THE REINVENTION OF CARNIVAL IN THE PROFANE EXTENSION OF NOSSA SENHORA DA AJUDA'S PARTY IN THE CITY OF CACHOEIRA, IN THE RECÔNCAVO BAIANO

Abstract

In the town of Cachoeira, in Bahia's region of Recôncavo, carnival events no longer happens on the streets nor in a traditional city club in the first quarter of the year; instead, the revelry and carnival musicality are now part of the profane extension of the party of Nossa Senhora da Ajuda, in the first half of November, as reinvented festive practices. In this paper we analyze the spatial and sociocultural dynamics of the Festa da Nossa Senhora da Ajuda on the streets of Cachoeira, trying to understand elements and carnival practices in the context of this festive event. To do so, we analyzed the archives of newspapers, magazines, old photos and we interviewed people involved in the major local festivals. The survey revealed that many reveler practices and part of the carnival musicality of Cachoeira were reinvented in the context of other popular festivals such as Nossa Senhora da Ajuda.