During the time of slavery in Brazil, it was common practice to make one slave partly responsible for others. This was adopted to try and decrease unrest amongst the slaves. The chosen man was someone who was usually of particular importance within his community and was called ‘Rei do Congo’ (literally meaning ‘King of Congo’). His position and title was given to him at ‘coronation ceremonies’ that typically took place in church courtyards.
Other slaves would take part in these ceremonies, making up the ‘King’s court’ as a royal 
figure, servant, slave, or dancing/musical band member. The royal court was a parody of the existing Portuguese court, recreated with clothes of the period, costumes and symbols of the real court. The music and dance which accompanied the crowning and its festivities were African in origin.
And so, in an area of Recife in the north east of Brazil, these festivities, people and any group playing or dancing became known as Maracatu.
After Slavery
In 1888, slavery was abolished in Brazil and, although maracatu was still played at parties and on certain feast days, it was no longer part of a ‘coronation ceremony’. However, maracatu continued to be seen and heard at the annual Carnaval. As a result, various maracatus formed and standardised the parade.
To reflect their origins, many maracatus use ‘nação’ in their names. Loosely translated, this means ‘nation’ in English and is used to show fidelity to the African tribes and/or communities from which many of the traditions came from. Maracatu Nação is also known as Maracatu de Baque Virado – Baque Virado referring to the rhythm and loosely translated as ‘turned beat’. Maracatu Rural, also known as Maracatu de Baque Solto (‘loose beat’), is the other form of maracatu played mainly in the countryside of Pernambuco.
The oldest group, Maracatu Elephante, was founded in 1800 and although it was disbanded toward the end of the last century, the group currently using this name is not the same. However, Maracatu Leão Coroado, which started in 1863 is the oldest group in continuous existence. They were closely followed by Maracatu Nação Estrela Brilhante do Recife in 1910, Maracatu Cambinda Estrela in 1935 and Nação do Maracatu Porto Rico in 1967.
Assimilation
In the mid nineties, a group of university students became interested in maracatu and started their own group, Maracatu Nação Pernambuco. This group was partly responsible for a resurgence in popularity of what was, at the time, a tradition held largely by the those living in the poorer parts of the Olinda/Recife metropolitan area.
The work of Chico Science e Nação Zumbi stood out among a new movement of young musicians fusing maracatu (and other folkloric musical forms) with hip hop, rock and other electronic music to form mangue beat – the name of the movement and music. Through this more-accessible form, the younger generation discovered maracatu, increasing its popularity.
Now
Maracatu has regained the respect of many who realise its true value as folklore and a link to the past. The opening of the 2003 Carnaval in Recife alone featured eleven maracatus from the area playing Chico Science’s ‘A Praieira’ and a Hector Villa Lobos piece with the Recife Philharmonic Orchestra!
We have now reached a point where many maracatus have been set up by newcomers with a passion for the music. Some of these bands stick rigidly to a maracatu tradition, whilst others experiment with the sound using new instruments and rhythms. There are ‘next generation’ maracatus in Rio de Janeiro (Rio Maracatu) and Belo Horizonte (Trovão das Minas), to name but two.
Outside of Brazil, other bands include:
- Maracatu Estrela do Norte in London, U.K
- Maracatu Nunca Antes in Toronto, Canada
- Maracatu Stern der Elbe in Hamburg, Germany
- Maracatu New York, N.Y., U.S.A.
- Maracatu Ilha Brilho, Ireland
There is a certain formation that many of maracatus decide to follow. Read more about that here.