Pierre Banoori

Curucucús

1300 years later and on the other side of the planet, the European tales of Charlemagne have taken a life of their own in the depths of the Brazilian hinterlands. In the 18th century, Jesuits came to Brazil with the mission of catechising the indigenous and slave populations. To do so, they introduced a theatrical representation of the story of Charlemagne; consisting of a spectacle depicting Christian knights defeating Muslim moors: these are the Cavalhadas. Active participation in the festivities was reserved for the rich whites. But the slaves, the natives, and the general poor of Pirenópolis decided to take matters into their own hands. Covering themselves head to toe and masking their voices to remain unidentifiable, they would take to the streets to demonstrate and disrupt the festivities: they are the Curucucús. They have evolved to be the icons of the Cavalhadas de Pirenópolis.