{"id":73823,"date":"2023-02-20T10:46:50","date_gmt":"2023-02-20T13:46:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=73823"},"modified":"2023-02-21T12:57:28","modified_gmt":"2023-02-21T15:57:28","slug":"rio-de-janeiro-carnival-2023-north-zone-street-samburbio-parades-keep-carnival-alive-at-its-roots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=73823","title":{"rendered":"Rio de Janeiro Carnival 2023: North Zone Street ‘Samb\u00farbio’ Parades Keep Carnival Alive At Its Roots"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Original art by Nat\u00e1lia S. Flores<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Clique aqui para Portugu\u00eas<\/em><\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

Rio de Janeiro’s carnival<\/a> is famous worldwide for its samba school parades<\/a> at the Marqu\u00eas de Sapuca\u00ed Sambadrome<\/a> and the big street parties\u2014known as blocos<\/a>\u2014which attract huge crowds in Central Rio<\/a> and the South Zone<\/a>. Tourists from other cities, states, and countries occupy hotels, fill the beaches, dress up in costumes, go around these two zones of the city, and think they know the Rio carnival. Yet, despite this being the carnival publicized in commercials and marketing and which gets extensive coverage by the mainstream media, carnival in Rio is much more that this. Carnival in Rio de Janeiro’s North Zone where the festival first developed, isn’t generally seen as part of the tourist carnival circuit. The carnival industry effectively disjoins the festival from its origins.<\/p>\n

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Greg\u00f3rio (Samb\u00farbio creator and owner of Casa de Jorge), Tatiana and W\u00e1llace (Samb\u00farbio directors), at the 1st Samb\u00farbio, 2022. Photo: Personal archive<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The first samba school contest was held in the North Zone<\/a>. In 1929, Z\u00e9 Espinguela<\/a>, founder of the Esta\u00e7\u00e3o Primeira de Mangueira<\/a> samba school, opened up his home\u2014now the Arranco do Engenho de Dentro Samba School<\/a>\u2014so that the ranchos carnavalescos<\/a> [the forerunners of today’s samba schools] of the time could compete and determine the best carnival presentation: Mangueira, Conjunto Oswaldo Cruz (now Portela)<\/a>, and Deixa Falar<\/a> (the first ever samba school, which led to today’s\u00a0Est\u00e1cio de S\u00e1<\/a>). Almost a century later, there’s a similar movement just a few kilometers away in Quintino Bocai\u00fava<\/a>: the Samb\u00farbio.<\/p>\n

Established in 2022, Samb\u00farbio is the shortened name for the Rio de Janeiro Suburban Street Blocos League. The project aims to revitalize street carnival in the post-industrial, heavily populated North Zone suburbs, recovering its local character and maximizing the potential of the Greater Madureira<\/a> region. The idea is to host big carnival processions like those of the past. Greg\u00f3rio Filho, 57, is a Quintino resident, creator of Samb\u00farbio, and owner of the neighborhood samba stronghold Casa de Jorge<\/a><\/span>. He explains:<\/p>\n

“The idea of having a parade bringing suburban street blocos together is giving our region a different type of leisure activity. This is why the League is called Samb\u00farbio. Our aim is for suburban blocos to gain more respect and more life, like the blocos in the South Zone which have public investment and receive support from various entities. We’re trying to do this here, to give more leisure and represent residents.” \u2014 Greg\u00f3rio Filho<\/p><\/blockquote>\n