1. International Festival of the Anthropology of Dance (4th edition)
Creating the World Through Dance - Genesis Ibero-Afro-Americana
Transcontinental Aesthetics
Krakow, 19-23 November 2012
Madeira folk dances:
between past and present
moura, margarida - mmoura@fmh.utl.pt
FMH - Faculty of Human Kinectics – Technical University of Lisbon – Portugal
INET-MD – Ethnomusicology Institute: Center for Music and Dance

2. Portuguese Archipelago of Madeira Island
Geographic localization
Continental
PORTUGAL
Porto Santo
Madeira
Dese
rt
Sava as
ge
520 km from the 1000 km from Portugal
West African coast 550 miles from Lisbon

3. MADEIRA ISLAND: “Purple Islands”
Prince Henry the Navigator
15th Century
1418 - 1420
João Gonçalves Zarco
Tristão Vaz Teixeira
http://inishtrahoull.blogspot.pt
http://descobrimentosportugueses.blogs.sapo.pt

4. Madeira Island: geographical and historical
contextualization
discovery in 1418
discovery in 1419

5. Madeira Island – administrative division
eleven municipalities
Tourism
São Vicente
Santana
Machico
Santa Cruz
Funchal
100,000 inhabitants
Tourism

6. CONTINENTAL
Portuguese people and
PORTUGAL
Portuguese speaking
Moorish
Jewish
Italian and african blood
Inhabitants came mostly from
Algarve (25%) 1420 and 1425
King D. João I
A7erwards (64%) families came
from the north of the
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/img/
fotos/A6.htm
Portuguese mainland regions,
Minho and Douro
arkeotavira.com

7. Fi7eenth century Madeira Island became a major
port in trade routes of the Atlantic.
Until the seventeenth century the cane culture
and sugar production was an excellent promoter
of the insular economy.
Jewish, Italian, Flemish, French, Portuguese and
Britons merchants.
http://
postaisdamadeira.wordpress.co
m/2010/04/
Slaves originating from the Canary Islands,
Morocco, Mauritania and, later, from other parts
of Africa (Guinea).
In the late fi7eenth century, Madeira was about
two thousand slaves between blacks, mulattoes
and Moors (Silva, 2007).
Seventeenth century - presence of British.
http://
postaisdamadeira.wordpress.com/
2010/04/

8. Influence of slave culture in the choreographic and musical
Madeiran tradition
The Xaramba or Charamba
The Baile Pesado (heavy ball)
The Mourisca and the Baile da meia
volta (half turn ball) trace their origins
with the black slaves from Guinea Coast
or with the moors.
The ancestral Madeira connection to the
mainland by the early settlers.
Connection to Europe, to the Canaries
and to their respective cultural
traditions (Porto da Cruz, 1954a; Vieira, Imagem de William Combe (1821). A History of Madeira,
1821.
1999).

9. Influence of slave culture in the choreographic and musical
Madeiran tradition
“Between the dances of our people and
those from the blacks of Africa there are
many similarities, (...) The jumps and turns,
that characterize the island’s dances, and
that o7en are accompanied by shrieks,
recall the African batuque, perhaps the
blacks’ major distraction on feast days
(...) the old Madeiran songs reflect the
monotony of the Arabic chants so
frequently heard with pleasure by the
people in the colonization
Imagem de William Combe (1821). A History of
times” (Elucidário Madeirense, 1978)
Madeira, 1821.

10. Influence of the European culture in the choreographic and
musical Madeiran tradition
boa‑nova‑group‑couple‑dancing‑funchal‑m
“firstly the contra dances (with English origin),
ad
then the waltzes (...), and finally the polkas
and quadrilles” (Fernandes, 2001, p.16).

11. Madeiran ethno-choreographic repertoire: past made
present
Various cultural contributions
Multiple manifestations of dances and
songs
Grupo folclore da camcha, 1920
Folk festivals and to the patron saint’s vindima.web.simplesnet.pt
festivities.
Adaptation
Madeiran style - unique mode in its
http://folcloredamadeira.wordpress.com/category/grupos-de-
genre
folclore/page/2/

12. Madeiran ethno-choreographic repertoire: past made present
The exaltation of the “folk” and the
“traditional” is expressed whether through
study and publication, whether the experiences
recreation or even through the
institutionalization of the so-called folk groups. vindima.web.simplesnet.pt
The celebrations and tourism are a unique
moment for this exaltation.
The adaptation of the traditional
culture resulted in a choreographic and
musical genre designated bailinho that
remains till the present time.
http://folcloredamadeira.wordpress.com/
category/grupos-de-folclore/page/2/

13. Bailinho: Madeiran choreographic genre
Madeira Dances - one type of dance
the bailinho
The bailinhos, bailhos or baile(s), refer to
the Madeira island traditional dances,
including the whole existing choreographic
and musical repertoire, chanted and / or
danced.

