending a portion of their salaries, extremely committed to making the best when the festivities took to the streets.
Currently, the board consists of 18 members, with 40 participants in the cord, 20 Indigenous men, 35 Indigenous women, 35 Cazumbás, 20 Drummers, and an active support group of approximately 25 people.
A reference in the Fátima neighborhood, where its Headquarters is located, Boi Unidos de Santa Fé has 8 CDs, 1 DVD, and 1 participation in a recorded DVD. It has a prominent role in the cultural festivities of the state, highly sought after for performances in public and private celebrations, bringing the beauty of its spectacle, where the beat of the matracas and pandeirões is strong and vibrant, resonating with pride, harmonious toadas.
Boi Unidos de Santa Fé, like the majority of national popular festivals, develops in the form of a Brincada de Roda. The ritual begins with the entrance of the Bulls, Mother Catirina, Father Francisco, Burrinha, and Cazumbás, the latter in the role of 'terreiro protection,' followed by the Singers accompanied by the Drummers, Indians, Indian women, and Baiantes.
The play unfolds with Cazumbá and his rattle, a mysterious and funny character, swirling through the yard, sometimes scattered, sometimes in line. The Indians and Indian women, entrenched, evolve within the cord, highlighting the core strength of the Brazilian nation, "jumping" vigorously in their feathered costumes, necklaces, and spears. The Baiantes are given the task of limiting the boundaries of the play with their imposing feathered hats and ribbons, as well as their glittering clothes, resounding matracas, and refrain singing.
The Singers give an outline to the accent of the play, singing toadas and telling stories, sometimes recalling the Maranhão lowlands left long ago in childhood and youth. The Drummers maintain the rhythm with the strength and precision of the beats of the tambourines and the steady rhythm of the onça drum.
And finally, we have the Bulls, the main characters that give the name to the festivity, "rolling" with the cowboys in harmonious synchrony, developing beautiful and engaging danced sequences in approaches and separations. Father Francisco and Catirina watch from afar the precious possession - the bull, escaping the horn attacks of the character/animal, with the pregnant woman desiring to eat the bull's tongue, annoying her husband. The Burrinha, with her trot, accelerated and somewhat awkward, reminds us, with greater emphasis, of the life of the Northeastern and Amazonian, marginally wandering and helping to lead the play's circle.
Finally, or for the reason of existence, we have the Assistance, the true inspiration of an artistic activity in any form. We have the habit and belief that Assistance cannot and should not be limited only to appreciation. For a popular activity that aims to be "popular," it ceases to be so if the people do not have access to it. Therefore, in our plays, a moment of interaction between participants and the audience is strictly necessary when the circle flows between all, a legitimate attitude of inclusion in what is considered belonging to the people.
Contact Information
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Whatsapp:
+55 (98) 98712-0925
Clips (more may be added)
The Bahian Recôncavo was final port-of-call for more enslaved human beings than any other place throughout the entirety of mankind’s existence on this planet.
Brazil absorbed over ten times the number of enslaved Africans taken to the United States of America, and is a repository of African deities now largely forgotten in their lands of origin.
Brazil was a refuge (of sorts) for Sephardim fleeing an Inquisition which followed them across the Atlantic (that unofficial symbol of Brazil’s national music — the pandeiro — was almost certainly brought to Brazil by these people).
Across the parched savannas of the interior of Brazil’s culturally fecund nordeste/northeast (where wizard Hermeto Pascoal was born in Lagoa da Canoa — Lagoon of the Canoe — and raised in Olho d’Águia — Eye of the Eagle), much of Brazil’s aboriginal population was absorbed into a caboclo/quilombola culture punctuated by the Star of David.
"Great culture is great power. And in a small world great things are possible."
The Matrix was built to open the world to Bahian musicians by opening the world to all creators.
In the Matrix you curate people (and entities) for what they do and where they do it. And they can curate you. A network is formed.
By the mathematical magic of the small-world phenomenon, everybody in the Matrix (as in human society) tends to within degrees of everybody else.
And by logical extension, the entire planet. All can (potentially) be found by everybody. QED
Recently accessed from:

"Thanks, this is a brilliant idea!!"
—Alicia Svigals (NEW YORK CITY): Apotheosis of klezmer violinists
"Dear Sparrow: I am thrilled to receive your email! Thank you for including me in this wonderful matrix."
—Susan Rogers (BOSTON): Director of the Berklee Music Perception and Cognition Laboratory ... Former personal recording engineer for Prince; "Purple Rain", "Sign o' the Times", "Around the World in a Day"
"Dear Sparrow, Many thanks for this – I am touched!"
