Ao som dos tambores, patangomes, violões e pandeiros: um estudo sobre o Reinado e a Folia da Comunidade Quilombola dos Arturos

Abstract

This study proposed to a reflect on the rituals that take place during the celebrations of the Reinado and the Folia of the Quilombola Community of the Arturos, located in the city of Contagem – Minas Gerais, Brazil, with the aim of understanding possible similarities and differences between the Reinado and the Folia. The Arturos continuously fight to preserve and disseminate their traditions, which occurs through ritualistic scenes. These scenes represent a rich dialogue between various forms of expression — speech, singing, dance, performance — and take place in what can be considered a “theatricalizing” space. It is precisely this space, shaped by a complex operation involving vocal, gestural, sonic, visual, and physical enactments, that was observed in the Reinado and the Folia, festive manifestations that move between the stages of streets and homes, with the coming and going of the participants, singing and dancing in honor of their patron saints. The study, grounded in collective dialogues with the group as well as theoretical support, was focused on the analysis of ritualistic scenes, also paying attention to the religiosity present in these festivities, the preservation of tradition, and the alignment of memory with the inevitable processes of reinterpretation and new meanings brought about by changing times.