What are Bacamarteiros?

Blunderbuss is a firearm, short and wide pipe, widely used in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, with the aim of spreading buckshot against troops, serving as a weapon for the Paraguay War. But over time, blunderbuss had been modified to be used by the bacamarteiros in Pernambuco’s regional parties.

No one knows for sure the emergence of bacamarteiros but is now one of the most important cultural representations of northeastern culture.

The bacamarteiros are men, women and also children trained in groups, troops or battalions that are led in their presentations, by a sergeant and a commander.

There are no rules or standards to be a bacamarteiro, just take a blunderbuss, know how to use the weapons and comply with the sergeant's orders.

The bacamarteiros follow in their presentations the sound of “Xaxado” ( a Pernambucano musical style).

His garments are basically denim clothing (blue cotton), neckerchief, leather hat, espadrilles and bandoliers of flandre, some also put flowers in the pipe of blunderbuss.

The bacamarteiros are one of the main features of the city of Caruaru, its peculiar presentations, lead the primitive style Pernambuco to express their culture to the people watching the presentations.

To watch some presentations of bacamarteiros, just access the links below:

References:

http://www.tesesedissertacoes.com.br/ppgaufpe/dissertacoes/2013/GM_dissertacao_2013.pdf

http://basilio.fundaj.gov.br/pesquisaescolar/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=481