The carnival throngs or mixed carnival throngs are little guilds, smaller in structure, than the floats or frevo clubs, organized by a group of friends who set out along the streets, usually during the day, cheering up the carnival revelers in the Momus (“Momo”) parties/festivities.
They are also known as those which kick up dust, as they come along followed by a great number of revellers who are passing by. As they (the throngs) are made with the intent of playing and mocking at a great myriad of themes, they have a lot of creativity and irreverent names, which arouse laughter and feelings of entertainment.
The word “mixed” in the throng (“troça”) means that either men or women may partake in it.
At the end of the XIX century and the beginning of the XX century, when the carnival guilds came on in Recife (a Brazilian state) and Olinda (a Brazilian city), there was a very strict distinction concerning the roles of men and women, hence, therefore, the meaning of men wearing feminine clothing in the Carnival. Nowadays, but for a few guilds and those who play with the concept of gender, such as the Olinda’s Virgins, for instance, the throngs and the carnival clubs are mixed.
In the Carnival in Olinda, nationally and internationally known as one of the liveliest popular street festivities of the world, there is a large amount of throngs, originally from groups that start out playing, having fun and promoting the throngs.
The first throngs (“troças”) from Olinda appeared in the beginning of the XX century. In the beginning, there were many improvised carnival groups, wherein there was little organized playfulness.
In 1910, the Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca) came about, composed of youngsters living in the High Town (Cidade Alta), who would set out from the Street of Bonfim and only took part in two carnivals, winding up their activities in 1911. Some of its participants founded, later, the Olinda’s Vassourinhas Club (Olinda’s Little Brooms Club).
Also in the 1910 carnival, the Little Doll Mixed Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Bonequinho) came about, organized by the shore dwellers of Quatro Coqueiros (Four Coconut Trees), with collaboration of local fishermen and fishermen from the beach of the Miracles (Praia dos Milagres), besides the summer vacationers who would still remain in Olinda, at the time of the revelries. Having many interruptions and the change of place, ending up on the island of Maruim, the throng had its last parade show in the year 1944.
The Bengalinha (Little Cane) Children’s Throng (Troça Infantil Bengalinha), comprised of students of teacher Marcolino Botelho, came about in 1911. Its name originated from the habit the strict teacher used to have, such as giving the students blows with the cane, because they would not answer the questions correctly. The throng would leave the Street of Amparo with the children in carefully prepared costumes by their mothers. As they would pass in front of the teacher, they would tip off their hats and perform a greeting. The throng paraded for a non-consecutive period of five years.
Founded in 1914, by the carnival reveller Pulu (Apolinário Gomes da Silva), at the beach of the Four Coconut Trees - praia dos Quatro Coqueiros, the Fishermen Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Os Pescadores - partook in the carnival up until 1923, being away from the parades for about three years in this period. The people who would participate would be the fishermen who dwelled in the coast along the isthmus between Olinda and Recife; for this reason many people would think that the throng belonged to the locality of the Maruim island.
Created in 1920, the Hunters Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Caçadores – had its first main representation headquarter in the Four Corners, starting to perform the parades; later, in Guadalupe and on Paulista Road (Estrada Paulista). The participants would always parade in hunter costumes, composed of a provision sack, a shotgun and hunter gears, only changing the colors. It no longer existed in the 1931 carnival.
The Cariri Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Cariri – is one of the oldest guilds of Olinda’s carnival. Founded in February, 15th, 1921, it starts up parading in the town’s carnival, always at 4 a.m., Carnival Mondays. Its main representation headquarter is located in the Advisor Miguel Canuto Square (Praça Conselheiro Miguel Canuto), in Guadalupe and its name is in honor of the old “Cariri”, the nickname of an ancient vendor at Mercado de São José – São José Market - in Recife, which is still today a symbol of the throng.
Created in the year 1922, in Floresta (“Forest”) , on Paulista Road (Estrada Paulista), the Unfearful Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Destemidos – was basically made up of workers in the business of fresh meat. Its first flag, of 1922, was substituted by another one, manufactured by students of the Saint Theresa School – Colégio Santa Teresa, in 1928. The throng’s symbol was a wolf, thus their participants were called the Forest Wolves (Lobos da Floresta). Having as a major counterpart the Hunters (Caçadores) throng, the Unfearful (Destemidos) performed their last presentation in 1946.
Founded in 1925, the Mysterious Plate Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Prato Misterioso) was one of the greatest throngs of Olinda’s carnival, mainly because it always played the shows with a very good orchestra. Their glorious years were the decades of 1930 and 1940, when they had as a main rival the Afternoon Bread Mixed Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Pão da Tarde), created in 1943 in the island of Maruim. The Afternoon Bread (Pão da Tarde) originated from a dissidence offshoot of Mysterious Plate throng (Prato Misterioso) and had, as a big dream, to outdo their main competitor, but was never able to.
