Samba is Passion, Premiered Feb 2, 2025
#sambaépaixao #carnaval
Mangueira 2025 Ao Vivo |
Super Esquenta da Bateria (4K) Completo
#carnaval #sambaépaixao
Samba é Paixão Temporada 2024/2025
Captação de Vídeo: Fabio Moraes e Luana Takeushi
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Video title- Google translate from Portuguese to English-
Mangueira 2025 Ao Vivo | Super Esquenta da Bateria (4K) Completo- "Mangueira 2025 Live | Super Battery Warm-Up (4K) Full"
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Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents some general information about Brazilian samba schools with a focus on explanations in English for the Portuguese term "bateria".
This post showcases a 2025 YouTube video of Mangueria bateria and presents information about the history of Mangueria Samba school/Mangueria bateria.
The content of this post is presented for historical, socio-cultural, entertainment, and asthetic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who have been and are now associated with Brazilian samba schools/baterias. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the publisher of this video on YouTube.
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Click https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/08/five-youtube-videos-of-rio-de-janeiro.html for the closely related pancocojams post entitled "Five YouTube Videos Of Rio De Janeiro Samba School/Baterias (2012 - 2025)".
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INFORMATION ABOUT BRAZILIAN SAMBA SCHOOLS/BATERIA
Source #1:
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samba_school
"A samba school (Portuguese: Escola de samba) is a dancing,
marching, and drumming (Samba Enredo) club. They practice and often perform in
a huge square-compounds ("quadras de samba") and are devoted to
practicing and exhibiting samba, an Afro-Brazilian dance and drumming style.
Although the word "school" is in the name, samba schools do not offer
instruction in a formal setting.[1] Samba schools have a strong community basis
and are traditionally associated with a particular neighborhood. They are often
seen to affirm the cultural validity of the Afro-Brazilian heritage in contrast
to the mainstream education system,[2] and have evolved often in contrast to
authoritarian development.[3] The phrase "escola de samba" is
popularly held to derive from the schoolyard location of the first group's
early rehearsals.[2] In Rio de Janeiro especially, they are mostly associated
with poor neighborhoods ("favelas").[citation needed] Samba and the
samba school can be deeply interwoven with the daily lives of the shanty-town
dwellers.[4] Throughout the year the samba schools have various happenings and
events, most important of which are rehearsals for the main event which is the
yearly carnival parade. Each of the main schools spend many months each year
designing the theme, holding a competition for their song, building the floats
and rehearsing. It is overseen by a carnavalesco or carnival director. From
2005,[5][6] some fourteen of the top samba schools in Rio have used a specially
designed warehouse complex, the size of ten football pitches,[7] called Samba
City (Cidade do Samba) to build and house the elaborate floats. Each school's
parade may consist of about 3,000 performers or more, and the preparations,
especially producing the many different costumes, provide work for thousands of
the poorest in Brazilian society.[8] The resulting competition is a major
economic and media event, with tens of thousands in the live audience and
screened live to millions across South America.
Carnival parade
The formal parades ("desfiles") during carnival,
are a showcase of each main schools, enhanced by the participation of
celebrities, fans and guests who often pay large sums of money for their
elaborate costumes. In Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Porto Alegre, the formal
parades are held in specially constructed arenas called Sambadromes (Sambódromo
da Marquês de Sapucaí in Rio, the Anhembi Sambadrome in São Paulo) designed by
influential architect, Oscar Niemeyer, the Sambadromo Complexo Cultural Porto
Seco in Porto Alegre and the Sambadromo de Uruguaiana in Uruguaiana where
"escolas de samba" from Brazil and their counterparts in Uruguay and
Argentina (known as escuelas de samba) participate. Sambadromes are designed to
accommodate all social classes, with VIP lounges, tourist sections, and various
types of seating right down to cheapest seats for poorest sections of the
community. Those who choose to only watch the parade may also be charged for
the best seats.
