Carnival in Brazil

Hello. My name is Carlos, and I am a Mestre-Sala, which means Master of Ceremonies. In my neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro, you can feel when the best time of year is coming. The air itself starts to dance. You can hear the boom-boom-bap of drums practicing down the street and the happy sounds of my neighbors singing new songs. This is the sound of Carnival waking up. Carnival is the biggest, most joyful celebration you can imagine. It happens every year just before the quiet time of Lent. It is a very old tradition that started here in Brazil a long, long time ago, back in the 1700s, with ideas that came from Portugal. For my friends and me, it’s a time to share our music, our dance, and our happiness with everyone.

The most exciting part of Carnival is the grand parade. It all happens in a special place called the Sambadrome. Imagine a long street with huge stands on both sides filled with cheering people. The lights are as bright as stars. Our whole samba school, which is like a big club or family, has worked all year for this one night. We tell a story with our parade. We have enormous floats decorated to look like magical forests or sparkling castles. And the costumes. Oh, the costumes are covered in shiny sequins and colorful feathers that swish and sway. My job is very special. I dance with my partner, the Porta-Bandeira. She carries our school's beautiful flag, and we must dance together perfectly to present it to the judges and the crowd. Our feet move to the powerful beat of the bateria, our amazing drum section. They are the heartbeat of our parade. When they play, you can feel the rhythm in your whole body, and you just have to dance. We all move together as one, showing the world our story and our joy.

When our parade is over, and we walk off the Sambadrome floor, our hearts are beating so fast with pride and joy. We are tired, but we are so happy. The judges will choose a winner from all the samba schools, but we know the real prize is not a trophy. The most important part of Carnival is the feeling of being together, of working with our community all year to create something so beautiful. It’s about the friendships we make and the happiness we share. Carnival is Brazil's special gift to the world. It’s a bright, loud, and wonderful reminder to celebrate life with music in your heart and friends by your side. I hope that one day, you can feel the happy beat of Carnival too.