União Da Ilha, Carnival Simplicity
By Bruno De Nicola, Senior Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Great responsibility lies with União da Ilha, the Samba School from the Ilha do Governador who will open the 2010 carnival Sambodrome contest on February 14th and who have already begun street rehearsals for all their fans. The next street rehearsal is scheduled for December [...]
Beija-Flor, The Humming-Bird of Samba
By Bruno De Nicola, Senior Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Beija-Flor (which translates to “flower kisser”), the humming bird who’s wings beat to the samba swing, prepares to fly high for Carnival 2010, wishing to carry home to Nilopolis another Sambodrome Champion title. Over the past ten years the ‘gremio’ from the suburbs of Rio [...]
Portela and the Majesty Of Carnival
By Bruno De Nicola, Senior Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – February may still be three months off, but the majority of those involved with Carnival have already been hard at work, the weekly rehearsals are underway, and Portela Samba School, founded on Rua Portela in the Madureira neighbourhood of Zona Norte, is readying itself for [...]
Mangueira Samba School
By Bruno de Nicola, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Pink and Green are the colors that represent the Estação Primeira de Mangueira, Rio de Janeiro’s most famous and infamous Samba School, home of many Brazilian music idols and TV celebrities. Certainly the most glamorous and advanced, the “Gremio” Mangueira is a very traditional institution [...]
Samba School Season Is Open
By Bruno de Nicola RIO DE JANEIRO – Samba school season is officially open. As the schools start preparing for their big week in February 2010, Gringos get the chance to attend a preview of the Sambodrome Carnival nights and shake their tail feathers. All the themes for the parade have been chosen and each [...]
Rio: World’s Happiest City
By Karen Shishiptorova, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Travel Weekly Magazine, issuer of the renowned World Travel Awards, has honored Rio de Janeiro with the title of the best place to visit in South America. The award ceremony is scheduled for November 7 in London and will be aired live by BBC World. Created [...]
Salgueiro Samba
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – Every Saturday, Acadêmicos do Salgueiro throws a samba party, staging a run-off as associates compete for a glorified spot in the official Carnaval parade. Obligatorily, the competition unrolls with all the flourish of a miniature Carnaval, complete with extensive costumes, samba dancers and an explosion [...]
Monobloco at Circo Voador
By Maíra Amorim, Contributing Reporter RIO DE JANEIRO – It’s hard to find a Carioca who doesn’t like Monobloco, the big percussion band created in 2000 by Pedro Luís with the members of his band “Pedro Luís e a Parede” (Pedro Luís and The Wall). The group has created a true revolution at Rio’s Carnival. [...]