Casa da Rabeca: culture and tradition of the state of Pernambuco, Brazil

The culture of the state of Pernambuco, one of the richest and most diverse cultures in Brazil, has a Luso-Brazilian basis, with influences mainly from indigenous, African, Jewish, and Dutch cultures.

Carnival is the time of year that popular manifestations become more visible both to Pernambuco residents and visitors from the rest of the country and abroad, as the presentations of Maracatu, Caboclinho, Coco de Roda, Ciranda, Frevo, among others, multiply. The Agreste and the Sertão agregates other cultural movements, such as the Papangus de Bezerros and the Caretas de Triunfo.

The period of June in Pernambuco is also quite significant and marks numerous cultural presentations. Especially the Maracatus of baque solto or baque virado stand out at this time of year.

Casa da Rabeca of Brazil was founded on April 21, 2002, fulfilling a dream of Master Salustiano.

The rabeca is a stringed musical instrument like the violin that, despite its similarity, has some divergent aspects. The construction of the two instruments is different because the rebeca, unlike the violin, does not follow a pattern, thus can present different sizes, shapes, number of strings, tunings, and materials. Another aspect that distinguishes the two instruments is the way of playing: the violin is usually positioned under the chin of the musician and the rebeca is usually supported on the chest or on the left shoulder (similar to medieval instruments).

Manoel Salustiano Soares, Master Salustiano, or Master Salu, was born on November 12, 1945, in Aliança, in the Zona da Mata, North of Pernambuco.

Master Salu was a musician, producer, artisan, and also a teacher and great collaborator of the diffusion and preservation of northeastern culture by the improvisation of viola, ciranda, pastoril, coco, maracatu, caboclinho, mamulengo, forró, as well as other popular manifestations of the northeastern folklore.

Demonstrating a great affinity with the rebeca, which he used to make a unique fusion of rhythms of northeastern folklore, the master participated in national and international tours.

The Master earned the Commendation of Brazilian Cultural Merit in 2001 through his consistent work aimed at the dissemination and preservation of traditional cultural manifestations.

Master Salu also created of “Cavalo Marinho Meeting” in 1995, however, the popular folguedo received the title of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Brazil, along with the Maracatus de Baque Solto and Baque Virado, 19 years later, in 2014.

Casa da Rabeca (Rabeca’s House), in the city of Tabajara, in Olinda, is dedicated to the preservation of Pernambuco’s culture and tradition. The popular artists’ keep, at first, was just a tent covered with straws from coconut palms which, coincidentally, is the symbol tree of Olinda. The place opened only on Sundays and gathered players of rabeca, accordion, zabumba, pandeiro, triangle, emboladores de coco, masters of maracatu, cavalo marinho, cirandeiros, as well as family and friends of the Zona da Mata in the North of Pernambuco.

Casa da Rabeca is currently dedicated to dance performances, workshops, meetings of rural maracatus and cavalo-marinho, as well as regional music shows that happen throughout the year. During Carnival, Casa da Rabeca receives Maracatu Piaba de Ouro (founded by Mestre Salu), caboclinhos,bois, burras, troças,ursos. Presentations of pastoril, ciranda, and cavalo marinho, including that of Boi Matuto that Master Salu created in 1968, increase during Christmas period.

Casa da Rabeca has been repeatedly brightened with the talent of musicians known as Geraldinho Lins, Santanna, Alcymar Monteiro, Petrúcio Amorim, Irah Caldeira, Antonio Carlos Nóbrega, Nadia Maia, Cristina Amaral, Sirano & Sirino, Genival Lacerda, Mazinho de Arcoverde, Lia de Itamaracá, among others.

Casa da Rabeca has a great infrastructure for the public: internal and external area for the various presentations, a bar, dance hall, tables, parking lot, and a shop, where products that were previously made by the Master himself as legacy to his children are marketed, such as rabecas, alfaias, pandeiro, mamulengos, as well as pieces of clay crafts from Caruaru.

Within the celebrations of the Ciclo Natalino (Christmas Cycle) of 2018, Casa da Rabeca and the Família Salustiano (Salustiano Family) promoted, during the 24th Cavalo Marinho Meeting, (public event in the cultural space) the pre-release of a documentary called “Salustianos” by Tiago Leitão, which presents the heirs of Master Salustiano (15 children of nine different wives) and their struggle to preserve their father’s legacy. The film also portrays how traditions are passed down through generations, by children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren of those who dedicate themselves to popular culture on a day-to-day life.

The director of the feature film initially had the idea of producing a documentary about cultural heirs of Salustiano, such as: Chico Science, Antônio Carlos Nóbrega, Siba, among others with the production that was started in 2012, however, the film brings testimony of the eleven children of the master who continued the tradition left by the father after his death in August 2008, as well as archive images about cultural groups of the Zona da Mata Norte.

Pedro Salustiano, one of Master Salú’s sons, runs Casa da Rabeca, which presents, according to his own testimony, what is most genuine in northeastern culture at all times of the year.

Casa da Rabeca, more than a space for music and dance performances, translates a strong desire to perpetuate northeastern culture in its purest, creative, and captivating form because it involves the love for traditions. 

Recife, January 15, 2020.

sources consulted

AUGUSTO, Victor. As sementes que Mestre Salustiano deixou. Disponível em: <https://blogs.ne10.uol.com.br/social1/2018/08/12/as-sementes-que-mestre-salustiano-deixou/>. Acesso em: 03 dez. 2019.

A CASA da rabeca [site oficial]. Disponível em: <http://www.casadarabeca.com.br/>.  Acesso em: 18 out. 2018.

CASA da Rabeca [Foto neste texto]. Disponível em: <http://observatoriodeolinda.com/tag/casa-da-rabeca/>. Acesso em: 15 jan. 2020.

CASA da Rabeca comemora 16 anos. 2018. Disponível em: <https://www.diariodepernambuco.com.br/noticia/viver/2018/05/casa-da-rabeca-comemora-16-anos.html>. Acesso em: 03 dez. 2019.

how to quote this text

VERARDI, Cláudia Albuquerque. Casa da Rabeca: cultura e tradição do Estado de Pernambuco, Brasil. In: Pesquisa Escolar. Recife: Fundação Joaquim Nabuco, 2020. Available at:https://pesquisaescolar.fundaj.gov.br/en/artigo/casa-da-rabeca-culture-and-tradition-state-pernambuco-brazil/. Access on: month day year. (Ex.: ago, 6 2020.)