The global image of Brazil’s Carnival festivities is that of the Marquês de Sapucaí Sambadrome in Rio de Janeiro, with crowds gathered on the bleachers to watch samba school parades, complete with extravagant floats, massive drum sections, and stunning costumes.
While this is undoubtedly an integral part of the tradition, the real meat and bones of Brazil’s Carnival occurs elsewhere, in the countless block parties organized all over the country.
Known as blocos, these parties consist of organized street parades open to the public, where bands typically play atop mobile sound trucks, followed around the streets by a crowd of revelers. Blocos can be small — consisting of a crowd of no more than dozens — or gargantuan. The Galo da Madrugada bloco in the northeastern city of Recife, for instance, annually attracts a crowd of more than 2 million people.
No two blocos are alike, with each having its own tongue-in-cheek name, visual identity, and traditions. The Galo da Madrugada, for instance, translates as “the Morning Rooster,” as its founders had to work all through the night to set up the next morning’s bloco. Suvaco do...
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