History of Brazilian Carnival

The Brazilian carnival brings to mind a riot of colors and the most inhibited dance of Samba. Enter the world of Brazil’s most loved festival.

Bahian superstar Carlinhos Brown says, “We play, not for money, but to celebrate happiness. Our carnival is a street carnival. It is for everyone, not just for those with money.” The carnival is one of the most celebrated festivities of Brazil. Brazil’s carnival culture has spilled out of its boundaries and has taken the world by storm.

History

The carnival has taken its roots from the ancient Greek spring festival of honoring Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted the festival, which later, the Roman Catholic Church changed to suit its own religious needs. The Brazilian Carnival is an annual festival, celebrated four days, preceding the Ash Wednesday. It has a religious flavor, as it marks the beginning of the fasting days of ‘Lent’. Carnival literally means to remove meat, one of the important observance to be followed during Lent, while practicing repentance, to honor the death and resurrection of Christ. The Carnival is celebrated on different scales all over Brazil. A lot of time and effort is involved in its preparation. Each place has its own distinct style. Among the many interesting aspects of the Carnival, King Momos deserves a mention. He is considered as the ‘King of Carnivals’ and signifies the beginning of the festivity.

Rio de Janeiro Carnival

Rio de Janeiro, the cultural capital of
Brazil, has parades since the 1930s. Presently, it holds the parade in a large permanent structure called ‘Sambadrome’. The Carnival parade is full of participants from various samba schools. The parade serves as means to compete with other schools, resulting in a visual treat. The group or blocos as they are known, parade through the city telling short stories through their music, dances and costumes. The winners are announced at the closing of the carnival.

Bahia Carnival

The music and dance of the Bahia parade are heavily influenced by the African heritage. It’s held in the city of Salvador, also known as the ‘Capital of Happiness’. Their parades combine the samba and reggae rhythm, using giant speakers mounted on a truck and a platform for the artist to perform called trio-elétrico.

Pernambuco style

The Carnival is held at ‘Pátio de São’ Pedro Square in Recife, Brazil. It’s unique in many aspects. They do not have any competitions, instead perform side by side. The Galo da Madrugada is the biggest carnival parade in the world. Their dance style is acrobatically influenced with frequent arm and leg movements. The main rhythms used are the frevo and maracatu.

Minas Gerais style

The Carnival is influenced by Rio de Janeiro and Bahia style. It fuses the themes and adds to it, its own unique music of drums and bands. The important carnival parades in Minas Gerais are mainly held in the historic cities of Ouro Preto, Mariana and Diamantina.

Costumes

The costumes and mask are of extreme importance, as they depict their own story. Their creation requires a high level of understanding of the roles they are meant to play. Like music, even the costumes are influenced by the African heritage. Fabrics of different textures, mostly adorned with feathers and sequins, are used. While designing such elaborate costumes, the freedom of movement to the dancers is an essential aspect. Carnival make-up, creates an enchanting persona.

Food

No carnival is complete without the Brazilian national dish, Feijoda, a pork and bean stew. Streets are full of food, cooked either in houses or restaurants. The cuisines differ from place to place with each adding its unique flavor to its carnivals. Dancers often eat light meals, but enjoy the full course after the parade is over. Drinks are equally important, to beat the heat. Brazilian soda ‘Guaraná’ and beer are the preferred choices.

A carnival goes beyond providing entertainment, it reflects the culture for the world to see and appreciate. The Brazilian Carnival rejoices life, it spreads euphoria through its dance, song, music, food and people.

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