By Chinasaokwu Helen Okoro
Afro-Brazilian religious followers conducted a vibrant cleansing ritual at the Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro on Sunday, just one week before the official Carnival festivities begin.
With just five days until Carnival begins on 28 February, Rio de Janeiro’s streets are already packed with revelers and music groups warming up for the celebrations.
The Cordão do Boitatá parade took place in downtown Rio, filling the air with samba and drumbeats. Thousands of people danced on the streets, many in costumes. Over the weekend, 99 official bloc parties and many other unofficial ones drew more than 160,000 people.
On 28 February, the mayor will hand the city’s keys to King Momo – the king of Carnivals – marking the official start of Carnival.
The magnificent stadium, designed by world-renowned architect Oscar Niemeyer, was specially built to accommodate the crowds jostling for a place in what has become a world-class spectacle.
This year marked the 15th anniversary of this traditional cleansing ceremony.Enjoy Carnival! It’s the largest event and the biggest open-air celebration in the world.
Today is a day of blessings for Carnival,” stated Nilce Fran, an Afro-Brazilian practitioner and coordinator at Portela Samba School.Dressed in traditional attire, practitioners of Umbanda and Candomblé danced down the avenue, wielding brooms made from rue, a plant celebrated for its cleansing properties.
Women known as Baianas, dressed in traditional African-Brazilian clothing, joined the ritual parade alongside flag-bearer couples and elder members of the samba schools.
The special group Samba Schools in Rio de Janeiro will perform at the Sambadrome on March 2nd, 3rd, and 4th.
