The "Uru Uru" project integrates music education and production with the strengthening of cultural traditions, working with children and adolescents from Afro-descendant communities in Santa Luzia do Itanhy, in the state of Sergipe, Brazil, especially in the village of Crasto.

Current Status

Uru Uru is currently undergoing a maturation phase, focusing on consolidating itself as a structured Social Technology. To achieve this, the work will be geared towards building a clear methodology, a well-defined operational model, and the potential for replication, ensuring that its solutions reach new territories efficiently and with technical security.

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Historic

The "Uru Uru" project combines musical education and production with the strengthening of cultural traditions, working with children and adolescents from Afro-descendant communities in Santa Luzia do Itanhy, especially in the village of Crasto, in the Brazilian state of Sergipe.

The project's name refers to the traditional singing of women shellfish gatherers, who collect aratu—a small crab that represents the main source of income for local riverside families.

The initiative emerged from the work carried out by THP in the region, which included soundtracks (PLOC) and instrumental rhythm training (Baião). Recently, a women’s movement in Crasto organized to revive their ancestral cultural traditions, with a focus on Samba de Coco and Reisado.

The project aims to offer music training courses and percussion instrument building workshops, promoting the transmission of cultural traditions to children and adolescents from local villages, starting with the group in Crasto. In addition, the musical production links PLOC with Uru Uru, valuing local culture and creating innovative and regionally distinctive music products aimed at attracting younger generations. The goal is to engage and empower young people in a process of reviving and strengthening the cultural traditions of Afro-descendant communities in Santa Luzia do Itanhy, combining local leadership, art, design, and innovation. In 2025, Uru Uru offered artistic training in music, singing, dance, and the creation of percussion instruments to 20 children and teenagers, broadening horizons and awakening talents. It promoted four discussion sessions on themes transversal to the arts, highlighting NUMEQ—a group of women from Crasto who lead the revival of Samba de Coco and Reisado in the region—strengthening dialogue between generations and reaffirming the female role in cultural preservation. The project also expanded the cultural narrative to different territories of Santa Luzia do Itanhy, produced an EP with four songs, and created the para-folkloric show "Canto da Maré" aimed at disseminating regional culture in municipal schools. The performance toured four locations—Sede, Crasto, Bom Viver, and Pedra Furada—bringing art, memory, and a sense of belonging to new audiences and reaffirming that living culture is that which is shared, reinvented, and celebrated collectively.