The Brazilian Carnival is back.
Extravagant and glittery costumes are made again. The sounds of samba will reverberate in the Sambadrome of Rio de Janeiro until dawn. Hundreds of raucous parties will flood the streets and the revelry will enliven—economically and emotionally—the working-class neighborhoods.
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic forced the postponement of the Rio Carnival for two months and dampened the fun, which was mainly attended by locals. This year, the federal government anticipates that some 46 million people will participate in the festivities, which officially take place from February 17 to 22.
The figure includes visitors to the cities that have turned Carnival into a party with worldwide repercussions: Rio, of course, but also Salvador, Recife and lately also Sao Paulo.
In all these cities the street parties have started.
“We have waited so long. We deserve this catharsis,” said Thiago Varella, a 38-year-old engineer wearing a rain-soaked flowery shirt, during a party in Sao Paulo on February 10.
Most tourists eagerly seek out the street parties, called blocos. There are more than 600 authorized blocks and others that are not. The biggest ones draw millions, like a bloco playing Beatles songs to a carnival beat for crowds of hundreds of thousands. The big blocos were canceled last year.
“We want to see the parties, the colors, the people and ourselves enjoying Carnival,” said Chilean tourist Sofía Umaña, 28, near Copacabana beach.
The main show is at the Sambadrome. The big samba schools, those in working-class neighborhoods, spend millions on parades for hours with floats and extravagant costumes, explains Jorge Perlingeiro, president of the Rio schools association.
“The good and beautiful cost a lot; Carnival materials are expensive. It is such an important party… It is a party of culture, happiness, entertainment, leisure and, above all, the commercial and social aspect”, he added.
He assured that this year’s Carnival will break all records at the Sambadrome, where tickets are sold out and some 100,000 people are expected between spectators and staff, plus 18,000 participants in the parades.
Brazil’s President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is not expected to attend, but his wife, Rosangela da Silva, has said she will.
The presence of the first lady indicates a change from the previous president Jair Bolsonaro, who always kept his distance from the great national cultural event.
With almost 700,000 deaths from COVID, Brazil ranked second in the world after the United States and many blamed the Bolsonaro government’s response, weakening his re-election campaign, which he ultimately lost.
Many blocos this year celebrate not only the return of Carnival but also the defeat of Bolsonaro.
This year is somewhat infused with the spirit of 1919, which took place after the Spanish flu epidemic killed tens of thousands of Brazilians. World War I had also ended and people were eager to put it behind them, explains David Butter, author of a book on the festivities of that year.
“At that Carnival there were so many people in downtown Rio that the region ran out of water,” adds Butter.
The cancellation of Carnival 2021 and last year’s smaller version hit an activity that is a nearly year-round source of work for carpenters, welders, sculptors, electricians, dancers, choreographers and others tasked with putting parades in motion. the street.
In this sense, the regular return of Carnival is an injection of vitamins for local economies.
“Yesterday I went to sleep at 3 in the morning. Today I will leave earlier because I have lost my voice,” said seamstress Luciene Moreira, 60, as she sewed a yellow costume in the warehouse of the Salgueiro samba school. “You must sleep later one day, earlier another; if not, the body can’t take it, but it’s a lot of fun!”.
Rio expects to collect around 5 billion reais ($1 billion) from its bars, hotels and restaurants, the president of the municipal tourism agency, Ronnie Costa, told the AP.
Hotels are 85% booked, according to the hotel association, which anticipates that capacity will eventually be filled. Small businesses also benefit.
“Carnival is beautiful, people buy, thank God all my employees have received their salaries on time,” says Jorge Francisco, who sells sequined and glittery accessories in his shop in downtown Rio. “For me, it is an immense joy, everyone smiles and wishes. This is Carnival.”
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