BeijaFlor and Sambista Neguinho da BeijaFlor announced tonight that Ludmilla will be the second Rio school performer in 2023. She will cross Marquês de Sapucaí by pulling the blue and white group’s samba.
The announcement came during an event marking BeijaFlor’s choice of the Samba plot.
“Neguinho himself invited me to stand with him in front of the sound car this year. But unfortunately I couldn’t due to my schedule. Then I organized my commitments for 2023 and accepted this invitation, which I can’t refuse. I’m a fan von Neguinho, I love the school, I’m very happy, I’ll do my best to honor this place,” Ludmilla said in an exclusive conversation with this column syringes.
The singer says she never thought about taking the position of samba leader:
I’ve always admired and respected this role a lot, it’s a very special place to be in a club. His eyes would sparkle when he saw women there following the handles. I never thought that one day it would be me. Once again life takes its course and presents me with this wonderful moment.
The club lost Neguinho’s ‘heir’ in January. Gilson Conceição Júnior, known as Bakaninha, died in a car accident. Bakaninha has been part of Sapucaí’s backing vocals team since 2009. As a second singer, he sometimes led school rehearsals in Neguinho’s absence.
Ludmilla comes to the post, proving once again that women’s representation matters. After partnering with big names in samba and pagoda, the “Numanice” singer takes on a new position at the Rio Carnival.
A woman’s place is wherever we choose. Whether as a samba performer, flag bearer, drum queen, director, the most important thing is to stand by yourself and fight, at some point the realization will come. And I want to give a special thank you to the whole school for hugging me, seeing me as a person worthy of being in this very important place and allowing me to be a female Representative in this place .
Ludmilla
Image: Chico Cerchiaro / Publicity