Brazilian Carnival & Samba Parade in Rio de Janeiro

Traveling to carnival in Brazil and enjoying the parade in Rio de Janeiro are exciting events which offer a good opportunity to experience at first hand the exotic dance and music specific to this Latin country. During parade can be seen the native talent of Brazilian samba dancers and the rich historical and cultural heritage that Brazilian share with the entire world!

The carnival has its roots in the ancient African and Portuguese traditions. The fusion of different cultures led to the birth of this unique event, first time held in the 20^th century. Being the most famous dance in Brazil, samba was incorporated in the carnival along the time. A million of tourists join every year to millions of citizens of Rio de Janeiro for a 4 day long celebration. It begins on a Saturday and ends on Fat Tuesday, the day before the beginning of the Christian period of lent, the Ash Wednesday. During this period people watch the parade of different samba schools performing dances, each school following a certain theme. The parade starts usually at seven in the morning and last up to six in the evening, depending on the number of schools that perform each day.

Samba Dancers Competition at Carnival in Rio

The highlight of the carnival is the "Sambodromo" where Brazilian samba dancers start their competition. The Sambodromo is a 700 meter long strip flanked both by spectators standing and luxury boxes. The main attractions are the exotic sounds and sights of samba dancers. Just the best 14 samba schools are selected to start the parade at Sambodromo and every school has an elaborately decorated allegoric chariot, usually accompanied by girls dancing on rhythmic music. The chariots are also accompanied by marching samba bands comprising up to 300 musicians!

Along with the main parade, other street carnivals are held all over the city from which Banda de Ipanemais is one of the most traditional street carnivals in Rio de Janeiro. It was established in 1964 and is now part of city's cultural heritage. Rio offers also a wide variety of balls. The Masquerade Ball is one of the most popular, but the most famous ball takes place at Copacabana Palace Hotel.

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