Blocks with a music of ten
The blocos de rua are local groups of musicians who parade through the streets spontaneously and joyfully. Rich, poor, young and old mingle in a free, democratic street party that would be the B-side of the Sambadrome parades. If in the official parade the samba schools have to follow strict rules in search of victory, here the norm is the general nonsense . The only competition is based on seeing who has the best time . After years of decline, this kind of tropical troupes are living a true golden age and are multiplying in every corner. From this Friday until Ash Wednesday they will parade through the streets of Rio 505 blocks, an absolute record . Obviously everything overlaps and scheduling is a drama comparable to the famous Excel of Primavera Sound . On the Riotur website is the detail of the schedules and the streets where they parade. For updated information it is better to follow the Facebook profiles of each block.
THE CLASSICS OF YESTERDAY, TODAY AND ALWAYS
The Cordão de Bola Preta was founded in 1918, is the oldest in Rio . His most famous 'marcinha', 'Wonderful City' was so successful that the City Council adopted it as the official anthem of the city . Suitable only for those who resist the masses well: it usually summons almost a million people in the avenues of the center . The Ipanema Band emerged in the 1960s as a transgressive bloco and played an important role in opposing the military dictatorship. It's not what it used to be, but it's still always a good option to enjoy music after taking a swim in the most beautiful beach in Rio.
The Rio Carnival is lived in the street
THOSE WHO ARE 'BOMBING'
Among the blocks that have gained popularity in recent years are the Flying Orchestra , with its huge array of wind instruments, and the bloco Sergeant Pimenta , which brings together hundreds of thousands of people in the park Flamengo Landing with an innovative proposal: play Beatles music to the rhythm of samba.
THE MOST HOMEMADE
To escape queues and pushes and merge with the authentic 'carioquice' the best thing is to get lost in the alleys of the port area. Ladies dancing on the balconies and children blocking the streets to traffic are typical prints of blocos like Prata Preta, Fala meu louro or Escravos da Mauá.
One of the pennants that differentiate each block
THE BEST MUSIC
Among so much offer it is easy to get lost and end up in a block organized in any way around a sound car that vomits the song of the summer in repeat mode. At the opposite end of the spectrum is the musical quality of blocos like Boi Tolo, Boitatá and Céu na Terra.
Since man does not live on samba alone, you can also choose to take a trip to the musical rhythms of northeastern Brazil, thanks to the maracatú of blocos such as ** Rio Maracatú and Maracutaia**, the frevo of the bloco da Ansiedade or the forró of Terreirada Cearense.
THE FUNNIEST
In the Amigos da Onça bloco, the musicians are dressed as jaguars and practically play the instruments on all fours. The members of Bunytos do Corpo are a true legion of eighties gymnasts who play while giving an aerobics class like Eva Nasarre. And to go to the parade Agytoe Dressing like an Egyptian Pharaoh is a must.
Dressing, yes, because you can't go to a block just like that. Last-minute stragglers can pick up their accessories at Saara, a huge bazaar in downtown Rio **(metro Uruguaiana)**. In the days before Carnival, the hundreds of shops are transformed into warehouses designed by and for the world of costume. A true carnivalesque temple is the Babados da Folia store, where glitter can be bought by the kilo. You should also know that Rio's street carnival is not a party for night owls. The vast majority of blocos parade during the day and go out as the night progresses. Many cariocas go to bed early, set the alarm clock so they don't miss their favorite block, and start dancing and drinking at seven in the morning . It is not a joke.
A true legion of gymnasts
To survive the crowds and so many hours of standing under the scorching sun, it is important to stay hydrated: ice cold beer is basic . But these days the star product is the sacole : they are small plastic bags filled with tasty fruit juices with alcohol, usually cachaça. They are sold frozen and taken as a flash. Its appearance of a condom and the fact that it is a handmade product that any spontaneous person makes at home and sells on the street may scare the most purists, but at the moment there is no known death from I took out. On the contrary, these frozen bags bring the dead back to life.
Once recovered, you can continue until Ash Wednesday, that day when the cariocas pretend that everything is over and a strange atmosphere of 'saudade' covers the city. In reality, it is an intelligent ruse to gain strength in the face of the last blows of the 'folia': the blocos do not leave the streets until well into March. And soon after rehearsals will start again. Long live the 2017 Carnival!
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