Rio de Janeiro, February 21. With a tribute to Brazilian culture, the black race and diversity, the majestic parades of the samba schools of Rio de Janeiro ended on Tuesday, a spectacle in which the joy of a new era was a common theme and the criticism of the government of Jair Bolsonaro did not wait.
The political tone was seen in several of the parades, with blame for hunger, violence, censorship, racism and repression, perennial conflicts in Brazil that worsened during the term of the far-right leader (2019-2022).
The parade of the twelve “schools” of samba of the so-called special group, a kind of first category in the field, is the main attraction of the Rio de Janeiro party.
The creativity of the show once again dazzled the audience with giant floats that seemed to come alive and colorful costumes that complemented the presentations with their originality.
A NEW AGE
Dubbed the “Carnival of Democracy” after radical Bolsonarists attempted to overthrow Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva a week into his term, joy and rebirth coincided in parades as the strongest demonstration against oppression .
From Lula’s Minister of Culture, Margareth Menezes, praising with her song the revolutionary power of the arts in the Mangueira parade, to Salgueiro’s demand for ‘never again hunger and war’ were echoed by an audience that n did not hide his desire for change and a new future.
Vila Isabel defended religious diversity, Unidos de Viraduro, the power of the black woman, but it was Beija Flor, the penultimate of all the schools to parade, the one who gave voice to the excluded to openly criticize the former captain.
The military repression of the dictatorship championed by Bolsonaro, the struggle of indigenous peoples for their land, empty plates due to lack of food and the power of women were highlighted in the parade of the neighborhood group of Nilópolis, which made fear at the beginning of its presentation by a fire in the initial tank, which fortunately was brought under control in time and caused no casualties or injuries.
THE CURTAIN FALLS
During the two days of Special Group parades, approximately 35,000 samba players, 1,200 drummers and approximately 70 parade floats marched through the sambadrome for an audience of approximately 200,000, including those who frequented the special spaces mounted in the bleachers (camarones).
After almost a month of street party animated by more than 400 “blocos” (comparsas) in the pre-carnival and four days of parades of the best “escolas” of samba, next Wednesday this year’s champion will be announced and a final parade , next Saturday, he will bid farewell to another edition of the Rio Carnival. ECE
mat/ah
(Picture / Video)