A certain group of male youngsters of the Miracles borough (bairro dos Milagres) created, in 1932, the Preppies of Miracles Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Donzelinhos dos Milagres), which became famous in the town carnival and never had an organized stewardship. Women participation was not allowed and the throng’s costumes were always based on children’s clothing. Before their exit, at 07:00 in the morning, a dish called “sarapatel” was served alongside with a host of beverages. During 25 years, the Preppies (Donzelinhos) would only stop presenting two times: in 1943, because of the World War II calls for the participants and, in 1956, when one of the members of the throng was assassinated. Their last presentation took place in the 1957 Carnival.
Located in the Street named Two-story Houses Street of the Arcs - Rua do Sobrado dos Arcos – number 174, the Golden Little Ball Mixed Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Bolinha de Ouro) came about, comprised of a group of children who would set out to the streets banging on old cans. Later on it would start to leave from the Guadalupe Street, number 167, characterizing a thrilled guild of Olinda’s carnival. Their flag was colored like wine with golden metal ornaments. Having more than sixty participants, the throng only presented two times, ending their activities in 1935 because of the lack of financial resources. Their main rival was the throng named Fanners (Abanadores), by Severino Parafuso.
Created in 1934, by offshoot members of the Lumbermen Club, the Golden Peacock Mixed Carnival Throng began their activities in the Farol borough, moving, in the decade of 1940 to the island of Maruim, having their own main social representation headquarter located in the Campos Sales Street, No. 118. They would present their shows with beautiful costumes and good orchestras, but their dream was to change their category in order to compete with the great rival Lumbermen, something they did not succeed in, winding up their activities in 1950.
Founded in the Street of Tree Stubs (Rua dos Tocos), in 1938, the Green-Linen Mixed Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Verde Linho) was comprised basically of street vendors, workers and housewives. In the beginning, it would set off to the streets with the sound of drums (to the sound of the batuques), but later it would get on parading with simple and creative costumes, besides an orchestra of frevo. Although it was small, its strength was quite successful in Olinda’s carnival. Their last presentation happened in the 1966 carnival.
In the decade of 1940, several throngs came about, some important ones, such as the Four Corners Pitomba Tree (1947) - Pitombeira dos Quatro Cantos, nowadays one of the greatest and liveliest of Olinda.
in 1945, in the Guadalupe borough, in High Town (Cidade Alta), the small Little Star Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Estrelinha) was created, made up mostly by children and which only presented two times, in 1945 and 1946, as well as the Combat Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Combate – whose name was an allusion to World War II (1939-1945), an idea by the Vassourinhas (Little Brooms) club’s standard-bearer, the reveller known as Faustino, whose first presentation was performed next to the club’s main representation headquarter. They possessed a reasonable frevo orchestra and were the first guild to publicize their promotions by plying graffiti art on the street floors and town avenues, for it was a small size throng and did not receive much attention from the press.
The Rowers Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Remadores – was created in 1948, and besides the exhibition in a couple of the town carnivals (1948-1949), they would organize dance festivities for the community’s youngsters.
Under an improvised manner, the Pajamas Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Pijama) came around in 1950, only made up by men. Their constituents would present themselves dressed in striped pajamas, along the High Town (Cidade Alta) streets. Due to the several turmoil incidents in place, by the overboard consumption of alcoholic beverages on the part of their participants, it lasted for just a little time.
Still in the decade of 1950, in the year of 1957, the Lady Sinhá Mixed Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Mista Dona Sinhá) came into existence, made up by a group of bona fide carnival revellers of Olinda, who used to play carnival in masks. One of them looked like the character of Lady Sinhá, hence the name for the throng. Their finest presentations were performed in the years of 1957 and 1959. Having an improvised flag at the onset, they started later to set out with another one, in colors red and yellow, designed by their directors.
In the year of 1960, the following mixed carnival throngs came up, among others: Giraffe, in the Guadalupe borough, comprised of about fifty people, who would present bringing along the allegory of a giant giraffe and a good frevo orchestra. Their last parade took place in 1965; Just Arrived (Cheguei Agora) made up, mostly by revellers of the Saint Amaro Club of Bullfighters, from Recife, from where they grew apart with resentments. It would also parade in Recife, making it a winner in its category with the Ancient Carnival theme. In Olinda, it set out for the first time, from the Manoel Borba Street; Timbu, in the beginning located in the Jatobá borough and later in the Joaquim Nabuco, No. 148, Estrada de Paulista (Paulista Road), it was composed of children and adults, mainly community dwellers. It was founded by old members of Penarol Soccer Club (Penarol Futebol Clube), which had become extinct, winding up their participation in the 1964 carnival; Sweeping with the Broom (Passando a Vassoura), originally from the Street of Fine Arts (Rua das Belas Artes), whose participants were, besides the youth in the locality, fishermen and fish dealers who would have taken part in the Lumbermen Club (Clube Lenhadores) and who had as the major rival, the Lighthouse Dog - Cachorro do Farol – created in 1963, by a group of middle class people who would enjoy the carnival with a dog mask on.