Each school displays glamour with colorful costumes and
floats with special effects and is organized into different segments or
"alas" (sections). The "alas" represent different
components of the school's theme, or "enredo", as they act out an
homage to a myth, historic event or figure, or express their view on a social,
environmental, or international issue. The "alas" display distinct
costumes ("fantasias") and also reflect traditional samba school roles
developed years ago. Thus, each samba school parade has the "comissão de
frente" (first artistic ensemble), individuals who open the parade by
walking in social[further explanation needed] attires, saluting the crowds; the
"ala das Baianas", or the traditional segment of Bahian African-Brazilian
ladies with impressive round dresses spinning through the avenue; the
"interpretes" (formerly "puxadores") (lead singers) singing
the "samba-enredo" or theme-song while they play the
"cavaquinho" or other string instruments; the "velha
guarda", veterans of the school; the "bateria", or samba band
with drums, "cuicas" and other instruments, preceded by the
"madrinha da bateria", band godmother who is often a sexy female
celebrity. The "porta-bandeira" (female flag bearer), and the
"mestre-sala" (male dancing partner) display and honor the school's
flag, as they dance and strive to show harmony and samba expertise, while their
performance is carefully observed and scored by the judges."...
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SOURCE #2:
AI Overview (results of my August 31, 2025 Google Search question "What are Brazilian Samba Schools and Bands?)
"Brazilian Music and Dance: From Samba to Forró
Brazilian samba schools are community-based cultural organizations that practice and perform samba, a music and dance style with strong Afro-Brazilian roots. They are central to the annual Rio Carnival, where they compete in elaborate parades featuring thousands of participants, elaborate costumes, themed floats, and powerful drumming by an instrumental group called a bateria. Samba schools also serve as social and economic institutions, providing employment, fostering community spirit, and preserving cultural heritage.
What are Samba Schools?
Community Hubs:
Samba schools are more than just dance groups; they are social and cultural organizations deeply connected to their local neighborhoods, often in poorer areas.
Carnival Preparation:
They spend the entire year preparing for the annual Carnival parade, a highly competitive event where they are judged on various aspects including their theme, costumes, floats, music, and choreography.
Community Participation:
They involve people of all ages and backgrounds from their communities in creating the parade, from designing floats and costumes to dancing and playing music.
Cultural Significance:
Samba schools are seen as a way to validate and celebrate Afro-Brazilian culture, acting as a counter-narrative to mainstream education systems.
The Carnival Parade
The Bateria:
A defining feature of a samba school is its bateria, a powerful percussion ensemble responsible for the instrumental accompaniment.
Samba Enredo:
The music played is a "samba enredo" – a samba song specifically composed for the school's annual theme.
The Performance:
Each school presents a synchronized performance that includes music, dancing, original costumes, and enormous themed floats designed to tell a story or illustrate their chosen theme.
Judging:
A panel of judges evaluates the performances, awarding points for different elements of the parade.
Samba Bands
The Bateria:
The term "samba band" refers to the instrumental ensemble, known as the bateria, within a samba school.
Percussion and Harmony:
The bateria consists of numerous membranophones (drums) and idiophones (other percussion instruments). They are accompanied by a small group of cavaquinhos (a type of ukulele) and guitars that provide the harmonic foundation for the samba.
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SOURCE #3
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Esta%C3%A7%C3%A3o_Primeira_de_Mangueira
"Grêmio Recreativo Escola de Samba Estação Primeira de
Mangueira, or simply Mangueira, is a samba school in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The school was founded on April 28, 1928, by Carlos Cachaça [pt], Cartola, Zé
Espinguela, among others. It is located in the Mangueira neighborhood, near the
neighborhood of Maracanã.
Mangueira is one of the most traditional samba schools in
Brazil. It has won the Rio de Janeiro Carnaval competition 20 times, second
only to Portela (samba school) (with 22 victories). It has been runner up
another 20 times.
History
Early years
In the early days of samba, the community around the
Mangueira hill or morro emerged as a pioneer of the Rio Carnival through its
'Cordões', in which a group of masked participants were led by a teacher with a
whistle followed by a veritable percussion orchestra. In Mangueira, there were
at least two Cordões: the Mountain Warriors (Guerreiros da Montanha) and the
Triumphs of Mangueira (Triunfos da Mangueira). Later came the ranchos
(pt:Rancho carnavalesco), which introduced several very important concepts to
the Carnival procession: the participation of women, floats, a theme to connect
the procession, and the use of woodwind, brass, and string instrumentation
(particularly plucked strings). They also added two special dancers, now known
as master of ceremonies (mestre-sala) and flagbearer (porta-bandeira). Three
ranches stood out in Mangueira: Drop of Love (Pingo de Amor), Pearl of Egypt
(Pérola do Egito) and Princes of the Forest (Príncipes da Mata). By 1920 the
'carnival blocks' with elements taken from both the Cordão and Ranch
traditions, along with the now familiar percussion block, debuted. These were a
strong influence on the development of the other samba schools.
