The sea is a place for grown-ups: (sur)experiences of those who have ASÈ

Abstract

This article explores Congada as an insurgent and decolonial pedagogical practice, highlighting its power as a system of Afro-Brazilian knowledge, memory, and spirituality. Drawing from the experiences of the Terno de Congada do Penacho in Uberaba (MG) and from reflections generated in the course Interculturality and Popular Education: Afro-Amerindian Decolonial Knowledges (UFMT, 2024), the authors — educators and congadeiros — present the concept of Congadeira Pedagogy, which articulates Musicality, Orality, and Ancestrality. Through bio-narratives, conversation circles, and dialogues with thinkers such as Paulo Freire and Gloria Anzaldúa, the text challenges the coloniality of knowledge in formal education, proposing a “tide-like” (fluid and collective) form of learning, where knowledge emerges from the body, dance, and drums.
The personal experiences of Sandy Prata, Joana Eugênia, Lucas Borges, and Rafael Honorato illustrate how Congada, Candomblé, and Capoeira form integrated, healing, and political systems of knowledge. The article concludes with calls to action: to recognize traditional masters as intellectuals; to create evaluative methodologies based on affection and ancestry; and to transform academia into a space of active listening to marginalized knowledge systems. As General Piu, leader of the Terno do Penacho, states: “In Congada, we don’t memorize; we embody.” Thus, Congada is not an object of study, but an epistemic subject that reinvents education and freedom.

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Author Biographies

NÉSPOLE. José Henrique Singolano, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro

Adjunct Professor in the Undergraduate Program in Rural Education at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (Lecamp/UFTM). Holds a Bachelor’s degree (2002), a Master’s degree (2006), and a Ph.D. (2017) in History from the São Paulo State University "Júlio de Mesquita Filho" (UNESP – Franca/SP). Coordinator of the Escola de Formação Itinerante (Itinerant Training School), a group dedicated to popular education and teacher training activities. Member of the Núcleo de Estudos Marx e Marxismos (NEMARX/UFTM), an interdisciplinary research group composed of professors and students from various UFTM programs. His research focuses on the fields of History, Politics, and Education, with an emphasis on Contemporary History, Brazilian History, Political History of the Working Class, Popular Education, and Rural Education.

GONZAGA-SOUZA, Joana Eugênia, Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro

Master’s student in Education at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM). Holds a Bachelor’s degree in Visual Arts from the University of Franca (2021). Postgraduate in Clinical and Institutional Psychopedagogy from FABEMP (2023). Postgraduate in Neuropsychopedagogy from Faculdade de São Marcos (2024). Currently pursuing a Postgraduate degree in Photography at Unyleya and an Undergraduate degree in Pedagogy at Faveni. Has experience in the field of Arts, with an emphasis on Visual Arts. State public servant, currently working as an Art teacher at Escola Estadual Henrique Krüger. Art teacher at Colégio Livre Aprender. Graphic Designer, Final Art Specialist, and self-taught Photographer.

HONORATO, Admilson., Terno de Congada Penacho

Admilson Honorato, known as General Piu, began his journey in Congada at the age of five, influenced by his mother, Manuelina. From an early age, he demonstrated leadership, becoming captain of the Terno de Congada do Penacho at 13 and later Lieutenant and General, following the loss of his master in 1996. His knowledge was born from observation and the oral tradition passed down by elders, establishing him as a cultural reference in Uberaba and the surrounding region. At 55, he celebrates the jubilee of his journey by bringing Congo to various educational spaces. Son of Wilson and Manuelina, he learned from his parents the strength of faith and resilience. Married to Sandra Aparecida, he built a family marked by love, unity, and the continuation of Congada traditions, also represented by his children and grandchildren. His life symbolizes a return to origins and a commitment to teaching, humility, and the preservation of popular culture.

NASCIMENTO, L. B., Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro

Master’s student in Education at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM), focusing on the investigation of the impacts of disinformation on teaching and learning, and on the daily life of public schools. Holds a postgraduate degree in School Management, Guidance, and Supervision from UniVitória, and a Bachelor’s degree in History from UFTM. Works as a researcher in the field of Digital Information and Communication Technologies in Education (DICTE), with experience in the critical analysis of digital content consumed by students. Also holds a Technical qualification in Computer Science, with experience in computer assembly and maintenance, and graphic design (creation of logos, visual identities, and websites).

PRATA, Sandy Cristine , Federal University of the Triângulo Mineiro

Physical Education professional with Licentiate and Bachelor degrees from the Federal University of Uberlândia (UFU). Master’s student in Education at the Federal University of Triângulo Mineiro (UFTM). Former member of the Research Group on Education, Sexualities, and Performativity (GPESP). Member of the Teaching and Research Group: Africa and Africanities (GEPAA). Former member of the Study Group on Race and Culture in Physical Education (GERCEF). Capoeira Angola trainer at Grupo Galo Cantô in Uberlândia-MG. Capoeira Angola teacher for children and youth aged 7 to 17 in the project Sementes do Amanhã (“Seeds of Tomorrow”). Black woman, raised by three Black women (grandmother, mother, and sister). Founder of Espaço Ayoluwá in Uberlândia-MG. Interested in topics related to education, “race,” gender, Capoeira, and afrobetização (Afro-literacy).

Published
2025-12-15
Issue
Vol 17 No 2 (2025): Revista Percurso
Section
Dossiê Interculturalidade e Educação Popular: possibilidades didáticas
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