WhenIcamefromMinas

When I came from Minas,
I brought gold dust, when I came
When I came from Minas,
I brought gold dust, just look at that!

Poor migrants who settled on the banks of the Rio Atlântico did not come only from Bahia. Many came from Minas Gerais and the Vale do Paraíba, most of them Black men and women, in the first half of the twentieth century. And they went not only to the central areas of the city but also to neighborhoods on the outskirts of Rio, where they often settled on the hillsides. Others went to the suburbs, seeking places where they could carry on an almost rural life, in houses with a yard for growing a vegetable garden and even keeping a small number of animals.

João Nogueira, Bezerra da Silva, Dona Ivone Lara, Martinho da Vila, and the legendary Vovó Maria Joana Benzedeira do Morro in a one-time appearance at Morro da Serrinha. Video – Fabinho Maurício / Madureira Ontem & Hoje page.

Morro da Serrinha, in Madureira, was one of these places, a refuge for those who had been expelled from downtown or arrived from the countryside and could not find a place to settle in the port and central areas of the city. In outlying areas that were a little less occupied, they were sometimes able to continue with the habits and ways of life of the countryside, tending a small plot of land, where they could grow produce to sell in the city.

Interview with Grandma Maria do Jongo in 1979. Arquivo Nacional

Migrants coming from inland areas of the Southeast saw in Rio de Janeiro an opportunity to leave behind the extremely precarious labor relations of the rural world and to find in the city a space with more rights and opportunities. Sometimes families that were already formed, with children, would migrate so that the children could be raised here, in Rio, and have, who knows, other chances. Illustrious figures of Afro-Carioca culture, such as Clementina de Jesus, Tia Maria do Jongo, Martinho da Vila, Noca da Portela, among others, were part of this population that joined Rio Atlântico and kept extending the city farther away from the ocean.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a musical event. In the central part, there is a woman wearing a white dress, holding a microphone and singing. She is standing on a stage, with a man beside her, also singing and playing an instrument. In the background, other men are standing, some holding musical instruments. The spatial arrangement is asymmetrical, with the woman centered and the other participants distributed around her.

Many were among the founders of Rio's samba schools, and they brought jongo and caxambu from the inland hills and plains to the seaside city.

Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph showing a scene from a community. On the left side, children are sitting on a brick wall. On the right, adults dressed in traditional clothing are walking. In the background, there is a house with an open door and people inside it. On the right, there is a large plant with wide leaves.