The term maracatu refers to several types of performances found in Pernambuco, a state in northeastern Brazil. The main types include maracatu nação, also known as nation-style maracatu, and maracatu rural, also known as rural-style maracatu.

Maracatu Nação

Maracatu nação, also called maracatu de baque virado ("maracatu of the turned-around beat"), is the most well-known type of maracatu. It is an Afro-Brazilian performance tradition practiced in the state of Pernambuco, mainly in the cities of Recife and Olinda. The word "nação" ("nation," plural: "nações") refers not only to the performance but also to the groups that perform it.

Maracatu nação began with the investiture ceremonies of the Reis do Congo (Kings of Congo), enslaved people who were given leadership roles by the Portuguese. After slavery was abolished in Brazil in 1888, the Kings of Congo no longer existed. However, the groups called "nações" continued to choose symbolic leaders and hold ceremonies similar to coronations. While maracatu performances are not religious, traditional nações are connected to Afro-Brazilian religions like Candomblé or Jurema. These religions influence the activities of the groups.

Traditional nações perform with a group of 80 to 100 drummers, a singer, a chorus, and dancers and actors who play roles like a king and queen. These dancers and actors dress and act like members of the Portuguese royal court from the Baroque period.

The performance also includes traditions from pre-colonial Africa, such as parading the calunga, a doll that represents tribal gods. The calunga is kept in a special place in the nação's headquarters throughout the year. These dolls, usually female, are made of wax and wood or cloth. They often wear clothing similar to the Baroque-style costumes worn by the royal court members. The calunga is sacred, and carrying it is a serious responsibility for the female Dama de Paço (Lady-in-Waiting) in the group.

The musical group uses several instruments, including the alfaia (a large wooden drum), gonguê (a metal cowbell), tarol (a shallow snare drum), caixa-de-guerra ("war-snare"), abê (a gourd shaker covered in beads), and mineiro (a metal shaker filled with metal or seeds). The music follows a call-and-response pattern between a solo singer and a female chorus.

Today, about 20 nações operate in Recife and Olinda. Some have been active since the 19th century, while others were formed more recently. Well-known groups include Estrela Brilhante, Leão Coroado, and Porto Rico. Each year, these groups perform during Carnival in Recife and Olinda. Maracatu Nação Pernambuco, though not a traditional maracatu, helped introduce the genre to audiences outside Brazil in the 1990s.

Maracatu nação has inspired groups in many cities outside Brazil, including Lisbon, Toronto, Quebec City, New York City, Austin, Washington, D.C., Cologne, Berlin, Hamburg, Vienna, Lyon, Stockholm, London, Edinburgh, Brighton, Madison, Oakland, San Diego, Seattle, Portland, Manchester, Bristol, Oxford, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Madrid.

Maracatu Rural

Maracatu Rural, which originated in the countryside of Pernambuco, is also called maracatu de baque solto, maracatu de orquesta, and maracatu de trombone. Though it shares a name with maracatu nação, which is found in the cities of that state, it is very different in terms of stories, how it is performed, and the instruments used. It developed in the early 1900s as a mix of older Carnival traditions. It is believed to have roots in both African and Indigenous cultures. The members, who are often sugarcane workers, are connected to the Catimbó religion, which has Indigenous influences. Many groups participate in Maracatu Rural, with dozens of groups active today.

Maracatu cearense

Maracatu cearense is the version of maracatu nação from Fortaleza, Brazil. It was introduced to Fortaleza in 1936 and has since become the city's most famous Carnival tradition. This tradition includes performers using blackface makeup to portray Afro-Brazilian characters and men dressing as women to represent important female roles, such as the queen. The music is described as "cadenced," meaning it has a steady, less complicated rhythm in 2/4 time and a slower tempo than the maracatu nação from Pernambuco. Some groups keep the slow tempo to reflect the hardships of slavery, while others play faster to celebrate Carnival. There is some debate about which style best represents the tradition in Ceará.

The instruments used are different from those in Pernambuco. Instead of alfaia drums, maracatu cearense uses surdo or bombo drums. Like Pernambuco, it also uses the Tarol, or snare drum. Instead of the gonguê, a large bell, it uses the ferro, a heavy iron triangle to maintain a steady rhythm. Each group often adds or changes instruments slightly to create their own unique sound.

Every year, different maracatu cearense groups parade in Fortaleza's municipal Carnival competition, usually on Domingos Olímpio Avenue. The oldest group, Az de Ouro (Golden Ace), was founded in 1936 and is still active. Other groups include Vozes d'África (Voices of Africa), Nação Fortaleza, Rei de Paus, Nação Iracema, and Maracatu Solar.

The use of blackface in maracatu cearense is linked to Fortaleza's population, which is mostly white and caboclo (mixed-race), with a small black population (4.4%) (IGBE 2008). This means that mostly white and brown people perform a tradition rooted in African culture. Blackface is meant to honor the contributions of African slaves to Brazilian culture and is not considered racist, unlike the racist blackface performances in the United States. Some groups, like Nação Iracema, work to promote racial equality and awareness in Ceará. Nação Iracema was founded in 2002 by Lúcia Simão and William Augusto Pereira, who were the first black family in Fortaleza to lead a maracatu group (as of 2009). Lúcia Simão also started Ceará's first black consciousness movement in the 1980s. This focus on racial equality is tied to Ceará's history as the first region in Brazil to abolish slavery in 1884, followed by the rest of the country in 1888.

Some Brazilian scholars argue that the tradition in Fortaleza is connected to a hidden racist idea in Ceará, which sees itself as a non-black region of Brazil. This idea supports the use of blackface and continues Brazil's history of valuing lighter skin. However, most participants in maracatu cearense disagree with this view.