During the Rio Carnival, which took place this year from February 28 to March 8, a prestigious event is orchestrated in parallel and appears as one of the most popular social moments on the planet: the Copa Ball.
There would be no Copa Ball without the Rio carnival. It has its origins in the European celebrations, especially those held in Portugal and Spain related to pre-Layme. According to several sources, the term carnival is also a derivative of Carne Vale which means “farewell to meat”, in correlation with the 40 days of deprivation of meat during this religious moment. The festivities then celebrated the last days before the beginning of Lent and were exported to Brazil during the Portuguese colonial era from 1500 to 1800, with other celebrations such as Mardi Gras. But quickly, the carnival in Rio managed to pull off its streak and become today the most famous in the world.
The history of Rio’s carnival
The Brazilian version has distinguished itself through the influence of African cultures. At the time, slaves added their own rhythms and music, such as samba. This dance was not really introduced until 1917, the participants dancing polka and waltz in the 19th century.
It was therefore from the 1920s that samba became popular with schools in the working-class districts of Rio, where Afro-Brazilian communities popularized the movements. The first official samba school was founded in 1928 and is called Deixa Falar. Today, a multitude of great samba schools meet each year to dance together, such as Beija-Flor, Mangueira, Portela or Salgueiro.
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Featured photo : © Rio Carnaval
