Weekly Review No. 9 | Nuevas Estampas – Carimbó
- Rebecca D'Souza
- Mar 26, 2021
- 4 min read
Updated: Mar 27, 2021
This review is interspersed with a few music and dance videos – which I hope can help you understand (& formulate an idea) how the Creole community evolved and ultimately are dispersed around the world.
These reviews are in part meant for interaction. I would love to hear from you, to review your video or documentary suggestions!
Still from Nuevas Estampas – Carimbó
(Nuevas Estampas, 2011)
Brazilian carimbó dancers | (Maria-Brazil, n.d.)
Review
What you see in this video are Brazilians dancing carimbó. From the state of Pará, Belém (Seridaran, n.d.), carimbó is a Brazilian folkloric dance. What you notice is that it is very similar to sega from Mauritius. Like sega, the music is accompanied by drums or tambourines of African origin. And like sega, carimbó is a loose and sensual dance form.
We ever so often forget or do not know that a major part of ancestry in terms of race in South America are African. Peoples of the West Indies/Caribbean are as equally mixed, but again trace back a large percentage of their genealogies from Africa.
From the time that Brazil was a Portuguese colony, carimbó was eventually influenced by Caribbean genres, as sega was influenced by African genres and others. Both societies share a history of enslavement and colonisation. Societies that stemmed from slavery and colonies, building resilience from song and dance was crucial. When you can take nothing, you can take your heart, memories, will, and music. Those don’t leave you. These were beats, rhythm, and body movements as a response and defence mechanism to degrading lives and a longing to go back home.
| From misery evolved dance forms that are lively, happy, sensual, and fun.
It is evident that the Portuguese left a tradition of dance and carnivals in Brazil. Which is something you also see in Goa (Mando), India, as a former Portuguese colony. We could say that revelry is somewhat intertwined with slavery and colonisation. Nuanced with independence – the birth, triumph, and struggles of the republic – celebration, and continued traditions.
| Music, instruments, and dance are often serve as strong indicators of mutual origins. The Creole community in Mauritius technically have their cousins back in Belém.
Métissage et la Créolité
“Interracial-ity”
La métisee
– Zulu feat Mario Ramsamy (Studio Kapricorn, 2014)
I do feel that the video romanticises island life as most portrayals of island life are. That is not to say that the culture and music of islands are not romantic. They are. We are shaped by our history. Though its exact origins are unknown, when concerning such intermixed music, sega is understood to have Afro-Malagasy roots in fusion with European music and dance (you can look up fandango). Though I do believe that being a tad idyllic allows for the appreciation of natural, mundane forms. Why not apprehend a comical passing cloud or whistled tune?
With carimbó and sega, is the rapid, continuous swaying of the hips. Fluttering, sweeping skirts, open, curly hair, and straw hats. I guess there is something romanticising about it.
Ananya Kabir _ I am a global citizen
Photograph from Ananya Kabir _ I am a global citizen (European Research Council, 2017)
Quoting literary scholar Ananya Kabir, “[There exists] powerful modes of resistance. Human beings always resist that which is brutal, and that which suppresses their creative powers. Music and dance are very powerful modes of resistance.” In this resistance, sega developed on plantations, and is now an African social heritage dance symbolic to Mauritius.
Ala li la by Denis Azor. 1990 Vinyl, (cd and lp, n.d.)
Why do we love to dance with each other?
Still from Why do we love to dance with each other? (BBC News, 2018)
Audio by CrowdScience BBC
‘Evolutionary anthropologist Bronwyn Tarr from the University of Oxford explains that when we dance with others, we are rewarded with feel-good endorphins that change how we feel about ourselves and those around us.’ (BBC News, 2018) “Why do we dance?” is a fascinating question.
The rumba featured here in Havana, Cuba reminded me of this scene from Dirty Dancing: Havanna Nights.
Dirty Dancing: Havanna Nights (2004) | (LionsgateUKMovies, 2012)
Conclusion
Kick on your dancing shoes and dance your way through this pandemic. This probably may not be possible, but if it is, great!
Footloose (1984) | (GifGuide & Die, 2011)
Mamma Mia! (2008) | (Staff, 2018)
Song Recommendation
Blackmen Bluz – Tir Bousson
(Krishna, 2011)
You can listen to more music from the state of Pará, such as guitarrada, carimbó, lambada, and tecnobrega clicking on the link below. You may catch on quite quickly if your ear is inclined to it.
Link | https://www.bregapop.com/
Bibliography
BBC News. (2018, June 5). Why do we love to dance with each other? Retrieved from BBC News: https://www.bbc.com/news/av/science-environment-44360726
Seridaran, V. (n.d.). Carimbo. Retrieved from Dance All Over The World: https://sites.google.com/site/1132700434v1/brazilian-dance/jongo/capoeira/carimbo#:~:text=Carimbo%20is%20a%20folk%20dance,retrieve%20by%20using%20his%20mouth.
European Research Council. (2017, November 24). Annaya Kabir: I am a global citizen. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsF9u-EWnCk
Video
European Research Council. (2017, November 24). Annaya Kabir: I am a global citizen. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fsF9u-EWnCk
Krishna, B. (2011, December 4). Blackmen Bluz Tir Bousson. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcsTSOl-tEI
LionsgateUKMovies. (2012). Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QpYq2tGKuI
Nuevas Estampas. (2011, April 10). Nuevas Estampas - Carimbó. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6nzYinWa4M
Studio Kapricorn. (2014, April 24). Zulu feat Mario Ramsamy - La métisse. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUFpT8RyP70
Image Source
cd and lp. (n.d.). Denis Azor ( Ile Maurice ) . Retrieved from cd and lp: https://amp.cdandlp.com/en/denis-azor-ile-maurice/ala-li-la-sega-a-la-li-la-sega/7inch-sp/r116175776/#
LionsgateUKMovies. (2012). Dirty Dancing: Havana Nights. Retrieved from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QpYq2tGKuI
Maria-Brazil. (n.d.). Retrieved from Carimbó: http://www.maria-brazil.org/brazilian_dance_carimbo.htm
Gifs
GifGuide, & Die, F. O. (2011, May 17). The 121 Best Dancing GIFs of All Time! Retrieved from Funny Or Die: https://www.funnyordie.com/2011/5/17/17685014/the-121-best-dancing-gifs-of-all-time
Staff, M. (2018, October 1). 11 'Mamma Mia' GIFs That Will Always Make You Feel Like a Dancing Queen. Retrieved from moviefone: https://www.moviefone.com/2018/10/01/mamma-mia-movie-gifs-meryl-streep/
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