From Sea to Sertão

STEPHANIE MEDEIROS
to
From Sea
SertaoCHARACTERS OF PERNAMBUCO

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The state of Pernambuco on the
Northeast of Brazil is known for its
beautiful beaches, colorful folklore
and rich culture. This little booklet
explores some of the most traditional
characters of Pernambuco’s capital
Recife, the historical city of Olinda
and peeks at the Sertão, where many
of these characters were originated.
Open your senses and get to know a
little bit more about the characters
that shape our famous Carnaval
traditional holiday. Go even further
into the State to meet characters like
Lampião and Maria Bonita, famous
historical characters that epitomize
someofthebasisoftheNortheastern
Sertão culture. Learn famous slangs
from our vernacular, gems that you
will only hear while spending a little
time in Pernambuco. Everything you
will see in this booklet makes part of
the Pernambuco culture and has
inﬂuenced the lives of all who were
born or have chosen to live in this
beautiful state. It would be impossible
to fully feel the richness of our state
without ever getting to know a little
bit about the background behind our
most famous characters. This booklet
will submerse you into a new and
beautiful cultural cornucopia and
ignite in you a deep appreciation for
some of our most traditional symbols.
If you are a local, it will remind you of
how rich and diverse our traditions are,
and if this is your ﬁrst time getting to
know about our culture, you are
gettingintoaveryfunandcolorfulride!
Have fun on your journey. This is
Pernambuco, and it is a great pleasure
to meet you.
from sea to sertao

Recife (heh-see-fee) is the
ﬁfth-largest metropolitan area in
Brazil with nearly 3,800,000
inhabitants. It is the capital and
the largest city of the state of
Pernambuco. Its name is an
allusion to the stone reefs that
are present by the city's shores.
The many rivers, small islands
and over 50 bridges found in
Recife city center characterize its
geography and gives it the nick-
name of "Brazilian Venice”.
Recife is a very beautiful and
culturally rich city with a very
unique identity. While visiting the
city, you should deﬁnitely take
stroll down the Boa Viagem
beach, explore the history of the
Dutch-inspired architecture of
Old Recife and engage in the
alternative scene of the parties in
Casa Forte.
recife

Olinda (oh-leen-dah) is a histor-
ic city in the Brazilian state of
Pernambuco, just north of
Recife. It has a population of
nearly 400,000 people and is
one of the best-preserved colo-
nial cities in Brazil. Olinda
features a number of major
touristic attractions, such as a
historic downtown area, church-
es, and the Carnival of Olinda, a
popular street party with various
rhythms, traditions and the
addition of African inﬂuenced
dances. During the year, people
can go to Olinda to visit the
historic sites, cultural centers
and innumerous artist ateliers
spread throughout the city. An
indispensable stop by the Sé is
recomended to who wishes to
visit Olinda. There you can enjoy
typical food such as tapioca
while admiring the view.
OLINDA

The Ser�ão, the Semi-arid lands of the
Nor�heast of Brazil, also called the hinter-
lands, are the more remote, less populated
and developed par�s of the state of
Per�ambuco. Despite the harsh climate,
this habitat is mostly used for ag�icult�re,
sugar cane, cattle and goat far�s. The
cult�re of the Ser�ão is theme to various
impor�ant pieces of ar� and literat�re, like
Gilber�o Frey�e’s acclaimed book Casa
Grande e Senzala, 1933. “Ser�anejo” cult�re
has found itsway up to the urban scener�
of Recife. The cult�ral richness from the
Ser�ão inspires the ver�acular, culinar�,
fashion and music of the entire state and
also for� the developed cult�re of bigger
cities. Food from the Ser�ão like queijo de
coalho, (friedwhite cheese), queijo mantei-
ga (butter cheese), car�e de sol (sundried
meat), charque (jerked beef), cor� cuscus,
yamandtapioca(maniocﬂourtor�illa)are
the quintessence of the t��ical culinar� of
Per�ambuco.
Carnaval
rnavalCarnaval
Carnaval
CarnavalCaraval
CarnavalCarnaval
Carnavalaval Car
Ca

