I'm going to talk a bit about the festivals and celebrations in my quilombo.
My name is Janne and I live in the quilombo Santa Rosa dos Pretos in Itapecuru Mirim, Maranhão.
Every year in my quilombo we hold the Centennial Celebrations (festejos Centenários), which date back more than 250 years. My family and I are very happy to participate in the traditional festivities by dancing, singing, and taking part in the preparations.
We start with the feast of the Holy Spirit, which has been celebrated in the month of November for more than 250 years. Each year, a family is in charge of organizing the event.
We also have the feast of São Benedito (a saint born to African slaves), during which we ask for the endurance of our culture to the sounds of drums and matracas (a type of wooden rattle). The Tambor de Mina is a religion where people welcome the Encantados, spirits who give them strength in order to fulfill their mission.
We always aim to maintain the endurance of our culture so that it may live on in our quilombo.
Translation: Andru Shively (VUB)