Rio Holds Carnival Warm-Up Event on Copacabana Beach this Saturday

By Beatriz Miranda, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This Saturday, January 6th, Copacabana Beach will host the “Encontro do Samba”, event that aims to celebrate Rio’s samba culture with eighteen musical attractions. The free show will start at 7PM and will take place at the same stage as Copacabana’s New Year’s Eve party.

“Encontro do Samba” is part of “Rio de Janeiro a Janeiro”, project conceived by the City Hall to stimulate Rio’s tourism in 2018. In order to boost the city’s touristic potential, Rio will host at least a hundred cultural, sportive and business events this year.

By increasing the tourism business and job creation, “Rio de Janeiro a Janeiro” aims to contribute to the economic recovery of Rio’s State.

“The City is investing R$100 million from a loan from Caixa Econômica Federal in “Rio de Janeiro a Janeiro”, but there are also other sponsors helping to make the project happen,” affirms Sérgio Sá Leitão, Brazil’s Minister of Culture.

Supported by companies like Petrobras and BNDES, “Encontro do Samba” will gather 1,000 musicians from all of Rio’s best samba schools (the thirteen that belong to Grupo Especial).

Like in a typical Carnival parade, the musicians will walk on the Atlântica Avenue, making people sing along with the best Carnival classics. Divided in two groups, the percussionists will depart both from Posto 1, in Leme, and Posto 6, in Copacabana, gathering in front of Copacabana Palace Hotel, where the stage is situated.

On the stage, the samba school musicians will share the stage with Petrobras’ Symphonic Orchestra, run by maestro Isaac Karabtchevsky. The unusual combination of Carnival samba with erudite music promises to surprise the audience.

Also participating in “Encontro do Samba” will be important names from the Brazilian music scene, like Alcione and Martinho da Vila, and hip-hop singer Iza, one of the trendiest artists in Brazil’s billboards nowadays.

“I am positive this event will surprise every Carioca and tourist. It is an unreleased event in the city, and will bring the best of samba to Rio’s landmark: the Copacabana beach,” says mayor Marcelo Crivella.