Teresina's Procissão das Sanfonas honors Northeast music heritage

On Monday, August 3, Teresina, the capital of Brazil's Piauí state, hosted the 18th edition of the Procissão das Sanfonas, a street procession celebrating Northeast cultural identity. The event marked the centenary of Dona Helena Gonzaga, the 80th birthday of singer Alceu Valença, and the 37th anniversary of the death of Luiz Gonzaga, the "Rei do Baião." Participants gathered at the Cathedral of Our Lady of Sorrows for a mass and the blessing of the accordions before marching along Simplício Mendes Avenue toward the Piauí Museum. After the procession, performances by sanfoneiros and tributes continued, highlighting the region's popular music traditions. Established in 2009, the procession is recognized as an Intangible Cultural Heritage of the State of Piauí and is organized by the Colônia Gonzaguiana do Piauí, a group dedicated to preserving Gonzaga's legacy.