One of the highlights of samba school São Clemente.- photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
The second night of parades of samba schools in the Special Group of Rio de Janeiro had a bit of everything: from a trip to London, through stories of resilience and fever for great musicals. Six samba schools were present on Monday (20) in Marquês de Sapucaí: São Clemente, União da Ilha, Salgueiro, Mangueira, Unidos da Tijuca and Grande Rio. The first parade started at 21h.
In this article the first three samba schools.
The parade was opened by São Clemente, which suffered a last place in 2011. The samba school from Botafogo told the story “Uma aventura musical na Sapucaí” (A musical adventure in Sapucaí) written by the carnivalesque Fabio Ricardo.
Float of São Clemente.- photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
Runner-up of 2011, Unidos da Tijuca led to the Avenue a tribute to composer Luiz Gonzaga, in its attempt to win the title. With the theme “O dia em que toda a realeza desembarcou na Avenida para coroar o Rei Luiz do Sertão” (The day that all the royal landed in the avenue to crown King Louis of the Wilderness), written by carnivalesque Paulo Barros, the yellow and blue from northern Rio will celebrate and consecrate the Rei do Baião (the King of Grande Baiha) and Brazil’s northeast.
Percussionist of samba school São Clemente alongside muses - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
A year after losing its shack in a fire in Cidade do Samba (Samba City) in the docklands of Rio, Acadêmicos da Grande Rio closed the parades of the Special Group with examples how to overcome a disastre. The tricolour thrilled the audiences with stories that have become icons in the world, like the ones of Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, and the conductor and pianist João Carlos Martins.
1st – São Clemente
From “Cats” à “Ópera do malandro” (Cats” to “Opera of the Trickster”) São Clemente transformed the Marquês de Sapucaí in a kind of “Brazilian Broadway”. To achieve the (never won) dream title of Rio’s Carnival, the samba school brought a bold and colourful parade, assembled characters who made history in music. After bringing a slum into a huge lifeboat to the Avenue, the school drew public attention with a replica of the Statue of Liberty in a bikini and an ice cream in hand.
Globeleza, Aline Prado, at the opening of the second day of parades of São Clemente in Sapucaí - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
São Clemente led about 3,300 dancers, divided into 34 groups and seven floats to the Avenue. For the second year in the Special Group, the parade started with a lavish masked ball, making reference to the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” Hits like “Beauty and the Beast,” “The Sound of Music” and “Cabaret” were remembered.
São Clemente took a balloon representing a mulatto to the Avenue. It was made by the same company that makes the balloons for Thanksgiving in New York (USA) - photo: Rodrigo Vianna/G1
Founded in 1951, São Clemente wanted to celebrate 50 years of samba in style. Being in the last place in 2011, the school started as the first to pass the Avenue.
The parade of São Clemente viewed from above - photo: Felipe Dana / AP
Baianas during the parade of São Clemente - photo: Felipe Dana / AP
Bruna Almeida, queen of São Clemente, dancing the samba in front of a percussionist - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
One of the highlights of São Clemente, which opened the second day of parades in Sapucaí - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
Beautiful women called attention to the parade of São Clemente - photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
Muse of the samba school São Clemente.- photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
Muse of São Clemente sings the samba-enredo during the parade - photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
Float of samba school São Clemente - photo: Ricardo Moraes / Reuters
Queen of the drums of São Clemente, Bruna Almeida during the parade - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Allegoric floats of samba school São Clemente - photo: Victor R. Caivano / AP
Muse of São Clemente dancing the samba during the parade of the samba school - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
Karen Motta, Karen Motta during the of São Clemente in Sapucaí - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Carnival beauty of São Clemente - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Muse of samba school São Clemente during the parade in Sapucaí - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
Muse of samba school São Clemente during the parade in Sapucaí - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
São Clemente enthused the public during the parade in Sapucaí - photo: Ricardo Moraes / Reuters
Member of São Clemente during the parade Sapucaí - photo: Sergio Moraes / Reuters
2nd – União da Ilha do Governado
Alice, Elizabeth Taylor, Lady Di and Harry Potter. These were some of the characters that the União da Ilha brought to the Marquês de Sapucaí to tell the story “De Londres ao Rio: Era uma vez uma… Ilha” (From London to Rio: There was once an …… isle”. The tricolour transformed Sapucaí in the capital of England. Site of the 2012 Olympics, London had is story told and sung during the 82-minute parade.