14. Bailinho: Madeiran choreographic genre
BAILINHO or BAILE with SAME names
Bailinho da Madeira
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/recursos/Personalidades/Carlos
Bailinho da Ponta do Sol
Baile do Bate o Pé
Bailinho das Camacheiras
Baile da Mourisca
Baile Pesado ou Baile da Repisa
Baile dos Canhas
Baile de Oito
BAILINHO with DIFFERENT names
%20Santos.htm
Chamarrita / Xamarrita / Chama-Rita
Vira Vira Está Queimado
Mourisca
Sapateia
Pézinho

15. Bailinho: Madeirian choreographic genre
http://pontadosol.files.wordpress.com/2007/04/grupo3.jpg
All these bailinhos are practiced by the
madeirans, whether adults or children, as
attested by the numerous records found since
1850 in the daily newspapers of the region
(Fernandes, 1999).
groups of children dancing bailinho was quite
usual in the first 3 decades of the twentieth
century.
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/
img/fotos/A14.htm

16. Baile de Ala Moda, Dança de ála moda, Ala-moda, Alamoda or
Baile campestre
Baile de Alamoda
Folklore Group of Rachão
Ala Moda ball is regarded as the
oldest dance recovered and danced in
its most original mode.
Its origin dates back to the English
contra-dance, introduced in France in
the late seventeenth century (Santos,
1942), highlighting the designation of
the choreographic marks in French:
promenade, à vos place, though 0:36
pronounced according to the Madeiran
ear.

17. Dança de espadas - dance of swords
The dance of swords regarded as the oldest of
all, dates from the sixteenth century, as a part
of the Corpus Christi procession in Ponta do
Sol, Madeira Island (Fernandes, 2001).
First dance to be presented on stage in 1850.
http://sarrabal.blogs.sapo.pt/
49670.html
Currently is displayed on the S. Pedro (St.
Peter) festivities, in the localities of Ribeira
Brava for his patron’s honor.
Dança das Espadas», nas ruas de Penafiel, anos 50 do
século XX
http://maisevora.blogspot.pt/2012/07/verao-lusiada.html

18. Dança de espadas - dance of swords
PRESENTLY
Significant changes in the music,
choreography and costume.
MAINTAINS
Dança das espadas – GdeFe Etnográfico da Boa Nova -
Madeira
http://www.diariocidade.pt/?p=32505
7 dancers
3 or 4 players
Warrior attitude
Swords
Uniforms
Exclusive men’s participation
1352969‑Ribeira_Brava_Dance_of_the_swords_Ribeira_Brava.jpg
virtualtourist.com

19. Bailinho’s musical characterization
MACHETE or braguinha
musical instrument
machete player
machete player
Machete. Foto: Rui Camacho
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/
Tocador de Machete Vilão tocando machete, 1890
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/ http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/img/fotos/
A31.htm

20. Bailinho’s musical characterization
machete player
machete player
Tocador de Machete Tocadora de Machete
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/ http://machetista.blogspot.pt/

21. Bailinho’s musical characterization
RAJÃO
musical instrument
rajão players
Tocadores de Rajão http://machetista.blogspot.pt/ Rajão. Foto: Rui Camacho
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/

22. Bailinho’s musical characterization
machete and viola d’arame
players
VIOLA D’ARAME
musical instrument
FERRINHOS
triangle
Viola d'Arame Foto: Rui Machete acompanhado por uma Viola
Camacho
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/
http://machetista.blogspot.pt/

23. Bailinho’s musical characterization
BRINQUNHO
musical instrument
seven wooden dolls
dressed in the typical
madeiran costumes, and
animated by vertical
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/
http://folkosfera.blogspot.pt/2009/09/instrumentos-musicais-do-
mundo-o.html
movements by the
performer’s hand”
festivais2012.html

24. Bailinho’s musical characterization
BRINQUNHO
player
MACHETE
player
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/
img/fotos/A26.htm

25. Bailinho’s: musical characterization
RABECA
musical instrument
Tocadores de Rajão http://machetista.blogspot.pt/

26. Bailinho’s choreographic characterization
Arms placed in an upper level (above
the head) and accompanied by finger
snapping or clapping hands.
The bailinhos dance’s steps and the
choreographic marks were identical in
any part of the island, steps more or
less rhythmical by the music sound.
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/
romaria step (jump or skip step)
festivais2012.html
bailinho step performed with a sharp
bending of knees .

27. Bailinho’s choreographic characterization
torso swings, inclinations and twists
characterize and individualize the
bailinhos.
Spatially the bailinhos are executed in a
single circles, a double circles or in lines
with the pairs face to face, vis a vis .
Spatial variations by the frequent
mandador existence (masculine element
that orders the choreographic marks,
like: women inside, turn outside, …).
http://arte-e-manhas-arte.blogspot.pt/2010/02/o-balinho-da-
madeira.html

28. Bailinho’s choreographic characterization
Bailinhos’s choreographic variants - as many as the
mandador imagination and fantasy would allow,
without ever change the rhythm of the dance.
Madeira bailinhos - moderate choreographic tempo.
Porto Santo bailinhos - more moderate and slow
choreographic tempo.
Porto Santo dancers

29. BAILE DA MOURISCA, MOORISH BALL
Mourisca dos Canhas
Muslim origin, very popular in the Folklore Group of Ponta do Sol
XVII century.
Mourisca as a song an as a dance.
Originally a song and not a dance.
Considered as “simple move of feet
to the music rhythm, different
from locality to locality and never
spontaneous” (Chaves (1944).
Warrior dance, a “warrior ballet”.
Simulation of fighting between
christians and moors with the
christians victory.

