{"id":80530,"date":"2025-02-28T13:59:44","date_gmt":"2025-02-28T16:59:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80530"},"modified":"2025-03-20T16:42:55","modified_gmt":"2025-03-20T19:42:55","slug":"rio-carnival-2025-mangueira-samba-school-exalts-pride-in-being-from-the-favela-while-telling-the-story-of-the-bantu-peoples-interview","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/rioonwatch.org\/?p=80530","title":{"rendered":"Rio Carnival 2025: Mangueira Samba School Exalts \u2018Pride in Being from the Favela\u2019 While Telling the Story of the Bantu Peoples [INTERVIEW]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"In<\/a>
In 2025, the Mangueira Samba School (Esta\u00e7\u00e3o Primeira da Mangueira) crowns those born and raised in the favela\u2014the cria<\/em>\u2014at Rio de Janeiro’s Sambadrome. A descendant of the Bantu people, the cria<\/em> is portrayed in his youth by Flavio Lopes\u2014better known as Flavinho\u2014as the school envisions Bantu-favela Afrofutures. Photo: Social Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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

Rio de Janeiro’s 2025 Carnival<\/a> is here, celebrating a people increasingly proud of themselves and their history. Of the 12 samba schools in the Special Group<\/a>, only two\u2014Mocidade<\/a> and Vila Isabel<\/a>\u2014will not bring Afro-Indigenous themes to Rio’s famous Marqu\u00eas de Sapuca\u00ed Sambadrome, which recently completed 40 years<\/a>. The other ten will shine a spotlight on the spirituality of African<\/a>, Afro-Brazilian<\/a>, Indigenous and forest peoples<\/a>, Afro-Indigenous cultures<\/a>, Black Brazilian history<\/a>, Afro-Brazilian trans identities<\/a>, itans<\/em><\/a> [mythological narratives of the Yoruba culture], mythical stories<\/a> of the Yoruba<\/a> orishas<\/a>, and legendary figures of carnival<\/a> who remain deeply present<\/a> in the terreiros<\/em> [sacred sites of Afro-Brazilian religious worship] and samba school workshops.<\/p>\n

However, only one samba school places the favelas and those born and raised there<\/a> at the heart of the world’s biggest party. Only one school crowns a shirtless cria<\/em> sporting Kenner<\/em> flip-flops<\/a>, a gold chain around his neck, and dancing passinho<\/em><\/a> with his hair creatively shaved with a cria<\/em> design<\/a>, bleached<\/a> and dyed green and pink in the school’s colors: Mangueira Samba School<\/a> (Esta\u00e7\u00e3o Primeira da Mangueira).\u00a0Cria<\/em> is a term, growing quickly in usage in Brazil in recent years, depicting the pride of those who can claim to have been both born and raised in a particular favela.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>
The crowned cria<\/em>, in his young adult phase, at Mangueira\u2019s technical rehearsal in February 2025, with the arches of Apotheosis Square in the background. Photo: Mangueira<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

By telling the story of the Bantu peoples of central and southern Africa<\/a> and how their knowledge and beliefs shaped Brazil, all the way through the country’s present-day favelas, Mangueira\u2019s theme elicits historical reparations. Its samba song composed for the 2025 parade describes how the kamutu\u00ea<\/em><\/a>\u2014the head, the dwelling place of the sacred for the Bantu peoples, where one’s personal Nkisi<\/em><\/a> resides\u2014guides all Black people from Mangueira<\/a>, one of Rio’s oldest favelas<\/a>, and the broader diaspora<\/a>, towards self-knowledge.<\/p>\n

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A post shared by Mangueira (@mangueira_oficial)<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/blockquote>\n