Rio rocks on second night of Carnival
‘Greatest show on Earth’ continues in Sambadrome
RIO DE JANEIRO: Tens of thousands of fans packed Rio’s iconic Sambadrome for a second night of dazzling Carnival parades featuring lavishly costumed performers, elaborate floats and thumping music.
A shootout between police and a drug gang that left one person dead and four wounded in a nearby favela failed to dampen the wild enthusiasm of the capacity crowd of 72,500 at the newly renovated “temple of Samba”.
The night parades in the Sambadrome are the high point of the pre-lent Carnival festival, which has brought this racially diverse country of 191 million people to a near-standstill.
Singer-actress Jennifer Lopez was one of several foreign celebrities to lend their star power to the event, appearing late Sunday in skinny red jeans and a sequined top.
With a deafening burst of fireworks, Sao Clemente was the first of six elite samba schools to take centre stage on Monday, taking inspiration from a selection of popular Broadway musicals such as The Phantom of the Opera and Cabaret.
The schools are vying for the title of Carnival champion. A total of 13 schools are competing for the honour, to be bestowed today. Seven schools held their parades late Sunday.
Preparation for the Carnival parades starts months in advance, as each samba school mobilises thousands of supporters who must create the various parts of the school’s display.
Favela residents are often members of a local samba school and are deeply involved with the performance and preparation of costumes.
The Carnival turns the spotlight on the artistic talent, creative genius and zest for life found in those predominantly black shantytowns which often lack running water, electricity and sewage systems.
The Sambadrome, which recently reopened after a ninemonth makeover, now has a boosted capacity, elevators, and access ramps for the handicapped.
Seats cost between US$50 (RM150) and several thousand dollars, depending on whether one sits on packed benches in the open or in air-conditioned VIP boxes stocked with champagne.
The Rio Carnival, billed as “the greatest show on Earth”, generates 250,000 jobs and revenues of Us$640mil (Rm1.92bil) for hotels, bars and restaurants, according to state estimates.