After the corona-related cancellation last year and the postponement in February, the best samba schools in the city started again at the carnival in Rio de Janeiro for the famous parades in the sambodrome. “It’s a wonderful feeling to be back,” said João Paulo Damasio from the “Mangueira”, one of the most popular samba schools in Rio, the German Press Agency on Friday evening. “More special than other years, the double, triple emotion.”
The carnival metropolis had suffered greatly from the lack of the biggest party in the world. “I really missed being with people, having fun. Brazilians need this human warmth,” Damasio told dpa. The residents of the city and members of samba schools are happy that after two years there are parades again, Rio is dancing samba again, the carnival with its lush shapes and exuberant colors invites you to dream. The samba schools take you on imaginary journeys.
Championship of Samba Schools
The “Imperatriz Leopoldinense” started the special group on Friday evening. She paid tribute to director Arlindo Rodrigues, who led the Imperatriz to their first of eight victories at the 1980 Samba Schools Championship. The “Mangueira”, winner of the last carnival 2020 with a reinterpretation of the life of Jesus, should then look into the history of the school this time.
A total of six of the top 12 schools should perform by early Saturday morning (local time). On Saturday evening, the performances of the other six samba schools in the first division were scheduled. Mayor Eduardo Paes had announced the largest carnival festival in history. But a carnival of surprises was expected. The pandemic had also hit the financially strongest samba schools, the cards were reshuffled. (dpa)