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The word Maculelê (Pronounced: mah-koo-leh-LEH) is a combination of two African languages Yoruba and Arabic. "Maculelê" comes form the Yoruba lanuagage as spoken by the Nagôs (enslaved black people that spoke Yoruba), while Maculelê comes from the Malês (enslaved back Muslim people who were literate in Arabic) language. Maculelê is an Afro Brazilian dance where a number of people form a circle called a roda. One or more atabaques are at the entrance of the circle. During Maculelê , each person flails a pair of long sticks, traditionally made from biriba wood from Brazil. The sticks are called grimas. As the Maculelê rhythm is played, people in the roda strike their sticks together in syncopation. The lead singer starts with a call, and the chorus responds. After the signal is given, the dances start to play. Two by two, in "mock combat" , the dance stick their sticks to the sounds of the atabaque. |
