Gracinda, at 78 years old, waves her arms and hands in a rhythmic motion towards the sky, dressed in the costume of an earthy bird, an allegory created and sewn by her specifically for the Carnival parade on Saturday, February 10th. The rehearsal takes place in a public square, with the melody of an old Brazilian march echoing through Largo Mendonça e Costa in Penha de França.
“If you were sincere, ôôôô, Aurora…”, sings Gracinda. She sings and smiles. The Lisbon native embodies vitality and the joy of living, being one of the 82 members of a group of women from the collective “A Avó Veio Trabalhar” (“Grandmother came to work”), a creative hub that, for the past ten years, has transformed the third and fourth age into a phase of productive life, companionship, and the fulfilment of dreams.
And also integration with other sectors of society, regardless of age group. Like the partnership that is now taking place: with a Brazilian Carnival bloc that has immigrated to Lisbon, the Colombina Clandestina. A group that turns revelry into activism – and vice versa – and has established itself in recent Carnivals as the largest bloc in Lisbon, attracting tens of thousands of revellers on Carnaval Saturday through the streets of Penha de França, with the climax in the center of Graça.
In the parade on February 10th of this year, a small crowd will gain four new revellers, each with 70 or so Carnivals under their belt. Women with smiles on their faces and energy and enthusiasm that would make many of the young participants envious.
“We followed the parade of Colombina Clandestina and were amazed. At that moment, we told each other that we would be present at the next one. And there we’ll be”, says Susana, one of the creators of this grandmothers’ project.
An invitation for grandmothers to showcase their talent
Like in the famous fable, however, before being grasshoppers, these grandmothers are industrious ants. The Saturday before the parade is a day of intense work at the collective’s headquarters, resembling a workshop, with tables forming a cheerful and colourful production line of costumes and accessories. Paper, fabric, and thread are the raw materials for dreams that will come to life.
“A Avó Veio Trabalhar was born with this vocation, to value senior individuals and encourage them to embrace new projects, to look forward and not just backwards”, summarizes Susana António, 44 years old, while using a spray to dye a headband pink that will adorn a reveler’s head during the Carnival.
Susana is one of the creators of the project, and the choice of the name was a way to bypass other terms considered pejorative for describing those who have lived a long time, such as “elderly” or “old” – with “grandmother” being a more friendly and positive expression.
The hub was born in 2014 in Poço dos Negros, Âlcantara, but the original headquarters soon proved too small for the many projects on the works and still to come. Four years ago, the grandmothers came to work in Areeiro, now in a space of about 280 square meters, equipped with a warehouse, kitchenette, and a lot of enthusiasm.
The initiative continues without external support, relying exclusively on the talent of women who come to share the experience gained during a very productive life, and many others, some less experienced but eager to learn. From this synergy and knowledge exchange, blankets, bags, carpets, pot holders, cushions, and a multitude of leisure and home accessories and products flourish.
This production is available for sale in the online store and physical retail locations in other parts of Lisbon, the country, the islands, and abroad – even with a pop-up store in Japan.
Soon, the grandmothers will also be working in a café, to be inaugurated on the rooftop of the new Impact Hub Lisbon building in Areeiro.
“The work here is always intense, but done without hierarchies, collaboratively, in a true spirit of family. It is an alternative to traditional day centers and nursing homes, an extension of family life, with the difference that we gain a dozen new grandmothers and they gain just as many new grandchildren”, says Ângelo Campota, 41 years old, another creator of the project.
“Like any family, obviously, there are disagreements, but they are quickly resolved”, continues Ângelo, under the watchful gaze of one of the many grandmothers who has taken the place of his “original” grandmother, who has since passed away.
However, the new grandson does not claim the status of the favourite. “I think the grandmothers like me because I’m more fun, but they recognize Susana’s dedication”, he diplomatically summarizes, not wanting to provoke new disagreements in the immense family.
