This Saturday February 25, VIAGE will throw a larger-than-life Brazilian carnival party. Breathtaking costumes, deviled sambas and the very best of Brazilian tunes to dance the night away, that’s what awaits you. Make sure you warm up properly and join the party!
Taken over by thousands of foreign visitors each year, Rio’s carnival is a dream destination for many of us…who can’t always manage to get there. To make sure you still get a taste of this colourful party, we’re inviting you to take a deep dive in a purely Brazilian atmosphere, that will make you travel without leaving Brussels… It’s magic!
Melting pot
When do you think the first Brazilian carnival took place? In the 17th century! If you go that one right, you might even know that its ancestor is the Entrudo, a Portuguese spring festival imported by colonisers in South America. On that occasion, people would take the streets with buckets of water, chalk and oranges and would paint each other with them. This Portuguese folklore progressively merged with native and African traditions. That is also a reminder that, under Portuguese domination, in the 1500’s, African slaves were brought to Brazil for plantation work. And it’s to them that the Brazilian carnival owes its colours and feathers. Besides, you’d be surprised to see the Egungun fest in Africa, resembling in many aspects Rio’s carnival, especially since families also wear same-coloured costumes on this special occasion.
Samba di Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro’s colourful carnival parades made their first appearance in the 18th century. Unlike today, it was members of the upper class who would party in the streets, wearing feather costumes and masks, surrounded by dancers performing on samba rhythms. And we can’t mention samba without bringing up its origins! It’s indeed in Africa that this Brazilian dance can be traced. In Angola, for instance, circle dances are centuries old and are responsible for a famous move called “umbigada” ou “semba”. That move consists in a man and a woman stepping out of the circle to press their belly buttons against each other. It’s at the end of the 19th century, when slavery was abolished in Brazil, that ex-slaves seeking employment imported a variation of this dance from the State of Bahia to the capital city, Rio de Janeiro.
There is no point to samba if it doesn't make you smile.
– Alma Guillermoprieto
Carnival shake
One week, that’s how long carnival indulges Brazilians to give in to this giant party in the streets of Rio and elsewhere. A week that also leaves room for battles of samba between the schools and neighbourhoods of Rio de Janeiro. The climax of this fest is definitely the parades taking place in the “Sambódrome”, a 700-meter segment of rua Marquês de Sapucaí. That’s where the best samba schools in the city perform their colourful show in front of a just-as-epic jury.
At VIAGE, we couldn’t just throw you a party. No, we really wanted to offer you a carnival party that would do credit to Rio’s giant party! Festivities will thus start at 9 pm with a samba workshop open to each and everyone of you. You will then enjoy the view of some breathtaking samba dance shows, before dancing yourself the night away, driven by DJ Domenico’s irresistible tunes until 2 am.
Here’s the program of the evening:
21:00 – 22:00 > DJ + Samba Workshop
22:00 – 22:30 > Samba dance show ‘Lights of Brazil’
22:30 – 23:00 > DJ + Capoeira
23:00 – 23:30 > Samba dance show ‘Lights of Brazil’
23:30 – 00:00 > DJ + Animation music
00:00 – 01:00 > Samba dance show ‘CARNAVAL’
01:00 – 02:00 > DJ Domenico beats
Free for members. Non-members can pay a unique entrance fee of 10 euros for access to the event, including a free drink and a 5-euro casino chip.