One of the most traditional carnival throngs of Olinda’s, the Ceroula (Long Johns/Drawers) was founded in 1962 as a dissident offshoot of Pijama (Pajama). They only present along the streets of the High Town (Cidade Alta) and, during the parade, they dole out drinks of regional fruits to the festivity’s revellers. They set out on Saturday and on Tuesday Carnival days. Prior to the first move, they serve up feijoada , and, on the second move, they serve fish dishes to their associates. They keep on, still today, with the tradition of not accepting women in their restriction cord and their costume is comprised of straw hat, jersey shirts, drawers and sandals.
Created in February 25th, 1965, by a waiter named Isaías Ferreira da Silva, “Batata ”, the Batata’s Cod Carnival Throng (Troça Carnavalesca Bacalhau do Batata) is deemed as the most original of all the guilds which set out after the start of Olinda’s carnival. The throng sets out in the morning of Ash Wednesday from the “Topmost of Sé” (Alto da Sé), through the streets of the High Town (Cidade Alta), followed by the party revellers who work during the festivity, mainly drivers, policemen and other professional who might not be able to enjoy it during the Carnival. The throng’s flag is comprised of the main cod stew ingredients. As they are dressed in jersey shirts and hats, the revellers plunge into the festivity alongside a lot of frevo-dancing and also a samba representation school, announcing the exit with many fireworks so as to get the population’s attention.
Another traditional carnival throng of Olinda is The Day Woman (A Mulher do Dia), created in December, 13th, 1967, in order to “end the loneliness of so many carnivals of the Midnight Man (Homem da Meia Noite)”; it is a Mixed Allegory Club which was a throng from 1932 to 1936. The Day Woman is a gigantic Calunga and the guild colors are blue, which represents Iemanjá, and, yellow, representing Ogum. For some artists in Olinda, this throng’s doll is the town’s Mona Lisa.
In the decade of 1970, the following mixed carnival throngs came about, among others, to cheer up the carnival in Olinda: Mysterious Peacock - Pavão Misterioso (1974) in President Kennedy Avenue (Avenida Presidente kennedy), which became a lower class club, being able to make it the Champion of Recife’s carnival in 1981; The She-Mule – A Burra (1874), from the Rosary borough (Bairro do Rosário) which sets out on Carnival Mondays; Afternoon Boy - Menino da Tarde – (1975), from the Guadalupe borough, which presents on Saturday carnival alongside a good orchestra. The first doll figure of this throng was manufactured by the artisan named Julião and the second one was manufactured by the festivities reveller named Sílvio do Amaro Branco; Big Dog (Cachorrão), which has as the exit point the house No. 104, of the Ladeira do Varadouro, at the Historical Ranch of Olinda and doles out free beverages for the party revellers; Barca Furada (1979) – Leaky Flatboat, composed mostly of boys that dwell in the High Town (Cidade Alta) and who relish discussing soccer in front of old Duarte Coelho movie theater, and who, in 1981 honored Sport club of Recife - Sport Club do Recife –Pernambuco’s Champion in 1980; John Travolta (1979), made up of children from the Guadalupe borough, that, in the beginning would set out along the streets plying the sounds of batucada (drums) and moving a gigantic doll manufactured by Julião (known as Julião dos Bonecos – Julião the Dolls maker) and later, one made by Sílvio do Amaro Branco, the same authors of the Afternoon Boy.
Created in 1980, the Pope’s Beard Mixed Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mista Barba Papa – was idealized and organized by the young revellers related to Olinda’s carnival families and whose main appeal is the Pope’s Beard large-scale doll, at 3.5 meters of height, manufactured by the artisan named Julião the dolls maker (Julião dos Bonecos). This guild sets out to the streets with about a hundred to 120 participants and fifty musicians, some from the Black Oldie School of Samba - Escola de Samba Preto Velho.
The throng called The Sé’s Perverted Mixed Carnival Throng - A Troça Carnavalesca Mista Tarados da Sé - was founded on the 11th of November, 1987, by musicians and artists from Olinda who had been inspired by the song called Perverted Ones from Sé - Tarados da Sé -, comprised of Lourenço Gato, Luciano Padilha and João Sales. The throng presents with a gigantic doll and carries along millions of party revellers along the streets of Cidade Alta – High Town.
Created in 1993, the Woman on the Stick Carnival Throng - Troça Carnavalesca Mulher na Vara – originated from a prank: that year, a young lady had fallen down in the middle of the party, being unable to walk. In order to move her amidst the crowd, two young boys settled on to improvise with a piece of a stick to help her out. As they passed by, the revellers would shout “Look out the woman on the stick”, thus the throng caught on. Today, the group presents the show carrying a five-meter long stick and also has a frevo orchestra.
Mingled to the clubs, afoxés , caboclinhos (little caboclos), maracatus, gigantic dolls (bonecos gigantes) – one of the most widely known marks of Olinda’s carnival – schools of samba and a lot of frevo; carnival throngs are created yearly and have been keeping on, since 1910, cheering up the festivity revelries down the slopes of the city, full of humor, happiness and creativity.
Recife, 17 January 2011.
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