Saturday, March 1, 2008

Parade Judged

The schools are judged in 10 categories. There are 4 judges of every category (altogether 40 of them). Every judge gives his scores on a scale of 5-10 (with fractions), 10 being the best one. They are counted and announced on Ash Wednesday, just after Carnival. The judges' booths are spread along the Samba Avenue (most of them in Sector 2, opposite Sector 7) and are clearly marked with a banner reading "Julgadores".
The 10 categories in which the samba schools are judged
1. Percussion Band
2. Samba Song
3. Harmony
4. Flow and Spirit
5. Theme of the Year
6. Overall Impression
7. Floats and Props
8. Costumes
9. Vanguard Group
10. The Flag Bearer
Percussion Band
They should keep up the rhythm during the entire parade. All paraders should be singing and dancing in the rhythm set by the group. The 4 judges are looking for the regularity and continuity of the beat, a consistently firm and precise beat from the big surdo drums, an effective overall and well balanced sound of all the instruments. The rhythm should be varied and diverse but should be maintained perfectly, especially when the instruments restart after a break. They should maintain the same speed. The group's versatility is vital. It is forbidden to use wind or brass instruments.
Samba Song
It must contain the essence of the central theme which the School is presenting through their parade that year. The lyrics must fit the music and it is also judged by its artistic credentials. This is the only category where the judges subdivide their marks, giving some for the lyrics and some for the melody.
Harmony
The musical, acoustical and visual harmony of the School's parade. It requires perfect unity, continuity, melding and interchange in between the singing, rhythm, choreography and dance of the School's members. Marks can also be lost through feeble singing.
Flow and Spirit of the Participants
Harmony and progress of the participants' movements and dance with the rhythm of the music. The procession must keep a steady flow while being spontaneous and creative at the same time, expressing passion, agility and vigor of the participants. Penalty points are incurred if gaps open up between the paraders or the wings.
Theme of the Year
This is the central theme which the school had chosen, written and is representing through all parts of its entire parade. It is an artistic literary creation in the first place, in a written form. The judges consider, amongst other factors, the strength of the idea as a whole and the development of this idea through the various wings and floats. It should be possible to easily understand the theme and the central idea behind the show. The theme could also have some foreign reference. Penalty points are incurred however if any form of advertising is involved.
Overall Impression
This is judged freely without any technical criteria where the general impact of the school's parade is considered. It is the most subjective category and as such very controversial.
Floats and Props
This category judges the visual expression of the theme, the originality and quality of the artistic work such as the movements, colors and visual effects involved. The judges look at the floats and all props being used in the parade. The judges consider how effective the floats and props deliver the theme, how their design supports the theme's ideas. The costumes of the destaques (the most lavish costumes on top of the floats and elsewhere in the parade) are also judged in this category.
Costumes
The costumes' creativity, originality, an overall 'good taste' and their color schemes are evaluated in this category. Judges look at the individual costumes and their overall effect as a whole, at the same time. Diversity is also important just as much as the costumes' suitability to deliver the idea they stand for. Most costumes are considered in this category including all the commercial wings, the samba dancers, the percussionists and the Swirling Ladies.
Vanguard Commission
In this category are judged all aspects of the School's opening wing. Judges consider their choreography and costumes and how their show serves their main purpose of introducing the School to the the public.
The Flag Bearer and her Escort
The first dancing master and his partner, the flag carrier lady, are considered in this category. The judges look at their dance, elegance, grace and agility; at the flexibility and variety of their movements, and judge the symbolic protection of the Flag. Coordination in between the two as a couple is also important.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Portugal Paradox

Anybody Participate:Brazil Samba Carnival, any age any teen anybody participate on the festival.So that samba festival is the biggest carnival on the globe.

Brasil=Brazil:Anybody Participate

Brasil=Brazil:Anybody Participate

Brasil=Brazil:Anybody Participate

Carnival in Portugal is celebrated throughout the country, the most famous are the ones of Torres Vedras,Podence,Loulé, Madeira and Ovar. The ones from Podence and Lazarim have pagan traditions, namely the Careto and Torres Vedras Carnival is seen as the most typical Portuguese carnival.

Paradox Portugal:Christianity can expose in the Brazilian-style Carnival
Paradoxically, Portugal having introduced Christianity and the customs related to Catholic practice to Brazil, has started to adopt some of the aspects of Brazilian-style Carnival celebrations, in particular those of Rio de Janeiro with sumptuous parades, Samba and other Brazilian musical elements.

Friday, February 15, 2008

Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. Brazil Rocks for Carnival

Brazil Rocks for Carnival
A dancer performs during the parade of Academicos doTucuruvi samba school in Sao Paulo, Saturday, Feb. 2, 2008. The reveler's sash reads in Portuguese, "Queen of the Drum Corps."

(AP Photo/Andre Penner)

Thursday, February 14, 2008

Rua Rivadávia Correa

Samba City in Rio de Janeiro Rua Rivadávia Correa 60, Gamboa

the Escola do Samba Beija Flor

The float of the Escola do Samba Beija Flor, which resulted twice champion of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival, on Wednesday, 25 February 2004, in Brazil. Beija Flor built an allegorical float with images of the Amazonian natives, illustrating the Brazilian Amazonas which was their "escola" theme.

