Travelogue from Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and behind the scenes of the Carnival

In September 2024, our Guest Relations Specialist Charlotte was on a tour of Brazil. Among other attractions, she experienced the carnival ‘behind the scenes’. Read about her fascinating insight in her travelogue below.

Reading this travelogue will convince you that if you’re travelling to Brazil you should plan a visit to the world-famous city of Rio de Janeiro.

For three days, I was able to explore the former capital of the country. There are more than 6 million people living in Rio de Janeiro, so it is probably no surprise that I was a little overwhelmed by the sheer size of this city right after our arrival. Over the next few days, however, the planned programme allowed me to gain an ever better impression of Rio. In addition to a guided tour of the city that led us to the statue of Christ the Redeemer, the lively Santa Teresa district and the vantage point on Sugar Loaf Mountain, I found one particular excursion hugely interesting: Behind the scenes of the Carnival.

It started in the “Little Africa” district of downtown. Here, the guide started by explaining a lot about the history of the origins of the city of Rio de Janeiro, important facts about the period of slavery here and the intertwined influences in today’s Afro-Brazilian culture. Above all, a woman named “Aunt Ciata” is mentioned particularly frequently in connection with the history of the Carnival. Originally from Bahia, the practitioner of the Candomblé religion is thought to be responsible for the birth of samba in Rio by creating a place in her house during religious ceremonies where people could freely devote themselves to music and dance.

The next step was to go to a real samba school. There, I quickly realised that the annual spectacle at the Sambadrome Carnival stadium, for all its art and beauty, is also a serious matter. Competition is fierce and I have to drop off my mobile phone at the entrance because all current float projects are secret and no photographs are allowed. Only in the courtyard, where there are still floats from last year, can you see a finished float up close.

The trip ended by getting to know a dancer from the local samba school, and watching a short choreographed performance. All in all, the excursion was really interesting and fun, and I was able to learn more about Brazil’s general history and that of the Carnival. Definitely a cultural highlight of my trip!

/Charlotte

TourCompass – From tourist to traveller