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Carnival in Rio
by: Jason Blynn
Considered one of the most awe-inspiring and
grandiose spectacles in all the world, Carnival in Rio de Janeiro, the
marvelous city, is a feast for the eyes as well as the ears. For five
days, the 14 samba schools (escolas de samba) parade through the famous
sambadrome in quest to be the best samba school for that year. Besides
being a spectacular display of costume, color, and dance, the percussion
coming from the thousands of people playing in each school’s battery
literally lifts spectators out of the seats. It is during Carnival that
the powerful and beautifully seductive rhythm of Brazil truly manifests
itself. Samba is the soul of Brazil.
Carnival in Rio dates back to about 1723, which is
the earliest record to be found. Immigrants from the Azores and Cabo
Verde introduced the first festivities, which were mainly intended to
get people wet. People reveled in the streets, tossing buckets of water
and limes at anyone they saw, even emperors. This activity was called an
entrudo, intended to purify the body. As time went on people began to
dress up, parade, dance, and play music for all to hear. At the
beginning of the 19th century, the parades began to take on a more
central role in the festivities, and with the sponsorship of a brewery
called Hanseática, each parade group (called “ranchos” then) began
to organize competitions from year to year. After a brief hiatus during
World War II, the parades kept getting larger and more grandiose as the
years went by. In the eighties, the sambodromo was built to fit 70,000
spectators and provide for a more organized procession of the schools.
Nowadays, a typical samba school will spend
two-thirds of the calendar year preparing for Carnival, for which each
school performs one song. Besides having thousands of dancers,
percussionists, musicians, and singers, each school also has a team of
songwriters who work and compete with each other to compose the best
song possible: the one that will bring the school victory. The
competition is fierce within the team of composers. Whoever wins is sure
to receive much acclaim and fame that year, as his song will be released
on the year’s Sambas de Enredo CD, a recording with all the 14
schools’ songs that is released shortly before the arrival of Carnival
and is always immensely popular. A typical school will easily spend 1
million dollars a year on Carnival.
DiscoverBrazil offers three separate Carnival
packages, each one with a different hotel option. Each package includes
all transfers, tours, and breakfasts listed. A city tour is also
included, with stops at Corcovado, Tijuca Forest, Sugar Loaf, and other
Rio hot spots.
- 5 nights at the Caesar Park Hotel (from
February 03th to 08th, 2005). This world class hotel is wonderfully
located right on the famous Ipanema beach, and is walking distance
from restaurants, bars, boutiques, shopping centers, nightclubs, and
cinemas.
- 5 nights at the Miramar Palace Hotel (from
February 04th to 09th, 2005). Situated right on Copacabana beach,
Rio de Janeiro is literary at your feet when you stay at this
traditional and elegant hotel.
- 5 nights at the glamorous Copacabana Palace
Hotel (from February 04th to 09th, 2005). The Copacabana Palace is
among the greatest hotels in the world. Perfectly located right on
the famous Copacabana beach, this Brazil landmark will make your
stay in “The Marvelous City” a memorable one.
Tickets to the Sambodromo are optional. Flights
are not included, but if you are interested in quotes for international
or domestic flights, please contact one of our travel agents. Price
quoted is based on double occupancy.
For more information and price quotes, contact one
of our expert travel consultants:
From North America, call toll free: 1-800-495-8211
From all other locations: (55) (71) 3113-4206
Or, send us an email at customersupport@discoverbrazil.com
www.discoverbrazil.com
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About The Author
Jason is a recent graduate
of Amherst College, where he received a degree in Music and
Political Science. He is currently living in Salvador, Bahia,
Brazil, working for Discover Brazil and enjoying the wonderful
music and culture Bahia and the rest of Brazil have to offer.
patricia@discoverbrazil.com.br
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