In Brazil, the carnival did take place… but in miniature! Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the only parade authorized this year was indeed that of the “model carnival”. Launched in 2013, this year the event brought together no less than 32 “samba schools” from across the country, each parading in slow motion hundreds of small dolls of dancers and musicians, accompanied by floats in scale models, the everything on tracks lined with bleachers, 2 to 3 meters long …
The curious parade was broadcast earlier this week. ” It was a great success ! Unheard of for us, who are small craftsmen! “, rejoices Raphael Khaleb, 34, founder of the very official Union of Scale Samba Schools (UESM). And for good reason, continues the young man: “Up to 1,000 people attended the parade live: five times more than last year. It shows the importance of carnival for people: with this miniature parade, we have filled a big void in the hearts of Brazilians. “
The “model carnival” is, in reality, just one of the many initiatives aimed at compensating for the cancellation of the Brazilian carnival. From Salvador to Recife via Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, the festivities have been banned by local authorities in order to avoid any large gathering, in a country which deplores more 240,000 deaths linked to the Covid-19 epidemic.
Nearly 40,000 jobs
For the occasion, many virtual events were therefore organized: live samba concerts, web series, make-up lessons, TV rebroadcasting of old fashion shows… On social networks, and in particular Instagram, everyone posted their costumed photos and hilarious of the 2020 edition. Melancholic testimonies from the world before…
Sometimes postponed, the Rio carnival had never been canceled. In need of parades and street bands, samba schools and other party professionals have accepted the situation with resignation. “Carnival is a struggle of the body against death. In this sense, carnival today means staying at home ”, tweeted Luiz Antonio Simas, a great Carioca historian of samba and carnival.
But for Rio, it’s not just feathers and glitter: carnival means 2 million tourists and nearly 40,000 direct and indirect jobs generated each year in just five days. To come to the aid of singers, musicians, but also dressmakers, painters and sculptors of allegorical floats, the mayor of the city, Eduardo Paes, passionate about carnival, released emergency aid of 3.2 million reais (488,000 euros) for party professionals: a drop of water, for an event that brought in more than 600 million euros to the city in 2020 …
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