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FEATURE Monday 28 SepteMber 2020

Virus disrupting Rio's Carnival for first time in a century

By MARCELO DE SOUSA Rio's Carnival, said in an in- top of their lungs to impress
Associated Press terview. "An entire cultural a panel of judges. Tens of
RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — A and productive chain was thousands of spectators
cloud of uncertainty that disrupted by COVID." pack the bleachers of the
has hung over Rio de Janei- Rio's City Hall has yet to an- arena, known as the Sam-
ro throughout the corona- nounce a decision about badrome, while tens of mil-
virus pandemic has been the Carnival street parties lions watch on television.
lifted, but gloom remains that also take place across Before the schools began
— the annual Carnival pa- the city. But its tourism pro- competing in the 1930s,
rade of flamboyant samba motion agency said in a Carnival was celebrated in
schools won't be held in statement to The Associ- dance halls and haphaz-
February. And while the ated Press on Sept. 17 that ardly on the streets, Simas
decision is being charac- without a coronavirus vac- said. The parades entered
terized as a postponement cine, it is uncertain when the Sambadrome in the
of the event, no new date large public events can 1980s, and have become
has been set. resume. Rio's quintessential Carnival The Sambadrome parade runway stands empty in Rio de
Rio's League of Samba Brazil's first confirmed coro- display. Janeiro, Brazil, Monday, Sept. 21, 2020.
Schools, LIESA, announced navirus case was Feb. 26, The immense labor required Associated Press
Thursday night that the one day after this year's for each show was already
spread of the coronavirus Carnival ended. As the stymied by restrictions on Samba schools suspended lis, whose population of
has made it impossible to number of infections grew, gatherings that Rio's gov- float construction, costume 160,000 cheers the Beija-
safely hold the traditional the samba schools that ernor imposed in March. sewing, dance rehearsals, Flor samba school, has fad-
parades that are a cultural participate in the glitzy an- Even with those measures, and also social projects. ed, Simas said.
mainstay and, for many, a nual parade halted prepa- Rio's metropolitan region, The Mangueira school's Some performers resorted
source of livelihood. rations for the 2021 event. home to 13 million people, program in the favela near to odd jobs and gigs. Diogo
"Carnival is a party upon Nearly all of Rio's samba so far has recorded more downtown Rio that teaches Jesús, the lead dancer re-
which many humble work- schools are closely linked than 15,000 deaths from music to children — keep- ferred to as "master of cer-
ers depend. The samba to working class commu- COVID-19. ing them away from crime, emonies" in the Mocidade
schools are community in- nities. Their processions Beneath the Sambad- and cultivating the school's school, couldn't make rent
stitutions, and the parades include elaborate floats rome's bleachers, the city future drummers — hasn't without his income from
are just one detail of all accompanied by tireless created a homeless shelter held classes since March. private events. He started
that," Luiz Antonio Simas, a drummers and costumed for the vulnerable popula- The pulse of entire subur- driving for Uber and sewing
historian who specializes in dancers who sing at the tion during the pandemic. ban Rio cities like Nilopo- facemasks to sell at a fair.q