Feast of São João in Brazil

Jogral about the regions of Brazil

play by Ruth Salles

The suggestion for this minstrel is that, between each stanza, classes of younger children would perform with songs and dances typical of each region of Brazil. The class can be divided into 7 choirs.

CHORUS 1:
- Hey, Saint John,
leave your boat in the Jordan River for a while
and come see what it has done for you
this girl you see here
in this land of sun and beach,
of pampa that spreads,
of forest and flower.
With love,
the earth collects
what the wind of time was leaving
and the memory of the people is remembering…

Eta jongo, cateretê, abanhenhenga!
Êta Mongo Came spinning around in myth and legend!
Who was it that danced?
Who told?
Was it the Indian, was it the black, was it the white?
It was this mixture of race,
this trinity that intertwines?
It's a pretty spiel,
jongo, ciranda, cateretê, abanhenhenga!

CHORUS 2:
– Hey, Saint John the traveler!
Your heart doesn't expand
when passing through such a large land?
Look to the southeast, Nature in celebration,
that the guitar player sings in his serenade.
Hear the ready challenge, appreciate the cut,
the back and forth of the tap dance!
– Pull the string, mate!
êh box, reco-reco and tambourine!

CHORUS 3:
– Traveler, now look at the Midwest,
the wild swamp,
the clay jack, the jaburu,
the saci-pererê making a sururu,
leaving in the clearing and in the thickness
your trail of mischief.
Look at the prospector,
the jaguar hunter
and the cowboy
playing the herd!
Come on, traveller, get ready
and listen to the viola do repentista!

CHORUS 4:
– Let us now go north, traveller,
there where the pororoca is amazing,
where the Amazon in the golden sun
it's a silver list
scratching the green of the great forest!
Look at the ox, look at the ox, look at the ox bumba!
Hey, my ox surubim, êh boi brabo!
If he runs away from me, I'll grab him by the tail!

CHORUS 5:
– Look at the southern pampas, São João,
the gaucho with his mate!
Look at the crowded ranch of gauchada,
drinking mate and running mare!
The ox falls with bolas and all!
Eta, clunky fun!
Look at the gauchinha, my gift,
who will dance, for us to enjoy!

CHORUS 6:
– Take a good look at the northeast, traveller:
clear dunes, red sun,
the babassu, the carnauba.
Look at the mandingueira cow climbing the hill!
Watch out! Do you have good espadrilles?
There is an eighth tree among the flat cacti.
The wind dances a maracatu
with your buzz.
Is it really a hum that is sounding?
Or will it be Zombie calling?

CHORUS 7:
– We have already shown our show,
we already sing our song,
but Brazilian Brazil, a great land,
open the doors to the outside –
spreads all over the place.
A dance came from France!
Let's see how to dance!
It's the imperial hall gang,
and contradanza was the official name,
but it's a change of word, it's a change yes!
Contradance means:
“COUNTRY-DANCE”!
It's country dancing!
Let's see the gang, people!

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