Carnival has been celebrated in Brazil and Rio de Janeiro for centuries, but the first Samba School was only opened in Rio de Janeiro in 1920.

At the end of the 19th century, immigrants from Bahia brought with them the tradition of playing capoeira and dancing to a Bahian rhythm called Samba. In the favelas of downtown Rio, a place known as “Pequena África” established a number of religious houses dedicated to religious ceremonies, where they played and danced the early forms of samba.

However, African religions were illegal in a predominantly Catholic Brazil. These samba roots remained invisible to the white elite for a long time.

The parade structures of the Samba Schools come from groups that paraded during Carnival in the 19th century. Even at this point, they had already included the old-school commission, a chosen theme, floats and the rolling flag couple, all of which are essential parts of today's samba schools.

The first group to call itself a samba school was a group known as Deixa Falar, who came from the Estácio neighborhood, a hill above Praça Onze considered the birthplace of samba. They called themselves samba school because they found themselves next to a local children's school.

Leave Falar and Mangueira were both founded in the late 1920s; Let Falar first, in 1926, and Mangueira, soon after, in 1928. Let Falar was dissolved and, later, inaugurated as Estácio de Sá. Mangueira is the oldest existing samba school, however, it was not the first.

Let Falar paraded for the first time in Praça Onze, in 1929. By 1930, there were already five schools parading including Mangueira and Vai Como Pode, later known as Portela. The samba schools parade became a contest, which Deixa Falar won in 1930 and 1931. In 1932, there were 19 schools parading. In 1933, the parade became sponsored by the largest Brazilian media group, 'O Globo'. They established a list of four evaluation criteria for judges.

Many of Rio de Janeiro's samba schools were originally part of a football club in the area where they were founded, such as Porto da Pedra and Mocidade Independente de Padre Miguel.

Samba Courts

The samba schools offer samba nights on their courts, they are open to anyone. Going to a Samba School is the best way to get in touch with real samba and learn. The nights are totally informal and with great reception, like a mega club with people of all ages, with lots of dancing and fun.

A court rehearsal is definitely an unmissable and unforgettable experience. On these samba nights, the samba-enredo of the year is repeated, to be learned in preparation for the Carnival parade.

You can go to any school's court rehearsal. Four of the best known (Mangueira, Unidos da Tijuca, Salgueiro and Vila Isabel) are located close to the South Zone and the Suburban Region of Rio, and the price of a taxi departing from the South Zone is reasonable.

Other Samba Courts are in the outlying suburbs, but they're not a place to roam without someone who knows their way around. Some of them are very far away, even outside the metropolitan region of Rio.

We recommend going to Mangueira, which has the biggest, safest and most famous block, with lots of tourists and a lot of security (even so, you might feel a little intimidated, if not shocked, at first). A note of warning – the Samba Schools courts are in very poor areas, often on the edge of favelas so don't dress flashy or bring valuables.

People often arrive much later than the advertised start time, usually well after midnight. Plan to arrive after 11:30 pm. Take a taxi (for safety reasons). There will also be plenty of taxis around the School when you are finally ready to head home.

There is usually an entry fee between R$ 15.00 and R$ 30.00

Long live Carnival and fall in love for life!