Maria Júlia do Nascimento, or Dona Santa, the most famous queen of Recife maracatus, was born on 25 March 1877, in pátio de Santa Cruz, Recife, Pernambuco.

A maracatu group in the nação (nation) or baque virado style, Maracatu Elefante became popularly known as Maracatu de Dona Santa (Mrs Santa’s Maracatu Group), the group’s most famous queen, whose reign spanned from 1947 to 1962.