THE MAGIC OF BRAZILIAN CARNIVAL Joãozinho Trinta Diploma in Classical Dance from the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro. Carnavalesco of Escola de Samba Grande Rio, Set Director, Art Director. 44 45 razil is a South American country whose geographical Anglo-Saxons. Brazilian civilization was harmoniously created, form is an immense heart. Its primitive inhabitants and today we are a nation with 175 million inhabitants who all Bspread themselves out to the North, South, East and speak the same language - Portuguese - on a territory that West. Peoples rich in traditions, legends, customs and folklore extends 8 million square kilometers. Our cultures are manifold occupied lands abundant in tropical flora and fauna. They and our heritage extremely vast. Our collective unconscious opened clearings in the forests, built their houses called Ocas is overwhelmingly rich. In the core of our being, we shelter and enjoyed a life among waterfalls, rivers and seas. In the year the experiences, sensibilities and wisdom of various ancient 1500, Portuguese explorer Pedro Álvares Cabral discovered peoples. All nations of the world have contributed to forming Brazil. The conquerors, thinking they had discovered the East this gigantic heart called Brazil. The mix of ethnic blood makes Indies, named the forest inhabitants Indians and wished to the heart beat stronger. The binary rhythm of our popular enslave them. But the owners of the lands had no wish to submit music called “Samba” is the mirror of the Brazilian soul. themselves to forced labor. They revolted, and many fights Resulting from the first African “samba circles” in the state of ensued. The Portuguese, determined to colonize the newly Bahia at the end of the 16th and beginning of the 17th centuries, discovered lands, brought black people from diverse nations of the music later received the influences of the lundú, the polka, the African Continent to work as slaves. The Africans, despite the habanera, the tango and the maxixe. Samba, therefore, is their great suffering, conserved their cultural heritage. Arriving the complete cultural fusion of the three primordial races and in Brazil, they were separated from tribes and families. Even of other ethnic groups that found their way here. so, they resisted both physically and culturally. And, here on And what is the magic of Brazilian CARNIVAL? Brazilian soil, after centuries of struggle and suffering, these Its origins have root in 1723 when settlers from the Isles three different bloodlines and cultures were united in the of Madeira, the Azores and Cape Verde disembarked on the process of miscegenation. In time, other peoples and ethnic coast of Brazil, from Porto Alegre to Espirito Santo. Two groups arrived from around the world: Asians, Jews, Arabs and months before the date of CARNAVAL, they introduced 47 a Sunday revelry called the “ENTRUDO” (introduction, Columbines, sailors, odalisques, etc. To the sound of entry). Together, blacks and mestizos frolicked in the streets marches or carnival sambas, all make merry. At night they in libertine fashion, making noise with homemade musical line the avenues to watch the parades of the GRANDES instruments while flinging tapioca flour and squirting one SOCIEDADES CARNAVALESCAS, the RANCHOS and the another with water from squeeze tubes and syringes and, later, ESCOLAS DE SAMBA (samba schools), and the BLOCOS tossing limões de cheiro (fine wax balls filled with cologne). CARNAVALESCOS (carnival blocs). Such horseplay generated disagreements and frequent fights. These were reminiscent of the former CORDÕES Little by little it was prohibited. CARNAVALESCOS (often-rowdy male-only carnival blocs), At the beginning of the 20th century, Rio de Janeiro founded in 1870. Groups of costumed people playing bombos (a was becoming increasingly urbanized and a new mentality type of drum), whistling and blowing animal-horn trumpets, and emerging among its citizens. The new Avenida Central (Central often led by a number of Indians, paraded through the streets in Avenue)was opened to channel the parades of the GRANDES a great uproar. In 1911, the CORDÕES practically disappeared, SOCIEDADES (Great Societies - a sort of Carnival Club often giving way to the BLOCOS CARNAVALESCOS, also known as related to civic movements) and RANCHOS (organized groups the BLOCOS DE SUJO (dirty blocks). These were more closed, of carnival celebrants whose dancing and singing parades community-based organizations. Over the decades they have told a story), new expressions of the carnival holiday that undergone transformations, with the result that some, such as continued to grow. The tapioca flour and limões de cheiro of Bafo da Onça (Jaguar’s Breath), Cacique de Ramos (Indian Chief yore were replaced with confetti and lanças-perfume (aerosol of Ramos), and Boêmios de Irajá (Irajá Bohemians), survive with perfume sprays) of French origin. Masks began to appear. few members. In 1919, a reveler appeared in the streets of Rio The city’s salons hosted BAILES (fancy-dress