• Brazil

Rio de Janeiro, Feb 13 (EFE).-

King Momo received the keys to the city of Rio de Janeiro from Mayor Eduardo Paes on Friday in a symbolic ceremony that kicked off Brazil’s most famous carnival. Around eight million people are expected to dance and celebrate in the streets in this year’s carnival.

“I want to ask all Cariocas and all those who visit us not to let a minute pass without having fun, because that is the spirit of this city,” Paes said, officially declaring the Carnival open. He expressed his pride in being the only mayor of Rio to have handed the keys to King Momo on fourteen occasions.

Although street parties (comparsas) have been parading through the streets of Rio de Janeiro for at least a month, the official festivities only began on Friday and will run until Ash Wednesday (Feb. 18).

The key handover ceremony, full of joy, music, and color, was energized by the percussion orchestra of Beija-Flor, one of the city’s most popular samba schools (escolas de samba), and the Municipal Guard band.

King Momo, the carnival queen, and the princesses danced, accompanied by a dozen ‘baianas,’ as the oldest members of a samba school are known, in a ceremony that was opened by a skillful pair of dancers on stilts.

“It is a pleasure to announce that, now that I have handed over the keys, don’t look for me anymore. Anyone who wants a tree cut down or garbage collected should call His Highness King Momo,” Paes joked.

In an additional message posted in his social media, the major announced that the singer Shakira will attend a free concert scheduled for May 2.

“The greatest Latin artist in history is going to make history on the sands of Copacabana. Rio welcomes you with open arms, Shakira,”, he wrote on X along with a promotional video.

With Rio de Janeiro under the command of Momo,Friday’s lineup features 20 blocos (groups that animate the streets for free with their musical bands) parading throughout Rio de Janeiro The first parade began in the early afternoon a few kilometers from the City Palace. It is known as the Bloco das Carmelitas and traditionally takes over the slopes of Santa Teresa, a bohemian neighborhood in the city center.

Das Carmelitas, named in honor of the nuns of this order who supposedly escaped the convent during Carnival, is one of the 458 blocos authorized to parade this year, one more bloco than in last year’s celebrations.

Among these groups, nine ‘megablocos’ stand out, which can attract between 200,000 and a million people.

Rio de Janeiro estimates that this year’s festivities will attract at least eight million people, including cariocas and visitors, who have reserved 91% of the city’s hotel rooms and whose presence is visible on the beaches, bars, and restaurants.

Of the eight million expected revelers, one million will enjoy the three nights of majestic parades by 12 escolas de samba in the Sambadrome starting Sunday. This is the main attraction of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro and is considered the greatest open-air spectacle in the world. However, entry is not free.

According to projections released by the Mayor’s Office, an 8.2% growth in the number of tourists is expected this year, totaling 1.8 more million visitors, of whom 393,300 are foreigners.

The Mayor’s Office forecasts that the celebration will generate 5.9 billion reales (about 1.13 billion dollars) in revenue.

“Our carnival gets millions of people dancing every year and transforms the city into a huge open-air party. It is a great celebration that shows the strength of our culture, but also of the money circulating, as it moves commerce, tourism, and services. The entire economy benefits,” Paes concluded. EFE

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