Luciana
Skeptical Carioca
When you think Chavez is running out of surprises...
A little background first. Every year, Rio holds a parade that comprises 14 samba schools, in a show that lasts two nights. Those samba schools are created and managed, mostly, by slum-dwellers. It is indeed a testament not only of their creativity, but also of their sense of discipline, organization and capacity to create a big enterprise. Each samba school has 3,000-5,000 members carrying elaborate costumes, 8 floats that can carry hundreds of people, many special effects, celebrities, kids, coreographies and 300 guys playing the drums.
Every year there's a cut-throat competition for the winner prize. They are all very good and the difference in points in the decimals.
Now, who won this year? A samba school called "Vila Isabel", who hadn't won for 18 years. It is only their second win.
Who sponsored 1/3 of its budget? PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company. And that made a big difference in the quality of the samba school.
What was their theme/plot? "Soy loco por ti, America", that talked about Latin America. More than that, the lyrics of the song spoke of integration in the best "Bolivar" fashion, that is, the leader that Chavez mirrors himself in. It also talked about Aztecs, Mayans, etc.
After the results were announced, the carnavalesco (like a movie director, he's the creative mastermind and general director) went to TV carrying the Venezuelan flag.
The Venezuelan Ambassador to Brazil declared that this championship is a hallmark in the ideals of integration as devised by Chavez.
Chavez! Rio! Carnival! Venezuela! Bolivar! Sorry, it doesn't add up! What's left now for Chavez to do???
A little background first. Every year, Rio holds a parade that comprises 14 samba schools, in a show that lasts two nights. Those samba schools are created and managed, mostly, by slum-dwellers. It is indeed a testament not only of their creativity, but also of their sense of discipline, organization and capacity to create a big enterprise. Each samba school has 3,000-5,000 members carrying elaborate costumes, 8 floats that can carry hundreds of people, many special effects, celebrities, kids, coreographies and 300 guys playing the drums.
Every year there's a cut-throat competition for the winner prize. They are all very good and the difference in points in the decimals.
Now, who won this year? A samba school called "Vila Isabel", who hadn't won for 18 years. It is only their second win.
Who sponsored 1/3 of its budget? PDVSA, the Venezuelan oil company. And that made a big difference in the quality of the samba school.
What was their theme/plot? "Soy loco por ti, America", that talked about Latin America. More than that, the lyrics of the song spoke of integration in the best "Bolivar" fashion, that is, the leader that Chavez mirrors himself in. It also talked about Aztecs, Mayans, etc.
After the results were announced, the carnavalesco (like a movie director, he's the creative mastermind and general director) went to TV carrying the Venezuelan flag.
The Venezuelan Ambassador to Brazil declared that this championship is a hallmark in the ideals of integration as devised by Chavez.
Chavez! Rio! Carnival! Venezuela! Bolivar! Sorry, it doesn't add up! What's left now for Chavez to do???
