Olinda Pre-Carnival: REmembrance
Updated on Jan.22, 2015
Olinda's historic downtown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the background for one of the most intriguing and symbolically charged events in Brazil Carnival: the Night for the Silent Drums (Noite para os Tambores Silenciosos).
The event, which has been part of the official calendar since 2004, honors the religious culture associated with maracatus, groups which maintain their Afro-Brazilian roots throughout the year and reach heights of beauty and tradition during the Carnival season.
The celebration pays homage to African ancestors and remembers their suffering during slavery times.
The participants form parade or procession with Afro-Brazilian drumbeats, chants and dances featuring elements of a coronation ceremony. At midnight, all drums go silent and the maracatus, in the person of their leaders, ask their ancestors for protection during the Carnival celebrations.
Variations of maracatu - maracatu de baque virado and maracatu de baque solto are present in the Night for the Silent Drums, with their queens and kings, participants carrying calungas, or dolls representing ancestral African queens/deities, and beautifully embroidered costumes and banners.
Neighboring Recife has a similar commemoration, called Noite dos Tambores Silenciosos (Night of the Silent Drums), held at Pátio do Terço on Carnival Monday.
In 2015, the Night for the Silent Drums will take place on Monday, February 9.
The celebration at Olinda's Historic Center (Sítio Histórico) will have maracatu parades from the Quatro Cantos Area to the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos (Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Black Men), in Bonsucesso.
The participating groups will be Maracambuco, Nação Tigre, Axé da Lua, Badia, Nação Pernambuco, Nação Camaleão, Estrela de Olinda, Leão Coroado e Nação Luanda, and Raízes de Pai Adão, according to a report on the UOL Carnival guide (carnaval.ne10.uol.com.br)
People begin to gather in the Quatro Cantos at about 7 p.m.
Night for the Silent Drums on Facebook
Watch for 2015 updates on the official Olinda Carnival Guide
The church where Night for the Silent Drums festivities take place is one of many in Brazil built by slaves, for slaves. During the slavery years, churches dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary were among the few temples where slaves were allowed to take part in their religious rites, which carried elements from their multiple spiritual backgrounds in Africa.
Syncretism marked these church festivities; batuques, or drumbeats, and dances of African origin blended with the elements of Catholic traditions.
Brotherhoods associated with the churches kept up African traditions of Congo coronations, with kings and queens and symbols such as the doll representing ancient deities. From those festivities evolved the maracatus, which carry on a centuries-old tradition.
Olinda pre-Carnival is a great season to experience the city's immensely varied Carnival through a few major events such as the Night for the Silent Drums and dozens of other open rehearsals, parades, parties, costume galas and unique events such as the Giant Puppet Race.
For the first-time Brazil traveler, pre-Carnival festivities can be a milder alternative to the feverish pace of fully-fledged Carnival. Most events start about a month before Carnival and weekends are the busiest time, with a few events such as the Night for the Silent Drums on weekdays.
To catch up with all the pre-Carnival activity, bookmark the Official Olinda Carnival Guide and start checking it at least a month and a half before Carnival for the year's edition.
To find a place to stay, start browsing Olinda hotels, pousadas and hostels a few months in advance. You can email them and ask them to send a list of prices for the pre-Carnival season as soon as it's available.
Recife is just around the corner (less than 4 miles) and it's easy to get from one city to the other by bus.
See more photos of Olinda Carnival in the official Prefeitura de Olinda Flickr.
Olinda's historic downtown, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the background for one of the most intriguing and symbolically charged events in Brazil Carnival: the Night for the Silent Drums (Noite para os Tambores Silenciosos).
The event, which has been part of the official calendar since 2004, honors the religious culture associated with maracatus, groups which maintain their Afro-Brazilian roots throughout the year and reach heights of beauty and tradition during the Carnival season.
The celebration pays homage to African ancestors and remembers their suffering during slavery times.
The participants form parade or procession with Afro-Brazilian drumbeats, chants and dances featuring elements of a coronation ceremony. At midnight, all drums go silent and the maracatus, in the person of their leaders, ask their ancestors for protection during the Carnival celebrations.
Variations of maracatu - maracatu de baque virado and maracatu de baque solto are present in the Night for the Silent Drums, with their queens and kings, participants carrying calungas, or dolls representing ancestral African queens/deities, and beautifully embroidered costumes and banners.
Neighboring Recife has a similar commemoration, called Noite dos Tambores Silenciosos (Night of the Silent Drums), held at Pátio do Terço on Carnival Monday.
Night for the Silent Drums 2015:
In 2015, the Night for the Silent Drums will take place on Monday, February 9.
The celebration at Olinda's Historic Center (Sítio Histórico) will have maracatu parades from the Quatro Cantos Area to the Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Homens Pretos (Church of Our Lady of Rosary of Black Men), in Bonsucesso.
The participating groups will be Maracambuco, Nação Tigre, Axé da Lua, Badia, Nação Pernambuco, Nação Camaleão, Estrela de Olinda, Leão Coroado e Nação Luanda, and Raízes de Pai Adão, according to a report on the UOL Carnival guide (carnaval.ne10.uol.com.br)
People begin to gather in the Quatro Cantos at about 7 p.m.
Night for the Silent Drums on Facebook
Watch for 2015 updates on the official Olinda Carnival Guide
Rosary Churches in Brazil:
The church where Night for the Silent Drums festivities take place is one of many in Brazil built by slaves, for slaves. During the slavery years, churches dedicated to Our Lady of the Rosary were among the few temples where slaves were allowed to take part in their religious rites, which carried elements from their multiple spiritual backgrounds in Africa.
Syncretism marked these church festivities; batuques, or drumbeats, and dances of African origin blended with the elements of Catholic traditions.
Brotherhoods associated with the churches kept up African traditions of Congo coronations, with kings and queens and symbols such as the doll representing ancient deities. From those festivities evolved the maracatus, which carry on a centuries-old tradition.
More About Pre-Carnival in Olinda:
Olinda pre-Carnival is a great season to experience the city's immensely varied Carnival through a few major events such as the Night for the Silent Drums and dozens of other open rehearsals, parades, parties, costume galas and unique events such as the Giant Puppet Race.
For the first-time Brazil traveler, pre-Carnival festivities can be a milder alternative to the feverish pace of fully-fledged Carnival. Most events start about a month before Carnival and weekends are the busiest time, with a few events such as the Night for the Silent Drums on weekdays.
To catch up with all the pre-Carnival activity, bookmark the Official Olinda Carnival Guide and start checking it at least a month and a half before Carnival for the year's edition.
To find a place to stay, start browsing Olinda hotels, pousadas and hostels a few months in advance. You can email them and ask them to send a list of prices for the pre-Carnival season as soon as it's available.
Recife is just around the corner (less than 4 miles) and it's easy to get from one city to the other by bus.
See more photos of Olinda Carnival in the official Prefeitura de Olinda Flickr.
Source...