Talent and joy have no age
At 88 years old, Maria do Rosário is trying on the costume of a giant heart that she is preparing for the director of Colombina Clandestina, Andréa Freire, to wear in the parade next Saturday. A work done gradually, day by day, by the experienced machine embroiderer, born in Viseu, who has made Alfama her home since the age of 5.
In so many years dedicated to sewing, it is the first time Maria do Rosário has created a Carnival costume. “It was a bit more difficult than usual”, acknowledges the experienced grandmother, who does not intend to participate in the parade.
Unlike the soaring bird Gracinda Rebolo, a Lisbon native who long ago exchanged Valença do Minho for Alcântara, at the height of her 76 years, she will not miss the opportunity to parade. “I am like this, I don’t stop. On Halloween, I dress up as a witch, during the Santos Populares as a fishmonger’s wife, on Poetry Day, I recite poetry”, the reveller lists the resume of a life filled with celebrations.
The energy of the grandmothers is one of the side effects of the project, with results recognized by family members and experts.
“Usually, grandmothers come introduced by their grandchildren and children or referred by family doctors, as a sign of recognition of the results of this affectionate and productive coexistence. Here, they feel useful, their talents are valued, and they are encouraged to embrace new projects”, emphasizes Susana.
Gracinda’s joy is evidence of this.
A neighbour from Areeiro, passing by on the sidewalk, exclaims, “Beautiful!” as the grandmother is photographed for this report. “And I am naturally beautiful, indeed”, she acknowledges without false modesty. “In here, I am marvellous”, Gracilda continues, adjusting with her hands the more rebellious feathers of the bird-themed dress with which she will soar in the parade.
The parade calls for more optimism and unity in Lisbon
Upon returning to work, Gracinda swaps the old Carnival tune for the traditional Saints’ march, the well-known refrain “Cheira bem, cheira a Lisboa” (“It smells good, it smells like Lisbon”) echoing among the grandmothers present in the production line of accessories and costumes (used by the bloc members and sold to the participants of the procession).
The scissors and needles don’t get a break. After all, the parade day is approaching.
As a member of Colombina Clandestina, Helena Pereira checks the result of the grandmothers’ dedication and work. The partnership between the two collectives was a way to strengthen the harmony between the Brazilian and Portuguese communities, especially in times when there have been talks of tension between the sister countries and what is perceived as authorities’ inflexibility, which nearly jeopardized this year’s parade.
“The relationships seem to be a bit more tense, not only between some Portuguese and Brazilians but with other communities as well. Since the bloc is formed by women from dozens of other nationalities, the partnership was an opportunity to promote integration, and that’s why the chosen color is pink, to advocate for more optimism and joy in Lisbon,” explains Helena.
In charge of the dance and choreography of the bloc, Helena eagerly awaits the very special guests. The possible lack of “samba in the foot” will not be a problem, emphasizes Helena, herself a Portuguese who practised with her Brazilian friends from the collective. “Many of them have samba in their DNA, but even so, I manage a bit”, she confesses.
With or without samba in the foot, at least four grandmothers are already confirmed to participate, with their costumes secured for the parade of Colombina Clandestina through the streets of Penha de França to the gazebo in Largo da Graça. Women who dedicated the entire year for a cause, and now, it’s only fair that if grandma came to work, now grandma goes to the parade.
Álvaro Filho
Jornalista e escritor brasileiro, 51 anos, há sete em Lisboa. Foi repórter, colunista e editor no Jornal do Commercio, correspondente da Folha de S. Paulo, comentador desportivo no SporTV e na rádio CBN, além de escrever para O Corvo e o Diário de Notícias. Cobriu Mundiais, Olimpíadas, eleições, protestos – num projeto de “mobile journalism” chamado Repórtatil – e, agora, chegou a vez de cobrir e, principalmente, descobrir Lisboa. É autor de sete livros, dois deles com Lisboa como personagem, Alojamento Letal e O Mau Selvagem.
✉ alvaro@amensagem.pt
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