The origins of Brazilian Carnival lie in Europe, with the entrudo (from the Latin introitus, meaning entrance) marking the start of Lent. It was the Portuguese who brought Carnival to Brazil in the 19th century. It was a time for having fun, drinking and dancing, during which the usual social order was overturned and mocked. Black music and dance were added to the European characteristics of the festival. Today, Carnival is the most popular national festival in Brazil. It takes place every year between Epiphany and Lent, during the 4 days preceding Ash Wednesday. During the 4 days of Carnival, Brazil comes to a standstill. From north to south, from the poorest to the richest, the whole country forgets all its problems in the madness of the dance and the joy of this hedonistic festival.
Brazil's Carnivals
Carnival in Brazil covers a wide range of events, depending on the region and local traditions.
Rio Carnival
Rio Carnival, Brazil's best-known and richest carnival, attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists every year, and has become synonymous with the celebration of Carnival in the country and around the world. What makes the Rio Carnival so special is its gigantic organisation. Samba schools spend a whole year preparing for the parade down Marquês de Sapucai Avenue (the Sambodromo). They are the ones who organise the parade, with the floats, the dancers' costumes and the percussion orchestras. Rio Carnival is the showcase of Brazilian carnival. Surrounded by a dazzli
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The origins of Brazilian Carnival lie in Europe, with the entrudo (from the Latin introitus, meaning entrance) marking the start of Lent. It was the Portuguese who brought Carnival to Brazil in the 19th century. It was a time for having fun, drinking and dancing, during which the usual social order was overturned and mocked. Black music and dance were added to the European characteristics of the festival. Today, Carnival is the most popular national festival in Brazil. It takes place every year between Epiphany and Lent, during the 4 days preceding Ash Wednesday. During the 4 days of Carnival, Brazil comes to a standstill. From north to south, from the poorest to the richest, the whole country forgets all its problems in the madness of the dance and the joy of this hedonistic festival.
Brazil's Carnivals
Carnival in Brazil covers a wide range of events, depending on the region and local traditions.
Rio Carnival
Rio Carnival, Brazil's best-known and richest carnival, attracts thousands of national and foreign tourists every year, and has become synonymous with the celebration of Carnival in the country and around the world. What makes the Rio Carnival so special is its gigantic organisation. Samba schools spend a whole year preparing for the parade down Marquês de Sapucai Avenue (the Sambodromo). They are the ones who organise the parade, with the floats, the dancers' costumes and the percussion orchestras. Rio Carnival is the showcase of Brazilian carnival. Surrounded by a dazzling parade of costumes and richly decorated floats, the stars of the samba dance to the frenetic rhythm of the bewitching drums, in front of an audience that expresses its happiness. It's a real people's festival, where everyone joins in the fun and lets themselves be carried away by the wonder and emotion of this unique show.
The Olinda Carnival
Olinda is a quiet town on the coast of northeastern Brazil, right next to Recife. This tourist town is known for the charm of its Portuguese colonial-style houses and churches, and above all for its carnival, one of the most original and joyful in the country. During the 4 days of the festival, the city undergoes a metamorphosis. Dance and music fill every street and square. The main attraction at Olinda carnival is the giant puppets, the mamulengos, which can be up to three metres high. They are usually caricatures of Brazilian celebrities. Thousands of people follow the puppets down the sloping streets of the city, dancing to the frenetic sound of the frevo. Frevo is a rhythm that originated in the 19th century from a mixture of European and African music. It is danced with fast, acrobatic movements that are difficult for the uninitiated to reproduce. For the people of Olinda, dancing frevo is as natural as breathing.
Salvador de Bahia Carnival
In Bahia, Salvador Carnival is increasingly establishing itself as a huge mass festival where millions of people dance for hours on end to the frenetic rhythms of the Trios Elétricos. It's an absolute party that will keep you dancing until the end of the night. If Rio is the carnival of the samba schools, Salvador remains the carnival of the people, with nearly two million people in the streets and on the beach. All the colours of Brazil are on show: the joy is total, the taboos are lifted and the important thing is to jump and dance (pular). The Bahia carnival is a delight for fans of Brazilian music: all week long, the foliões (carnival-goers) dance to the sounds of Brazil's top performers playing live. Salvador's carnival music is samba-reggae: an explosive mix of samba and reggae, capable of making even stones dance. As a Brazilian song says: "Behind the trio élétrico, only those who are already dead won't follow".
