Note from BW of Brazil: What else needs to be said? The title says it all! Anticipation and excitement continues to grow as Samba Schools continue their rehearsals for what should be considered one of the greatest spectacles on earth! In the brief report below, brought to you courtesy of Wikipedia, learn a little of the history of the Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Acadêmicos do Grande Rio. See the full report here. The excellent photos are brought to you courtesy of the globetrotting photographer Justin Scott Parr, who has been documenting Rio’s Carnaval for a number of years along with his other photographic interests. Be sure to check out Justin’s work here! For now, check out the great results of his camera clicks below! See more from the Grande Rio shoot at our Tumblr page.
GRES Acadêmicos do Grande Rio
The Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Acadêmicos do Grande Rio is a samba school of the Special Group of the carnaval of the city of Rio de Janeiro, being headquartered on Almirante Barroso street in Duque de Caxias.
In the 1950s, the city of Duque de Caxias had an effective participation in the Carioca Carnival, with the samba school Cartolinhas de Caxias. This school was placed among the elite of the schools 3 times (1951, 1958 e 1959), posteriorly placed, and frequently, among the intermediate schools and being well respected in the samba world.
The last parade of Cartolinhas was in 1971, when with the goal to found a big school, that would worthily represent the municipality of the directors of Grande Rio and Acadêmicos de Caxias, these two schools unified and created in 1988, the Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Acadêmicos do Grande Rio.
The school is very criticized for excessively taking famous people to the avenue and for its excellent results in the judging commission, because of the investments of the patron Jaider Soares and of Mr. Milton Abreu do Nascimento, mostly known as Milton Perácio, that was the first president of the school.
Like mentioned above, Grande Rio is became specially notorious for bringing famous actresses as Queen of the Drums Sections, called “Rainhas de Bateria”.
Carnavals of Grande Rio
In its starring, in 1989, the school already rose to the next group, passing to the Grupo de Acesso A. In 1990, with the samba-enredo (plot) about the city of Rio de Janeiro, obtained again the 2nd place, and rose to the Special Group.
When it starred among the big schools, the school did not go well:with the plot Antes, Durante e Depois: o despertar do homem (“Before, During, and After:the rouse of the man”), the school was placed in the 16th collocation, and returnmed to Grupo de Acesso A, despite to count on people such as the singer Dominguinhos do Estácio and the bateria director Mestre Paulão (consecrated in União da Ilha).
In 1992, the school reconquered the right to compete in the principal parade, being the champion of the Grupo de Acesso, with the plot Águas Claras para um Rei Negro (“Clear Waters for a Black King”).
In its return to the Grupo Especial, with the plot No mundo da lua (“In the world of the moon”), of Alexandre Louzada, the school stimulated the Marquês de Sapucaí and was placed in the 9th collocation. In the following years, it did not have good results,but always maintained itself in the Special Group.
In 2007, the school homaged its city, Duque de Caxias, plot signed by the carnaval producer Roberto Szaniecki (that already signed the carnavals of 1996, 2005, and 2006 of the school). The school conquered its vice-championship for the second time.
For the carnaval of 2008, the school of Duque de Caxias brought to the Sambadrome the importance of the gas in our daily lives, homaging the city of Coari, in Amazonas, that possesses the petrochemical pole of Petrobrás, conquering a third place and finishing with the departure of Roberto Szaniecki after the results.
Source: Wiki, Justin Scott Parr
So which one wants to come to America