C
Ca
Carn
Carnava
Carn
carnaval de recife & olinda
The most famous party in Brazil, the
Carnival, is an event that unites
locals and tourists in a week of
partying from the morning until the
crack of dawn. The Carnival in
Recife and Olinda has a distinct
style that is greatly influenced by the
African, European and Native tribes
that are part of the early history of
Pernambuco. Brazilians are known
for loving a good party, so Carnival
festivities begin in the month of
February and go into March. The
Carnival in Recife is one of the
biggest events of the country, with
over 1.5 Million people joining in six
straight days and nights of partying.
The Galo da Madrugada or Rooster
of Dawn signifies the commence-
ment of the Carnival in Recife, with
everyone dancing to frevo and
maracatu. The Carnival is free for
all, with blocos - or groups - allowed
to play their own variety of music
and put up their own show on the
streets. The magic of the Carnival
continues in the colonial town of
Olinda. Energetic crowds line the
streets, dancing to the pulsating
rhythms of drums and horns. No
Carnival in Recife and Olinda is
complete without costumes that
range from the most exotic to the
most outrageous. The Carnival in
Recife and Olinda is all about having
fun! These next pages are filled with
famous characters, symbols and
rhythmsthatencompasstherichness
and singularity of this event that
surpassed the party status long ago
and became a stage for Pernambu-
co’s amazing cultural diversity.

Per�ambuco.
The Estandarte, or Carnival banner, is
a decoratively designed and embroi-
dered ﬂag representing the Carnival’s
“blocos”, or associations, that parade
with music and dance down the
streetsduringtheCarnival.Thebanner
is considered to be a sacred element
bytheentiregroup,asymbolofhonor
and the group’s ﬂag. Its location in the
parade is previously decided: in the
front or near the orchestra, always
being protected by a “guard of honor”
called the “porta-estandarte”. These
“blocos” are very traditional groups
and some have been parading on
Recife and Olinda Carnivals for
decades. Like in a Carnival “bloco”, our
journey through some of the most
famous Carnival characters starts
with the Estandarte.
estandarte

Per�ambuco.
The charismatic giant dolls exert a
grand fascination amongst Carni-
val-goers. A mark of the Carnival of
Olinda, the Giant Olinda Dolls are
fiberglass and/or papier-maché sculp-
ture-like dolls that stand 15 feet or 5
meters tall. Carnival Giant Dolls are a
focal point of Carnival. Like many of
the costumes worn by partygoers,
they reflect themes of humor, satire
and scandal. They also reflect folklore
and legends. Characters include politi-
cians and celebrities, past and present.
The most famous of them is the
Homem da Meia-Noite (Midnight
Man). His appearance at midnight on
theSaturdayhasbeentheofficialstart
of Olinda Carnival since 1932. A
person gives life to the doll by carrying
itontheirhead,usingacushiononthe
wooden base for support. The waist
of the doll is situated at the eye-level
of the carrier, who is able to see
through a small opening in the fly of
the doll’s pants. Other famous giant
dolls include the the Mulher do Dia,
(WomanoftheDay)andtheMenino
da Tarde (Afternoon Boy).
Bonecos de olinda

Per�ambuco.
The Galo da Madrugada, or the
Rooster of Dawn, is named in the
Guinness Book of World Records as
the biggest carnival parade in the
world. Enéias Freire created the Galo
in1978.Nearlyamillionpeopleparade
withthisRecife“bloco”,orblockparty,
which leaves every ﬁrst Saturday
morning during Carnival from Forte
das Cinco Pontas, a historical Recife
landmark. Trios elétricos, or bands
playing atop sound-wired trucks, keep
the crowd dancing to frevo. A tower-
ing rooster statue slowly makes its
way amidst the crowds on the streets
of Old Recife. One of the most
famoustunesofthetraditionalCarni-
val of Recife is the Hymn of the
Rooster: “Ei pessoal, vem moçada /
CarnavalcomeçanoGalodaMadru-
gada!” It translates to “Hey people,
come over all, the Carnival begins at
the Rooster of Dawn”.
galo da madrugada