30. BAILE PESADO, “HEAVY” BALL
Baile pesado ou Baile da repisa
Baile Pesado or baile da repisa
Folklore Group of Rachão
(by the resemblance with the grapes
retread in the winepress).
Black slaves dances origin.
Rhythmic steps and bodily
attitude.
Dance performed in a circle with
predefined choreographic marks
(forward and backward, holding hands, 0.9
etc..) or off the cuff.

31. BAILE DAS CAMACHEIRAS, “CAMACHEIRAS” BALL
Maria da
Baile das Camacheiras
Ascenção
Contra-dance origin.
Folklore Group of Casa do
Povo da Camacha
Ball in a lively tempo.
Pairs positioned face to face, “vis
5.52
a vis“.
Numerous choreographic marks
( waltz, inside, …) some of them
verbalized in French (en avant).
An excellent “choreographic visit
card” from Madeira, being one of
the best known “in and out of
doors”
0.14

32. BAILE CORRIDO, “RUNNING” BALL or PILGRIMAGES BALL
Baile Corrido or Baile de Romaria
Folklore Group of Casa do Povo da Camacha
Bailinho peformed in
pilgrimages, in a way that it
could be dance while
wolking.
Movements (twists, twirls,
jumps or skips) and duration
are improvised.

33. BAILE de OITO, “BALL OF EIGHT “
“BRINCO” – Baile do Brinco d’Oito Folklore and
Contra-dance origin.
Ethnography of the Autonomous Region
Pairs positioned face to
face, “vis a vis“ and always
with the snaps fingers’
follow-up .
The movements resemble
sometimes to the heavy
ball, but they are less
skipped.
14.8

34. CHAMARRITA, XAMARRITA or CHAMA RITA
dance executed around a circle Chamarrita
with the dancers’ one behind Folklore Group of Rachão
another.
Chanted with chorus and solo
which gives it uniqueness.
The choreographic and musical
tempo is slow, being
monotonous both in singing as
in dancing.
its origin, remains a mystery, but
Santos (1942) considers it near
0.17
to the moors’ ball, as connected
in chant, accompaniment and
dance.

35. CHARAMBA / XARAMBA - XARAMBA CHANT
2.4 Toque do Xaramba
António Nobrega
Charamba madeirense
connected with
the Arabic
culture
Folk song to defiance between two men or women, charambistas, where the
local daily verses were improvise with a critical, ironic or even offensive
tone.
The instrumental improvisation is done with the viola de arame and rajão
(Torres and Camacho, 2010).

36. COSTUMES: between past and present
http://postaisdamadeira.wordpress.com http://postaisdamadeira.wordpress.com/
2010/04/
The primitive Madeiran costumes would be “absolutely identical to those
that were used in the mainland Portugal provinces from where these
elements come (...) Algarve, Alentejo, Trás-os-Montes and Minho.

37. http://
folcloredamadeira.wordpress.com/
category/trajos/
Viloas, 1890, Foto Museu Vicentes.
http://www.folcloredamadeira.com/img/
fotos/A32.htm
http://postaisdamadeira.wordpress.com/ http://lendasetradicoes.blogs.sapo.pt/4449.html
2010/04/

38. http://m.dnoticias.pt/multimedia/fotoreportagem/
340192-trajes-madeirenses-mais-valorizados
COSTUMES
http://www.feitoria.com.pt/pt/catalogo/feitoria/roupa/
fato-regional-da-madeira

39. http://sabores-do-atlantico.livre-forum.com/t318-
trajes-tipicos-e-tradicoes
Despite the bright and showy colours of the female costume may have been
influence by the moorish slaves from the north of Africa, Porto da Cruz
(1954b) considers much more likely the influence of the Minho
Portuguese region’s costume, which assumes bright and
showy colours.
Regarding raw materials the privilege lies with the linen and wool, fulfilling
the functions of shelter and lighter covering, but long lasting and resistant.

40. CONCLUSION
The current Madeiran bailinhos, Madeira folk dances, represent the presence
of sociocultural and historical past of the island and its inhabitants. From the
moorish and black cultures as well as the other visitors cultures (English,
French and Portuguese) influences had remained.
The people of Madeira Island had appropriated, assimilated, preserved and
naturally changed the cultural features that have received and adapted them
in their own way.
The music assumes the continental but the style is Madeiran with Arabic
preponderance, (Santos, 1942).

41. CONCLUSION
The entire island uses the same songs, Charamba, Mourisca and Bailinho,
in a widespread Madeiran style.
In bailinhos are perpetuated these ones that resemble the moorish and
black slaves, the Contra-dance and the quadrille and still the most typical
of Madeira, the “run ball”, baile corrido.

42. MADEIRA BAILINHO
Folklore Group of Ponta do Sol
moura, margarida - mmoura@fmh.utl.pt