Maracatu Piaba de Ouro

Origin

Olinda, PE

Years Active

1977

Genres

maracatu de baque solto, cultura popular

Instruments

tarol, cuíca, gonguê, ganzá, trombone, caixa de guerra, surdo, clarinet, saxophone, corneta, pistom, buzina

Biography

Maracatu Piaba de Ouro is a Maracatu de Baque Solto group founded on September 11, 1977, in Olinda, Pernambuco. The initiative was led by Manuel Salustiano Soares (Mestre Salustiano), Augustinho Pires, and Manoel Mauro de Souza, with the goal of rescuing and preserving the memories and traditions of their childhoods spent in the Zona da Mata region of Pernambuco, especially in the sugarcane fields. Under the leadership of Mestre Salustiano, the group became a cultural benchmark, winning seven consecutive titles in the Pernambuco carnival and inspiring more than a hundred other maracatu groups.

Piaba de Ouro is a non-profit organization that works on civic education and the dissemination of various manifestations of popular culture, such as cavalo-marinho, mamulengo, ciranda, forró de rabeca, and caboclinho. The legacy of Mestre Salustiano, who passed away in 2008, is carried on by his children and a community of about 220 members, known as folgazões. The group's headquarters in Olinda offers dance and embroidery workshops for children and young people, perpetuating the tradition.

Maracatu de baque solto, also known as rural maracatu or orquestra maracatu, has its roots in the second half of the 20th century, emerging as a fusion of festivities from the interior of Pernambuco. Its iconic characters include the caboclo de lança, a symbol of Pernambucan culture, alongside others such as the "arreia-mar" (caboclo de pena), catirina, kings, and queens. The orchestra is composed of percussion and wind instruments, such as the tarol, cuíca, gonguê, ganzá, and trombone, creating an accelerated and vibrant rhythm that defines the group's performances on the streets and at festivals, including abroad.