Multi Maiden: Brazilian Carnival

Episode 2 – Carnival for beginners.

Carnival is a popular celebration related to fun and, sometimes, some excess. It has an explanation: in the beginning, when Brazil was a Catholic country, Carnival was the opportunity people had to do whatever they wanted before Lent (a period of austerity and privations). Carnival happens 47 days before Easter. Some people really drink too much and exaggerate in every sense, during Carnival, but I believe that the most of people look for fun, especially nowadays. Believe it or not, Brazilian people are getting serious! Smiley surpreso I believe that Carnival is mostly about music, dance and party! Of course, the opportunity you have to flirt and live a romance grows exponentially during Carnival, but it must be because of the atmosphere .

Many people still believe that Brazil stops all its activities during Carnival and this is not true! Actually, there’s only one holiday: Tuesday. Terça-feira de Carnaval. The parties start before, all over the country, but the only holiday is Tuesday! Theoretically, me, my brother and friends should work tomorrow (Monday), but … well … we won’t! Rindo We won’t because we are not obligated to do it! Some people are! A lot of people! So, forget the idea that everybody is partying on the streets. Even on Tuesday, some people will work! Smiley triste

There are many ways to celebrate Carnival, in Brazil. Let’s take a look at the main ones:

Blocos de Carnaval:

Probably, the most democratic way to celebrate Carnival, in Brazil! There are some traditional groups of people who party on the streets during Carnival. They do everything according to rules, I mean, every bloco de Carnaval must be authorized by the mayor or governor to party on the streets and they must have a route with a beginning and end and a duration! The blocos are democratic because people can join the members and party, too! Sometimes, the result is like this:

http://oglobo.globo.com/in/7536500-256-d39/FT712A/2013020901808.jpg

Thousands of people! This is Bola Preta, one of the most traditional blocos de Carnaval of Brazil, from Rio de Janeiro! This is a recent picture, the party happened yesterday. As you can see, there are police cars and ambulances in the middle of the street, too. And there’s a big truck, but you can’t see it. On the top of this truck, singers and bands sing and play traditional Carnival songs. I would like to join a bloco, someday, it must be funny! People seem relaxed in this picture and it generally happens, in the street Carnival! Nobody is obligated to dress a costume. Nobody is obligated to look like a celebrity. There are blocos all over the country, even in São Paulo, but some of them are very small!

Carnaval dos trios elétricos:

Trio elétrico literally means electric trio and I honestly don’t know why do the shows in Bahia (and other Brazilian states) have this name! Smiley mostrando a língua Trios elétricos are nothing but big trucks with the necessary structure for a show, which run the streets of a city, during Carnival (especially in Bahia) and are followed by thousands of people. They are not exactly like the blocos. The most famous Brazilian and international artists perform on the top of the truck, so, it’s a commercial event. The music is also different. Bahia has its own type of Carnival music, called axé. It’s complicated to me to talk about axé, because I used to love it in the beginning, but nowadays the music style became something completely meaningless, commercial and, sometimes, disgusting Smiley nauseado . I’ll show you the good axé. This is Margareth Menezes, one of our Carnival goddesses, from Bahia:

Margareth Menezes – Toté de Maiangá:

The music in Bahia is more or less like this, with this rhythm (but not exactly with this quality). This woman below is Ivete Sangalo, one of the most famous Carnival queens of Bahia. The media loves her and she’s very successful:

http://mundodasnoticias.net/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/carnaval-salvador2.jpg

This is a recent picture. The Carnival in Bahia started on Friday, February 8.

This time even the South-Korean Psy (Mr. Gangnam Style) sung his hit on the top of a truck in Salvador (capital of Bahia, the greatest Carnival city of the state)! I would upload the video, but it’s something embarrassing to me, I get ashamed to be Brazilian sometimes, so, if you are curious to watch Psy singing Gangnam Style (actually, he’s not exactly singing, he’s doing a duet with the playback) in Salvador, take a look at YouTube! Nhé-nhé I am not responsible for future traumas!!!!

Bailes de Carnaval (Carnival Balls):

Private parties where people dance all night long in costume or not. I don’t know a famous ball, so, I can’t upload a picture. But Carnival balls are famous all over the world, so, I believe you don’t need more explanations, my dear reader!

Desfiles de Carnaval (Carnival Parades):

Yes, the most famous Brazilian celebrations! The most commercial, too. Huge amounts of money are spent every single year to make the parades possible! Where does the money come from? I honestly don’t know. Every year, hundreds of subcelebridades fight for a place in a parade. But the places are very expensive. Nothing in a parade happens for free, dear reader! No matter if a parade happens in São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro, it’s hard to find a genuine one nowadays, unfortunately! They’re still beautiful and colorful shows and I promise to upload some videos tomorrow, but, let’s face the truth: the Carnival parades are not a popular celebration. The costumes are extremely expensive and the communities involved (people from the favelas) don’t receive the recognition they deserve. I know how beautiful the parades can be. I know that they represent my country somehow. But, sorry, they are not a popular celebration! Anyways, they are organized by escolas de samba (samba schools). Every year, a school chooses a theme. Everything in the parade is related to the theme: the samba enredo (a type of anthem that people sing all over the parade), the different groups of characters and the Carnival floats. It’s something complex, actually. But I have no time to say everything about it, right now Smiley triste . As you already know, I’m not alone at home. My friends are here. We need to eat something and have some fun! This is just a brief introduction. If you have some specific question, please, leave a comment and I’ll try to reply it the best way I can in a few days! Now I think I have the right to enjoy my Carnival, too! Nhé-nhé But I’ll return tomorrow, with some music !