By Nicole Froio, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The second night of parades down the Marques de Sapucai Sambódromo, showcasing the Série A Access Group that are competing to be elevated to the Grupo Especial (Special Group), started right on time and progressed with less faults and mistakes than the day before.
The night was kicked off with Unidos de Jacarépagua that was quickly upstaged by the presence of Psy, a Korean pop star, who has been enjoying Carnival in Brazil since last week and waved at the crowd.
The samba school was paying homage to the city of Vassouras, with all the sections of its parade representing an item of culture in the city. The Samba-Enredo (Theme Song) “Dos barões do café à Cidade Universitária: Vassouras, ouro verde do Brasil” (From the coffee barons to the academic city: Vassouras, green gold from Brazil) focused on the discovery and import of coffee that originated in the honored city.
Tradição revived a theme that won it third place in 1981; the beauty of the seas. The floats represented the evolution of sea creatures and even depicted the African-Brazilian goddess of the sea Iemanjá. The mestre-sala and porta-bandeira almost performed without costumes as they only arrived just before they went on.
Império Serrano had to deal with worse issues. A huge float representing Poseidon, in a parade about the magic waters of Caxambu, broke down in the middle of the avenue and had to be removed mid-performance. Despite this, the school finished just in time and was much cheered on by the public despite its mistake.
Império da Tijuca took a turn for the cultural by honoring women of African heritage of today and the past. The samba-enredo entitled “Negra, Pérola Mulher” (“Black, Pearl Woman”) told the story of Yorubá and celebrated 125 years since the abolition of slavery in Brazil. The comissão de frente was composed only by black women who represented African warriors.
Tonight is the first night of the Grupo Especial (Special Group) parades at the Marques de Sapucai Sambódromo, with the best of the samba schools competing for the 2013 championship.
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