Carnival in the Hinterland: Ruptures and Continuities in the Carnival of Sousa, Paraíba, and the Construction of Identity in the paraibano Hinterland (1970–2018)
sousense carnival; memory; modernization; identity; hinterland.
This research analyzes the transformations of the Carnival in Sousa, Paraíba, between 1970 and 2018, investigating changes and continuities in its festivities and their relationship to the construction of local and sertanejo identities. The study is significant as the first academic work to address the Carnival of Sousa, thereby contributing to future research and to the strengthening of the local population's cultural identity and right to memory. Grounded in approaches from cultural and social history, the study treats memory as a primary source and employs Oral History methodology—drawing on the perspective of author Marieta de Moraes Ferreira—alongside sources such as news reports, photographs, and the writings of local author Edilberto Abrantes. The work seeks to discuss the absence of Carnival in the identity narrative of the nordestino hinterland and to understand how political, economic, market-driven, and religious factors influenced the end of the traditional festivities in Sousa, Paraíba. This shift resulted in the replacement of long-standing local ways of celebrating Carnival with more generalized practices, such as trios elétricos. To this end, the study is guided by the concepts of hinterland, memory, and identity, drawing on authors such as Durval Muniz de Albuquerque Júnior, Maurice Halbswachs, and Roger Chartier. Thus, the research contributes to valuing the memory and identity of Sousa, highlighting the role of Carnival within the cultural landscape of the paraibano hinterland.