Guia Cultural da Costa Verde

Paraty • Paraty

OS COROAS CIRANDEIROS DE PARATY

The traditional live ciranda preserved by the younger generations

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Mestre Verino de Barros (known as Seu Verino) and Mestre Bendito Faustino (or Seu Dito) are friends who have played together for decades, and besides participating in the Velha Guarda da Ciranda, they formed the Os Coroas Cirandeiros group with other members, to perform in important town festivities.

Seu Verino is 80 years old, and he sings and plays the bandola, similar to a mandolin, which is decorated with minute stickers of his favorite team, Flamengo. Dito is 86 years old, has played the tambourine since he was 15 and owns two that are his favorites. One was acquired in a shop and the other, a handcrafted adufe, or medieval square variety, requires heating over a flame to stretch the hide.

Both are local caiçara fishermen and very affable, they have practiced music and ciranda dancing since their childhood, having learned with their parents and taken part in festivities that began at 7 pm and ended at 10 am the following morning. Keeping this tradition alive is a great source of happiness for both these lifelong practitioners.

This duet, which has already staged their talent in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, recorded the first CD in 1998 and received a number of invitations to play in schools, guesthouses, weddings, birthdays and other functions. Both friends love in particular to perform in the historical town center on Saturdays and Sundays, from 8 pm to midnight, livening the Paraty evenings and attracting tourists and residents to dance the ciranda.

The greatest desire by both is to teach the traditional ciranda to the new generations, ensuring that this rich culture will be preserved. However funds are scarce for this purpose, though they are certain of the support and respect from the town’s inhabitants and particularly the new generation of cirandeiros. These are represented by the Ciranda Elétrica group that discloses photos, stories and compositions by the Coroas Cirandeiros in the www.cirandaeletrica.com.br website, considering it an honor to play with them in a charming meeting of generations.

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