Imperatriz Samba School Will Bring Sertaneja to Rio’s 2016 Carnival

By Chesney Hearst, Senior Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – This year celebrating the Brazilian state of Goiás, sertaneja music (Brazilian country music), and performance artists Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano, samba school Imperatriz Leopoldinense will parade fifth on February 8th, the second day of Grupo Especial (Special Group) samba parades.

Led by carnavalesco (Carnival designer) Cahê Rodrigues and joined by the famous Brazilian sertanejo duo Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano during the parade, Imperatriz will present the enredo (theme); “É o amor que mexe com a minha cabeça e me deixa assim. Do sonho de um caipira nascem os Filhos do Brasil” (“It is love that messes with my head and makes me so. From the dream of a hillbilly born of the children of Brazil”).

Brothers, Luciano and Zezé Di Camargo were both born and raised in the city of Pirenópolis in Brazil’s interior state of Goiás. The theme’s mention of “Filhos do Brasil” is a reference to the 2005 movie, “2 Filhos de Francisco” (Two Brothers of Franciso), a film about the duo that helped cement their fame both around Brazil and internationally.

According to organizers, Imperatriz’s parade this year will depict the rural life of Goiás with chapels, fields, fertile soil and farmers while paying homage to Zezé Di Camargo and Luciano, in addition to paying tribute to great singers from the sertaneja genre including Sérgio Reis and Inezita Barroso.

“About 200 people, including friends and fans from Goiás, will parade on the Imperatriz’s wings [parade sections],” Rodrigues told G1, “and many others are buying cabins and friezes [seating in the Sambódromo] to honor the pair and consequently the school. It is crazy.”

“Our main concern is to convey a message of love and to make Imperatriz’s parade a colorful and lively one,” Rodrigues added. “Imperatriz likes to dress well, so it will not be a cheap Carnival. On the contrary, will be a parade with great technology, light effects, and movements on the floats.”

Imperatriz is a samba school that is well known for its lushly decorated and elaborate parades. Founded in 1959 by Amaury Jório and several members of the former samba school Recreio de Ramos in the Rio de Janeiro neighborhood of Ramos, the school first paraded officially in 1960.

Imperatriz would go on to win eight Carnival championships, taking home the victory in 1980, 1981, 1989, 1994, 1995, 1999, 2000 and most recently in 2001. They are also the only school to have earned the maximum score in all categories three times, a feat which the school achieved in 1980, 1989 and 2001.

When speaking during an exclusive interview with O Dia about joining Imperatriz for their 2016 parade, Luciano said; “My father dreamed that we would be a duo and we dream to touch people’s hearts but being here is much more.”

Be sure to stay with The Rio Times to learn more about the other competing schools, winners and additional events during this year’s Carnival.