biography The Folklore Group of the Casa do Povo de Gaula was founded on September 16, 1978, on the day of the Feast of its patron saint, the Lady of Light, consisting of 35 members, aged between 6 and 62 years old, with a predominance of ages between 15 and 30 years old. Its main objective is to disseminate the traditions of its land, through songs, dances, costumes and the reconstitution of customs and activities lost over the last few decades. Participate in the songs of the Kings, the Visits of the Holy Spirit, the floral carpets, the Birth Masses and the Christmas carols. Maintains regular activities in hotels and restaurants. Participates in R.A.M. festivals and folklore meetings, as well as Christmas and end-of-year festivities. He has carried out cultural exchanges with folklore groups from the Mainland and the Azores, thus getting to know Portugal inside and out. Among a vast repertoire of songs and dances that it presents, we particularly highlight the Chama-Rita, the Mourisca and the Bailinhos de Romaria. He published a CD in September 2009, on the occasion of the celebration of the 500th anniversary of the founding of the Parish of Gaula. Their costumes are woven from wool and linen, some in their natural color; the skirts are striped, sometimes in white and brown, sometimes in different colors. Baizes were frequently used until the 1960s. Cheetah polkas were also part of women's clothing. The men wear linen or silk suits. The man's Sunday outfit consisted of black pants and coat, with a black hat. For work attire, men and women wore hoods and flat boots. The scarf and mantilla were also used until the 70s. It participated in the DVD entitled O Melhor do Folclore da Madeira, released in January 2014 with the theme A Chama-Rita de Gaula. You can find more information about the group on the Casa do Povo de Gaula Folklore Group website.
