History of Sergipe for tourists? – Maria José Nascimento Soares’s (UFS) review of the book “Sergipanidades,” by Chiquinho do Além Mar and Denio Azevedo
Abstract: Sergipanidades, by Chiquinho do Além Mar and Denio Azevedo, offers an intriguing exploration of Sergipe’s identity through string verses and literary essays. While the book is highly valued for its educational approach and diverse illustrations, it has been the subject of some criticism for historical inaccuracies, a lack of explicit definition of identity, and a lack of female and environmental representation.
Keywords: Sergipan identity, cordel, and local culture.
It was three years ago that the book Sergipanidades was launched, written by Chiquinho do Além Mar and Denio Azevedo. The book is prefaced by Hernany Donato de Moura, Ruth Sales Gama de Andrade and Thiago Paulino, and illustrated by Claudia Nen, Felipe Almeida, Edidelson Silva, Rita Oswald, Fábio Sampaio and Magela Filho. Its aim is to present the concept of identity, exemplifying it with the experience of Sergipanos, that is, with a specific type of identity, “sergipanidade”.
On his YouTube channel, Chiquinho do Além Mar, the alias of Francisco Passos Santos, introduces himself as “a writer, cordelist, teacher, composer and musician from Aracaju.” He also states that his works seek to highlight the historical roots of the local area, with the aim of preserving the culture of Sergipe. He employs poetic language, humor and regional speech in his work. Denio Azevedo also strives to contribute to the preservation of local culture by exploring concepts related to identity. He does so through his role as a university professor of Tourism and advisor in postgraduate programs, particularly at the Federal University of Sergipe and the Professional Master’s Degree in Tourism Management at the Federal Institute of Sergipe (PPMTUR/IFS).
Together, the poet and the professor have created a synthesis of sorts, with the history of Sergipe told in cordel verse and an Appendix that includes a brief literary essay on the concept of sergipanity and a poem that portrays the same concept. It is interesting to note that there are three prefaces. In the first, Hernany Donato de Moura relates identity to affection, belonging, and “state of being.” In the case of Sergipan identity(ies) – sergipanidade(ies) – the author suggests that there is a notable influence from indigenous and African cultures. For Ruth Sales Gama de Andrade, author of the second preface, Sergipe’s “regional identity” is related to a sense of distinction from Bahia. The day of Sergipanity, the Museum of Sergipan People and the Largo da Gente Sergipana are seen as recent manifestations of this identity. Thiago Paulino perceives sergipanidade as an “affirmation” in relation to the other and also as a discovery of those others who live “in the sertão, on the coast, on the outskirts” (p. 9).
The textual content of the work is made up of just over 120 stanzas in sextilles, lined up without interruption by titles and/or subtitles. However, it is possible that some pauses may be revealed through continuous reading, as is often the case with other cordéis. The first two pages serve as simple lessons in defining sergipanity. From then on, the authors begin to tell the story of Sergipe, which they consider to be fundamental for building a sense of belonging. They follow the classic chronological tradition, beginning with the indigenous experience and continuing with facts from the colony and empire. Here, there is a brief interlude to acknowledge the contributions of intellectuals from the 19th and early 20th centuries. The next interlude introduces the experiences of Black peoples, including aspects of their cultural heritage such as dance and religion. This is followed by a brief overview of political developments in the 20th century, including the Tenentism movement and the Second World War. The authors then turn their attention to the cultural attributes of cities (São Cristóvão, Santa Luzia, among others) and devote a great deal of space to popular music, folklore, handicrafts and cuisine.
In the post-textual elements, Azevedo portrays people, facts and places that are important to the construction of an identity discourse. In the first text, in prose, Azevedo refers to individual and personal experience, especially in the city of Aracaju. In the second text, in verse, he defines sergipanidade by an example drawn from local literary and historical experience.
The authors’ good intentions are appreciated, in their treatment of basic education and the work of professionals who are in contact with visitors from inside or outside the state. However, it might be beneficial to consider some sensitivities that run through contemporary Brazilians. It would appear that there are no women among the intellectuals mentioned, nor among the religions listed, even though they lead typically female activities such as the production of Irish lace. The artists mentioned in the text include Amorosa. In the images, the female figures included in the representations of dances and folk dances and in the culture of guitar players are saved.
It would be beneficial to include an explicit definition of identity, preferably in the bibliography cited at the end, to support the definition by example adopted at the beginning of the text. The use of “preservation” is at odds with the specialized literature that converges on the use of “conservation.” Additionally, including stanzas for different biomes and geographical features (such as rivers and mountains) would better qualify the mentions of the state’s dominant ecosystems.
