Carnival
Carnival in Rio Still the Greatest Show on Earth
By Steve Yolen
In our opinion, Carnival in Rio — a multi-faceted four-day blowout of street parades, costume balls and popular hijinks of all kinds — is truly the "greatest show on Earth." And Carnival itself is Brazil's most important annual holiday.
While Carnival's roots come from Europe (the pagan pre-Lenten celebrations going back to Roman times; some think the term derives from the Latin "carne vale", roughly meaning you can eat meat before Lent) today its most incredible yearly manifestation in the world takes place in Rio de Janeiro. Carnival balls were imported from Italy in the late 19th century, and had their golden era in the 1930s, with legendary balls at the Copacabana Palace, and the Municipal Theater.
In Rio, the “Carnival” most non-Brazilians have heard about is the big Special Group Samba School Parade in Rio de Janeiro which sees upward of 50,000 people participating as performers. This takes place during two consecutive nights (always the Sunday and Monday preceding Ash Wednesday). But there are also spontaneous street presentations, fancy costume contests and racy Carnival balls, as well.
Carnival is the major holiday in Brazil. The nation comes to a virtual official standstill for the five days it spans, with many millions taking part in the Carnival events, but many millions more simply using the break to go to seaside or country retreats and recharge their batteries in the middle of the broiling South American summer.
In Rio, the so-called "samba school" parade has become the centerpiece for Carnival, replacing the raunchy balls and street carnival activities that used to flourish all over the city during simpler times. Today this parade — which actually is an annual competition — takes place in a purpose-built stadium called the “Sambadrome,” built in 1984, located near downtown Rio in a run-down neighborhood. The Samba Parade got started in the 1930s - first timidly at Praça XI, and later on Av. Presidente Vargas. It found a permanent home in 1984 at the Sambadrome, in the downtown area. Today the event is broadcast by live satellite feed to dozens of countries and all Brazilian states.
The current event is much better organized than it was in the recent past when the Special Group parade lasted for 30 hours at a stretch and required great personal stamina and a certain amount of risk to watch: each year rickety stands were built and fast food of doubtful origin was served on the streets. And, of course, the bathrooms were unspeakable…
Today getting tickets is relatively easy, many expats join samba schools and dance in the event and transportation to and from the "sambadrome" is safe and organized. Foreign tourists can go to a special section with numbered seats and bilingual attendants.
There are 18 “schools” that are authorized to make a presentation in the main parade. These schools (more like samba "teams," really) tend to be neighborhood-based, although they also attract participants from all social classes and geographical bases. The top two schools each year from a lower division are promoted to the main division, and the two worst finishers in the main division are demoted, to add incentive to the performances.
Each school is allowed a minimum of 65 minutes and a maximum of 80 minutes for its presentation down the “sambadrome” avenue. There is a strict judging system based upon 15 or so requisites, from how the mighty drum section does, how good are the words and music to the "enredo," or theme song, how effective are the costumes and floats and how good is the choreography and individual dancing.
Each school is an autonomous entity. A virtual "board of directors" governs the organization, collecting monies and distributing tasks. A professional theatrical director is always hired to produce the school’s annual parade show, which resembles a moving opera-ballet on parade. Top composers are chosen to write the theme samba song, which always changes every year in each one of the schools. The song is a crucial element since it synthesizes the theme and propels the participants, all of whom are expected to memorize the words and belt them out while parading and dancing the samba.
Typically, samba schools choose themes from Brazilian history and popular culture, sometimes straight and sometimes tongue-in-cheek. Each school parades with up to 5,000 people and 15 or so mammoth floats, and always includes a drum section that can number as many as 500 percussionists. Very scantily-clad women (and men) dancers -- sometimes almost (and not even almost) completely naked -- spice up the presentation, but there are also lots of elaborately clothed members of the school, in period costume or other dress that combines with the sub-themes of each year's theme.
Some well-known samba schools and past parade winners are Portela, Mangueira, Beija-Flor, Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel, Imperatriz Leopoldinense, Vila Isabel and Salgueiro.
Street Carnival Disappearing
"Street carnival" is fading in Rio as an important Carnival-time manifestation although it continues to flourish elsewhere around the nation. In the past, from Friday to Ash Wednesday, one could walk around the city and be surprised by merry troupes of dancers and bands impetuously drumming and samba-ing at any time of day or night. Sadly, this most spontaneous of activities is currently in decline and more common in the suburbs than in the tourist zones. However, there are still some traditional street events leading up to and during the Carnival period itself, which is always great fun to watch -- and even join!
Also not as frequented or as elaborate any more are the great Carnival balls, to which upper crust society and lowlifers alike used to go each one of the four official nights of Carnival (Saturday through Tuesday). These ranged from snooty black tie affairs to the raunchiest type of event imaginable, with everything in between. There's still a selection with a mild mix of the upper crust to the scatological. However, the city government has resurrected the fancy black-tie Municipal Ball, now held at the upscale Copacabana Palace Hotel.
With the well-organized samba school parade gaining top billing in Rio, and the inevitable commercialism that has accompanied the process, Carnival in Rio has become more of a show for visitors (Brazilians and foreigners) than the mass once-a-year madcap street party it used to be. The latter still can be found in Brazil's northeastern cities of Salvador and Recife-Olinda. Even São Paulo now has a samba parade that is beginning to rival Rio's.
Yet, it must be remembered that Carnival continues to be put on mostly by community groups from underprivileged districts of Rio, who form the backbone cadre of the samba schools. And deep within the Brazilian psyche is the understanding that during the four days and nights that immediately lead up to Ash Wednesday, anything can and often does go.
(Carnival always comes 40 days before the Lent, a Catholic holiday, starting on a Saturday and ending on Fat Tuesday (Mardi Gras), so dates change every year. In Brazil the official [federal] holiday falls on Monday and Tuesday, with workers supposed to return to their jobs as of Noon Wednesday. In fact, lots of slippage takes place, and in some locations — especially the Northeast — things are shut for a week while the party goes on and on.)