Icaínara Biography

Icaínara, also known in her time (early 20th century) by the racist nickname Bugrinha, was a famous dancer and singer who promoted the maxixe (genre precursor of the samba and the choro) in the high-class circles. She was mentioned by Lima Barreto in his posthumous book Coisas do Reino do Jambom (1956), by Luiz Edmundo in the third tome of his O Rio de Janeiro do Meu Tempo, and by professor Olavo de Barros in his A Lapa do Meu Tempo. Icaínara performed in several clubs around the city of Rio de Janeiro, mainly in the Lapa and in the Praça Tiradentes. In the Carnival, she appeared in the Clube dos Democráticos, in the Grupo dos Abonados, and in the Grupo das Tentadoras, and was always highlighted as the number one in the specialized revues. In October 1903, she participated in the inauguration of the Teatro Cassino Nacional, a fact reported by the great press. In 1904, she was hired by Pascoal Segreto for the Teatro Maison Moderne, where she stayed until late 1906. The last time she reportedly performed was in November 1916.