Brazil Carnival Makes History Honoring Xica Manicongo, the Country’s First Recorded Trans Woman

Rio de Janeiro’s carnival is always filled with music, movement, and larger-than-life performances. But behind the spectacle, every samba school brings a story to life. This year, Paraíso do Tuiuti, a samba school, is making history by honoring Xica Manicongo, recognized as the first recorded trans woman in Brazil. Her name was nearly lost to time, but now, she is taking her place where she always belonged. 

Who Was Xica Manicongo

Xica’s story begins in 1591, when the Portuguese Inquisition arrived in Salvador de Bahía, according to El Pais. Among those accused was Francisco Manicongo, an enslaved person who refused to conform. She dressed as a woman, lived as a woman, and defied the expectations forced upon her. For that, she was persecuted. But, instead of facing execution, she was ordered to abandon her identity.  

Her original name was erased, replaced by “Francisco” when she was baptized. “Manicongo” was a title given to rulers in the Kingdom of Kongo, but the Portuguese turned it into a generic term for enslaved people from that region. More than 400 years later, Rio’s trans community reclaimed her story, renaming her Xica — a name that reflects who she was, not what she was forced to become. 

Paraíso do Tuiuti partnered with Brazil’s National Association of Travestis and Transsexuals (Antra) to turn this tribute into something real. Dozens of trans women joined workshops in costume design and samba, giving them opportunities that rarely exist in spaces like these. 

Behind the Tribute

Thirty Black trans women from low-income backgrounds became part of the project, stepping into a space that rarely includes them. In a country where trans people still face extreme violence, simply being visible is an act of defiance.  

Since November, the streets of São Cristóvão have been shutting down every Monday as thousands gather to rehearse. The energy builds with every session. Drums set the rhythm, voices rise in pajubá — the dialect trans Brazilians created using Yoruba words — and the movement becomes a statement of its own. 

Generations are coming together in a way that few expected. Veteran samba school members, people who grew up in a world where Xica’s name was never spoken, now wear the blue and pink of the trans flag with pride. The parade will also honor Eloína dos Leopardos, who in 1976 became the first trans woman to lead a samba school’s percussion section. Now 88, she will return to the Sambódromo as an honored guest, walking before thousands. Federal deputies Erika Hilton and Duda Salabert, two of the most visible trans women in Brazilian politics, will also take part. 

For one night, a name that was nearly erased will be spoken again. Xica Manicongo’s story will move through the streets of Rio, carried by the music, the voices, and the people who refuse to let her be forgotten.