Brazilian Carnival

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Brazilian CarnivalIntroduction to Brazilian StudiesAbstractA brief describing the spectacular world event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil every year.Rebeca Diaz 812004226PORT 1003Brazilian CarnivalIntroduction to Brazilian StudiesAbstractA brief describing the spectacular world event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil every year.Rebeca Diaz 812004226PORT 1003


Brazilian Carnival
Introduction to Brazilian Studies
Abstract
A brief describing the spectacular world event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil every year.
Rebeca Diaz 812004226
PORT 1003


Brazilian Carnival
Introduction to Brazilian Studies
Abstract
A brief describing the spectacular world event held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil every year.
Rebeca Diaz 812004226
PORT 1003

The Samba Carnival


Carnival originated with the Portuguese settlers dating back to the sixteenth century, most historians believe that they came from Madeira, Acores and Cabo Verde. Its traditions gradually changed assimilating the mixture of cultures found in Brazil, these include African, Amerindian, German, and Italian among others. This vivid infusion of cultures is what mainly contributed to this rich festival. It began as a series of small gatherings then developed in 1825 with Balls given by traditional families they became extremely coveted and well known "BLOCOS DE RUA" street parades. During the 19th century, different groups began to add to the celebrations in Rio making 1855 a big year, representing the introduction of "Grandes Sociedades" high societies. These street carnivals climaxed around 1930 it is around this time when the samba schools started to emerge in Rio de Janeiro.
The impressionable term referred to as "samba" is the percussive dance rhythms originating from the poor Afro-Brazilians to which carnival pulses for four days or more. It is thought to be originated from the Angolan dialect particularly the word "kusamba" which means to skip, to express oneself joyfully, some Angolans also define this word as pelvic movements and the African rite of reproduction.
The samba dance had an alternative origin along the following lines; A Bahian woman named "Tia Ciata", birth name as Hilaria Batista de Almeida in 1854, is credited with the birth of samba when the music played by the musicians in her living room synched with the beat of the "Candomble", the first samba song written by her son was titled "Pelo Telefone". On another note a samba dance that includes a partner is the Samba de Gafieira. The movements in this samba was developed out of the polka, tango, waltz, and another samba music called Choro.
Today the Samba Carnival in Rio de Janeiro is known as the greatest show on earth it is also the most impressive and the best-organized carnival in Brazil. In 1986 the Brazilian government decided to give this event a new home which quickly became the new highlight. The Parade at Marques de Sapucai, or "Sambodromo" the collective of people from the same neighbourhood, usually a working class community is designated as a "school") fight for the title of Carnival Champion. Sambodromo is a huge stadium designed by the renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer and open only for Carnival.
These schools are known as samba schools, and are generally located at the heart of Rio's Community like favelas or central locations where as many as 3000 members congregate to; participate in dance choreography, craft making, percussive practice as well as the samba theme song, all throughout the year to ensure the high caliber execution. This sort of dedication makes this glorious event worthy of spectating at least once in a lifetime.
The competitive edge of this beautiful carnival is tied by the judges and their structure. Primarily a panel of 40 esteemed judges are elected, these judges are then divided into 10 specialization groupings according to the categories being marked. Therefore there are 4 judges per category. These official judges are also designated to several boots along the stretch making sure that every move is carefully marked. They will allocate scores ranging from 5-10 inclusive of fractions for each category and each Samba School. In the end, the total scores for each category are added up to determine a final score. Oftentimes the difference between winning and losing comes down to a few tenths of a point out of 300 maximum points. The flawless execution of practiced performances, plus the energy and spirit exhibited during the parade and the ability of Samba School members to excite the crowd all combine to receive high marks from the judges.
 Each school devotes its performance to one theme - politics, art, music, nature, sport - all the themes should be Brazilian. The school creates its own song, costumes and choreography. Then they are judged according to these ten following categories; the vanguard group or introductory choreography of about ten to fifteen dancers, they are responsible for introducing the theme of the samba school and it is also a compulsory rule that they must always be the first element. The other elements are left up to the samba school to decide the chronological progression.
The next category rates the allegorical floats and props according to artistic creative expression, quality, originality, colors, relevance to the theme and overall interaction with the performers. This follows the progression and harmony of the samba school it measures the overall execution of the school in terms of musical, acoustical and visual harmony. The fourth category is by far personal favorite which is the theme of the year or as Brazilians call it the "enredo" this measures how well is the development of the plot, the visual impact being either the socio cultural or political relevance or the captivation of a special magic. The fifth element is the samba-song, its catchiness, its lyrics and how well it is voiced throughout the parade. The sixth is the "Mestre-sala & Porta Bandeira" which translates into the flags carrying couple, they are judged according to their dance, elegance, poise and agility, the coordination between the two as a couple is also very important.
The percussion band section is rated according to their power to direct the synchronism with the other parader's , the regularity and continuity of the beat, consistent and precise over all instruments as well as an overall balance of all sounding instruments power. The school is also judged by the type of costumes, their originality, color schemes, diversity and suitability. In another category is the flow and spirit of the sambista participants, consistency and compatibility, movements and dance with the rhythm, expressing passion as well as agility and vigor of participants.
The most subjective categories fall under the overall impression since its left entirely up to the judge's personal opinion. Nevertheless these categories are all responsible that the Rio Samba Carnival continues to be the most organized and magical visual experience in the world. Captivating audiences from around the world in vast quantities.







Bibliography

"Co-option Cultural Resistance and Afro Brazilian Identity A History of the Pagode Samba Movement in Rio e Janiero." (n.d.).
Lawler, Wilfred. "Hybridity Brazilian Style: Samba, carnival and the myth of "Racial Democracy in Rio de Janeiro." Department of Antropology University of Waterloo Ontario (n.d.).
Levine, Robert M. Brazilian Legacies; Perspectives on Latin America and the Caribbean . New York: ME Sherpe , 1997.
"Rio Samba Carnival ." 5th edition Brazil in Breif (2004).
Rio.com. 2005. 29 January 2015.
Rio-carnival.net. n.d. 31 January 2015.
Samad, Sean. "Samba Carnival in Rio." Lecture . 2015.
telegraph.co.uk. n.d.





Brazilian Carnival " Introduction to Brazilian Culture Rebeca Diaz 812004226
The University of The West Indies




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