Portela samba group wins Rio carnival with political message
March 2, 2017
The traditional samba group won for the first time in 33 years, beating the runner up by just 0.1 points. Their performance portrayed the human and environmental cost of the Samarco mining disaster.
The legendary Portela samba school was crowned the winner of Rio de Janeiro's carnival parade on Thursday, ending a 33-year drought for the club. With an elaborate three-story float and 3,400 dancers, Portela won its 22nd trophy while highlighting the destruction of Brazil's national resources.
Though their theme was "Brazil's river life," and featured allusions to native fish and man's relationship to water, it also emphasized the human and environmental impact of the Samarco mining disaster.
In November 2015, two dams owned by mining company Samarco collapsed near the city of Mariana. The toxic sludge that emerged contaminated not only the local water supply for several towns, but flower into the nearby Rio Doce river, which is turn affects most of southeast Brazil.
Portela's floats depicted fisherman covered in the brown waste, bemoaning not only the health risks created by the disaster but also the loss of their livelihood.
Victory for Portela was extremely tight. With 269.9 points out of a possible 270, it received a score on 0.1 higher than the runner-uo, Mocidade Independente. The win was even more surprising given that their float injured twelve people on Tuesday when its top level, crowded with dancers, partially collapsed and crashed into the group of revelers on the platform below.
Portela was founded in 1923 in the Madureira neighborhood in the north of Rio, thought to be the birthplace of Samba. It beat out twelve other schools to win the top honors for the first time since 1984.
Carnival 2017 off to a wild start in Brazil
From bloc parties for dogs to extravagant samba parades, Carnival celebrations are underway in Brazil. Things got off to a strange start when Rio's evangelical mayor skipped the opening ceremony.
Image: picture alliance/NurPhoto/G. Borba
Dancing in the streets
Carnival celebrations began on Friday in Brazil, drawing thousands of costumed revelers to block parties in 32-degree Celsius (90 degrees Fahrenheit) heat.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/L.Correa
Opening the party
Proudly holding the symbolic key to Rio's city hall, this year's "King of Carnival" or "Rei Momo" officially opened carnival celebrations.
Image: picture alliance/dpa/M.Pimentel
Missing mayor
Things got off to a strange start when Rio de Janeiro Mayor Marcelo Crivella first delayed the opening ceremony, only to skip it entirely. Crivella, a retired evangelical bishop, has raised eyebrows for his stand-offish attitude towards Rio's pre-Lenten celebrations.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/Y. Chiba
Carnival on four legs
Even dogs got to join in on a special carnival parade in Rio de Janeiro on Saturday. Adorned in feathers and sequins, the ornate pooches took to the streets with their owners.
Image: picture alliance/AP Photo/S. Izquierdo
Sao Paulo pride
Party-goers decked out in colorful wigs joined in on Sao Paulo's LGBT street party "Minhoqueens." The official carnival parades in Brazil's business capital kicked off on Friday, lasting well through the night into the early morning hours on Saturday.
Image: picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com
Political parades
With several politicians mired in a sprawling corruption scandal, celebrations in Brazil mirrored the displeasure some Brazilians are feeling with their leaders. The "Fora Temer" or "Out with Temer" block party in Rio drew large crowds on Friday as revelers protested against Brazilian President Michel Temer.
Image: picture alliance/AP-Photo/S. Izquierdo
Carnival competition
Samba schools compete each year in Rio's world famous carnival parade for a trophy and national bragging rights. The competitions - replete with magnificent floats, dancing and music - begin on Sunday night and will last until Tuesday morning.
