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Community health worker is a celebrity in samba
Published on 26/02/2025 - 11:22 | Updated on 26/02/2025 - 11:45
Mestre Marquinhos is the drum director of Paraíso do Tuiuti and played on stage with Madonna - Edu Kapps/SMS During Carnival and in life, it is in the heart of the community that health and culture intertwine. Born and raised in Salgueiro, community health agent (ACS) Marco Júnior, 30, dedicates himself to caring for people in two complementary ways: through health and through samba. Marco — or Mestre Marquinhos — is also the drum director of the Paraíso do Tuiuti samba school. In the period leading up to Carnival, he divides his time between activities at the Heitor Beltrão Municipal Health Center in Tijuca and the school's drum rehearsal routine.
– I’ve always made a living from Carnival, but after the pandemic, when many activities were suspended, I needed a new experience. I really like helping people and I realized that nothing was stopping me from doing both, that I could reconcile. Today I know that, here at the unit, I am a health agent and, when it’s over, I am Marquinhos do Carnaval – he said.
During the day, all his attention is focused on caring for the population, guiding, preventing and understanding the needs of each resident of the territory. When night falls and the workday ends, master Marquinhos takes command of the Super Som drum section.
With over 20 years of experience in Carnival, the master grew up watching his father and grandfather lead major samba schools. At the age of 13, he began his career at the Salgueiro children's school as a percussionist, and at 17 he had already become director. Although he knows how to play several instruments, his passion is the rattle.
– I’ve always liked the rattle, and when I started, I saw a section of the Youth group that played and danced. I loved that and really wanted to do it too, because it gave me the freedom to dance and do other things. I became interested in the drums when I saw my father play; he plays everything, but he doesn’t play the rattle any better than I do – he joked.
During his home visits, he is always recognized for his friendliness and talent. It was during one of these visits that he received a phone call with a special invitation: to perform on stage with Madonna. The singer was in Brazil in May 2024, and Marquinhos was given the mission of gathering children for a special appearance at the pop diva's show. To his surprise, Madonna saw a video of him on the internet and asked him to participate in the performance.
After this experience, Marquinhos became a celebrity in the unit and in the region, taking advantage of the street approaches to also check on patients' health. As a good professional in the area, he includes health care in his rehearsal routine, maintaining a balanced diet, eating light foods, drinking plenty of water and vitamins to stay strong during the parades in Sapucaí. Despite the intense routine and the restrictions necessary to stay healthy, for Marquinhos, Carnival is a time of freedom.
– Carnival, for me, is a time when I feel very free, a time when I like to show my art, what I know how to do. And Sapucaí is a great showcase, where I feel very comfortable doing what I love – he says.
