Dona Santa

Maria Júlia do Nascimento, Dona Santa, better known as Recife's queen of maracatus, was born on March 25, 1877, in the courtyard of Santa Cruz, Recife, Pernambuco. Before becoming Queen of the Maracatu Elephant, which made her famous, Dona Santa, or Santinha, played at the congadas (African rhythms), Verdureira and Miçangueira, was Queen of the Maracatu Leão Coroado and founded the Troça Carnavalesca Mista Rei dos Ciganos, that later became Maracatu Porto Rico do Oriente. Daughter and granddaughter of Africans, she had in her blood the rhythm of the zabumba and the "baque virado" from maracatu. As queen of the Leão Coroado, she married João Vitorino; later, she renounced the throne after her husband was chosen to reign at the Maracatu Elefante, founded, according to various sources, in 1800. Dona Santa reigned over Maracatu Elefante for sixteen years, during which time it became most prominent of all maracatus. When her husband died, she took over the rule but was not crowned until February 27, 1947. The Elefante used to performed on Carnival's Mondays. Dona Santa paraded in a nineteenth-century European-style dress made of silk, velvet, satin, embroidered with sequins, beads, and gold thread, and carried a metal marlin with which she blessed her "subjects," as well as a scepter, crown, high-necked cape, heels, earrings, rings, bracelets, and brooches. Her favorite colors were yellow, blue, white and green. A traditional and respected figure, Dona Santa reigned during many Recife's carnivals and was the subject of studies by several researchers, such as US researcher and anthropologist Katarina Real. Dona Santa died in Recife in 1962 at the age of 85.