Brazilian culture in Samambaia

The many different expressions of popular and traditional culture in the Federal District and its surroundings are the result of how rural culture shaped the region's history. This cultural matrix started with the early pioneers, known as bandeirantes, and was later strengthened by the successive waves of muleteers and settlers from São Paulo and Minas Gerais during the colonial period.

One example of this matrix is the spectacular Divine Holy Spirit Festival, which is held during Pentecost in Planaltina and Brazlândia in the Federal District and in Luziânia and Formosa in the surrounding area. There are also a lot of music and dance groups, including guitar players and dancers of lively Catira dance and the round dances linked to fandango. Around Christmas time, many singers and musicians take part in Folia de Reis festivities.

Also,fairly common nowadays are the Dança de São Gonçalo, a religious dance asking St. Gonçalo for a blessing, and the Cavalhadas, a reenactment of the Christian defeat of the Moors in the Middle Ages. Cultural imports from the North and Northeast also play a part in building this local identity, albeit on a lesser scale. These include the men-only Curraleira dance, the Afro-Brazilian Lundu dance, and the Sussa folk dance.

A variety of music can be heard at local venues, including forró, the viola song duels (at the Casa do Cantador), the country guitar (at the Clube do Violeiro), and frevo music and dance (at Menino de Ceilândia, Galinho de Brasília, and many others). The Sobradinho and the Itapoã put on fife and drum ensembles, folk theater called Bumba Meu Boi, and the Afro-Brazilian singing and dancing known as Tambor de Crioul.

There is also catopê dancing at the Moçambique de Seu Eli (in the JK Sector), plus dozens of June Festival quadrille groups and hundreds of roda de capoeira dance groups.

Seu Estrelo e o Fuá no Terreiro, Batalá, Aruc, Clube do Choro, Ventoinha de Canudo, and Forró de Vitrola are just some of the non-traditional groups that have been inspired by the popular culture esthetics that have developed in the area and benefited from the hugely diverse platform provided by the Samambaia Cultural Complex.    

The Federal District has long been a region with a wealth of artisanal products. All kinds of arts and crafts products and services can be found in the various fairs held in many of the Administrative Regions.

The June festivals, known as Festas Juninas, celebrate the birth of St. John the Baptist. Across Brazil, but especially in Brasilia, the festivities center on traditional parties with the ever-present quadrille dances.

On June 27, 2019, the Samambaia Cultural Complex opened its doors to the Brazilian Nights exhibition. The event was a tribute to the June festivals, which are actually held from June through August all across the Federal District and surrounding region.  

Featuring photographs by Davi Mello, woodcuts by Valderio Costa and Bruno Matos, and costumes and adornments worn by the quadrille dancers in Samambaia, the exhibition shows the public just some of the work done by these professionals who animate the June festivals and help warm up the cold nights of St. John …  

... with the traditional rhythm of forró, popular culture, typical foods and harmoniously choreographed dancing from the Juninas Quadrilhas.

The festivities light up the nights during June, July, and August all across the Federal Capital and all its administrative regions. The lively nights resound to the music of forró groups and trios …

… and the streets fill with flags, bonfires, and stalls selling typical fare. All the festivities tend to be organized by local schools, churches, clubs, and institutions, and it is these peripheral communities that help keep Brazilian popular culture alive.