Rio’s Mangueira Samba School to Honor Marielle Franco this Carnival

By Jack Arnhold, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – One of Rio’s most iconic samba schools, ‘Estação Primeiro de Mangueira’ (First Station of Mangueira) have chosen to pay tribute to murdered Rio councilwoman Marielle Franco as part of their Carnival parade.

As Carnival season approaches, many samba schools are now beginning to publicize their themes for the parade alongside their chosen song, with political figures and historical injustices often featured. Last year, the ‘Paraíso do Tuiuti’ samba school triumphed with their depiction of slavery both historic and modern, touching on the green-and-yellow protests, ‘Lava Jato’ investigations, and the deeply unpopular presidency of Michel Temer.

Mangueira seem to have taken on this polemic mantle with their new parade, which is titled ‘História pra ninar gente grande’ (Bedtime stories for grown-ups), and has as its theme ‘história que a história não conta’ (Stories that history doesn’t tell).

The newly-composed samba song that Mangueira will parade to will feature the lines, “Brasil, chegou a vez de ouvir as Marias, Mahins, Marielles, Malês.” Referencing the still-unsolved murder of Marielle Franco, who was popular for her work to empower Brazil’s LGBT, black, and female population, as well as her representation of the marginalized favela communities of Rio de Janeiro.

As one of the authors of the song, Tomaz Miranda, posts on facebook, “We were champions in Mangueira, in memory of Marielle and Anderson and all the fighting that will still come.”

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