BRAZIL: ENERPRISING BUSINESSMAN MAKES OSAMA BIN LADEN CARNIVAL MASKS AS PREPARATIONS CONTINUE FOR THE RIO CARNIVAL

Record ID: 319442

  • Title: BRAZIL: ENERPRISING BUSINESSMAN MAKES OSAMA BIN LADEN CARNIVAL MASKS AS PREPARATIONS CONTINUE FOR THE RIO CARNIVAL
  • Date: 7th February 2002
  • Summary: VARIOUS OF DRESS REHEARSAL PARTY FOR CARNIVAL IN THE SCHOOL OF SAMBA UNIDOS DA TIJUCA /MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS PLAYING (4 SHOTS) VARIOUS, PEOPLE REHEARSING THE SAMBA (3 SHOTS)
  • Embargoed: 22nd February 2002 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL
  • Country: Brazil
  • Topics: Entertainment,Politics,Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
  • Reuters ID: LVA95X2SK8SRCNIQA0FZ4WAOJR75
  • Story Text: Osama Bin Laden has been found wandering the streets of Rio de Janeiro, thanks to one enterprising mask manufacturer who has thrown himself into the elaborate preparations for the Brazil's famous Carnival.
    Armando Valles arrived in Brazil more than 40 years ago. And for more than 25 of those years, he has been making masks to sell at Carnival.
    Most recently, the main face coming off of his production lines is Osama Bin Laden's. He has already sold 12,000 of these masks and anticipates breaking the 15,000 mark before Carnival ends.
    Valles made the face of the terrorist days after the attacks on New York and Washington, DC, but he never imagined it would have such success.
    Despite the popularity, the mask faces some controversy.
    "Sometimes they asked me if this was some sort of praise for him. No, because we make the devil, we make skulls and all sorts of monsters. No, this isn't praise. This isn't praise," said Valles.
    Festivities will kickoff Saturday (February 9) along Marques de Sapucai Avenue, known as the "Sambodromo", in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, with the participation of 48 samba schools.
    Unidos da Tijuca is one of the 14 samba schools that will march in the Sambodromo. In the final dress rehearsal, the battery that will play the school's music was tested and the flag-bearers for the school were chosen.
    The main parades will take place Sunday and Monday, when the samba schools will show their fantasies to more than 60,000 people visiting Rio for the internationally renowned event.
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