Interesting Green: Samba Dancers - Brazil's Carnival

Source Website:
http://www.travelvivi.com/carnival-of-the-year-rio-carnival/ - (Texts)
http://www.pbase.com/kohlbradley/r_rated - (Pictures)
By TravelVivi.com, © 2013

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on February 16, 2010, by www.bart.la Bart Lapers.
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Carnival in Brazil – it is an event in which millions of people dream to get. Every year in February, before Lent, the whole Brazil, is being seized by the continuous thunder of drums, batter inflammatory rhythm of samba, is immersed in the most bustling, bright and cheerful holiday, a grand show on the planet. Carnival in Rio – the most organized of them. Also, the carnival is held in El Salvador.

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on Februrary 23, 2010, by www.bart.la Bart Lapers.
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The origins of Brazilian carnival are in the ritual dances of Black Africa, pulsating rhythms of which were brought to Brazil, along with millions of black slaves .In the mid 20th century the first school of samba was formed. In 1916, the first samba was written specifically for the carnival. It was called “By telephone”.

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on Februrary 23, 2010, by www.bart.la Bart Lapers.
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According to the scientists, the word “carnival” is based on two Latin roots – carno (meat) and vale (farewell). In ancient times this celebration was being held 40 days before the Holy Week and was a kind of celebration for foreign countries and highlight for the Lent.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival Samba Festival
Every year in February, before Lent, the whole Brazil, is being seized by the continuous thunder of drums, batter inflammatory rhythm of samba, is immersed in the most bustling, bright and cheerful holiday, a grand show on the planet.
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http://cfile22.uf.tistory.com/image/116C54494F384A6236350B - (1.jpg)
http://blog.daum.net/_blog/BlogTypeView.do?blogid=050pc&articleno=16155202&_bloghome_menu=recenttext#ajax_history_home

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival
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http://safadasdebrascubas.blogspot.sg/2011_02_13_archive.html?zx=708ee2ed7d4a07c4

However, the origins of carnival can already been viewed in pagan ceremonies in honor of the ancient Egyptian god Osiris and the Roman Saturnalia.

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2010, GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel - Rio de Janeiro - Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on February 16, 2010, by www.bart.la Bart Lapers.
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When Christianity came replacing paganism, many traditions and celebrations were banned. Carnival was one of them. But the last century was the time when everything was changed and partying was back in the row.

PHOTO: Samba Dancer - GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel - Rio de Janeiro - Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on February 15, 2010 in Cidade Nova, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR, using a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, by sfmission.com Team at Carnaval.com Studios from The Inner Mission San Francisco.
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Later, when the Europeans settled the world, they brought the carnival virtually to all of the continents in the world, and the locals gladly picked up the tradition.

PHOTO: Samba Dancer - GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel - Rio de Janeiro - Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on February 15, 2010 in Cidade Nova, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR, using a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, by sfmission.com Team at Carnaval.com Studios from The Inner Mission San Francisco.
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Carnivals in Brazil, Goa, Basel and Nice – each of these grand celebrations have their own flavor and special atmosphere.

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Brazil Carnival, one of the most outstanding events of the world – it’s an exotic blend of European elegance, the ancient Indian traditions and customs of the Black slaves.

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Event the Catholic Church found a spot for such a “secular” holiday in their calendar, and since then it points exactly seven weeks before Easter and forty days before the Holy Week.

PHOTO: Samba Dancer - GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel - Rio de Janeiro - Carnival 2010
This photo was taken on February 15, 2010 in Cidade Nova, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, BR, using a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, by Team at Carnaval.com Studios from The Inner Mission San Francisco.
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Carnival – this is the most important event of the year for every Brazilian, it’s the holiday, which concentrates on the very soul and mentality of this country.

PHOTO: Samba Dancer - GRES Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel - Rio de Janeiro - Carnival 2008
This photo was taken on February 4, 2008 using a Canon PowerShot S5 IS, by Team at Carnaval.com Studios from The Inner Mission San Francisco.
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The world most famous carnival in Rio – a beautiful, expensive and sexy spectacle for the world public, but the folk festival is also not an exception.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival Samba Festival. I'm off to Rio ...
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Folk festivals are held away from the tourist centers – in Salvador, Recife and Fort Leese, moreover, instead of frivolous subjects historical scenes are usually played out here.