A tripod and a float visualising the gates of Buckingham Palace opened the parade of União da Ilha do Governador. The allegories talk about the early history of London - photo: Felipe Dana / AP
The typical British humour was present in seven floats and the costumes of 4,000 dancers, divided into 33 groups. With five large silver heads, capable of reaching up to 9.5 meters high, the opening float of the União da Ilha visualised the Celtic people and their achievements.
The most perfect palace guards ever seen. The float visualized the gates of Buckingham Palace with beautiful guards at attention. From this gate, samba school União da Ilha do Governador travelled back in time telling the story of England - photo: Paloma Pietrobelli / G1
Due to the fire, União da Ilha was not present at the carnival last year, but this time, the school says they are confident and ready to enter the Avenue where they paraded as the second, between 22.05 and 22h22. Again, the queen Bruna Bruno danced in front of the drum band commanded by the Master Riquinho.
Bruna Bruno, queen of União da Ilha do Governador, gave a show - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
Muse sings the samba-enredo of União da Ilha do Governador. The samba school also talked about the Olympics - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
Muse of União da Ilha do Governador shows the samba dance on the boulevard - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Dancer of União da Ilha do Governador was one of the a highlights of the school - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Muse of União da Ilha do Governador parades in the avenue - photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
Highlight on the ground during the parade of União da Ilha do Governador, the second school to parade on the closing day of the Rio carnival - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
The openings float of União da Ilha do Governador enters Sapucaí at the begiing of the parade - photo: Rodrigo Vianna / G1
The Front Committee of União da Ilha do Governador presented themselves in Sapucaí. Renato Smile (orange), famous for cleaning the avenue, joined them - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito / G1
The Front Committee of União da Ilha do Governador visualized a parody of parades of the English Royal Court - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito / G1
Member of União da Ilha do Governador sings the samba of the school. The school brought four thousand dancers to the avenue - photo: Felipe Dana / AP
The float of União da Ilha do Governador 'Alice's Tea' brought the English tradition to the Rio carnival, mixing tea with rum - photo: Ricardo Moraes / Reuters
3rd – Acadêmicos do Salgueiro
Verses and rhymes about twines were the inspiration for the carnival of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro this year. Poetic, playful and delighted was the parade of red and white from northern Rio. The samba school brought to the Marquês de Sapucaí the plot “Cordel branco e encantado” (Cordel white and delighted). Note: Cordel was a popular author of fiction from the northeast. It also means a string, a small cord). The samba school presented the works, characters and scenarios that made history with the serials around the country.
The float of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro 'O reino do cordel' (The kingdom of the string) represents the 'land of hot sun', with typical elements of northeastern Brazil - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
Theme with biased rustic, folk and regionalist roots, the string literature also inspired the “furious”, as is called the drum band of Salgueiro, commanded by Master Marcão. Bass drum, accordion and triangles joined the tambourines and drums in a daring blend of samba with Baião. According to Marcão, the musicians responsible for the “new sound” are from the community itself.
Viviane Araujo plays the tambourine during the parade of her samba school Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Alexandre Durão/G1
With the fifth place in 2011, Salgueiro was the third school to parade and did so with 3,800 dancers in 35 groups.
The actress Sophie Charlotte paraded with Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Wagner Meier/Fotoarena/AE
Adriana Bombom during the parade with Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
The float of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro 'Imagens poéticas do meu sertão' (Poetic images of my wilderness) shows the importance of the wilderness in the serial literature - photo: Nelson Perez / Riotur
The last car of samba school Acadêmicos do Salgueiro 'The Coronation' celebrates the north-eastern poetry and folklore - photo: Nelson Perez / Riotur
Musa parades with Acadêmicos do Salgueiro during the second day of carnival in Rio - photo: Antonio Scorza / AFP
The group of baianas of samba school Acadêmicos do Salgueiro represented the Maria Bonita, the wife of Lampião, known as 'a rainha do cangaço' (the Queen of the highwaymen) - photo: Christophe Simon / AFP
Muse of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
With her inseparable tambourine, the queen of 'Furious', Viviane Araújo in the parade of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Muse of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Valesca Popozuda paraded as 'demoness' highlighting the float - photo: Felipe Dana / AP
'Devils' dance on the float of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro - photo: Rodrigo Gorosito/G1
Members Acadêmicos do Salgueiro represent the gang of Lampiâo (Lantern) - photo: Ricardo Moraes / Reuters
Muse of Acadêmicos do Salgueiro, Valesca Popozuda paraded as 'demoness' highlighting the float - photo: Christophe Simon/AFP
This was the first lot. In the next article the last three samba school of Rio. After that carnival 2012 is over and finally the serious part of the year can begin. In Brazil nothing is accomplished before carnival is over.