“Not everything is a bed of roses, but everything is roots”: Raízes de Gericinó, conquered territory, assured dreamThis article analyzes the existence of the Cultural Group Raízes de Gericinó, which is located in the Comunidade do 80 - Catiri, in Bangu, in the West Zone of the city of Rio de Janeiro. The group’s history is intertwined with the fight for land faced by the community’s inhabitants in the beginning of the 2000s. The Arraiá Flor da Roça, the first cultural action carried out by the group resulted from the bond constructed and based on their fight against displacement. The Mercês family, who came from Maranhão and led the movement, connects the popular culture of its land with the consolidation of community bonds. The party thus was introduced to one of the main characters of this story, Bumba meu Boi, which would be named in 2012: “Boi Estrela de Gericinó”. The institution, which is currently considered the house of Bumba meu Boie - Museu Social, based in the Neighborhood Association’s old headquarters, exerts an influence on the recognition and in the mobilization in the territory. The name of the group itself demonstrates its intention to (re)construct itself: it is both roots and new land. The cultural heritage they carry, both material and immaterial, forges identities and memories. Not excluding the existing conflicts in these categories, the research, an excerpt of which is presented herein, proposes a reflection on the fight for land and its relationship with popular culture.
Keywords:
Popular Culture; Ancestry; Community; Bumba Meu Boi; Community-Based Cultural Policies