Brazilian singer Xuxa

Brazilian singer Xuxa performs with the Brazilian samba school Capricious of Pilares during the Carnival celebrations in Rio of Janeiro's Samba Dance Centre Sambadrome, Sunday 22 February 2004

The Queen of Drums 2004

The Queen of Drums of Sao Clemente samba school performs 24 February during the first night of the Rio de Janeiro samba school parade at the Sambo drome. Rio's samba school parade is part of the four-day annual Rio carnival attracting thousands of resients and tourists

23 February 2004 the Porto da Pedra School

A Brazilian woman takes part in the Porto da Pedra School of Samba's parade at the Sambodromo in Rio de Janeiro, Monday 23 February 2004. The school has selected several topics for this year's theme.

23Feb2004 Imperio Serrano

A Brazilian dancer from the Samba School Imperio Serrano dances in the carnival parade at Rio de Janeiro's Sambrodome on Monday, 23 February 2004. City: Rio de Janeiro Country: Brazil Negative Number: SYN447451 Photographer: EPA EUROPEAN PRESS AGENCY Picture date: 24/02/2004

24 February 2004

A Brazilian "garota" (samba dancer) dances to the rhythms of the Mocidade Independente Samba "Escola", on Tuesday, 24 February 2004, during the closing of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival. Mocidade Independente closed the carnival with dancers and floats on traffic education as their theme.

Carnaval Dates until 2040

Carnaval Dates until 2040Calculating CarnavalOne of the most frequent questions we get here at our website is "what is the date of Carnaval this year?". Well, believe it or not, it is not an easy question to answer. You have to be part astrologer, part mathematician, and part priest! Here is how you calculate the carnaval date:50-47 days before the first Sunday after the first full moon after Vernal Equinox, or in layman's terms, Ash Wednesday is calculated as 46 days before Easter Sunday, and carnaval falls on the 4 days before Ash Wednesday. Complicated, no?
2003 - March 1-4

2004 - February 21-24

2005 - February 5-8

2006 - February 25-28

2007 - February 17-20

2008 - February 2-5

2009 - February 21-24

2010 - February 13-16

2011 - March 5-8

2012 - February 18-21

2013 - February 9-12

2014 - March 1-4

2015 - February 14-17

2016 - February 6-9

2017 - February 25-28

2018 - February 10-13

2019 - March 2-5

2020 - February 22-25

2021 - February 13-16

2022 - February 26 - March 1

2023 - February 18-21

2024 - February 10-13

2025 - March 1-4

2026 - February 14-17

2027 - February 6-9

2028 - February 26-29

2029 - February 10-13

2030 - March 2-5

2031 - February 22-25

2032 - February 7-10

2033 - February 26 - March 1

2034 - February 18-21

2035 - February 3-6

2036 - February 23-26

2037 - February 14-17

2038 - March 6-9

2039 - February 19-22

2040 - February 11-14

Beauty Queen Angela


Brazil's Carnival has always been a raucous affair but beauty queen Angela Bismarchi took it a step further when her only item of clothing, a small patch of glitter, fell off mid-parade.
Bismarchi was the talk of the town on the second and final night of Rio de Janeiro's main Carnival parades, where full nudity is officially banned even though many outfits leave precious little to the imagination.
The young woman, queen of the Porto da Pedra samba school, was briefly left entirely naked but for a few feathers and some body paint when her "tapasexo", a tiny piece of material topped with glitter, fell away.
But Bismarchi quickly conjured up a thong and carried on dancing, later laughing off the incident with an old Brazilian saying: "A well prepared woman is worth two."
Last night's parades featured thousands of spectacularly dressed dancers shaking and singing their way along the city's Sambadrome to a ferocious rhythm of drums.
"It's a thrill. I enjoy the people, I enjoy the costumes," said French movie star Vincent Cassel, on his third Brazilian Carnival, in one of the Sambadrome's VIP boxes. "The party here is really beautiful."
Thirteen samba schools from poor neighbourhoods parade over two nights to compete for the title of Carnival champion, and are judged on their floats, music and dancing.
The floats last night included huge animals and songs honouring African culture, and others devoted to photography and sports.
Porto da Pedra's theme was the struggle of South Africa's blacks against apartheid. It included a huge statue of anti-apartheid hero Nelson Mandela, sections of people dressed as tigers and a float representing police repression.
In a parade paying tribute to the art of photography, the Unidos da Tijuca samba school brought images of the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty and Egypt's Pyramids.
Floats with giant statues of African warrior queens and Egyptian pharaohs, presented by the Salgueiro samba school, left clouds of glitter in the air as they passed.
This year's celebrations were held amid a surge in violence in Rio's slums with dozens killed in police gunfights with drug traffickers and turf battles between rival gangs.
The dead included a leader of the Salgueiro samba troupe, gunned down with his wife in their car as they left the school's training ground last week.
A government crackdown intensified in the days leading up to Carnival with police occupying some of the city's slums, knows as favelas.
Banners along the Sambadrome had calls for peace emblazoned on them. Despite the violence, officials say about 700,000 tourists descended on the city for Carnival.
FROM : Reuters

Mel Britto


Brazilian dancer Mel Britto performs as Drum Queen of the Caprichosos samba school during Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival parade in the Sambadrome February 26, 2006. The Carnival in the beachside city of Rio de Janeiro is famed as one of the world’s best parties.