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History of Carnival in Brazil Timeline
(1723 - Present)Carnival in Brazil is the country's most famous festival, blending European, African, and Indigenous traditions. It began with the Portuguese Entrudo masquerade balls in the colonial era, evolved through 19th-century street celebrations like cordões and blocos, incorporated Afro-Brazilian music and dance such as samba, and developed into today's spectacular samba school parades at the Sambadrome, alongside massive street parties across cities like Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, and Recife. More Less
Origins and Early History
Cordões and dança do coco introduced in Rio de Janeiro
1780
In the late 18th century, the 'cordões' (literally 'cords', laces or strings in Portuguese) combined with the 'dança do coco' (an Afro-Brazilian dance troupe form) were introduced in Rio de Janeiro, laying early foundations for the city's carnival traditions.
Carnival origins in Salvador, Bahia
1800
The origins of carnival in Salvador, Bahia can be traced back to the 19th century. The city had strong links with western Africa and contained a large black slave and ex-slave population, whose cultural traditions profoundly shaped the celebrations.
First suspension of Carnival after death of Baron of Rio Branco
1912
The Carnival was first suspended in 1912, following the death of the Baron of Rio Branco, at the time Brazilian Minister of External Relations, as the nation entered a period of mourning.
Image source: Brazilian Carnival
Culture and Arts
A Moreninha published by Joaquim Manuel de Macedo
1844
The novel A Moreninha, by Joaquim Manuel de Macedo (1844), tells a love story set during Carnival on Ilha de Paquetá, one of the earliest literary works to feature Brazilian carnival as a setting.
Carnaval poetry collection by Manuel Bandeira
1919
The poetry collection Carnaval, by Manuel Bandeira (1919), gathers poems on the theme of carnival, reflecting the festivity's growing importance in Brazilian artistic life.
Image source: Manuel Bandeira
O País do Carnaval, Jorge Amado's first novel
1931
The first novel by Jorge Amado, O País do Carnaval (1931), tells the story of a Brazilian intellectual educated in Europe who rejects the carnival culture, exploring tensions between Europeanized elites and popular Brazilian traditions.
Image source: Jorge Amado
Black Orpheus film released
1959
Black Orpheus, by Marcel Camus (1959), transposes the Greek myth of Eurydice to the carnival of Rio de Janeiro, winning international acclaim and introducing the world to Rio's carnival and bossa nova.
Image source: Black Orpheus
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands published
1966
Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands, by Jorge Amado (1966), begins during Carnival in Salvador, weaving the festive atmosphere of Bahia's carnival into one of Brazil's most beloved novels.
Image source: Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands
Orfeu film by Cacá Diegues released
1999
Orfeu, by Cacá Diegues (1999), also adapts the Greek myth of Eurydice to the Rio Carnival, a modern retelling of the story previously filmed in Black Orpheus.
Image source: Orfeu
Jonas film features São Paulo carnival float
2016
Jonas (2016), by Lô Politi, tells the story of a young man who kidnaps the daughter of his mother's employer, with whom he has always been in love, and keeps her inside a carnival float shaped like a whale, in São Paulo.
Key Facts
- Carnival in Brazil traces its origins to the Portuguese festival of Entrudo, introduced during the colonial period in the early 18th century.
- The first recorded organized Carnival celebration in Rio de Janeiro took place in 1723, featuring water fights and street games inspired by Entrudo.
- Samba schools emerged in Rio de Janeiro in the late 1920s, with Deixa Falar founded in 1928 often credited as the first samba school.
- The Sambadrome (Sambódromo), designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer, opened in 1984 as a dedicated venue for Rio's samba school parades.
- Salvador's Carnival is famous for its trio elétrico—trucks with live bands—which was pioneered by musicians Dodô and Osmar in 1950.
Source
This History of Carnival in Brazil timeline was generated with the help of AI, using information found on the internet.
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