Playlist on Spotify with three songs and an audio clip about this location
Terreiro de Bambas
Casa de Tia Doca is one of the historic landmarks of samba culture and the Rio suburb tradition. It was in the backyard of the house of Jilçária Cruz da Costa, the birth name of the famous Tia Doca, that a pagode emerged which became one of the greatest centers of cultural effervescence from the mid-1970s onward. Names like Zeca Pagodinho, then a young samba prospect, mingled with pillars of Portela. The space also served as a shelter for rehearsals by the Velha Guarda. Clara Nunes, Jovelina Pérola Negra, Paulinho da Viola, and Dona Ivone Lara were frequent presences at this true backyard pagode. Dudu Nobre, still a child, was already showing his talent on the cavaquinho in this circle.
Tia Doca was born in 1933 and worked as a weaver and a domestic worker to raise her three children. She joined Portela in 1953, when she married composer Altair Costa. After the separation, she found in the samba held in her backyard a way to support her family, turning her house into one of the city's most important cultural spaces.
In 1970, she became part of Portela's Velha Guarda, contributing as a lead singer in the chorus and establishing herself as one of samba's leading female voices. One of her sambas, Orgulho Negro, was recorded by Jovelina Pérola Negra, reinforcing her relevance in the music scene.
In the 1980s, the famous pagode party changed addresses, but it stayed in the region. The samba circle was so successful that, in 2002, a CD was released featuring classics that marked the gatherings promoted by Tia Doca.
Jornal do Brasil, 29 de setembro de 2000.
In 2008, Tia Doca was one of the figures featured in the documentary O Mistério do Samba, produced by singer Marisa Monte, who has a strong connection to Portela. The film was directed by Lula Buarque de Hollanda and Carolina Jabor, highlighting the contribution of Tia Doca and the Velha Guarda to samba.
Tia Doca passed away in 2009, at the age of 77, leaving behind an unforgettable legacy. Her death moved the residents of Oswaldo Cruz and all lovers of samba. Keeping the memory of Casa de Tia Doca and the terreirão she founded alive means perpetuating her influence and her contribution to culture.