PREVIEW: Brazilian hearts beat to Carnival rhythm

By Diana Renee Mar 3, 2011, 4:11 GMT

Rio de Janeiro - The official celebrations do not start till week's end, but the hearts of 190 million Brazilians are already beating to the rhythm of Carnival.

In Rio de Janeiro, the most important stage of the Brazilian Carnival will arrive Sunday with the parades of its samba schools. But informal Carnival groups known as 'blocos' drew hundreds of thousands of people last weekend, in preparation for the great party that is to shake the city starting Friday.

By the morning of Ash Wednesday, no fewer than 424 blocos will have pranced their way through the city.

This is a record figure that somewhat worries Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes.

'Blocos are a hit, but this is no time to celebrate: for next year, we will not give permission to even a single one more of them,' he said.

For city authorities, the proliferation of Carnival groups amounts to a huge challenge. On the one hand, there is the need to provide security measures and change the flow of traffic.

On the other hand, the authorities have trouble combatting habits like peeing on the streets, which many in the blocos resort to so they don't have to interrupt their partying to look for a chemical toilet that have been distributed around Rio.

Last weekend alone, 341 people were arrested for public urination, and charges were to be pressed against them for obscenity.

Rio's world-famous party is to reach its climax Sunday night, when the samba schools launch their parade. Some 50,000 dancers and percussionists with exuberant costumes and huge allegoric floats will perform. The multicoloured show is expected to draw a live audience of 140,000 people over two nights, including celebrities like British actor Jude Law and Canadian actress Pamela Anderson.

Carnival celebrations are also expected to be crowded affairs in three northeastern Brazilian cities.

In Salvador, in the state of Bahia, millions of people plan to dance in the streets. There will be the rhythm of Afro-Brazilian- inspired groups known as 'afoxes,' and the so-called electric trios - trucks equipped with sound systems featuring stars of Axe music like Ivete Sangalo and Claudia Leitte.

For the first time in history, celebrations in Salvador will be broadcast live worldwide through YouTube, which made a deal with local organizers.

In Recife and in the nearby town of Olinda, both in the state of Pernambuco, the party will follow the rhythm of Frevo music and feature hundreds of music groups.

While Carnival draws Brazil's economic life to a standstill, it also brings in a huge wallop of tourist money.

Rio de Janeiro is bracing for around 756,000 tourists, according to the municipal tourist authority Riotur. They are expected to spend an estimated 570 million dollars a week of partying.

City authorities in Salvador expected a similar income from the festivities.

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