Per�ambuco.
The Caboclo de Lança (mestizo with
a spear) is a folkloric warrior figure
from Pernambuco, tied to the cultural
manifestations of Carnival and of
Maracatu Rural. It is considered one
of the principal symbols of Pernam-
buco. It is characterized by its colorful
vestiments, which include a headpiece
with strings of shiny cellophane, a
poncho with embroidered patterned
sequins and a spear with bells and
fabric strips. Its origin is the result of a
mixture of Afro-indigenous cultures
withotherpopularmanifestations.Itis
part of a group of other characters
that together make the formation of
the Maracatu Rural, originated long
ago by African slaves and indigenous
tribes and then passed onto workers
of the sugar cane fields in the deeper
parts of the state. Fortunately, these
Maracatu groups are nowadays
focused on cultural celebrations but
they were once almost gangs, with
rival groups and very specific rituals
and traditions pertaining to each one
of them. The dance and music
produced by the “Caboclos de Lança”
are very unique and a real beauty to
experience.
caboclo de lanca

The La Ursa is a character inspired by European
gypsies who used to go around their cities with
animals with the objective to entertain the viewers
in exchange for some money. The rite was adapt-
edintoafunnypracticeintheBraziliancarnivalin
which a person dressed as a bear is accompanied
bya“master”andaband.Thisgroupgoesaround
the crowd singing and dancing in exchange for
some change chanting the famous tune “The La
Ursa wants some money, who doesn’t give it is
miser!” (A La Ursa quer dinheiro, quem não der é
pirangueiro!) The La Ursa’s costume consists on a
full body suit covered with velvet or ﬂeece and a
colorful papier-mâché bear head as a mask.
la ursa

Per�ambuco.
TheCaiporaisoneofthemostfamouscharacters
from the Carnivals in the interior of Pernambuco.
Famous in the city of Pesqueira, the character is
inspired by a folkloric character that, according to
the myth, is a ﬁgure that lives in the forests and
haunts hunters by using a supernatural torch.
According to the folktale, to avoid being haunted
by this creature, the Caipora needs to be offered
cigarettes or tobacco leaves. During the Carnival
festivities though, people dressed as the Caiporas
gotothestreetstoentertainthepublicbydancing
and wearing an interesting costume that consists
of a painted raw canvas bag used as a mask,
oversizedgloves,acolorfulstructuredbuttonedup
shirt and a tie.
caipora

frevo
Frevo is a wide range of musical
styles originating from Recife,
Pernambuco, all of which are
traditionally associated with the
Carnival. The word frevo is said to
come from frever, a misspeaking of
the Portuguese word ferver (to boil). It
issaidthatthesoundofthefrevowill
make listeners and dancers feel as if
they are boiling on the ground. Frevo
can be described as a speeded up,
Polka-ish,high-pitched playful sound.
Variations include the Frevo de Bloco,
Frevo de Rua and the Frevo de Trio.
Thefrevoisbelievedtohaveappeared
sometime around the early 1900s
and is typically accompanied by a
very complex and acrobatic dance,
which includes around 120 different
dance moves. The frevo dancers are
dressed in colorful clothing, inspired
by the folk costumes of Pernambuco
and also use yellow, blue, green and
red umbrellas, while performing their
neck breaking dance steps at a
stunning pace. The most famous
frevo song is called the “Vassou-
rinhas” and every time this song plays
at any Carnival (at any party, really)
the crowd goes into frenzy and starts
jumping and dancing in unison. The
Frevo de Rua, or Street Frevo, is the
most popular during carnival and
includes brass instruments like Trum-
pets, Saxophones and Tuba.

