From the ballrooms to the streets: Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro
We (I) have taken a break from my (rather optimistic) weekly schedule of programming to enjoy Carnaval to the fullest. As I wipe the glitter off my face, eat actual food, and sleep for more than 5 consecutive hours, I want to reflect on this experience, before the magic is washed away by the tides of everyday life.
Origins of Brazilian Carnaval
Carnival in Brazil draws its origins from the combination of European and African culture. In Europe, carnival/carnevale is a period of festivities before Lent, although its roots can be traced back to pre-Christian traditions. During this time social hierarchies are caricatured, and revelry is encouraged. Carnaval entered Brazil in this fashion through the practice of “entrudo”, whereby people threw water mixed either with flowers, or with flour, coffee, and even urine. This was replaced by elite masquerade balls as public displays of revelry were suppressed. However ultimately this tradition, combined with African musical and dance tradition through afoxés to modern samba schools, created Carnival as it is enjoyed today, full of pageantry and meaning. For some it is the opportunity to wear outrageous costumes and start drinking at 8am, and for others it is a vital expression of popular culture and site of social resistance.
Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro
If you have watched films such as Orfeu Negro or Rio, you may recognise Carnaval in Rio as the world’s largest open-air party. It is an enormous, loud, hectic, joyous, continuous celebration of life. Carnaval can be experienced in a multiplicity of ways, from the VIP area of the Sambadrome, ticketed events with celebrity performers, and right on the streets in the form of blocos free of charge. Personally, I enjoy spending carnival on the street - I am consistently in awe of the dedication and creativity of the musicians and performers who make this all possible, for free!
The dates of carnaval change every year as they are linked to Easter, which always takes place on the first full moon after the Spring Equinox. This year carnaval lasted from March 1-4. However in Rio de Janeiro, carnaval preparation, and therefore street blocos, begin much earlier, with the non-official opening of carnaval taking place on January 5, the first Sunday of the year. I attended a total of 20 blocos before, during, and after carnaval. I also went to the Sambadrome (Sapucaí), both to watch the schools rehearse, and to myself perform with one of them (an unexpected treat)! I include below my recap of all the blocos I attended (at least the ones I remember), which I include to give a flavour of the creativity and innovation on show.
Sabrina’s Street Carnaval - a round-up of all the street blocos attended
Pré-carnaval
Non-official opening of carnaval (05/01):
Mistérios há de se pintar por aí: A theatrical and politically charged bloco.
O Baile Todo: Here amazing dancers and musicians recreate the energy and passion of Rio’s home-grown music genre, funk carioca.
Bloco Chico: A fly-by of a bloco that only played songs by Chico Buarque.
Surdos e Mundos: Classic carnaval songs with a focus on drummers.
Day of Iemanjá (02/02):
Tambores de Olokum: This cortejo (street procession) was held in honour of Iemanjá, the goddess of the sea in Umbanda and Candomblé. A beautiful celebration of Yoruba and Brazilian culture.
Sapucaí (02/02): Did you know you can visit the Sambadrome for FREE during the pré-carnival rehearsals? On this day we saw Mangueira’s Technical Rehearsal - no floats but lots of energy from one of Rio’s largest samba schools.
Pre-carnaval weekend (15-16/02)
About Bloco (15/02): Very fun, very intimate, very colourful. It was *chef’s kiss*.
Sapucaí (16/02): We went this day to see our friends rehearse with São Clemente.
Pre-carnaval weekend (22-23/02)
O Baile Todo (22/02): An early morning vibe with amazing performances, music, and energy. Dancing on the overpass was not to be missed.
Marimbondos Não Respeitam (22/02): Another of my carnival highlights. A beautiful cortejo with fabulous insect-themed costumes for the girls!
Cordão da Bola Preta (23/02): A traditional bloco which I was happy to have experienced although it was very packed - would have been better if I had been earlier.
Carnaval
Friday (28/01)
Dura Realidade: A night-time cortejo in the Aterro, and an opportunity to suss out the quality of everyone’s costumes and energy before the real fun begins on Saturday. It did not disappoint.
Saturday (01/03)
Céu Na Terra: A carnival classic. Beautiful but way too packed for my liking.
Segura que eu Balanço: Now that’s more like it! A Santa Teresa bloco with great vibes and space to breathe.
Sambódromo: Performing as part of São Clemente. An unexpected and last-minute highlight of my carnival experience, and a bucket list item!
Sunday (02/03):
Docinhos: A fun time but note to self: Do not attempt to attend a morning bloco on no sleep.
Bloco Frida and Lapa party: A fun time enjoying the vibes in Lapa, plus the Frida costumes were to die for.
Monday (03/03):
Barrados do Baile: An unofficial off-shoot of O Baile Todo. A great performance, aided by a nearby playground that hosted many drunk revellers.
Shrove Tuesday (04/03):
Mistérios há de se pintar por aí: A beautiful colourful bloco, very different to the one pre-carnival. The pernaltas (stilt walkers) stole the show.
Ash Wednesday (05/03):
Frankenstein: The bloco name describes how I felt on this day (basically dead).
Me Enterra na Quarta: ‘Bury me on Wednesday’, again felt very apt. I loved the aesthetic of this bloco - it was Day of the Dead themed.
Calcinhas Bélicas: The last bloco of carnival. Good music and lots of places to sit. A win for a tired 28 year old.
Pós-carnaval (08/03)
Blocónce: A Beyoncé themed bloco, which took place on International Women’s Day.
So there you have it - a wrap-up of this year’s carnaval highlights. What has this experience taught me?
It is always possible (and necessary) to choose joy - both to experience it and to create and share it with those around you.
It’s valuable to cultivate experiences that force you to abandon your routine and live in the moment every once in a while. These act as a reminder that life can look very different, and that we can all (hopefully) bring some of the magic with us in the day-to-day.
Not sleeping or eating or drinking water WILL catch up to you eventually. Balance is key! …( But I’m still working on this one)