Costumes (Trajos) Ladies Sunday Best: The Sunday Lady wears a blouse in subdued colors, with embroidery on the cuffs and bodice. The blouse is worn over a ¾ length skirt made of wool in dark or black colors, and on top of the skirt a hand embroidered squared or oval apron, worn with long white stockings and black or brown shoes. To cover her hair a lady will tie a scarf over her head leaving her face displayed. she will wear the scarf to cover her ears, but will display her earlobes to accentuate her jewelry. If a scarf is not used, a lady will do her hair up in a bun. Mens Sunday Best: A Sunday Man will wear either a light blue or white shirt with a yolk and priests collar. His pants are slightly flared in either black or brown, and wears a black shoe. He wears a black vest, a knit cap or straightly placed broad rimmed cap, and a black sash with the end draped towards his left. Bull Herder’s everyday wear (Campino de trabalho): The Bull Herder wears cotton pants and a vest with a stripped shirt, around his waist he wears a red sash wrapped and tucked in at the waist, and a green knit cap with a red rim. In some cases brown shoes are worn instead of working boots, but are always worn with spurs to ride horses. Additionally they would carry a leather shoulder bag to transport food during the long arduous day caring for the bulls. During the winter a cotton jacket is worn to keep warm in the early morning fields. Also the bull herders will carry a type of stick used to help herd the bulls. Famers Sunday Best: Identical to the Mens sunday best, however with a jacket and black leather shoes, and spurs to ride horses. Ox and Mare Herder’s wear: This herder would wear Grey or Dark Blue cotton pants, slightly flared to fit over his thick leather boots, laced in the same leather as his boots. The vest is in the same material as the pants, and a stripped shirt with yolk and priests collar. Black knit cap and black sash with the end draped towards his left. Additionally they would carry a leather bag attached to a staff held over the left shoulder to transport food during the long arduous day. His staff is also used to help herd the cattle. During the winter, a wolf blanket would be brought to stay warm and dry. Field worker’s everyday wear: The field workers wear outfits similar to rice farmers and the ox and mare herder, and would guide Oxen to plow or harrow the agricultural fields, or pull transport carts. The field worker would roll their pant legs up to about their knee, and would wear jean underpants tied to the shirt with a drawstring of the same material. Field workers would either wear no shoes, or clogs. Wearing the same outfit the field workers would also harvest cork in the hot summer months and became known as “corticeiros”. Formal Bull herder (Campino de gala): The formal Bull herder wears a white Poplin shirt with a round yolk and priest collar. The shirt is buttoned down just bellow the bottom of the yolk. They wear black or blue knickers made of a heavy wool “ sarjao” worn slightly below the knees. The knickers are embellished with chrome buttons placed on the hip and outside of the knee. Hand knitted white stockings are warn up to the knee tied with a red ribbon. Shoes are black with a tongue that extends to the outside of shoe to cover the laces, and have spurs. A fitted red vest embellished with chrome buttons and black hand custom embroidery on the back. The Bull herder wears a red sash around his hips, fitted well and tucked. additional a green knitted cap with a red rim. His Jacket is of like color and material as the knickers and is embellished with chrome buttons, and can be worn or draped over the shoulder depending the the season. On the left side of his label he wears a crest of the lord of land that he works for. and uses a long thick stick to herd cattle. Woman field workers wear: The female field worker wears a vibrant colored poplin shirt, with rounded collars an ¾ length sleeves. Gauntlets are used to protect their arms from the spikes and rough leaves of the wheat. A calico skirt is rolled up together with the apron. the apron is normal or with a strapped bodice. this outfit is called “arregaco.” The skirt is knee lengthen to not break the wheats spikes and is trimmed in red, blue or black depending on age or taste, and to protect their legs they used jean underpants tied with a drawstring at the ankles. A scarf is worn of “cachone” or can be designed with fancy designs, and is tied around their face to protect it from ertain jobs. To protect the ladies form the heat during the summer months a broad rimmed cloth hat is usually worn. The hat is embellished with embroidered ribbons and bird feathers, especially from a peacock, and the first spikes of the wheat harvest. The women usually worked barefoot but would wear clogs to return home. History and Costumes: The inhabitants of Ribatejo essentially work in agriculture, and at the end of their work day, workers with a little saved energy would sing and dance to what in those days were called “slower routines.” After reeping and threshing of the grains (wheat, barley, rye and others) the people of the ribatejo especially the youth would take this resting opportunity to sing and dance in the “eiras” where they could show off their fancy footwork. They would sing and dance fast routines in circular patterns (called at the time puladas). During the winter, while the fields were flooded, they would bring the herd of bulls and horses to the heath, where they would challenge each others dance skills, with their most fanciest footwork, eventually called “Fandango”. Instruments Alma Ribatejana is proud to offer live musical concerts along with the folkloric dances of the Ribatejo region.  The bright, energetic music of the Ribatejo consists of Fadinhos, Bailaricos, Viras, Fandang, Valseados, and various interpretations of the Fandango. The instruments used are those found in authentic recordings and concerts found today in various regions of the Ribatejo.  We are proud to have talented musicians from all over California.  Our musicians play acoustic instruments including the Accordion, Flute, Spanish Guitar, Bass Guitar, Cavaquinho, Bilha, Canas/ Reque-reque, Ferrinhos and Bilha. Accordion - A portable musical instrument of the free reed family, controlled by air flow from the bellows. Much like a piano, the accordion is used to produce the melody of a song and the bass accompaniment. Flute - The flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike other woodwind instruments, a flute produces its sound from the flow of air against an edge, instead of using a reed. Spanish Guitar - A musical instrument having a flat-backed rounded body that narrows in the middle, a long fretted neck, and usually six strings, played by strumming or plucking. Bass Guitar - A low-pitched guitar: a four-string guitar, played acoustically, that has the same pitch and tuning as a double bass. Cavaquinho - The cavaquinho (ukelele) is a small four-stringed instrument  (resembling a miniature guitar) but related by origin to the Portugese braguinha. Canas/ Reque-reque - The canas are made from bamboo reeds, hollowed and split in order to make a "cracking" sound.  The reque-reque is a "saw-like" surface held against the shoulder, used to facilitate the cracking sound of the canas. Ferrinhos - (Triangle) A high-pitched percussion instrument used to emphasise beat and brighten the music being played. Bilha - A zinc pitcher used to carry water or wine. It is used as a percussion instrument with a mallet to produce a deep, hollow sound, much like a bass drum.