Rio de Janeiro’s industrial area icon, Bangu is commonly associated with it’s high temperature and the penitentiary complex next doors. But the history of this really carioca suburb reveals it´s pioneer of football and a high quality textile production. It is told by the historical register that the dismembered lands of the Campo Grande parish gave birth to Fazenda Bangu (Bangu Farm), which had it’s production based on sugar, alcohol, firewater and rapadura in the middle of 18th century. Initially connected to Santa Cruz by the Jesuit Path, after the Royal Highway, those properties were definitively prosperous with the D, Pedro II railroad construction, in the middle 19th century. In 1889, the Empire last year, the purchase of the land by the Companhia Progresso Industrial do Brasil (Brazil’s Industrial Progress Company) quickly modified the rural ambient to an industrial configuration neighborhood. Ever since then, everything worked in conjunction to the Fábrica de Tecidos Bangu (Bangu’s Fabric Factory): the Vila Operária (Worker’s Village), the church, the Atlético Clube, the train station, even the Carnaval associations.
The industry was so fundamental to Bangu as the british who founded it were precursory to the football development in Brazil – some researchers give credit to the factory employee Thomas Donohoe for the introduction of the modality to braziliansm in 1893. Some decades later, while managed by Guilherme da Silveira Jr., aka Silveirinha, the factory acquired recognition as a fashion sponsor, thanks to the businessmen articulations with culture, social and political local development. With the textile production in decline and the factory sale, the shopping mall took it’s place as the Rio de Janeiro’s west zone integrator.
Image: João C. Horta
Inaugurated in 1893, the Fábrica de Tecidos Bangu (Bangu Faabric Factory) was one of the bigger exporters of Brazilian fabric and responsible for a big part of the neighborhood’s urbanization: from the railroad station to the construction of houses, villages and streets. In 2000 the building was declared a historical public patrimony and since 2007 it was turned into a shopping mall, contributing for the revitalization of the district, once in decay over the closure of the factory activities.
Image: Aliansce website
Founded in 1907, it used to be the Sociedade Musical Progresso de Bangu (Bangu’s Progress Music Society) headquarters and based on a building raised by the factory at Ferrer Street number 127 – now Conego de Vasconcelos Street. In 1929, a judicial fight gave the space back to the factory and the Casino ended up at Fonseca Street, 534, where It still remains.
Image: Facebook Casino Bangu
It is told that, on the late Fazenda Bangu, it used to have a small church dedicated to the cult of Saint Sebastian and Saint Cecilia. The construction of the new chapel, in 1908, attended the interests of the factory that maintained a variety of social and sportive activities but none with a religious content.
Image: Site do Inepac
Located at the Praça da Fé (Faith Square) number 21, it have been the residence of businessmen Guilherme da Silveira (1882-1974) as known as Silveirinha. A part of the local residents still attempts to turn the house into a historical and cultural patrimony of the Rio de Janeiro’s State, creating the Centro de Cultura e Memória de Bangu (Bangu Cultural and Memorial Center).
Image: Google Street View
Founded in 1904, the club won the first professional football championship in 1933, was Carioca champion in 1966 and vice-champion at the Brasileiro tournament in 1985. But the team’s history begins way earlier, on the end of 19th century, when british workmen from the Factory brought to light a new sportive modality for the locals. With balls brought from England along the industrial gear, the players on the provisional field later founded the club and are considered the pioneers of the football history in Brazil.
Image: Blog Literatura e Rio de Janeiro
Popularly called Museu de Bangu (Bangu’s Museum), this cultural center received the name of a distinct banguense writer, the author of “Meu Pé de Laranja Lima” (My Sweet Orange Tree), José Mauro de Vasconcelos. It’s denomination pays tribute to the congenerous society in activity between 1907 and 1939, initially named Grêmio Philomático (1907/1925) and then Grêmio Literário Rui Barbosa (1925/1939).
Image: Museu de Bangu/Divulgação
When the factory ended up it’s activities, Bangu started to have a strong commercial appeal: at the mall or the promenade, it attracts even who lives in other neighborhoods. The popular trading business in Bangu has an acclimation system, escalators and covering to relieve people from the heat.
Image: Luiz Fernando Reis/Flickr
One of the explanations is that Bangu is the alteration of the indian word “útangû”, meaning “black trench”, alluding to the hills around the valley of west zone. Another story associates the name with the African word “bangüê”, used among the slaves referring to the place where the sugar-cane bagasse was kept when crushed, to feed the cattle. The term became renowned as the name of a handbarrow made of leather stripes or braided fibers. That’s the origin of the expression “fazer à bangu”, meaning do things in a reckless way.
At the Bangu Shopping parking lot there is a statue paying homage to the scotch Thomas Donohoe, the one who, in the baguense version, introduced the “ball mania” in Brazil months before Charles Miller organized a football match. Even though there are some controversies about the game’s origins, the british enjoying the sport from his homeland was a decisive point to motivate him into bring balls and organizing the football matches on sundays, along other factory employees.
This impressive stone formation distinguish itself between the west zone mountains, a view that have been gaining popularity since the Transcarioca trail opening. The big granite rock seems to challenge gravity vertically balancing above the soil and can be reached through a 2 hour hike on the Piraraquara x Estrada dos Teixeiras section, with access by the Parque Estadual da Pedra Branca (White Stone State Park).
“Among friends I met you/And your pretty face I’ve never forgotten/And our friendship became a passion/Placing you in my heart/Because I love you/I always want you here/Life gives some turns and destiny brought/Brought you to me”. After a Carnaval the illustrious Bangu resident MC Marcinho wrote the lyrics of “Porque Eu Te Amo”, a song that, in 1996, made his success by the side of MC Cacau and marked the duo’s appearance. The couple’s romance lasted over 10 years and had it’s problems – Marcinho declares that another well known funk melody of his, “Princesa”, was dedicated to another ex-girlfriend.
Founded in 1996 as Lona Cultural de Bangu, it went through a reformation in 2000 and 2015 – the last one giving space to the name change, now paying tribute to the incredible musician and old resident of the suburb. The space offers theater, dance, music, sports, tourism, drawing and hotelkeeping workshops, beyond the external area with 300 sits for shows.
1º de Maio Square
Phone: (21) 3463-4945
Working time: Monday to Friday: from 10 a.m to 5 p.m; saturday and sunday: when having some show at 2 p.m.
https://www.facebook.com/areninhahermetopascoal/
Image: Facebook Areninha Hermeto Pascoal
Founded in 1937, it is considered the forth oldest samba school in Brazil and was the first in west zone in the city. It participated in the Special Group of carioca Carnaval in 1958, 1959, 1960 and 1963, being two times a winner of the A series, acquiring the titles in 1957 and 1962. In 2017 they were the big winner of the Carnaval B series and will open the A series Sapucaí parade, the access group to the Special Group.
570, Santa Cecília Street
Phone: (21)3269-1130
https://www.facebook.com/UnidosDeBanguoficial
Image: Facebook Unidos de Bangu
On the Bangu region, the green and white coloured Mocidade is the major samba association. Six times a winner of the carioca Carnaval, they reinvented the concept of the percussion set by using Mestre André’s “paradinha”. Founded in 1955, they achieved the titles of main group by the end of the 70’s, while being sponsored for the contravener Castro de Andrade. In 2017, from among some polemics involving the jurors rates, Mocidade ended up sharing the first place with Portela.
31146, Brasil Av. - Padre Miguel
Phone: (21) 3291-8700
http://www.mocidadeindependente.com.br/
Image: Facebook Mocidade Independente