Brazilian Carnival!

by Fernanda Katz, SUNY Cortland, December 6, 2006

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Carnival comes to everybody’s mind as a synonym for partying, and in Brazil it actually is. Who has never heard of the Brazilian Carnival? Well, if you haven’t, you are definitely missing something.
Putting aside all the ancient and religious history about Carnival and cutting to the chase, the modern carnival, made out of balls and costumes, is a more recent product, dating from the 19th Century. Paris, actually, is the big exporter of this new party to the rest of the world. Cities like Nice, New Orleans and Rio de Janeiro got their inspiration from Paris. Nonetheless, nowadays, Rio de Janeiro is known as one of the most important Carnivals in the world, and probably the most fun.
Carnival is a major holiday and the most popular party in Brazil. It is celebrated on the four days that precede Ash Wednesday. Carnival, religiously and traditionally, prepares for the Christian fasting of Lent, and its last day, which is a Tuesday, happens 40 days before Good Friday.
At the end of the 19th Century, a lot of samba schools took to the streets of Rio de Janeiro to celebrate Carnival. People went to the streets with masks inspired by the famous Masked Balls from Venice. Traditional costumes worn by people on the streets were inspired from characters from Commedia dell’arte, also known as comedy of humors or Italian comedy, and they are still popular costumes.
The modern Brazilian Carnival appeared in Rio de Janeiro, in the first half of the 19th century. The Carioca – name given to people who were born in the state of Rio de Janeiro – elite brought the Parisian balls into the Brazilian Society. The exchange of this elite Carnival with the disorganized street parties ended up creating a party with a new face, and, from the beginning of the 20th century, it became one of the faces of Brazil, a national identity.
Nowadays, for the samba schools, Carnival starts when it ends, meaning, the samba schools work one year to get the right music, right costumes and the right story to tell on the sambodromo. For those who doesn’t know, here goes a little bit of the terminology of the Brazilian Carnival. Samba schools are large, formal social entities with thousands of members and a theme each year. Blocos – much smaller and usually presenting themselves in private clubs or on the streets in smaller Carnivals – are small informal groups also with a definite theme. And bandas are samba musical bands usually formed by enthusiasts in the same neighborhood.
For you to have an idea, in September, the rehearsal begins in the “main house” of a lot of the samba schools. In December, on the streets of Rio de Janeiro, you can spot the “street rehearsal” from the samba schools around their neighborhood. After New Year’s, samba schools and their bands take the streets of the city preparing for the great party.
The great Carnival happens in a place called Sambodrome - full name in Portuguese is Sambódromo da Marquês de Sapucaí. Sambodrome is a purpose-built parade area in downtown Rio de Janeiro where samba schools parade competitively each year during Carnival. The parades attract many thousands of Brazilians and foreign tourists each year. The Sambadrome was designed by Oscar Niemeyer, a Brazilian architect who is considered one of the most important names in international modern architecture and was a pioneer in the exploration of the constructive possibilities of reinforced concrete, and it was built in 1984. It consists of almost half of a mile stretch of street converted into a permanent parade ground with bleachers built on either side for spectators. Its capacity is 88,500. It lies quiet for most of the year until December, when the samba schools begin holding technical rehearsals there, leading up to Carnival itself.
Another huge Carnival party happens in Salvador, Bahia, in the northeast of Brazil. Considered by a lot of Brazilians the best Carnival from Brazil, it’s yet to be discovered by the tourists who choose Rio de Janeiro their number one destination for Carnival.
In Salvador, Carnival also arrives early, in the rehearsal and non-traditional balls of the afro schools called Afoxe. In addition to the traditional party on the streets, where people sing and dance until dawn, Salvador has an extra attraction: the trios eletricos. A trio elétrico is an adapted truck, with giant speakers and a platform where musicians play songs of local genres such as Axe music and Maracatu. The truck is driven around the city with the crowd following dancing and singing. The trios eletricos bring with them famous Brazilian musicians. It is, without a doubt, a live concert of Brazilian music.
No matter where you go in Brazil: South, North, East or West, you will find a different version of Carnival on the streets. Each region has its own characteristics and music. But all of them, without exception, will be filled with happiness, music, dancing and beautiful people having fun. It’s definitely a national party event!

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