Sara Frederica Santa Maria is the founder of Tropa de Santa Maria, a troupe based in Melaka. “The Branyo is a very lively dance, just like the joget, and it’s danced in pairs,” she explained.
Performed to the song “Jinkli Nona”, it is a hallmark during weddings, anniversaries and birthdays, as well as festivals such as Festa San Pedro (the Feast of St Peter, celebrated in late June/early July), and Intrudu, celebrated on the Sunday before Ash Wednesday, the first day of the Christian Lenten season.
Santa Maria, 55, is the fourth generation of her family to live in the Portuguese settlement in Ujong Pasir, Melaka. In 1986, her late father began documenting their community’s traditions, culture and language.
Based on his research, she shared about “Branyo Sinta”, which was traditionally danced for three days, starting on Intrudu until the Tuesday before Lent would begin. Explaining that “sinta” means “ash” in Kristang, she said the dancers would stop at midnight and resume the following day.
Branyo Sinta, however, is no longer practised today. “What we do now is Branyo Rudia, or roaming Branyo”, which sees dancers performing around the settlement from 7pm until around 8.30pm, and later engaging in other forms of dance at a central location.
Santa Maria has fond memories of dancing Branyo from a young age, and her love for it remains until today. She formed her troupe in 2012 to nurture the dance in young people. Her current batch of dancers are aged between six and 19.
While the tradition of dancing Branyo has long been passed down from one generation to another, she said the steps have largely remained the same. However, certain dance troupes, including her own, have made improvisations to add a modern touch to it.
“When I was growing up, there was never a dance troupe for children. But when I see children watching us adults, I am sure they want to be part of it. That’s what inspired me,” she added.
Malhao merriment
Another energetic dance enjoyed by the community is the Malhao, which is accompanied by a catchy song titled “O Malhao Malhao”.
“It is usually danced around a circle, and involves clapping and twirling,” said Anne De Souza, deputy president of the Selangor and Federal Territory Eurasian Association (Saftea).
She said the Malhao originated from Estremadura, a historical province north of Lisboa. “There are no official records as to when the community started dancing the Malhao, but like the Branyo, we probably started during the 16th century as the Portuguese arrived in Melaka in 1511.”
Similarly, the Malhao is danced at family events such as weddings, birthday celebrations and cultural events. “The music for our performances was traditionally live, with handheld instruments, predominantly the accordion. But, today, recordings are often used at community or national performances,” she noted.
“At family events such as birthdays, the tune would be accompanied by a guitarist and sung by family members. Sometimes, the lyrics are improvised as part of the festivities.”
According to De Souza, 70, the Malhao and other traditional dances are largely performed by senior Eurasians. She opines that the younger generation, especially those in urban areas, isn’t as interested owing to the influence of modern dances and social media.
To help preserve their cultural dances, De Souza shared that Saftea plans to open a heritage centre at the association’s eventual new clubhouse in Bangsar, Kuala Lumpur. She also hopes to revive the Saftea Branyo Dance Troupe, which she previously led.
“Cultural dance lessons, especially targeted at children, will be held to keep our heritage going,” she said.
Santa Maria, too, sees teaching as a way of keeping their traditions alive. “My hope is that the younger generation will continue dancing Branyo and don’t let it fade away,” she concluded.
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