Era em plena rua do Ouvidor. Não se podia andar. (…) Era provável que do largo de S. Francisco à rua Direita dançassem vinte cordões (…), rufassem duzentos tambores, (…), gritassem 50 mil pessoas. A rua convulsionava-se como se fosse fender, rebentar de luxúria e de barulho
The excerpt above was written by João do Rio in 1908, but it could be the account of a 20th-century observer. He writes about the carnival cordões, a tradition that dominated Rio de Janeiro's carnival from the mid-19th century to the early 20th century, a period in which the Entrudo began to lose prominence.
Called this because of the groups of revelers who walked in a line, the cordões were made up of manual laborers, suburban residents and other underprivileged people – mostly men –, dressed in the most diverse costumes and masks. Clowns, devils, kings, queens, Indians and baianas took to the streets singing their songs, accompanied by the syncopated beats of percussion, in a carnival full of theatricality and joy!
Cordão da Bola Preta at Carnival in 1936. Source: BN Digital
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people gathered in front of a building with windows and doors. The spatial arrangement shows the participants organized in three rows: at the front are adults and children sitting or standing, in the middle are more people standing, and in the background there are more people also standing. Everyone appears to be wearing clothing typical of festive or carnival celebrations. On the ground, there is text written in white that reads: "SALVÉ! 'CORDÃO DA BOLA PRETA' PENHA DE 1936".The names were the most varied: from the frightening “Rompe e Rasga” ("Break and Tear"), “Filhos do Inferno” ("Children of Hell") and “Filhos de Satã” ("Children of Satan"), to the more humorous ones, like “Flor dos Perebas” ("Flower of the Scabs") or “Inimigos do Trabalho" ("Enemies of Work"). Many indicated the origin of the cordões, their association with the famous capoeira gangs, or cultural heritages of African peoples. In the early 20th century, more than 200 cordões competed for space in the streets during Carnival.
Just like the Entrudo, they were the target of intense police repression from the moment they emerged. The elites' desire to modernize and conform to European standards did not sit well with street carnival, with its cheap costumes and masks, scandalous pranks, and, often, confusion and fights that broke out in the middle of the crowd.
Cordão do Bola Preta parading in 1969. Correio da Manhã Collection - Arquivo Nacional
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a crowd at a festive event, possibly a carnival. The image shows a large gathering of people walking down the street, some holding parasols and flags. On the left, there is a row of vehicles, including buses and cars, stopped or moving slowly. In the center, the participants appear animated, some dressed in colorful, patterned clothing. On the right, there is a sign reading "EVARISTO DA VILA". The setting suggests a festive, bustling atmosphere, with many onlookers and participants taking part in the celebration.With the Proclamation of the Republic, this repression intensified, and many cordões ceased to exist in the first decades of the 20th century. The ranchos — led by the Bahian aunties — and the blocos took center stage.
Very similar to cordões, but with innovations such as allegorical carts, harmony masters, and a strong female presence (the pastoras), the ranchos were the main influences for the creation of the first samba school.
The group of "pastoras" (shepherdesses) from the Ameno Resedá "rancho" in 1911. Image taken from the Identidades do Rio - UFF website.
Image description: This is a black-and-white photograph of a group of people dressed in traditional costumes, possibly for a carnival celebration. In the background, there is a building with a sloped roof and a door. The people are arranged in two rows, with some seated in chairs and others standing behind them. Each person has a number on their clothing, identifying them individually. Below the photo, there is a text explaining that this is the "Corte de Belzebuth" (Belzebuth's Court) from the 1911 Carnival, listing the names of the participants.Please share the source text you would like translated.
CUNHA, Fabiana Lopes. Os "Cordões" entre confettis, serpentinas e lança-perfumes: o carnaval do "Zé Povinho" e as diferentes formas de brincar e tentar regrar o carnaval carioca em fins do século XIX e início do XX. Diálogos (Maringá. Online), v. 19, n.2, p. 565-591, mai./ago. 2015. Available at: https://www.redalyc.org/pdf/3055/305541164007.pdf CUNHA. Leonardo M. Selvagens, atroadores e belos: a ambiguidade nas representações dos grupos carnavalescos populares pela imprensa carioca do início do século XX. Tese (Doutorado em História) - PUC-Rio, Rio de Janeiro, 2006. Cap. 3. Available at: https://www.maxwell.vrac.puc-rio.br/7726/7726_5.PDF RIO, João do. A alma encantadora das ruas. 1908. Available at: http://objdigital.bn.br/Acervo_Digital/livros_eletronicos/alma_encantadora_das_ruas.pdf
