Batuque: A Cry of Resistance Gestures, Sounds, and Afro-Diasporic Identities in Brazil, Portugal, and Cape Verde

Abstract

This article investigates batuque within Brazilian and Portuguese contexts, aiming to understand its significance as a symbol of resistance and cultural identity. Using the human body as the central axis, the study explores the musical-choreographic, social, religious, and communicational dimensions found in Afro-Brazilian manifestations – such as Maculelê, Tambor de Crioula, Coco de Zambê, Samba de Roda, Jongo, Candomblé, Umbanda, and Capoeira – as well as the Cape Verdean tradition of Batuko, currently practiced in Portugal. The analysis draws on the concept of “Cultural Motrices” (Ligiéro, 2011), which emphasizes the presence of the singing-dancing-drumming triad; the organization of the performative space; the figure of the master; the simultaneity of ritual and play; the sacred space and trance. The research includes interviews with musicologist Jorge Castro Ribeiro (Portugal, 2023) and dancer-scholar Mestre Petchu (Portugal, 2021). The findings reveal that batuque, more than a rhythm or group dance, is a vital impulse rooted in the body; a way of life, a belief, a form of expression and communication; a source of inspiration and a symbolic weapon against prejudice and colonial domination. Ultimately, it emerges as a performative gesture of resistance and identity affirmation in contemporary contexts.