Carnival in Brasília goes beyond the Plano Piloto (Pilot Plan).
In 2017, Brasília's carnival will spread throughout the Federal District; the Culture Secretariat, in partnership with the Cities Secretariat and the Tourism Adjunct Secretariat, invested R$ 300 in infrastructure to support 16 events in 14 administrative regions: Águas Claras, Brazlândia, Ceilândia, Cruzeiro, Estrutural, Guará, Lago Norte, Núcleo Bandeirante, Planaltina, Recanto das Emas, Sobradinho, Sobradinho II, Sudoeste and Vicente Pires; the festivities began on the 18th and will continue until Tuesday (28).
LARISSA SARMENTO, FROM AGÊNCIA BRASÍLIA - In 2017, Brasília's carnival will spread throughout the Federal District. The Culture Secretariat, in partnership with the Cities Secretariat and the Tourism Adjunct Secretariat, invested R$ 300 in infrastructure to support 16 events in 14 administrative regions: Águas Claras, Brazlândia, Ceilândia, Cruzeiro, Estrutural, Guará, Lago Norte, Núcleo Bandeirante, Planaltina, Recanto das Emas, Sobradinho, Sobradinho II, Sudoeste and Vicente Pires. The festivities began on the 18th and will continue until Tuesday (28).
One of them is the Bloco do Seu Júlio, which has paraded on Carnival Tuesday in Planaltina since 2010. Conceived and founded by civil servant Júlio Paixão Castelo Branco, 56, the event brought together 5 revelers in 2016. A marching band goes through the streets of the region playing carnival marches. “People are starting to get used to Carnival in Planaltina now. Families choose not to travel to have fun with us.”
Initially, Júlio had the help of eight friends, and each year the number of people involved increases. The Department of Culture invested in portable toilets, fencing, sound and lighting systems, a stage, a mobile stage, and other production items. With public support, Júlio hopes to attract around 10 people this year.
Samba schools and street carnival groups unite in Brasília's carnival.
In addition to the physical infrastructure, the government of Brasília hired six samba schools to parade in the street carnival groups. Each group received R$ 50 to perform in the street carnival.
The Império do Guará samba school will participate in the Circuito Pipoka Azul party, led by singer and cultural producer Dhi Ribeiro. The event at the Polo de Modas, in Guará II, will be for all ages, featuring a confetti battle, a children's costume parade, and a show by a samba and axé singer.
For Dhi, who also lives in Guará, the idea is to decentralize culture in Brasília. "With parties in different administrative regions, all you have to do is put on some colorful clothes, go for a walk, and find a bloco (carnival group) near your house."
Recanto das Emas also has Carnival.
The Gogó da Ema bloco will parade for the first time to honor Roberto da Ema, the visual artist who created the sculptures at the entrance to the administrative region. A sound truck will liven up the party with carnival marches and floats created by the honoree.
One of the creators, Richard Barros, emphasizes the importance of the local movement. “We also have our street, our avenue. When we leave Recanto, we don't feel at home.”
The group will move along Avenida Central to the parking lot of Block 104 to meet the Antibloco da Jurema, which will feature a different musical style with ragga, Brazilian rap, funk, and trance rhythms. According to organizer Pedro Torres, "the underground movement in Recanto is very strong; this is the first time we'll have this type of group here."
According to the Culture Secretariat's forecast, Brasília's carnival this year is expected to bring together nearly 2 million revelers in the streets, spread across the various administrative regions.