—Julian Lloyd Webber (LONDON): Premier cellist in UK; brother of Andrew (Evita, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Phantom of the Opera...)
"This is super impressive work ! Congratulations ! Thanks for including me :)))"
—Clarice Assad (RIO DE JANEIRO/CHICAGO): Pianist and composer with works performed by Yo Yo Ma and orchestras around the world
"We appreciate you including Kamasi in the matrix, Sparrow."
—Banch Abegaze (LOS ANGELES): manager, Kamasi Washington
"Thanks! It looks great!....I didn't write 'Cantaloupe Island' though...Herbie Hancock did! Great Page though, well done! best, Randy"
"Very nice! Thank you for this. Warmest regards and wishing much success for the project! Matt"
—Son of Jimmy Garrison (bass for John Coltrane, Bill Evans...); plays with Herbie Hancock and other greats...
Ground Zero for the project was the culture born in Brazil's quilombos (in Angola a kilombo is a village; in Brazil it is a village either founded by Africans or Afro-Brazilians who had escaped slavery, or — as in the case of São Francisco do Paraguaçu below — occupied by such after abandonment by the ruling class):

...theme for a Brazilian Matrix, from an Afro-Brazilian Mass by
Milton Nascimento
I opened the shop in Salvador, Bahia in 2005 in order to create an outlet to the wider world for magnificent Brazilian musicians.
David Dye & Kim Junod for NPR found us (above), and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (he's a huge jazz fan), David Byrne, Oscar Castro-Neves... Spike Lee walked past the place while I was sitting on the stoop across the street drinking beer and listening to samba from the speaker in the window...
But we weren't exactly easy for the world-at-large to get to. So in order to extend the place's ethos I transformed the site associated with it into a network wherein Brazilian musicians I knew would recommend other Brazilian musicians, who would recommend others...
And as I anticipated, the chalky hand of God-as-mathematician intervened: In human society — per the small-world phenomenon — most of the billions of us on earth are within some 6 or fewer degrees of each other. Likewise, within a network of interlinked artists as I've described above, most of these artists will in the same manner be at most a handful of steps away from each other.
So then, all that's necessary to put the Brazilians within possible purview of the wide wide world is to include them among a wide wide range of artists around that world.
If, for example, Quincy Jones is inside the matrix, then anybody on his page — whether they be accessing from a campus in L.A., a pub in Dublin, a shebeen in Cape Town, a tent in Mongolia — will be close, transitable steps away from Raymundo Sodré, even if they know nothing of Brazil and are unaware that Sodré sings/dances upon this planet. Sodré, having been knocked from the perch of fame and ground into anonymity by Brazil's dictatorship, has now the alternative of access to the world-at-large via recourse to the vast potential of network theory.
...to the degree that other artists et al — writers, researchers, filmmakers, painters, choreographers...everywhere — do also. Artificial intelligence not required. Real intelligence, yes.
Years ago in NYC (I've lived here in Brazil for 32 years now) I "rescued" unpaid royalties (performance & mechanical) for artists/composers including Barbra Streisand, Aretha Franklin, Mongo Santamaria, Jim Hall, Clement "Coxsone" Dodd (for his rights in Bob Marley compositions; Clement was Bob's first producer), Led Zeppelin, Ray Barretto, Philip Glass and many others. Aretha called me out of the blue vis-à-vis money owed by Atlantic Records. Allen Klein (managed The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Ray Charles) called about money due the estate of Sam Cooke. Jerry Ragovoy (Time Is On My Side, Piece of My Heart) called just to see if he had any unpaid money floating around out there (the royalty world was a shark-filled jungle, to mangle metaphors, and I doubt it's changed).
But the pertinent client (and friend) in the present context is Earl "Speedo" Carroll, of The Cadillacs. Earl went from doo-wopping on Harlem streetcorners to chart-topping success to working as a custodian at PS 87 elementary school on the west side of Manhattan. Through all of this he never lost what made him great.
Greatness and fame are too often conflated. The former should be accessible independently of the latter.
Yeah this is Bob's first record contract, made with Clement "Sir Coxsone" Dodd of Studio One and co-signed by his aunt because he was under 21. I took it to Black Rock to argue with CBS' lawyers about the royalties they didn't want to pay (they paid).
Matrix founding creators are behind "one of 10 of the best (radios) around the world", per The Guardian.
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