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival
A member of a School of Samba participates in a Carnival parade February 12, 2002 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
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But for every Carioca – Rio residents – “provincial” holidays are not worth a fraction of attention, because all the main action takes place here, in the main city of Its Majesty’s Carnival.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2002
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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During the four official days of celebration (and unofficially the country is celebrating it for more than a week), there comes a time when the city gives itself into the power of joy, when the eyes are being clouded with passion.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2002
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Carnival in Rio de Janeiro … impossible to describe the most ambitious furor of emotions and passions, music and dance, the unbridled joy and celebration of life in one short article.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2002
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Carnival in Rio is now one of the most ambitious and most organized carnivals in Brazil. Each year, the samba flows into the blood of all participants and guests of the carnival for more than five days and for this five day Brazil turns into an African country.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2000
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Samba schools (each of which is between 3.000 to 5.000 participants) are composed mainly of people from the city suburbs. During the Rio carnivals samba schools compete with each other and their performance is evaluated by a special jury.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2002
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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The chief term of the carnival is to have fun! And the Brazilians are happy to obey it. More than a week no one works, although officially the carnival lasts only four days.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2002
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Groups act like fashion models on the catwalk, in front of a crowd of 100-thousand spectators, who are admiring them from on the benches. They play out their own stories, united by a common theme: politics, nature, sports, arts, music – all topics must be Brazilian.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2000
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Schools come up with their unique song, creative costumes and choreography. Costumes should not only dazzle with their beauty, but also consistent with the era and location of the selected topic.

PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro Carnival
A Brazilian samba school during the annual carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The 14 samba schools are the main attraction of Rio de Janeiro's carnival, performing to approximately 70,000 spectators on a stadium built especially for it.
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Another condition (rule) for the festival is that full nudity is forbidden, so viewers can only enjoy the endless options for luxury and often risky costumes.

PHOTO: Carnival Muses - Part III, Tuesday, February 28, 2006

Carnival celebrations returned to Rio's streets for a last gasp of partying Tuesday, following close on the heels of the city's legendary samba parade.

As the centerpiece of Brazil's carnival ended early Tuesday in the massive Sambadrome, bleary-eyed revelers took to the avenues and byways to dance, drink and snarl traffic.
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This may be a historic event, honoring a person, the plot of a story, or a legend. Allegorical platform transforms into movie scenery, which illustrates the same theme. Rehearsals begin for several months before the carnival.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2003
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Traditionally, the carnival begins with a symbolic transfer of the keys to the mayor of the city – the “king” of the carnival. For four days he is the rightful owner of the city and shall be empowered to publish and to repeal any laws.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2001
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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The holiday usually starts in the small town of Olinda. Here the oldest dance school “virgins” – 250 men dressed in women’s clothes point out the beginning of the show. Gradually, the entire country is being covered with carnival madness. Millions of Brazilians, forgetting about all the problems and domestic difficulties are having fun and dancing.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2001, Anna Flavia Tarcitano at the Black Tie Ball.
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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But their most cherished dream – to see for a magical show at the amazing Rio. At the top of the allegorical chariots the first one to go is the Princess of the school. The height of the chariots is limited to ten meters. There is a special spot for the elite dancers who are almost without clothes. The procession, consisting of the members of one school, sometimes stretching for a mile, and its progress Sambadromu takes about an hour.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2001, Ana Flavia Tarcitano
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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The show must not only conquer the hearts of the audience, but also the judicial panel, which chooses the champions and losers of this year. The jury evaluates the performance in many ways: music and lyrics, synchronous movements, plot setting, compliance with a given theme, colorful costumes, the main chariot design, etc.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2001, Ana Flavia Tarcitano
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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Grades are usually reduced to the crude composition asymmetry, the lack of expression in the dance or the ecstatic reaction of the audience.

PHOTO: Rio Carnival 2001, Ana Flavia Tarcitano
Copyright 2000-2012 Ken Bradley. All Rights Reserved.
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But after the announcement of the end of the carnival, the celebration does not stop. Everywhere there is a wide range of beauty contests, masquerade balls, competitions, and prizes are awarded for best costumes.

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