THE FANDANGO José Maria Tenório Rocha The Fandango is a popular spectacle that brings together : romance, dance, music, anecdotes, sayings, legends and prayer. This spectacle can normally be found on an improvised stage at a party, in a patio in front of a church or even on a decorated boat alongside the beach. The actors wear sailor costumes. They sing, dance and shout to the sound of string instruments and provide the percussion sounds with their own tap dancing. The Fandango is an example of Iberian inheritance, richer and even more alive than ever in our own popular culture. It dates from the last century, when Fandangos were seen from the coastal regions all the way through to the hinterlands. There are still a very few groups left, although sadly it is almost extinct. The names of the groups reflect very much the region in which they are based : Marujada, Barca, Chegança de Marujos, Nau Catarineta. There is always an opening procession to the Fandango, much like the Greek theatre, with singing and recitations of naval episodes - a ship suffers from the effects of a tempest, and wanders the seas for 7 years and a day. Hunger attacks everybody. By drawing lots, one of the crew is sacrificed to serve the hunger of the rest of the ship's crew. Before executing the General, who was the unlucky subject drawn, Our Lord performs a miracle and everyone lands safely in Spain. Meanwhile, Satan has been reincarnated as the ship's figurehead and does all in his power to stop this from happening. The other actors are : The Master Captain, the Commandant, the Pilot, the Surgeon, Sabóia, Marujos and the clowns Vassoura, Ermitão e Ração. We are able to see The Fandango at Christmas time in Recife in the districts of Sítio Trindade and Mustardinha, and the smaller cities of Nazaré da Mata, Carpina, Itamaracá, Cabedelo (PB) e Maceió (AL).