The comeback of the red-black Charanga
Brazil's first organized fan group is making a comeback. Founded by Jayme de Carvalho in 1, Charanga Rubro-Negra became known worldwide for its style of support and willingness to be wherever Flamengo is.
Jayme Carvalho died in 1976. He lived 65 years, 34 of which were dedicated to supporting Flamengo. After his death, Dona Laura, Jayme's widow, took over as director of the fan club.
A few years later, financial difficulties arose, and her health also weakened. Dona Laura fell ill, and the Charanga gradually disappeared from Maracanã.
As if by magic, typical of large fan bases, Charanga has been reappearing at Flamengo games and turning things around.
Guigui, leader of the band and “old war dog” of Maracanã and Charanga, tells us about the entire process of restructuring the fans.
Guigui remembers the difficulties faced by the fans:
"When Jayme passed away, I took over the fan club with Dona Laura. Our situation was very difficult. We had no money, and Flamengo helped us. Unfortunately, we reached the point where the club could no longer help us. Flamengo has its employees, debts, and financial burdens. We ended up going through a very complicated process, and the Charanga was almost dissolved," says an emotional Guigui.
The Charanga spent many years attending Maracanã in small numbers. According to Guigui, their last game was in 2004:
- As far as I remember, we were present at the 2004 Copa do Brasil final against Santo André.
From that point on, the fans disappeared from Maracanã. The financial crisis grew, making it impossible to attend games. During those years, the Charanga played at weddings, birthdays, quinceañeras, and all other events involving Flamengo. All this to keep the fans active and stay afloat financially.
Just when all seemed lost, a light appeared at the end of the tunnel. Earlier this year, SUDERJ honored Jayme de Carvalho as Flamengo's iconic fan. Charanga was invited to perform at the event, and memories of the past were inevitable.
Through the Secretary of Sports of the State of Rio de Janeiro and former president of SUDERJ, Eduardo Paes, Charanga was invited to return to Maracanã receiving a “grant”.
The return took place in the first game of the 2008 Libertadores Cup campaign. Soon, Charanga returned to success. Located in the blue seats section, fans could already see the crowd cheering and the band's celebrations. A little over four months after their return, Charanga already has banners and shirts for sale at Fla Boutique. A restructuring that thrills Guigui:
"We were inactive for many years. Thanks to everyone's help, we're better now. We're already standing on our own two feet. I think we'll be stable in about three years," says an emotional and confident bandleader.
Guigui takes the opportunity to talk a little more about Charanga:
"When Jayme formed the band, perhaps due to a lack of musical knowledge, the members didn't know how to play. Today, things are different. We have 12 members. All are professional musicians. We play the fan songs and traditional Carnival marches," says Guigui.
The leader takes the opportunity to explain the fans' motto:
"Our purpose is to celebrate. We celebrate in victories and defeats. The Charanga's motto is: "Flamengo in victory and defeat. We receive victory as a reward and defeat as encouragement."
Guigui ends with the great characteristic of Charanga:
- No matter what happens, we'll be wherever Flamengo is.
The return of the Charanga is good for football, for Maracanã, and especially for Flamengo. The biggest club in the world has the largest fan base in the world and the first organized fan base in Brazil. A fan base that went through a difficult time, but today returns to games supporting and making a difference, just like they did between the 40s and 70s, when Jayme was alive and did everything he could for Flamengo.
The return of Charanga is fantastic for Clube de Regatas do Flamengo!
Vinicius Castro is a reporter for the FLAMENGO RJ website and writes about the day-to-day life of Flamengo on the Reporter Blog