Brazilian carnivals

Voilà un article en Anglais sur les carnavals au Brésil. En fait, c’était un exposé, qui m’a valu un 17 (sur 20) !

(article rédigé début février)

Carnivals, in Brazil, are of paramount importance and it’s this month that brazilian carnivals begin. In all brazilian carvivals, we can and we have to dance and enjoy ourselves.

The carnival lasts at least three days. It happens during the day and during the night (non stop) Many singers appear in carnivals. Among them, we can see Gilberto Gil, Carlinhos Brown, Ivete Sangalo, Daniela Mercury... That singers are in a truck which advances very slowly because of the crowds who are around. But sometimes there isn’t any singers. There is also music like techno etc.

In all Brazilian carnivals, Samba's schools are in competition and they form the procession. After three days, one school, in each city, is the winner.

But there are some differences between Brazilian canivals. So, on the one hand, we will focus on Salvador’s carnival and, on the other hand, we will see Rio’s carnival. This two carnivals are the most famous and the most important in Brazil and maybe in the world.

We talk more about Rio’s carnival than Salvador’s carnival and it’s very strange because the carnival in Salvador is the biggest and craziest street party on the world. As a matter of fact, Salvador’s Carnival is in the Guinness Book of World Record as an event that attracts the most people in the world : 2 million people come to Salvador each year to dance, drink and enjoy themselves at the carnival, which lasts seven days. The carnival, in Salvador, takes place in streets and beaches, which are free. This carnival has become famous because of the presence of Trio Electrico or Electric Trio : it’s a famous brazilian group (music). Salvador is the blackest Brazilian city, so Salvador’s carnival has strong influence from Africans and Indians (we can notice, by the costumes, this african and indian cultures).

Carnival in Rio is more sophisticated. We can notice the fancy dresses (with feathers...), which are called “fantasias” in portuguese. In Rio, most of the carnival happens in ball-rooms and in the Sambadrome (which require people to pay to participate). The Sambadrome is a parading avenue, called “stadium of samba”. Rio’s carnival has become famous thanks to the processions, which are very beautiful and spectacular.

The Brazilians are proud of their carnivals and we can say that they are chauvinistic. And, to show the importance of carnival in Brazil, I bring Ivete Sangalo’s album (Clube Carnavalesco Inocentes Em Progresso). The song 4 is named “Verdadeiro carnaval”. It means “the true carnival”, in English. In fact, a lot of singers talk about carnival in their albums.