A second edition would be greatly improved by removing a few simpler, though no less damaging, errors. For instance, the reference to a non-existent “state of Bahia” at the beginning of the 19th century, the inaccuracies and factual errors, such as those informing about Bahia’s leading role in replacing C. Burlamaque and the improper use of the term “executed” (p. 38).
It would be beneficial for the author to consider deleting the incoherent mention of the inhabitants of Sergipe as “insolent,” the ambiguous mention of “colonial era” schools, the improper use of Sergipean “lingo,” the exaggerated statement that “the state alone is a national reference” (p. 54), and also mentioning women as fisherwomen and artisans.
In graphic terms, it could help to clarify the ambiguity of the footnotes (can a cordel make use of this tool or not?) and the layout of an image originally created in landscape, but arranged in portrait in the book (p. 60).
As well as mentioning the improprieties, it might be helpful to also mention the many positive elements that Sergipanidade presents. One of the book’s strengths lies in its presumed intention and format, as José Paulino da Silva (2018, p. 7) suggested when he prefaced *A História de Sergipe contada em versos*, released in 2028, by Chiquinho do Além Mar. “It would be wonderful to put in the hands of the people, the young people who don’t always have access to school education, part of the history of Sergipe, narrated in string verse […] in a more accessible and attractive way.” This is a value that should also be extended to Sergipanidades.
Another positive aspect is the variety of authors and illustration techniques. The artists use a variety of techniques, including India ink, woodcut simulations, and pen-and-ink, to portray characters, events, and artifacts representative of Sergipanity in a realistic and allegorical way. This material could be reused for teaching purposes, especially in activities for children and the early years of elementary school.
If I may, I would like to mention the images and texts referring to the mangrove and caatinga biomes (p. 68-69). On an open page, the authors/designers/illustrators were happy to relate the cities, fauna, flora, and cuisine prevalent on the coast and in the hinterland of the state. Furthermore, I believe the text offers valuable insights for educational work on local “diversity.” It would have been beneficial to include expressions like “environment” or “milieu” in the main text. Additionally, it would have been ideal to stimulate readers’ sensibilities towards the preservation of these and other ecosystems as basic values for the cultivation of sergipanity.
In closing this review, we feel compelled to point out that the book partially fulfills the presumed objective announced above due to the shortcomings presented. At the same time, it is important to emphasize the positive aspects of the work, which make it an instrument of scientific dissemination. It disseminates a basic question (Sergipan identity) to those who work with the education of children and with the training of professionals in the middle and end activities of tourism in Sergipe.
A summary of Sergipanidades
- Prefácio
- Sergipanidade ou sergipanidades? | Hernany Donato de Moura, Ruth Sales Gama de Andrade e Thiago Paulino
- Literatura de cordel [Elemento textual]
- Apêndice
- Sergipanidade [I] | Denio Azevedo
- Sergipanidade [II] | Denio Azevedo
- Bibliografia
Reviewer
Maria José Nascimento Soares é doutora em Educação pela Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), mestre em Educação e licenciada em Pedagogia pela Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) e orientadora no Programa de Pós-Graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente (PRODEMA/UFS). Entre outros trabalhos, organizou e publicou:
Maria José Nascimento Soares has a PhD in Education from the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), a master’s degree in Education and a degree in Pedagogy from the Universidade Federal de Sergipe (UFS) and is an advisor in the Programa de Pós-graduação em Desenvolvimento e Meio Ambiente (PRODEMA/UFS). Among other works, she has organized and published: Apontamentos e Imagens de Curralinho-Poço Redondo/Se: mergulhos potencializadores do Turismo de Base Comunitária (2023), ConversAção com educadores ambientais (2022) e Cadeia sustentável: Ecossocioeconomias no setor agroalimentar (2022). ID LATTES: http://lattes.cnpq.br/8392706159125796; ID ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7879-4769; E-mail: marjonaso@academico.ufs.br.
To cite this review
ALÉM MAR, Chiquinho do; AZEVEDO, Denio. Sergipanidades. Aracaju: Infographics, 2021. 83p. Review of: SOARES, Maria José Nascimento. History of Sergipe for tourists? Crítica Historiográfica. Natal, v.4, n.16, mar./abr., 2024. Available in <História de Sergipe para turistas? – Resenha de Maria José Nascimento Soares (UFS) sobre o livro “Sergipanidades”, de Chiquinho do Além Mar e Denio Azevedo – Crítica Historiografica (criticahistoriografica.com.br)>.
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