Between songs, embroidered flags and footsteps that echo centuries of devotion, Folia de Reis once again occupies the public and symbolic space of Museu Vassouras, in the state of Rio, from today until tomorrow (4).
The meeting brings together two days of revelry, educational activities and a poetry circle, reaffirming the institution’s commitment to valuing popular knowledge and cultural expressions that shape the identity of Vale do Café.
For the artistic director of the Vassouras Museum, Catarina Duncan, hosting Folias de Reis at the museum is a symbolic gesture. “Here we see the appreciation of the sacred, the culture of the Vale do Café territory and the people who keep this special tradition alive. We will have the opportunity to see two festivities in the region in addition to promoting educational activities and a poetry and rhyme circle.”
Journey
Today, Saturday (3), starting at 4pm, the museum hosts the procession of Jornada Jardim do Éden, led by teacher Rita de Cássia. The group travels through the museum spaces with their traditional songs, violas, tambourines and the flag that guides the journey. At 5pm, it’s time for the Descendants of David Journey, led by masters Tiago Meirelles and Lelê, who continue the procession, reaffirming the collective strength of tradition and the dialogue between different generations of revelers.
THE The program continues on Sunday (4) with activities that expand the encounter between the public and tradition. From 10am to 12pm, the Vassouras Museum Educational Center promotes the Folia Flags Workshop, open to visitors of all ages. A central element of the journeys, the flag contains religious symbols, family stories and territorial marks. The workshop’s proposal is to encourage collective creation, the use of different materials and the exchange of knowledge, connecting manual making to the memories of Vale do Café.
The closing will be at 4pm, with the Poetry Circle of the Soldiers of the Divine Brotherhood of the East, when the spoken word adds to music and gesture, expanding the sensitive experience of the festivities and reinforcing its character of oral and community transmission.
Integration
According to the organization of the event, by integrating processions, heritage education and poetry,” the Encontro de Folias de Reis reaffirms the role of the museum as a living space for listening and circulating cultures, strengthening links with local communities and recognizing the power of popular demonstrations that continue to write the history of Vassouras and the interior of the state of Rio”.
In addition to the program dedicated to Folia de Reis, the museum welcomes the artist Pandro Nobã for a special visit around the works In the distance and Heaven on Earthwhich are part of the Vapor axis of the exhibition Arrivalexpanding the dialogue between contemporary art and tradition.
Service
Vassouras Museum – Vassouras
Saturday | January 3
4pm – Jardim do Éden Day, with master Rita de Cássia
5pm – Descendants of David Day, with masters Tiago Meirelles and Lelê
Sunday | January 4th
10am to 12pm – Bandeiras de Folia Workshop, with the Museum’s Educativo
4pm – Poetry circle with the Soldiers of the Divine Brotherhood of the East
