Back in the field again: The second phase of our project on women in Maranhao popular culture

In an earlier post I described the Morte of Bumba-meu-boi de Axixa. This was actually our first time in the field again to document the festival (see earlier post).

And we are finally back on the road again with our project of interviewing members of the Bumba-meu-boi. After weeks of organizing and scheduling, writing questionnaires and charging batteries, and worrying about with the practical things of life in Brazil, we have begun interviewing and photographing again.

Our first round of interviews was in 2008 when we first met many of the women we are now visiting in this second phase. There are more women leaders now, in part due to the passing of several male patriarchs of the tradition and their having been replaced by wives, partners or daughters.

This is a major change from the male-centered heritage culture and we wanted to learn from the women how it happened, how they cope, what sort of challenges they find, and what discrimination they may feel for reasons of gender, race or class.

We are deeply indebted to them for their generosity and candor in talking with us.

This first post shows our interviews with two women whom we have gotten to know over the years, Nadir Cruz of Bumba-meu-boi da Floresta (also known as Boi de Apolonio) and Regina Claudia dos Santos of Bumba-meu-boi de Liberdade (also known as Boi de Leonardo). Both groups were led by iconic leaders of cultura popular and the groups still honor their names.

It happens that both groups are in the neighborhood of Liberdade, but they are of differing sotaques of rhythmic styles — the more African Zabumba style and the Baixada style with its Cazumbas and exotic creatures.

This is part of our normal working set-up. Simone handles the video and interviewing, and I do the portraits and still photos of the headquarters, costumes, or whatever else is going on at the time. Usually these are busy places with young people’s programs, neighbors stopping in, and the normal everyday business of these women who are leaders of their groups and powerful, charismatic figures in their communities.

Regina Claudia and Boi de Liberdade (Zabumba sotaque or rhythmic style)

Below is an important corner of the headquarters (sede) of the group. Every group we have visited has similar space where they display their ceremonial ox figures (the “bois”) and have an altar where saints and other entities are kept.

DM4A5831 — This is the headquarters of one of the groups, *Bumba-meu-boi de Liberdade*,where we are working and interviewing. The poster at the left shows Leonardo, the former leader of the group. The *boi/ox* is in the center with the group’s name *Liberdade* and in the left center of the ox is a likeness of Leonardo. The altar i the background is common for these groups, who place a mixture of saints and sometimes other entities in the lighted recess. Saint John and Saint Benedict (the black saint) are usually prominent.

DM4A5863 — Boi de Liberdade is in the Zabumba tradition which emphasizes African-style frame drums and the larger “zabumba” below in the center. The taller drum on the left is used in the women’s dance, Tambor da Crioula (see photo below). The costumes are the “ribboned cowhands” (caboclos da fita) that play a major role in the celebration.

DM4A5877 — Costumes with Tambor da Crioula drums

The tall drums are used by the male percussionists who accompany the women’s dance Tambor da Crioula. The three-drum percussion set is virtually the same as used in African-Brazilian spiritual houses and are often played by the same people.

By tradition women did not participate in the Bumba-meu-boi but in the allied Tambor da Crioula group. This is changing, but men are still limited to percussion in the Tambor da Crioula dance

DM4A5936 — Regina Claudia at the headquarters of Boi de Liberdade. The boi/ox on the left is embroidered with the group’s name. The traditional religious alcove is in the background

The young woman on the right is a relative of Claudia Regina. She and her friend were just coming home from school and looking in the front window to see what we were doing.

DM4A5961 — Claudia Regina in front of the vaqueiro/caboclo da fita costumes of her group.

Boi da Floresta (Baixada sotaque, or rhythmic style)

This is the altar/alcove in the headquarters of Boi de Floresta. The alcove contains a variety of saints ad other entities, faced from the front by two *bois* (the ox center and left) and a *burrinho* (small donkey figure) a right. We have photographed this room many times — most recently with the UWM Study Abroad class of June 2015. At that time UWM students had dance classes in the room, and helped regular members in embroidering costumes (see posts from the Study Abroad class in blog from June 2015)

I believe this is one of the new costumes that were partially embroidered by UWM students in June (see earlier posts). This is a Cazumba, a mythical creature of the forest who is an important figure in the Baixada style of the Bumba-meu-boi

DM4A5772 — Here Simone is interviewing/filming Nadir Cruz, one of our oldest friends in Maranhao. Nadir was largely responsible for Bumba-meu-boi da Floresta (also known as Boi de Apolonio) until her husband Apolonio died in june 2015. At the time of the interview she was making the transition to being the leader of the group.

Our friend Nadir Cruz, in the headquarters of Boi da Floresta, bairro of Liberdade, Sao Luis, Maranhao. Behind here on the table are the featurered head pieces worn by the female dancers (called “indias”or tapuias).

Previous blog posts for June, 2015 include photos and films of dance classes in this space. If you scroll the blog back to the June posts, there is also film of the “baptism” (batizado) of the boi/ox that occurs on the eve of St. John’s day, June 24/25. Sao Joao is the patron saint of the Bumba-meu-boi festival and is usually shown as a child with a lamb.