balls) featuring de Janeiro dressed as Clovis, a corruption of the English word sophisticated costumes such as princesses, clowns, dominos, “clown”. He was cavorting on his own and carried a signboard. ballerinas, Pierrots, devils, noblemen, etc. He was imitated by others and they became known as O BLOCO Soon, BAILES recalling those of Venice were being held in DO EU SOZINHO (the bloc of I, Alone). the theaters, culminating with the luxurious splendor of the In Rio de Janeiro, the euphoria of the GRANDES Municipal Theater’s Grand Ball. SOCIEDADES CARNAVALESCAS dates from 1855. They were Since the beginning of the 20th century, the holiday of associations dedicated to the Brazilian patriotic movement CARNAVAL has grown to become Brazil’s biggest national for the emancipation of slaves and the implantation of holiday. republicanism. Their impressive parades included horsemen In Rio de Janeiro, the advent of convertible cars in full regalia, well-lit decorated floats, and costumed women enabled the great event called CORSO (motorcade). Young throwing kisses to the enthusiastic public. The most famous are men and women dressed up in costumes of Columbines, the societies named “Tenentes do Diabo” (Devil’s Lieutenants), Harlequins, Pierrots and others paraded in this novel means “Democráticos” (Democrats) and “Fenianos” (Fenians). of transportation, showering one another with confetti and The RANCHOS CARNAVALESCOS appeared in the serpentine while lanças-perfumes inebriated the atmosphere. cities of Rio de Janeiro state towards the end of the 19th Until the decade of the sixties, the so-called CARNAVAL century. Historically, Hilário Jovino is held to be the author DE RUA (street carnival) in Rio de Janeiro and other of this new carioca (native to Rio) carnival association. He major capital cities was still quite grandiose. Some capitals was part of a community of Bahian blacks who had arrived in transformed CARNAVAL DE RUA into monumental events, Rio de Janeiro in around 1870 and worked on the docks of the notably in Salvador, Recife and Olinda. Port. The RANCHOS developed carnival performances with Here in Rio, throughout the days of CARNAVAL entire characteristics of Northeastern folklore. In their processions families and groups of friends dress up in the most varied they sang chulas of African origin, a type of tap-dancing of costumes and head to the streets, staying until night. lundú. They were accompanied by an orchestra composed There are clowns, pirates, ballerinas, Pierrots, Harlequins, of violins, violas, flutes, castanets, etc. They employed 48 49 symbols and emblems. The dances were based on African by a military dictatorship that would put the brakes on progress ceremonies related to the hunt. Initially, RANCHOS sported for the next twenty years. Fortunately, at the end of the fifties, names of plants and flowers: Rosa de Ouro (Golden Rose), Nelson de Andrade, president of G.R.E.S. Acadêmicos do Flor de Abacate (Avocado Flower), Ameno Resedá (Gentle Salgueiro, invited the artists Dirceu and Marie Louise Nery to Mignonette), Kananga do Japão (Japanese Ylang-Ylang), Flor produce a carnival parade based on the painter “Debret”. The de Romã (Pomegranate Flower). result enchanted members of the parade jury, as well as fine arts The GRANDES SOCIEDADES and RANCHOS professor Fernando Pamplona, who was later invited to develop disappeared with the 20th century. The ESCOLAS DE some artistic work at Salgueiro. He brought with him Arlindo SAMBA were what remained. Today their parade is considered Rodrigues and Milton Sá, and together with Dirceu and Marie the greatest spectacle on Earth. Their history begins in Louise “initiated a true revolution in subject matter and artistic the decade of the twenties. They were originally BLOCOS treatment” as Hiram de Araújo wrote in his book, “Carnaval CARNAVALESCOS whose performances were marked by – Seis Milênios de História” (Carnival - Six Thousand Years violence and political persecution. Wanting to change the of History). In 1963, with Fernando Pamplona in Germany, BLOCOS, they sought to imitate the structure of the RANCHOS Arlindo Rodrigues invited me, Joãosinho Trinta, to help him and their parades. It was then that a group of sambistas (samba on the enredo “Chica da Silva”. For the first time, I climbed musicians) from Estácio, consisting of Ismael Silva, Nilton the morro of Salgueiro and began to work on the conception Bastos, Baiaco, Mano Rubem, Osvaldo “Papoula” and Juvenal of the alegorias. I continued being part of the corps de ballet Lopes, among others, decided to form a new association. This of the Municipal Theater of Rio de Janeiro, and was learning group of sambistas used to meet near a grade school on the everything about staging an opera, the scenery, costumes, stage corner of the streets Joaquim Palhares e Machado Coelho. management, lighting and special effects. In the decade of the From this proximity arose the the idea of calling this new seventies, I staged operas on the scale of Aida, Guarani and carnival group an ESCOLA (school).