In honor of Carnival—which runs from February 18th through February 21st this year—I thought it would be fun to share a short video of a samba show from my visit to Rio de Janeiro. Samba is a lively, rhythmic Brazilian dance with West African influences that many Brazilians would argue defines their national identity. Although I haven’t been to Brazil during Carnival (Carnaval in Portuguese), this performance gives a touristy taste of the dancing and costumes that make it the biggest party in the world. Carnival is an outrageous four-night celebration that finishes on Fat Tuesday. The over-the-top party is seen as one last time to go all out before the arrival of Lent on Ash Wednesday.
As you can see by these sexy costumes, the samba is a very sensual dance. (Maybe too “sensual” to be watching at work!) Nearly five million visitors celebrated Carnaval in Rio last year. I really hope to see the spectacle for myself someday.
Check out this short video I made at Plataforma Restaurante in Rio de Janeiro. There’s a whole lotta shakin’ goin on! [cincopa AUAAh16GyoNQ]
Click below to enlarge the thumbnails: [cincopa AsCAv1KtCJZF]
Have you celebrated Carnival before? Feel free to share your experiences in the comments section below!
