Maracá: um estudo à luz da prática simbólica e da vivência espiritual e cultural do povo Tabajara da Paraíba

Abstract

The Maracá is a musical instrument of profound significance for Indigenous peoples and serves as a sacred object in the religious practices of the Tabajara people in Paraíba. With its circular shape and sound produced through the internal percussion of small objects, the Maracá transcends mere musical craftsmanship, being intrinsically linked to the sacred ritual of Toré, whose rite plays a central role in the symbolic expression and religious and cultural life of the Tabajara people. The sacredness of the Maracá is related to its symbolic connection with the cosmic and spiritual universe. When played as a part of a sacred ritual, it fosters a balance of thought and spiritual alignment, enabling the Tabajara people to establish transcendental and cosmic communication with Indigenous spiritual entities. The symbolic elements interwoven with the resonating Maracás are of fundamental importance for comprehending the Maracá as an instrument of spirituality and ethnic identity for the Tabajara people Beyond the spiritual aspect of playing the Maracás, its analysis is proposed from a cultural perspective for the Aldeia Vitória of the Tabajara people, located in the city of Conde/PB, where the Maracá acquires cultural meaning for those who build and use it. In pursuit of the objectives of this study, bibliographical and documentary research and a qualitative method with ethnographic research were used. Field diaries, participant observation, and interviews were used as research instruments. This is, therefore, an analysis of the Maracá based on the spiritual and cultural experience of the Tabajara indigenous people, aiming to deepen the understanding of the instrument as a sacred object and to highlight its importance in symbolic and religious practice for indigenous identity and Tabajara culture.