BeijaFlor from Nilópolis was the penultimate school to arrive in Sapucaí on this last day of the parades. The storyline chosen was “Brava Gente, the cry of the excluded on the 200th anniversary of independence”, commemorating July 2, 1823, when Brazil’s independence took place in Bahia.
The runnerup at last year’s Rio Carnival also addressed issues such as feminism, the fight against racism and homophobia. She also spoke of the struggle for the demarcation of indigenous land, of criticism of the militarized republic (Check out the videos of the parade above).
In search of his 15th title, BeijaFlor competed with 23 wings, six cars and three tripods and 3,500 members. During the parade, the singer Ludmilla Neguinho accompanied da BeijaFlor and the other performers at the microphones (See photos from the parade above.).
The school’s parade began with the commission in front entitled “Where the People Made History and the School Told Nothing”. At that point, the attempt was to bring a new version of Independence Day that was different from what is being told in schools. The first pair of masters of ceremonies and standardbearers, Claudinho and Selminha Sorriso, represent the Caboclo, the protagonist of the July 2nd party.
1 of 11 BeijaFlor enters Sapucaí with his right foot — Photo: Marcos Serra Lima/g1 2 of 11 Lorena Raissa, drum queen of BeijaFlor — Photo: Stephanie Rodrigues/g1 3 of 11 Neguinho da BeijaFlor na Sapucaí Concentration — Photo: Marcos Serra Lima/g1 4 of 11 BeijaFlor OpenWings — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1 5 of 11 Scenic element of the BeijaFlor Front Commission — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1 6 of 11 Selminha Sorriso — Photo : Alexandre Durão/g1 7 of 11 Claudinho and Selminha Sorriso, BeijaFlor’s first couple — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1 8 of 11 BeijaFlor Front Committee — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1 9 of 11 BeijaFlor Front Committee — Photo : Alexandre Durão/g1 10 of 11 Raíssa Oliveira, former samba drummer queen of BeijaFlor, on the school’s float — Photo: Marcos Serra Lima/g1 11 of 11 Neguinho BeijaFlor and Ludmilla sing together at the BeijaFlor Parade, in Sapucaí — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1
The Nilópolis school sings the expelled from the Grito do Ipiranga.
The opener “Deconstructing the historical fantasy” questioned the official date of Brazil’s independence of September 7, 1822. In the plot, the liberation of Portugal was only possible through popular struggles. The actress Isabel Fillardis was the culmination of the allegory. The first wing, accompanying the car, showed an army of blacks, aborigines, mestizos and poor whites.
The next car, “The Day the People Won”, depicted July 2, 1823, when the battle took place in which the Brazilian troops drove the Portuguese out of Bahia. Actress Giovana Lancelotti and singer Majur stood out in the allegory, as did Maria Felipa de Oliveira, a fisherwoman who took part in the struggle for independence in Bahia. Zezito Alves and Assis were also there, returning in time for the parade after the fire.
popular uprisings
Part of the wings paid homage to popular uprisings such as the Botocudos (“Ode to the Botocudos”), the Malês (“Men’s Dream of Freedom”), the Cabano (“Cabano Pride and Amazonian Identity”), the Quilombolas (“A quilombola cry for freedom” ) and the Balaiada (“Ala das baianas do balaio comes the revolution”).
Five of the wings criticized the militarized republic (“Republic of the Sword and Boots”), coronelismo and the halter vote, the lack of opportunity for blacks with policies adopted after abolition that privileged white European workers (“Ala Cota for White”) , theories of the “communist threat” (“Wing Menace red Ghost of Communism”) and the military regime. The penultimate post, Lead of Autocracy, pointed out that the military dictatorship was a dark time for the country.
Then it was the turn of the wings, covering issues such as the fight to protect tribal lands, the fight against racism, the struggle of labor movements, against hunger, feminism and LGBTQIA+ rights. The school closed with the cars “For a New Birth”, with a new flag for the country and the tripod “Tomorrow is not for sale”, accompanied by the grand piano “The Cord of the Expelled and Others of Brazil”.
1 of 1 Neguinho da BeijaFlor and Ludmilla sing together at the Beija Flor parade in Sapucaí — Photo: Alexandre Durão/g1 Neguinho da BeijaFlor and Ludmilla sing together at the Beija Flor parade in Sapucaí — Photo: Alexandre tough/g1