- Title: Rio’s top samba troupes gear up for Carnival parades
- Date: 26th January 2016
- Summary: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL (JANUARY 26, 2016) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF WORKERS OF THE GRANDE RIO SAMBA TROUPE WORKING ON THEIR PARADE FLOATS INSIDE THE TROUPE'S WAREHOUSE VARIOUS OF GRANDE RIO'S CARNIVAL BEAUTIES WEARING COSTUMES WITH LEOTARDS INSIDE THE TROUPE'S WAREHOUSE (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GRANDE RIO'S BEAUTY QUEEN, LUCIENE SANTINHA, SAYING: "It was good that you brought up this subject, because people must be aware that they have to turn their plates upside down (to prevent mosquito breeding grounds) and be careful not to be infected with zika, which has also become a problem for the samba troupe dancers. The queen of Carnival herself had zika." GRANDE RIO CARNIVAL DANCERS HANDLING COSTUMES VARIOUS OF SAMBA TROUPE WORKERS PREPARING PARADE FLOATS VARIOUS OF WORKER CUTTING FLOAT DECORATION VIEW OF GRANDE RIO'S CARNIVAL DIRECTOR, FLAVIO RICARDO, OBSERVING FLOATS FROM A SECOND-STOREY RAILING (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GRANDE RIO'S CARNIVAL DIRECTOR, FLAVIO RICARDO, SAYING: "We will tell the entire story of the city of Santos, from its establishment to its historic and current figures, who are still famous nowadays." VARIOUS OF WORKERS SCULPTING HORSE FROM STYROFOAM VARIOUS OF WORKER MEASURING PAPER STRIPS FOR FLOAT DECORATION VARIOUS OF SEAMSTRESSES WORKING ON COSTUMES (SOUNDBITE) (Portuguese) GRANDE RIO'S CARNIVAL DIRECTOR, FLAVIO RICARDO, SAYING: "Santos has a huge connection to sports and one of them will be represented by Santos' football team through its great stars. We will also show that Santos had a great influence in surf, in running and in others (sports). We are expecting Pele in our show -- he who was the athlete of the century." VARIOUS OF WORKERS PREPARING PARADE FLOATS
- Embargoed: 10th February 2016 18:20
- Keywords: Carnival samba school Grande Rio parade floats costumes Pele Neymar soccer
- Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- City: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
- Country: Brazil
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00141OUB7N
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Rio de Janeiro's samba troupes were working at full steam on Tuesday (January 26) to make the final touches to their colossal floats and glitzy costumes ahead of the world-famous Carnival parades.
With the Sambadrome parades less than two weeks away, members of the Grande Rio samba school, which placed third in last year's competition, are working around the clock at its warehouse in the City of Samba.
Brazil's football legend Pele and its current star Neymar will be the centrepieces of Grande Rio's parade as it prepares to pay tribute to the coastal city of Santos, where both players began their careers.
Rio's top 12 samba schools compete for the annual Carnival title and to maintain their spot among the elite troupes. Every year, the troupe that adds up the least points is downgraded from the elite group to a second-league category.
But this year the samba schools are also facing a new enemy - the surge in mosquito-borne viruses such as dengue and zika.
Rio's samba schools such as Grande Rio are rooted in the city's poor communities, where the largest number of cases are reported.
Luciene Santinha, one of Grande Rio's beauty queens, said it was important to raise awareness of preventative measures.
"It was good that you brought up this subject, because people must be aware that they have to turn their plates upside down (to prevent mosquito breeding grounds) and be careful not to be infected with zika, which has also become a problem for the samba troupe dancers. The queen of Carnival herself had zika," she said.
The samba troupes spend all year preparing for the multi-million dollar parades that launch the Sunday and Monday of Carnival before lent.
Grande Rio's creative director, Flavio Ricardo, said their parade would tell the story of Santos since its establishment on the coast of Sao Paulo in 1546.
"We will tell the entire story of the city of Santos, from its establishment to its historic and current figures, who are still famous nowadays," he said.
Grande Rio is hoping to win its first title this year, after three close calls in 2006, 2007 and 2010 when it finished second.
The troupes are rigourously judged on their choreography, floats, costumes and song lyrics.
The samba groups have up to 5,000 dancers and musicians, including a 300-strong drum corps that parades in the globally-televised event.
Ricardo said sports, such as football and surf, would be a key theme in their parade.
"Santos has a huge connection to sports and one of them will be represented by Santos' football team through its great stars. We will also show that Santos had a great influence in surf, in running and in others (sports). We are expecting Pele in our show -- he who was the athlete of the century," he said.
The elite group's Carnival parades will be held on February 7-8 in Rio's Marques de Sapucai Sambadrome designed by renowned Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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