maracatu
Maracatu is an ancient carnival
tradition from Pernambuco. Maraca-
tuhasitsrootsinthesugarfarmsand
slave estates, where black African
slaves formed religious brotherhoods
to preserve African culture and
heritage. Each year the crowning of
the slave King and Queen was
celebrated with music and dance.
This rich cultural ceremony - ﬁrst
recorded in 1674 - has been preserved
throughthecenturiesbythe'maraca-
tu nations', which form the colorful
parades of drums, dancers and
costumed kings and queens of
today'sRecifecarnival.Themaracatu
as a rhythm can be described as a
thunderous group of drums and
percussion instruments playing
together following a maestro with a
whistle. Singing and dancing usually
accompany these performances. The
mostusedinstrumentsarethedrums,
called the alfaias, the gonguê (a
metal cowbell), the agbê (a gourd
shaker enveloped in beads), and
mineiro (a metal cylindrical shaker
ﬁlled with metal shot or small dried
seeds). These can be seen on almost
every corner during the Carnival of
Recife and Olinda and the sound of
Maracatu is powerful, moving and
contagious.

Per�ambuco.
The mangue bit or mangue beat
movement is a cultural movement
created circa 1991 in the city of Recife
in reaction to the cultural and
economical stagnation of the city.
The movement has its own manifes-
to, Caranguejos com Cérebro (Crabs
with Brains). Its title refers to Recife's
inhabitants as crabs living in Recife's
swamp and mangrove environment.
A major symbol associated with
manguebeat is the crab, animal
found in the mangroves in the city.
Manguebeat can be divided into two
distinct waves: the ﬁrst in the early
1990s led by the music groups Chico
Science & Nação Zumbi (Zumbi's
Nation) and the second in the early
2000s led by Cordel do Fogo Encan-
tado. The manguebeat is still the
anthemforRecife’syouthandpride.It
is vastly played in the alternative
scene. Chico Science is the most
famous musician and founder of the
MangueBeat culture. He died in
Recife in a car accident in 1997 at the
ageof30.Heisstillconsideredanidol
and proudly embodies the culture of
the youth of Recife.
manguebeat

sertaosert
taosertao
ertao
sertao
ertao
rtao
sertaosert
sertaosertao
aosertaosertao

Per�ambuco.
The Sertão, the Semi-arid lands of the
Northeast of Brazil, also called the
hinterlands, are the more remote, less
populated and developed parts of the
state of Pernambuco. Despite the
harsh climate, this habitat is mostly
used for agriculture, sugar cane, cattle
and goat farms. The culture of the
Sertão is theme to various important
pieces of art and literature, like Gilber-
to Freyre’s acclaimed book Casa
Grande e Senzala, 1933. “Sertanejo”
culture has found its way up to the
urban scenery of Recife. The cultural
richness from the Sertão inspires the
vernacular, culinary, fashion and
music of the entire state and also
form the developed culture of bigger
cities. Food from the Sertão like queijo
de coalho, (fried white cheese), queijo
manteiga (butter cheese), carne de sol
(sundried meat), charque (jerked
beef), corn cuscus, yam and tapioca
(manioc ﬂour tortilla) are the quintes-
sence of the typical culinary of
Pernambuco.
SERTAO NORDESTINO

Per�ambuco.
The Sertanejo is a typical figure of the
Northeastern region of Brazil. They
represent the lifestyle of a population
that migrated to the Sertão in order to
farm cattle in the 19th century. The
sertanejos have been a major
influence in Brazilian music, art and
literature. The lifes of the sertanejos
are not typically easy, since most live
inruralareas,sufferingwiththeadver-
sities of the harsh and dry Sertão
climate. This group of people has also
been ostracized for living in underde-
veloped areas that lack the technolo-
gy and wealth of the coastal region.
A large portion of sertanejos still
struggle to survive in the poor areas of
the Sertão. Many build their own
houses, some traditional ones being
constructed out of wood branches
and dry mud, also known as “Casas
de Taipa”. The typical vegetation of
the Sertão is called the Caatinga, a
species of cactus that is normally
foundinthebackyardofthesehouses
and can be used to feed cattle. The
figure of the sertanejo immortalizes
the resilience of the Northeasterns
and their rich culture unites the coast
to the Sertão.
sertanejo

