Brazilian Carnaval is like a cultural party. It is full of detailed costumes, dance, and music. There’s a big parade in the streets to celebrate the week before Lent. Dancing is really important in the Brazilian Carnaval. There are many types of dancing. Bianca Mendonca, a dancer from Bahia, told us about the different kinds of dances.

Samba’s the most popular rhythm. It’s mostly played in Rio de Janeiro, it’s originally from Rio de Janeiro. There is a controversy ‘cause people say samba was born in Rio de Janeiro, and the people in Bahia say that samba was born in Bahia. But in the end, everybody ends up doing the samba. So, samba’s the most popular one and it’s also the most played in Carnaval, in the Brazilian Mardi Gras.

And Samba Reggae is a combination of samba and reggae, so it has a lot of groove, so we can say from Jamaica and all those countries who have reggae as a popular music. So it’s a combination of samba and reggae.

Many of the songs and dances associated with Carnaval have a social message. The dances talk about poverty, money, food, and having fun. An example of social commentary through dance is:

We try to get the movements really close to what we sing. So when we do this.. ‘money’, and… ‘food’. And like this.. means ‘we don’t have it.’ And when we go, like this, it’s like you’re sending something away, and what is that? Poverty and, you know, not having [enough] to eat. So that’s the meaning of the song. So basically we’re wiping it out, okay, we’re sending it away.

During the parades, huge trucks carry musicians who play for the dancers.

…everybody’s on the truck, dancers, drummers, singers, it’s live music. And then the people are down, following the truck. And they move really slow so the people can catch up with them. And they go around the city. It’s really crowded.

Capoeira is another important part of Brazilian culture that incorporates dance. It is actually a martial arts disguised as a dance.

In Capoeira, there are moves called Ginga and Au, which is kind of like a cartwheel. They play an instrument called a Berimbau. It sounds like a one-string guitar and a shaker.

Some of the fighting moves from Capoeira have also been incorporated into the dancing of samba reggae. Bianca Mendonca describes the origins of Capoeira:

... that’s how the Brazilian slaves used to defend themselves from the colonists. It wasn't originally developed at that time of slavery, but as the years passed by they incorporated those moves into samba reggae.

Capoeiristas also have nicknames just like we give DJ’s nicknames. Marcos "Coquinho", a Capoeira instructor, explains how he got his nickname.

Like, first time I shaved my head, one of my friend [said] “oh, you have a small head.” Really? I dunno. He says, “Okay, I call you ‘coquinho.” And that’s okay I like that nickname. I come to the states and everybody [says] “who’s got a name like that, ‘coquinho’? Somebody looks in the books, they say, “oh”, they say, “little coconut.” I like it. Everybody like it. In my class I give a lot of nicknames a lot of people love.

During Carnaval, they wear outstanding costumes. A typical costume might take a year to make and include feathers, glitter, sequins, and silk, topped off by an enormous, colorful headdress.

Oh for the Carnaval in Rio, they wear the costumes they make during the year. But in Salvador it’s just free. Usually when they go to the streets to dance and follow the big trucks, they all have shirts that match, so that means that you are with that truck and then you just follow that truck.