Carnival started in Brazil with the "Entrudo", an old game. It consisted to wet the persons in the street, with water transported in vessels and followed by a flour throw.

In 1854 a meeting in Rio de Janeiro founded a Congress in order to eliminate the inconvenience of the Entrudo. The year after the Carnival was attended by the emperor of Brazil, D. PedroII.

The symbolical king of Carnival was created in 1932, it was a big and fat cardboard puppet named "Rei Momo", or King Momo (from the Greek mythology). On the Carnival of 1933 Mr. F. M. Cardoso, a man of 120 kg weight, represented Rei Momo. Traditionally Rei Momo is always a sympathetically fat man.

Many groups named "Escola de Samba" or Samba School organizes in advance the Carnival presentation involving all the persons that want to belong to it. In Viçosa the first Escola de Samba, Mr. José de Andrade founded named "Unidos Esavianos" in 1953.

The music during Carnival is Samba; the drum is its main sound instrument. The exotic but very efficient frying pan was introduced as percussion sound instrument in 1948, in Rio de Janeiro.

The "Trio Elétrico" or the electric trio, a group of musicians playing electric guitars equipped with powerful loudspeakers, emits sound in high intensity (over a truck). This resource was used at first in Salvador, Bahia.

Choreography has three styles: Samba dance, "Frevo" and "Maracatu". Frevo is typical of the state of Pernambuco and Maracatu from Recife, in Pernambuco. Frevo dance, created in 1908 is so rapid that no singer is able to follow its rhythm. The representation of the royal courteous treatment in a religious sense is characteristic of the Maracatu dance, derived from the dance of the African Slaves.

The "Porta-Bandeira" is a dancer dressed with luxury, she holds a flag on the staff and follows the "Mestre Sala" or the master of the hall during the complete presentation. Their choreography resembles a classical dance.

Carnival, the very important party of joy, where young, middle aged and ancient persons dance the same music with their own fantasy, using the energy characteristic of their ages.

References:

Alcides Nicéias, "Verbetes para um Dicionário de Carnaval Brasileiro", Fundação Ubaldino do Amaral, Sorocaba, 1991.

Maria do Carmo Tafuri Paniago, "Viçosa - Tradições e Folclore", Imprensa Universitária, Universidade Federal de Viçosa (UFV), Viçosa, 1977.

Prof. Ricardo Gonçalves dos Santos, Cultural Division - UFV, personal communication.

Mr. José Boia, personal communication.

Prof. Maristela Moura Silva Lima, Department of Physical Education - UFV, personal communication.

Prof. Lázaro Francisco da Silva, Comissão Mineira de Folclore.

Please, send your comments.

Table of theme in folklore.
 

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Folklore	Brazil	Carnival