There were no lack of blocks in the Mangueira area. In just
the Buraco Quente neighborhood, one could find the Tia Fé, Tia Tomázia and
Mestre Candinho blocks. Most famous of all was the Bloco dos Arengueiros. It
was Cartola, aged 19, who felt it was time to channel the natural gifts of the
blocks' rogues and thus to show them in a more organized light, displaying the
power and choreographic legacy of their African roots.
Then, on April 28, 1928, at a meeting at Travessa, Saião
Lobato, aged 21, the arengueiros Zé Espinguela, "Seu" Euclides,
Saturnino Gonçalves (father of Dona Neuma), Massu, Cartola, Pedro Cain and
Abelardo Bolinha founded the First Station Block (Bloco Estação Primeira) -
regarded as a predecessor to the present day carnival blocks and samba schools.
This block was present at the first contest between samba dancers in the house
of Zé Espinguela in 1929, one of the forerunners of the samba schools, along
with Deixa Falar and Portela.
Samba School
Cartola, who later married Dona Zica, was the first
bandmaster and musical director of the school and gave the final word on the
choice of the name and colors: "Estação Primeira (First Station)" -
because it was the first railway stop from the Brazil Central Railway Station
where there was samba; the green and pink colors as a tribute to a ranch that
existed in Laranjeiras, the Arrepiados. Gradually all other blocks of the hill
merged their associations to it and by the 1930s and 40s, Mangueira was already
included in the list of "major" samba schools of the city.
Mangueira was the first samba school that created a
composers' wing, and the first to maintain, since its foundation, a unique beat
of the surdo leading in the school percussion section. On the symbol of the
school, the surdo represents the samba, the laurels are the victories won as
the general champion, the crown is the imperial district of São Cristóvão, and
the stars, the years it won the Carnival championship. It was also the first
one to develop a "front commission", or Comissao da Frente as it is
called in Portuguese and an official criterion for the parade contest, as a way
for the school to show to the public the story concept for the year's event.
The flag today is in green and pink stripes radiating from the center and the
coat of arms - until the 1980s the school sported a pink flag with the emblem
in the center.
One of the most emblematic figures of the Mangueira samba
was Jamelão, who was the official school singer from 1949 until 2006 (a record
57 years) and become a true "carnival and samba institution" in Rio,
with his moody ways and his powerful voice. In 2006, Jamelão suffered a
cerebrovascular accident (CVA) stroke and did not record the Mangueira theme
song for the official 2007 Carnival CD, nor could he march with the school any
longer. (From 1950 up to that year his voice was featured in every Carnival LP
and CD produced by the carnival organizers, together with those of other
schools.)
1980s and beyond
Mangueira holds 20 general championship titles, and 1 Super
Cup, exclusively won only in 1984, the inauguration of the Sambódromo. In 1984,
Mangueira was the champion of the Carnival on Monday, Portela on Sunday. Three
schools went on for the Championship Saturday where they competed in the Super
Championship, and in the end the school won the general super championship of
the year.
In 2007, Mangueira confronted various taboos. After 79
years, Mangueira celebrated the 80th anniversary opening the doors of its
percussion drums section to women. The idea of the president of the Mangueira
drums, Ivo Meirelles, to accept women in the battery of Green and Pink was
controversial. Moreover, Preta Gil became queen of the Drums Section (or Queen
of Drums) of the school, breaking a tradition of having only queens originating
from the community, elected through a contest. Luizito replaced Jamelão as
school singer. On the show, the school board prevented the big star Beth
Carvalho from parading, and the legendary Nelson Sargento preferred not to
parade either, possibly because his wife's costume had not been delivered. Such
developments led to a certain unease in samba circles and a lot of criticism
for the directors of contemporary samba schools.
[…]
For 2019, the school paraded in a theme of remembrance of
Brazil's Native American populations who were the first inhabitants of the
country before Portuguese colonization, and finished its campaign with its 20th
general championship, plus two Gold Standards (for best school and best flag
bearer).”…
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