The Sambadrome Marquês de Sapucaí or simply Sambadrome is a purpose-built parade area in downtown Rio de Janeiro, Brazil where the samba schools parade competitively during the Carnival season. Each year about 100 million viewers follow the competition worldwide on television.

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However, it was Milton’s mother, Mrs. Eulália that suggested the name Beija-Flor as a tribute to Beija-Flor ranch that existed in Marquês de Valença neighborhood.   This gave Mrs. Eulália de right to be admitted as the founder of the School.

It was only in 1953 however, that the carnival street band was champion in the neighborhood becoming a Samba School and participating for the first time in and official parade in the year of 1954 for the Second Group. This year, they became champion of the group.   The school was promoted to the First Group where it remained until 1963. In 1974, the school went back to the First Group as a result f the excellent work developed by Nelson Abraão David, after ten years in the Second Group.

The school’s history can be divided into two: before and  after the Carnaval producer Joazinho Trinta that took over the school artistic direction in 1976.  The parades developed by him became so anthological that even when they weren’t champions, they left a mark in the Avenue.

In 1977, Aniz Abraão David became president and made the school one of the most famous in the world.  The amazing parades were no different in 1989.

The school always known for the luxury presented in the Avenue, brought to the parade the theme “Ratos e Urubus, larguem a minha fantasia” taking to the Sambadrome floats and wings filled with garbage.   In addition to the famous Christ Redeemer statue covered up.

That year, Beija-Flor achieved second place but Joazinho Trinta was considered by some people as the moral champion.

During the 90’s, the school that had a humming bird as symbol, maintained the first positions.  When Joazinho Trinta left the school in 1992, the school tried a couple of new carnaval producers but didn’t manage to achieve a championship.   It was only in 1998, with the creation of a carnaval committee that the school was once again claimed champion. 

During the period of 2003/2005, the school achieved their second three time championship.  In 2007, the school was once again champion, this time with a considerable distance from the second place.

In 2008, the Carnaval Committee chose as plot theme “Macapaba: Equinócio Solar, viagem fantástica ao meio do mundo” and achieved the championship for the second time in a row in what would be their 11th championship.In 2009 and 2010 Beija Flor came in second and third place respectively.

Founded:  December 25th 1948
Colors: dark blue and white
Symbol: Humming bird (Beija-Flor)
Neighborhood: Downtown Nilópolis
President: Farid Abrahão David
President of Honor: Anísio Abraão David
Carnaval comission: Alexandre Louzada, Fran-Sergio, Laíla, Vítor Santos and Ubiratan Silva
Harmony director: Laíla
Official Interpreter: Neguinho da Beija-Flor

Sambas-enredo are recorded and played on the radio during the period leading up to Carnival. They are generally performed by male vocalists accompanied by cavaquinho and a large bateria (percussion group) producing a dense, complex texture known as batucada. They heavily emphasize the second count of the measure driven by the bass notes of the surdo drums.

Beija Flor Samba Enredo 2010

The Beija Flor theme of 2010 was the 50th anniversary of the country’s  capital Brasilia:

“Dádivas o criador concedeu
Fez brotar num sonho divinal o mais precioso cristal
Lágrimas, fascinante foi a ira de Tupã
Diz a lenda que o mito Goyás nasceu
O brilho em Jaci vem do olhar
Pra sempre refletido em suas águas
A força que fluiu desse amor é Paranoá… Paranoá
Óh! Deus sol em sua devoção
Ergueu-se no Egito fonte de inspiração
Pássaro sagrado voa no infinito azul
Abre as asas bordando o cerrado de norte a sul

Ah! Terra tão rica é o sertão
Rasga o coração da mata desbravador!
Finca a bandeira nesse chão
Pra desabrochar a linda flor

No coração do Brasil, o afã de quem viu um novo
amanhã
Revolta, insurreições, coroas e brasões
Batismo num clamor de liberdade!
Segue a missão a caravana em jornada
Enfim a natureza em sua essência revelada
Firmando o desejo de realizar
A flor desabrochou nas mãos de JK
A miscigenação se fez raiz
Com sangue e o suor deste país
Vem ver… A arte do mestre num traço um poema
Nossa capital vem ver …
Legião de artistas, caldeirão cultural!
Orgulho, patrimônio mundial

Sou candango, calango e Beija-Flor!
Traçando o destino ainda criança
A luz da alvorada anuncia!
Brasília capital da esperança”

by Picolé da Beija Flor, Serginho Sumaré, Samir Trindade, Serginho Aguiar, Dison Marimba e André do Cavaco

For the first time ever in Asia, one of the stars of the Rio Carnaval and the city’s most famous and successful Escolas de Samba, G.R.E.S. Beija Flor de Nilopolis, will bring the Carnaval to life at the Esplanade.

Beija-Flor (hummingbird or literally “flower kisser”) have proven to be the best samba school of the new millennium. Counting fans such as Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and soccer star Zico, they are now one of the most influential schools of the annual samba parades in the world-famous Sambadrome, where the top Rio samba schools battle it out over a two-day competition.

Having carried five Champion titles since the year 2000 back to their home suburb of Nilopolis, Beija Flor has the highest expectations of its parading members. It is the only school with a team of designers (currently numbering five) where most other schools only have one. This results in a creative extravagance and spectacular costumes that constantly raise the bar at the annual competition. They have won it eleven times, earning the tricampeão title (three championships in a row) not once, but twice.

Fronted by Louis Antonio Jr. – the son of its famed main frontman and singer Neguinho – the ensemble will showcase the best of Brazilian Carnival music supported by their famed bateria (percussion) and passistas ( dancers) with their extravagant costumes and band.

“Everybody recognizes Beija-Flor when it enters the Sambodromo: the incredibly big and sumptuous floats and the astonishing costumes…– all these spectacular elements are now a trademark of the entertaining universe of the samba school carnival. When Beija-Flor parades along the Sambadrome, even the jury stands up in excitement.” The Rio Times

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So Nice has not only been featured in Nip/Tuck but also in the advertisement for a Singapore financial institution.

Here’s another – Lonely from the very first episode of Nip/Tuck.

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Daughter of bossa nova icons Joao Gilberto and Miucha, Bebel Gilberto gave the familial style a million-selling, digital makeover on 2000’s ‘Tanto Tempo’. While this pleasantly varied new offering includes up-tempo production from Mark Ronson and modish New Yorker Didi Gutman, it’s the more moodily reflective acoustic material that best suits the Brazilian singer’s exquisitely composed delivery. *** Mark Hudson, The Daily Telegraph

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Momento from Bebel’s previous album of the same name.

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