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 The Brazilian
carnival, and in particular the carnival that takes place in Rio de Janeiro,
the most famous city of the country, is the event that should be seen not
discussed at all. Hundreds of books are written and published about this magnificent
event, though until you see it once, you cannot evaluate the scope and
solemnity of the parade. Though, you are free to find some information about this
event before the carnival takes place and prepare for it.
The similarity of both events is easy to observe.
In both cases the people celebrate
the eve of the most rigorous fasts of Christians, Great Lent, followed by the principal
holiday for Catholics and Easter for Orthodox people. And the nature of such celebration is easily explained.
People wish to enjoy emotionally
and physically just before they go into the total abstinence for mind and body.
And here the mentality of nation matters. For the severe Russian people some strained
emotions, concentration on inner world are more typical where the top of the
allowed public entertainment is fairs with merry contests, national fun event
when the groups of people fight with another group of people and the event
called «who can drink alcohol and enjoy it to regret on the following day». And
unlike it, the natives of the tropical and hot Brazil that present the mix of
European immigrants, the aborigines and offspring of dark-skin slaves, prefer
dances most of all to express their emotions and feelings prior to fasts. The more
rousing and seducing the dances, the better.
Dances, and
in particular the Brazilian samba, is the part the carnival in Rio de Janeiro
is based on that takes place every year since 1928. From early XX century the samba
was accepted as the major and the only constituent part of the carnival, and
since 1900 the special moving platforms were used for the participants where
the skilled dancers demonstrated their art of dancing. The same platforms are used
currently though they are far more sophisticated for ease and comfortable
performance. Each and every platform presents the separate school of samba. The
school of samba is the association of people built mainly on the regional factor,
where natives of one or several neighboring communities join together. And
within several months prior to the main carnival each school is engaged in
detailed and thorough preparation to the carnival.
Every school
should prepare something unique and original, their performance should demonstrate
some fairy motives, with natural patterns presenting animals or birds, or
demonstrate some particular kind of sport, and so forth. Moreover, the costumes
of dancers should match the theme they choose to demonstrate on platforms. Yet,
the public does not endure when one participates in the carnival in the costume
that was worn some time back in the same carnival events. This is like the crime to accuse.
Details are
important and this is proved to be essential on these carnivals. It takes long-lasting
lessons to sophisticate the whole performance, all movements, every turn of the
head or gesture. There is the special commission that judges every detail and
element of the show made by this or that school of samba. And everything matters
here, brilliant smile of the main woman dancer, the well-sounded drum beat and
the luxury decoration of allegoric figures on the platform.
Though, the
samba ceremony itself takes place not in the street of Rio de Janeiro but on the
specially built structure with 800 meter avenue and sidebar tribunes for 70
thousand spectators, the impetuous joy covers the city and the road traffic is
actually sustained for 4 days, from Saturday to Wednesday. Thus, it is no wonder
why the mayor of Rio de Janeiro hands over the symbolic keys to the city at the
opening of every carnival event to the so called King Momo annually elected.
Every resident of the city may be elected Momo King with the weight of less
than 140 kg.
Rio de Janeiro
Carnival is undoubtedly the most popular carnival in the world. And every year approximately
half a million of tourists arrive to observe this event, including celebrities
and stars of show-biz and sport.
However,
there are times when there are problems with carnival, the same as with other
entertainment functions. The most vital problem the carnival faces is the
excess sexual activity of its participants. The atmosphere of rigorous joy, lack
of restrain followed by lots of alcohol stimulates the increased sexual
activity. Unfortunately, it brought to the high figure of AIDs sickness rate for
the recent years, and the figures were so much serious that some experts
announced on somewhat HIV- epidemic in relation to the carnival. The only measure
the government of Brazil uses to struggle this epidemic is free distribution of
condoms. Moreover, within the carnival activity the crime is more often committed
when gangsters from favels rob the numerous tourists.
We do hope that
the government of Rio de Janeiro will cope with these problems and the guests
and tourists who are willing to arrive there for the carnival, will not decide
for staying and watching the event on TV instead of seeing it live.
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