Even though it's not allowed to go naked in the Brazil Carnival, a little glitter on the nipples or some body paint goes a long way!

For those unfamiliar with the term; a samba school can be defined as a social and cultural group that meets regularly and frequently with the purpose of learning and performing Brazilian samba dance, music, and costumes.

General Samba School information

The origin of the name "samba school" comes from the legend that the early sambistas used to rehearse in an empty lot near a teachers' college. " We also teach! Here the students learn to breathe and live samba!"

Usually the family tradition hands samba and Brazilian culture down from generation to generation with the main goal of performing spectacular carnival parades during carnival each year (occurring during the lent season).

Often, samba schools have impact on whole 'bairros' or city parts, with thousands of cariocas (people born and raised in Rio) adjoining the rehearsals with dancing, singing and samba!

Tourists visiting Rio should stop by one of the schools for some samba dancing instructions, as the schools are open to the public from December to march. If you want to be Brazilian, you have to learn some samba dance moves!

A minimum a school must have (this is an informal definition for now) are: a bateria (percussion), groups of baianas, flag of the school carried by porta-bandeira and mestre-sala, children participants, and a theme song written each year for carnival performed and played by the school participants.

The size of the samba schools vary with the biggest ones attending the carnival glory with more than 7,000 people and hundreds of drummers (bateria).

Carnival fantasy fest dance competition

Once learned and practised, the samba troops perform with the purpose of winning! The whole festivity is namely also a huge dance / show competition with several divisions, much like the football league.

The samba schools receive points for different things like the carnival theme (in Portuguese called the carnival enredo), the carnival fantasy fest costumes, the enthusiasm, the music, the great carnival wagons / floats, and so on…

The top division or elite group is called the special group or in Portuguese " Grupo Especial". It consists of the 14 best samba schools in Rio de Janeiro. Below is a summary of the 2005 special group and when they perform at the Sambodrome in Rio de Janeiro Carnival this year.

SPECIAL GROUP (GRUPO ESPECIAL) 2005

Carnival: Sunday (06/02/05)

1ª Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel
2ª Império Serrano
3ª Acadêmicos do Salgueiro
4ª Estação Primeira de Mangueira
5ª Unidos da Tijuca
6ª Tradição
7ª Unidos de Vila Isabel

Monday (07/02/05)

1ª Unidos do Porto da Pedra
2ª Caprichosos de Pilares
3ª Unidos do Viradouro
4ª Portela
5ª Imperatriz Leopoldinense
6ª Acadêmicos do Grande Rio
7ª Beija-Flor de Nilópolis


Local: Sambodrome, also called Marquês de Sapucaí

Brazil Carnival feelings in Vila Isabel!
Life in a Brazil Carnival samba school in Rio de Janeiro is about love, the samba music and the people! Whole cityparts gather to support their samba school! Read about the life in Vila Isabel samba school!

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