Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro (Portuguese: Carnaval do Rio de Janeiro) is a festival held every year before Lent. This is considered the biggest carnival in the world, with two million people on the streets every day. The first carnival festival was held in Rio in 1723.
A typical Rio Carnival parade is filled with revelers, floats, and decorations from the several samba schools located in Rio (over 200 roughly divided into five leagues/divisions). A samba school is formed by the cooperation of local neighbors who want to participate in the carnival together, with some kind of regional, geographical and common background.
There is a specific order that each school must follow in their parade entries. Each school begins with the "comissão de frente" (meaning "front commission"), which is a group of people from the school who appear first. The comissão de frente, made up of ten to fifteen people, introduces the school and determines the mode and style of their presentation. These people have choreographed dances with elaborate costumes that usually tell a short story. After the "comissão de frente" is the first float of the samba school, called "abre-alas" ("open wing"). After them, the Mestre-sala and the Porta-Bandeira ("master of ceremonies and flag bearer"), with a Four pairs, one active and three reserve, to lead the dancers, which include veterans of the old guard and "ala" das baianas, with a drumline battery in the rear and sometimes a brass and guitar section.
History
Rio's Carnival dates back to the 1650s. At that time, elaborate celebrations were organized to honor the Greek gods of wine. The Romans worshiped Bacchus, the god of the grape harvest. The "Entrudo" festival was introduced by the Portuguese and this inspired the birth of Carnival in Brazil. In 1840, the first Rio masquerade took place, and polkas and waltzes took center stage. Africans subsequently influenced Carnival by introducing samba music in 1917, which is now considered a traditional Brazilian form.
Street carnival
Since the parade takes place at the Sambadrome and the balls are held at the Palace and Copacabana Beach, many Carnival participants are in other locations. Street festivals are very common during Carnival and the locals are very popular. Elegance and extravagance are usually left behind, but music and dancing are still very common. Anyone is allowed to participate in street festivals. Gangsters are very familiar with street carnivals, especially because nothing more than jumping is required to participate in the fun. One of the most famous gangs in Rio is the Banda de Ipanema. Banda de Ipanema was first created in 1965 and is known as Rio's most irreverent street band.
Dance and music are incorporated into all aspects of Rio Carnival. The most famous carnival dance is the samba, a Brazilian dance with African influences. Samba remains a popular dance not only at Carnival but also in ghettos outside the main cities. These villages keep alive the historical aspect of dance without the influence of western cultures.
Music is another major part of all aspects of carnival. As stated by Samba City, "Samba carnival instruments are an integral part of Brazil and Rio de Janeiro's Carnival, sending out irresistible beats and rhythms that make the crowd explode in a fantasy celebration of colorful dance revolution!" The samba found in Rio is Batucanada, which refers to dance and music based on percussion instruments.
Street parades, blocks, and bands take place throughout the city of Rio during Carnaval, the world's most famous and largest carnival celebration. At any point in time there may be more than 300 bands. While the biggest street party takes place right outside the Sambadrome, the biggest organized street dance is usually found in Sinlandia square in the center of Rio.
What is the Rio Carnival celebrated for?
This celebration evolved from a pagan ritual to the Greek or Roman gods and became the current celebration of great seasonal significance for Catholics. The general reason of this festival is to honor the spirit of excess
What date is Rio Carnival 2024?
The festival is scheduled to take place from February 9 to February 17, 2024 in the wonderful city of Rio de Janeiro.
Where is Rio Carnival?
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Rio de Janeiro
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Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí
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Monumento Nacional aos Mortos da S...
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Praça XV de Novembro
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OceanFront Resort
How many days is Rio Carnival?
Rio's carnival begins on the Friday before Ash Wednesday and officially lasts for five days, although street parties can start as early as a month before the carnival weekend and often continue after the start of Eid.
Is Rio Carnival expensive?
The prices range from USD30 to USD300 for parades, but these include some benefits depending on the type. These prices are based only on the Sambadrome event, so they do not include the plane ticket, the travel document's fees, and so on.
