Carnival fever sweeps across Brazil: Thousands of samba dancers shake their tailfeathers as world-famous extravaganza kicks off

Thousands of samba dancers have been partying in Brazil for the opening of the city’s world-famous Carnival.

The country’s top 12 samba schools kicked off the annual parade competition at the gigantic avenue-turned stadium known as the ‘Sambadrome’ in Sau Paulo.

During the two-night competition, the samba schools compete for the title of parade champion with dazzling floats, thunderous music and thousands of singers, drummers and dancers in revealing, jewel-encrusted and feather-covered costumes.

At least 70,000 spectators will cheer them on from the packed stands of the city’s designated parade venue, with millions more expected to watch live on TV.

This year’s parades include tributes to little-known heroes of Afro-Brazilian history, a tribute to multi-platinum samba singer Alcione and a celebration of the Yanomami indigenous people.

Aline de Oliveira takes part in the parade of the samba schools in Sao Paulo, which is part of the special group of the parades of the samba schools,

Tom Maior samba school during the parade watched by millions of people around the world

Revelers from the Academicos do Tucuruvi school perform during the second night of the carnival parade at Anhembi Sambadrome in Sao Paulo

The twelve best samba schools in the country kicked off the annual parade in the gigantic Avenue, which has been converted into a stadium

Invented a century ago by the descendants of African slaves, Samba is one of the great symbols of Brazilian popular culture and of Rio.

The samba schools are rooted in Brazil’s impoverished favela neighborhoods, and each parade tells a story, often about politics, social issues and history.

Each samba school has 60 to 70 minutes to make its way along the 700 meters (yards) of the Marques de Sapucai, the avenue through the concrete carnival parade temple designed by modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer.

A panel of judges evaluates each school in minute detail, deducting potentially devastating fractions of points for being out of sync, working overtime or lacking flair.

The parades were particularly political under far-right ex-president Jair Bolsonaro, who faced accusations of authoritarianism, racism, environmental destruction and the disastrous mishandling of Covid-19 – all fodder for the samba schools during his presidency (2019- 2022).

This year, Carnival is reaching its peak just as Bolsonaro, no fan of the festival, is embroiled in a damaging police investigation into allegations that he and his allies plotted a “coup” to keep him in power despite losing Brazil’s 2022 elections.

Vivian Pereira, a member of the independent research group Quilombo do Samba, said: “The samba schools are attuned to the social and political scene and use their space, that hour on the Avenue, to talk about those issues.”

Carnival is also big business for Rio, with the party expected to generate 5.3 billion reais (more than $1 billion) in revenue this year.

Revelers from the Aguia de Ouro had 60 to 70 minutes to make their way along the 700 meters (yards) of the Marques de Sapucai

The samba schools are rooted in Brazil’s impoverished favela neighborhoods, and each parade tells a story, often about politics, social issues and history

Although the parade competition is the highlight, Rio has actually been celebrating Carnival for weeks with free street parties known as ‘blocos’.

A colorful crowd of partygoers descended on the iconic beachside neighborhood of Ipanema on Saturday for a bloco in honor of Afro-Brazilian writer Conceicao Evaristo.

Evaristo thanked them and told the newspaper O Globo that she sees Carnival not only as a time to celebrate, but also to reflect on Brazil, a country with great inequality.

She said: “May this moment of joy transform the daily social, political and economic relationships of Brazilians, and may everyone be included not only in the citizenship of pleasure, but also in the citizenship of equal rights.”