Afon Sistema with Mestre of Maracatu

Mestre Gilmar Santana is a master of maracatu de baque virado from Igarassu, Pernambuco, Brazil, and a direct heir of a long-standing family tradition. He is the grandson of Dona Mariu and the son of Dona Olga, who passed this cultural knowledge through generations. Today, he leads the Maracatu Estrela Brilhante de Igarassu, a maracatu nation officially dated to 1824, with oral history indicating even older origins.

He learned maracatu through lived experience, growing up inside the tradition. His training came from observing, practicing, and participating with older generations in daily community life. Mestre Gilmar continues the tradition as it was taught to him, preserving its practices, values, and community-based structure. His work is grounded in respect for elders and in passing knowledge to the next generations. He is also a luthier, building and maintaining traditional instruments used in maracatu.

He also maintains the coco of Dona Olga, a related cultural expression from the same community. In Igarassu, maracatu and coco are closely connected and often practiced together.

Gilmar shares this tradition in Brazil and internationally while remaining rooted in his community. His strong voice and joyful presence bring people together and help keep this living tradition active as culture, memory, and resistance.