Carnival brings millions to the streets throughout the country
Brazil is all about Carnival right now. The official holiday date is Tuesday (Mar. 4), but the heat has been on across the country for a few days now. Out in the streets, crowds cluster together into hundreds of “blocos”, where millions of revelers dance to the beat of afro-Brazilian rhythms like the samba, the frevo, the maracatu, the axé.
Meanwhile, mainstream samba parades with their traditional floats and costumed dancers and drummers begin on Friday evening (Feb. 28). The best-known two are in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, where local communities have spent several months getting ready for the competition that will choose who will stage the best parade of the year.
In addition to the streets, Brazil's Carnival will make airports and roads busy throughout the country. In Rio alone, some 630,000 people are expected at the international airport, and another 500,000 at the city's coach station.
But in some parts of the country, Carnival has not been all fun. In the Amazon region, the party was marred by flooding as the record overflow of the Madeira river led organizers to call off a street parade in Porto Velho, Rondônia state.
This week, the river has spilled out its maximum 18-meter level, leaving hundreds of locals displaced while thousands of others take shelter at relatives' houses or in public places like schools and sports facilities.
The Brazilian government has deployed men from the National Force to Rondônia, and provided more than $240,000 as an aid for rescue and disaster relief efforts.
Translated by Mayra Borges
Fonte: Carnival brings millions to the streets throughout the country