Per�ambuco.
The Sertão, the Semi-arid lands of the
Northeast of Brazil, also called the
hinterlands, are the more remote, less
populated and developed parts of the
state of Pernambuco. Despite the
harsh climate, this habitat is mostly
used for agriculture, sugar cane, cattle
and goat farms. The culture of the
Sertão is theme to various important
pieces of art and literature, like Gilber-
to Freyre’s acclaimed book Casa
Grande e Senzala, 1933. “Sertanejo”
culture has found its way up to the
urban scenery of Recife. The cultural
richness from the Sertão inspires the
vernacular, culinary, fashion and
music of the entire state and also
form the developed culture of bigger
cities. Food from the Sertão like queijo
de coalho, (fried white cheese), queijo
manteiga (butter cheese), carne de sol
(sundried meat), charque (jerked
beef), corn cuscus, yam and tapioca
(manioc ﬂour tortilla) are the quintes-
sence of the typical culinary of
Pernambuco.
literatura de cordel

Per�ambuco.
The Galo da Madrugada, or the
Rooster of Dawn, is named in the
Guinness Book of World Records as
the biggest carnival parade in the
world. Enéias Freire created the Galo
in1978.Nearlyamillionpeopleparade
withthisRecife“bloco”,orblockparty,
which leaves every ﬁrst Saturday
morning during Carnival from Forte
das Cinco Pontas, a historical Recife
landmark. Trios elétricos, or bands
playing atop sound-wired trucks, keep
the crowd dancing to frevo. A tower-
ing rooster statue slowly makes its
way amidst the crowds on the streets
of Old Recife. One of the most
famoustunesofthetraditionalCarni-
val of Recife is the Hymn of the
Rooster: “Ei pessoal, vem moçada /
CarnavalcomeçanoGalodaMadru-
gada!” It translates to “Hey people,
come over all, the Carnival begins at
the Rooster of Dawn”.
lampiao e maria bonita

Per�ambuco.
The Zabumba is a typical kind of
band that can be found all over
Pernambuco and Northeastern Brazil
region. The term Zabumba comes
from the name of a drum that is
typically used in these groups. The
Zabumba is always present in import-
ant popular parties such as Carnivals,
Christmas parades, as well as other
religious holidays. The Zabumba
group is normally formed by ﬁve to six
musicians who play different kinds of
percussion drums, ﬂutes and brass
instruments. The presence of the
Zabumba band brings traditional
Northeastern music into the plethora
of contemporary music in local parties.
Its sounds have been incorporated by
many musicians into the most varied
types of popular Brazilian genres.
zabumba

Per�ambuco.
Luiz Gonzaga is one of the most
important Brazilian musicians of all
time. He known as “The King of
Baião”, a rhythm that was made
popularthroughouttheentirecountry
and revealed the richness of North-
easternmusictothe world.TheBaião
became a genre characteristic of the
Northeastern region of Brazil. In his
lyrics,Gonzagaexploresthehopesand
hardships of the sertanejos and the
humor and joy of being from the
Sertão. His characteristic costume
includes a sertanejo hat and a embroi-
dered cape. He is known for being a
master of the accordion, eternalizing
the instrument as a symbol of the
music of Northeastern Brazil.
luiz gonzaga

