The appreciation of Brazil as a mixed country was constructed by – the peaceful or not - dialogue between different social actors, with diverse values, experiences and traditions. Therefore, it was forged by different points of view and perspectives, consolidated through symbols that carry multiple meanings. Among them, the figure of the mulata stands out, transformed through the 1930 and 1940 decades in one of the main Brazilian icons. Aiming to discuss this icon construction process, this dissertation will analyze the character Benvinda, from the comédia-opereta de costumes brasileiros A Capital Federal, written by Arthur Azevedo and first performed in 1897. The purpose is to situate this play in the middle of a fundamental dispute of that period around the definition and valuation of mestiçagem concept, revealing the dialogical character of the mulata symbol semantic construction. A privileged way to understand this process is through the Rio de Janeiro light music theater over the last decades of the nineteenth century, in general, and Arthur Azevedo s dramaturgy in particular.