With the splendor of its samba schoolsRio de Janeiro celebrates its famous carnival, this year marked by more optimism after the change of government and the end of pandemic restrictions.

After two carnivals marked by COVID-19, Rio is restoring its “full carnival” and preparing to celebrate “life and democracy,” Mayor Eduardo Paes said on Friday the 17th, symbolically handing over the city’s keys to the character of “King Momo.”rite that officially begins the festivities.

In its return to normality, as Carnival groups have been animating the streets since last week, the schools to finalize the details of their lavish processions in the Sambódromo.

“We always do our best. We don’t have schedules, we work at dawn. Anything to make the audience happy”, he told the AFP Rogerio Sampaio, one of many members of the Viradouro school who have been making costumes in the barns of the city of Samba in recent monthsin downtown Rio.

The Independent League of Samba Schools (LIESA) expects an audience of 100,000 people per night in the Sambódromo, counting the more than 70,000 spectators who fit in the enclosure and the members of the 12 schools.

“Light” after the “darkness”

The groups will have between 60 and 70 minutes to parade along Avenida Marqués de Sapucaí (official name of the Sambódromo) and impress the juries, who will analyze categories such as the theme of the parade, samba, percussion drums, costumes and floats. Of their elaborate costumes, their gigantic cars and their frantic dance, the schools, born in Rio’s favelas, tell different stories.

“Carnaval is a mirror of Brazil in dialogue with popular culture”, Leandro Vieira, artistic director of Imperatriz Leopoldinense, told Veja magazine.

“It is a time when Brazil (…) whether in popular culture or in the political field, it needs to reaffirm what’s best about it. It’s not a coincidence, it’s the light after the darkness.”.