Without parades in the sambodrome and with samba groups only in closed places, Rio de Janeiro is experiencing a completely different carnival than before the pandemic. In addition to the limited official program, there are also spontaneous gatherings.
Rio de Janeiro – After the complete failure last year, the Brazilian metropolis of Rio de Janeiro is celebrating an unusual carnival these days.
The city administration had canceled the street carnival again because of the corona pandemic and postponed the famous parades in the Sambodrome to April. But the Association of Samba Schools of Rio de Janeiro (Liesa) still invited to the (unofficial) opening of the carnival with mini parades of the twelve best samba schools in the “Cidade do Samba”.
Events in closed rooms are allowed by the city administration with the argument that admission controls and checks of vaccination certificates are easier there than on the street. In Brazil, more than 70 percent of the population is fully vaccinated, and proof of vaccination is almost always required in many places when visiting public institutions.
“Last year there wasn’t even a vaccine, it was crying. Now I’ve been vaccinated three times and I can have a little fun,” said carnival fan José Flávio Pereira Guerra Júnior.
Blocos roam the streets despite the ban
On the carnival days in Rio, for example, there are various festivals on the program where the samba schools invite or so-called blocos – samba groups that otherwise roam the streets or make music in squares – perform in hotels, clubs and other places. However, the city did not approve a meeting of numerous blocos in a well-known cultural center on Saturday at short notice.
Despite the regulations, some samba groups roamed the streets. The firmly scheduled performances, for which an entrance fee is charged, contradict the spirit of the impromptu celebration that pre-pandemic Rio street carnival was. For example, photos of a bloco on Flamengo beach could be seen on social media in the early hours of the morning. The blocos also feature a creative way of responding to current events. A bloco, whose name alludes to Russian President Vladimir Putin, was stopped in the port area of Rio last weekend.
Flash mob-style gatherings
Some residents of Rio arranged to meet up for such events via social media and Whatsapp groups in order to make them as secret and short-term as possible, like a flash mob. Others went disguised or at least in glitter in search of the carnival atmosphere – if only to meet up in bars.
“I don’t know what to expect from this carnival,” said Ana Luiza Gardeazabal. “It’s all half approved, half forbidden. I feel like reviving what we missed last year.” Others traveled, for example to the small coastal town of Paraty, or were due to the recent landslide tragedy in Petrópolis and the Ukraine war, which also dominated media and discussions in Brazil, not even in a party mood. dpa
