Darcy do Jongo

Origin

Rio de Janeiro, RJ

Also known as

Darcy Monteiro, Darcy da Serrinha

Years Active

1948–2001

Genres

jongo, samba

Instruments

percussion, drum, agogô, cuíca, guaiá

Biography

Darcy Monteiro, known as Mestre Darcy do Jongo, was a central figure in the preservation and dissemination of jongo in Brazil. Born in Morro da Serrinha, in Rio de Janeiro, on December 31, 1932, Darcy was the son of Pedro Monteiro and Vovó Maria Joana Rezadeira, both of whom had strong ties to Afro-Brazilian culture. From an early age, he showed talent for music and percussion, beginning his professional career at the age of 16.

He was one of the founders of the Império Serrano Samba School in 1947 and, later, alongside other important names such as Candeia and Nei Lopes, he helped found the Grêmio Recreativo e Artes Negras Quilombo. Mestre Darcy is recognized for having introduced harmonic instruments to traditional jongo, for teaching the rhythm to children, and for taking jongo from the backyards to the stage, breaking taboos and expanding the reach of this cultural manifestation. He was also responsible for introducing the agogô to samba schools.

Darcy do Jongo created the Bassam Group (later known as Jongo da Serrinha) with the objective of keeping the tradition of jongo alive. His work was fundamental for jongo to be recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Brazil by IPHAN. Mestre Darcy passed away on December 21, 2001, but his legacy endures through his son, Darcy Antônio, and the countless artists and groups that continue to keep the flame of jongo burning.