Volte atrás
Anuncie
Assine
Login
Erik Brunar
It was nighttime the first time I spotted the “headquarters” of a Rancho Folclórico in Lisbon’s Campo de Ourique neighborhood. A warm glimmer and the smell of sawdust brought back images of dancehalls from before, from long before the modern era. An attendant asked me what I was looking for, not overly friendly. I told him that I didn’t even know what I was looking at, but that maybe it would turn out to be what I’m looking for? He cracked a proud smile and told me about the music, story-telling, and dancing that goes on inside. However, this was a private practice session, and I was not welcome tonight. Filed under: Fascinating.
At last year’s 25th of April celebrations, the city of Peniche highlighted the work of the Ranchos Folclóricos in the Oeste Region with a whole Sunday of performances and collaborations. That is how I discovered Rancho Folclórico de Geraldes, based in that rural hamlet two towns south of the municipal seat of Peniche.
With some 30 to 40 dancers and musicians of all ages fanning out and positioning themselves for the pieces that are about to unfold, there is a lot of energy at the beginning of a Rancho set. In garb inspired by highly specific working clothes from the last decades of the 19th century, some participants play out stylized but verifiable key moments in the professional lives of the people represented on stage: the town crier, the net makers, the fishermen, the fishmongers, etc. Others parade in the more lavish outfits worn by village worthies or by ordinary people on feast days.
The choreographies are fairly simple and involve whirling quadrilles and couples passing between rows of dancers to music played on instruments such as the tambourine, the reco-reco, the bagpipes, the guitar, or the accordeon. The engagement of the dancers and the heat of those passes give the proceedings an ecstatic quality that feels modern and timeless at the same time.
Mariana Gomes on behalf of Rancho de Geraldes kindly answered a few questions via email.
EB: How do you tell the history of Ranchos in general and of Geraldes in particular?
MG: The mission of folklore groups is to be ambassadors for the cultural identity and experiences that identify a particular community, effectively what UNESCO defines as “spirit of place”. Many Portuguese folklore groups have coalesced on the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century as their “window of representation” or the cultural time they reference. At first, most of the Ranchos were purely recreational without much concern for historicity, limiting themselves to dancing and making music. These groups did flourish under Estado Novo with its emphasis on “Portugalidade,” the set of cultural markers and practices that make Portugal unique. Rancho Folclórico de Geraldes began with a group of elementary school pupils whose teacher, with a great love of dance, mobilized the population and founded the Rancho Folclórico in 1984.
EB: How did the choreographies and the costumes come to be?
MG: Portraying past times was always a component of the work, but the authenticity of the representation was perhaps not of paramount concern. It was only after 2013, when in-depth work began with the local community and with ethnographic collections, that the accurate representation of customs and traditions became a priority. The costumes are replicas of the clothing most commonly worn in the municipality of Peniche, as well as all the props inherent in the people’s daily lives. Geraldes was the first Rancho in the municipality of Peniche to join the Portuguese Folklore Federation. In recognition of this work, the Municipality of Peniche in 2019 awarded the Rancho the Medal of Merit for Culture.
EB: What activities does the Rancho engage in?
Over the years the Rancho has taken part in various ethno-folkloric initiatives, collaborations in institutional and educational settings, from kindergartens to higher education, to pass the knowledge on to the next generation. Throughout the year it takes part in a variety of events: New Year’s janeiras, gatherings of traditional songs and instruments, Christmas concerts, etc. It has performed in Spain and in Belgium. The group is also busy collecting pieces and recording oral history. So its activity goes far beyond performing at festivals.
EB: What are the demographics of the Rancho?
MG: Nowadays, folklore is facing major challenges. Funding for culture keeps getting cut. In our globalized society, many lose interest in defending regional particularities. However, there is also a movement that treasures those who preserve local history. Proof of this is that Rancho Folclórico de Geraldes is a recognized group with members from all over the place.
Keep an eye out for Ranchos performing near you for an evocative journey into the past of the region’s people!
OICV is looking for writers for this feature! If you would like to contribute, contact us at OICV.email@gmail.com. ■
