Brazil carnival

The Brazilian music

The rhythm, movements and melody of the Brazilian music  are part of the customs of Brazil, a beautiful country, where there is an annual festival held forty-six days before Easter known as “Carnival” from “carnelevare” to abstain the consumption of meat and poultry in order to be prepared for Christ’s death and resurrection.

The History of Brazil

According to the history of Brazil, despite of the Catholic inspiration, the origin of the Brazil carnival dates back to a kind of carnival called “introito” (Latin) or “entrudo” (Portuguese) , which is characterized by the interplay of water thrown from one person to another to purify their bodies. The “entrudo” was banned without much success in the mid-nineteenth century because it was considered violent by the higher social classes.

In the late nineteenth century, “cordões” (Portuguese) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro and consisted of groups of people walking through the streets playing music and dancing. The “cordões” were the ancestors of modern samba schools.

The most important events in the world

The Brazilian Carnival is the most famous holiday in Brazil, and it has become one of the most important events in Brazil that brings a huge amount of people from around the world. In the week of celebration, all the country stops all the activities completely and festivities are intense (day and night), people dance the traditional Samba with beautiful and colorful costumes. 

The main celebration takes place in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, where the samba schools and bands occupy entire neighborhoods.

Brazil carnival is a unique event worldwide; you’ll find music, dance, customs and lots of diversion if you visit Rio in the carnival season.

The carnival styles in Brazil

Carnival in Brazil is a unique celebration recognized worldwide as a important event of huge proportions; and as the food variety, the celebration of carnival has a different style in many parts of the country; by example:

• Sao Paulo style, which is organized by soccer schools in contrast to the samba Schools of Rio Festival.
• Bahia Style, which is located in Northeastern Brazil, the carnival unlike the Rio festival has different musical styles such as: samba , reggae, axe; the compositions inspire people to renew their pride in African heritage.
• Pernambuco also has a unique style, which is considered the biggest parade due to the number of participants; among other styles.

However, the Brazil carnival held every year in Rio de Janeiro is considered the best and the most popular carnival in the entire country. This festival takes place in the Sambodromo and gathers all people around the country and the world. Music, dance, customs and lots of diversion are what you’ll find if you visit the Rio carnival.

South American countries

South American countries have the similar enthusiasm of enjoy festivities such as Ecuador, Bolivia and Argentina festivals; and Brazil is not an exception with the parade of the top samba schools in Rio de Janeiro, because it’s not a simple parade, all the samba schools prepare with months of anticipation in order to satisfy the artistic criteria of judges and become the parade champion.

The fierce competition between the Rio samba schools is an experience that everybody should have at least once in their life; the celebration begins with street festivities in which people dance and play music. 

Samba schools in Brazil

Then the main part of the Carnival starts in the Sambodromo where each Samba School displays the result of months of work; because each one must create the various parts of their presentation, from the samba tunes, the richly decorated floats and the costumes of the 3000 or 5000 members according to the theme that they selected previously. All the production is extremely imaginative and elaborate that’s why costumes take even 8 months to make, and some people participate in the parade almost nude or maybe wearing only body paint, lots of glitter and a smile.

Samba schools are judged according to 10 categories: Percussion Band, Samba Song, Harmony, Flow and Spirit, Theme of the Year, Overall Impression, Floats and Props, Costumes, Vanguard Group, The Flag Bearer. The most remarkable characters in the parade are: the Carnival King (King Momo) who opens the Carnival and make everyone to samba (dance terms) with him; the queen and princesses which are chosen according to their beauty and samba abilities.