Maracatu de baque virado in the global north

transits, legitimations and subjectivities

Abstract

This article examines the globalization of traditional Brazilian music by studying the case of maracatus de baque virado in the global north, especially in Europe. It analyses the more general processes that contribute to the internationalization of maracatus, as well as the meanings that traditional Brazilian popular culture acquires abroad. The study is based on bibliographical research and an in-depth interview with the creator/director of a maracatu in Berlin, percussionist Fabiano Lima. In order to make the analysis more concrete, emphasis will be placed on analyzing the connections between maracatus from Pernambuco and two percussive groups in Europe: Baque Forte (Berlin), created and directed by Fabiano Lima; and Baque de Axé (London), affiliated to the Nação do Maracatu Porto Rico, from Recife. The conclusion is that the networks between local and international maracatus involve several levels of globalization processes.