Olinda (oh-leen-dah) is a histor-
ic city in the Brazilian state of
Pernambuco, just north of
Recife. It has a population of
nearly 400,000 people and is
one of the best-preserved colo-
nial cities in Brazil. Olinda
features a number of major
touristic attractions, such as a
historic downtown area, church-
es, and the Carnival of Olinda, a
popular street party with various
rhythms, traditions and the
addition of African inﬂuenced
dances. During the year, people
can go to Olinda to visit the
historic sites, cultural centers
and innumerous artist ateliers
spread throughout the city. An
indispensable stop by the Sé is
recomended to who wishes to
visit Olinda. There you can enjoy
typical food such as tapioca
while admiring the view.
Northeastern
dictionary
The people from the Northeast of Brazil have a distinct accent that can be
recognized anywhere in the coutry. Along with having an unique way of
speaking, the Nordestinos are also known for their particular slangs. These
are used nowadays in the Northeastern vernacular and are an important
cultural characteristic of the region. Here is a small dictionary with some of
the most used words and their meanings. Before planning a trip to the
Northeast, make sure to learn some of these and you will guarantee smiles
and surprised expressions from the locals.

abestado
(AH - behs-TAH-doh)
Fool, silly, stupid person
aperriar
(Ah-peh-REE-ah)
Bother, tease
aRRETADO
(Ah-reh- TAH-doh)
Awesome, great, or when one is
enraged, mad. “I’m arretado because
she is late again.”
Broco
(BRO-coh)
Slow person, dumb.
Cabra
(CAH-brah)
Used only when you're talking to a
male person, like “hey man”.
Danou-se
(DAH-nouh-see)
Exclamation of surprise or a descrip-
tion for something that did not go well
eita
(AY-tah)
Gosh, as in "Gosh! what have done!"
Foi mal
(PHO-eeh-MAHL)
I’m sorry
Lapada
(LAH - pah-DAH)
Strong hit or a shot of a strong liquor
such as cachaça (sugar cane alcohol)
Lombra
(LOHM - brah)
Mental haze or high
oxe, oxente
(OSH - osh-EHN-tee)
Why, as in "why! that's strange"
massa
(MAH-sah)
Cool, nice
Vei
(vaigh)
Dude
Vixe, vixe Maria
(VEESH - VEESH mah-REE-ah)
Holy mother! (comes from Virgem
Maria -- the Virgin Mary)
Vôti
(VOE-tee)
Same as "eita" or "vixe"

to
From Sea
Stephanie Medeiros was born and
raised in Recife, Brazil. She dedicated
most of her life to art and decided to
become an illustrator, joining the
University of Kansas Illustration
program in 2011. In a recent trip back
to her hometown, Recife, the capital
of Pernambuco, Stephanie realized
something about her own heritage
that her eyes were too used to seeing
to be able to notice in full spectrum.
As she walked through the popular
marketsandcraftstoresshebeganto
look at her own culture in a way she
had never done before. She started to
observe the cultural manifestations,
colors, sounds, imagery and smells
thatbitbybitwerethefoundationsof
her cultural traditions and heritage.
This book was inspired by her state,
her people and her culture, and she
hopesthatpresentingittopeoplethat
have never seen anything like this
beforewillopentheirmindsandinvite
them to want to learn more about
Northeastern Brazilian culture.
Stephanie currently lives in Lawrence,
Kansas, and is planning to begin her
master’s degree in Illustration.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR

to
From Sea
Anillustratedguidetothemosttradi-
tional cultural characters and icons
of Pernambuco’s capital, Recife, the
historical city of Olinda and the
Sertão.Everything you will see in this
booklet is part of the Pernambuco
cultureandhasinﬂuencedthelivesof
all who were born or have chosen to
live in this beautiful state. It would be
impossible to fully feel the richness of
our state without ever getting to
know a little bit about the back-
ground behind our most famous
characters.Thisbookletwillsubmerse
youintoanewandbeautifulcultural
cornucopia and ignite in you a deep
appreciation for some of our most
traditional symbols.Have fun on your
journey. This is Pernambuco, and it is
a great pleasure to meet you.

From Sea to Sertão

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