Carnaval 2007 (2)

Beija-Flor campeã! That means, the Beija-Flor samba school won the 2007 Carnaval in Rio de Janiero. I told you it is my favorite school . It's the school's 10th title.

This year's parade had the name "Áfricas: Do Berço Real à Corte Brasiliana" ("Africa: From the Royal Cradle to the Brazilian Court") and it a tribute to Africa. With this theme, the school took the title they had lost the last year in favor of those from Vila Isabel.

It was not only celebrating Africa, but reaffirming the genetic legacy it gave to the Brazilian people. It was a tribute to all those people who refused to bow before the horrors of the slavery, and who kept their customs, religion, and identity. It was the most expensive carnival in the history of Beija-Flor, and the results were impressive. It was a luxurious parade, involving more than 4000 people. The battery queen, Raissa de Oliveira, is only 16 years old, but still had a great performance (she has been "rainha da bateria" of the Beija-Flor since she was 11 years old - the youngest ever, and performing for the school since she was 5).

Here's the samba-enredo that won the competition:

Olodumaré, o Deus maior, o Rei Senhor

Olorum derrama a sua alteza na Beija-Flor

Oh! Majestade negra, Oh! Mãe da liberdade

África: O baobá da vida Ilê Ifé

Áfricas:Realidade e realeza, axé

Calunga cruzou o mar

Nobreza a desembarcar na Bahia

A fé nagô-yorubá,

Um canto pro meu orixá tem magia

Machado de Xangô, Cajado de Oxalá

Ogum yê, o onirê, ele é Odara

É jeje, é jeje, é querebentã

A luz que vem de Daomé, reino de Dan

Arte e cultura casa da mina

Quanta bravura negra divina

Zumbi é rei

Jamais se entregou, rei guardião

Palmares hei de ver pulsando em cada coração

Galanga pó de ouro e a remissão enfim

Maracatu chegou rainha ginga

Gamboa, a pequena África de Obá

Da Pedra do Sal viu despontar a Cidade do Samba

Então dobre o run

Pra Ciata d`Oxum imortal

Soberana do meu carnaval na princesa nilopolitana

Agoye o mundo deve o perdão

A quem sangrou pela história

Áfricas de luta e de glória

Sou quilombola Beija-Flor

Sangue de rei, comunidade

Obatalá anunciou

Já raiou o sol da liberdade

Carnaval 2007 (2) © 2007 moonlight All Rights Reserved ; "Áfricas: do berço real à Corte Brasiliana" © G.R.E.S Beija-Flor de Nilópolis ; PHOTOS from http://carnaval2007.terra.com.br/ ; VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE

Carnaval 2007

I am going to start saying that I hate the Carnaval in Brazil. It makes me want to kill the person who invented it. I like to party, but I don't understand how you can last a week drinking. Maybe it's because I'm not Brazilian... I hate it because of the things happening during the Carnaval... people getting drunk and making out with the first person they find. Maybe it's because Ric told me too many stories... I hate it because he never stays is Rio during the Carnaval. He'll be away for a week, without internet, and not knowing what he's doing is making me crazy. I trust him, but I don't trust his friends.... or any of the other 2 million people surrounding him. Childish...

Oh well... I'll get over it, it's just surviving one week. I'm back to dancing, which makes me sort of happy, at least for those few hours a week when I have time to dance. Salsa this evening, I hope to see a friend of mine I haven't been really talking to since I got back from Brazil... I'm jumpy, and irritating, and I hate German people because they have too many ideas and don't speak English (but insist on talking to you, though it takes 30 minutes to solve a problem that could have been solved in 10 with someone who actually spoke English), and I hate this weather, because you never know what to wear, since one day there are 18 degrees outside and the other it's raining and cold.

By the way, I don't hate the Carnaval that much. My favorite samba school is the Beija-Flor, maybe because of the name (it means "hummingbird"). For more info about the carnaval, the official web site is http://www.carnaval.com.br/ ; and Beija-Flor's web page is http://www.beija-flor.com.br/.

And here's a video from their show on the Sambódromo in 2005 (they won that year):

Carnaval 2007 © 2007 moonlight All Rights Reserved ; VIDEO FROM YOUTUBE ; PHOTO FROM http://www.beija-flor.com.br/